GLIN

News Ann Arbor, Mich. – Ahead of a Congressional briefing today in D.C., the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) released a report outlining steps to increase the adoption of green infrastructure in communities across the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Regional Green Infrastructure Policy Analysis provides recommendations to federal, state and provincial and local policymakers in the U.S. and Canada to decrease the amount of stormwater running off into area waterways and eventually into the Great Lakes. Runoff of stormwater—rain that runs off roads and rooftops and collects pollutants along the way—is a growing cause of water pollution across the Great Lakes basin. Excessive runoff is a growing cause of flooding, and associated loss of property and economic activity. Green infrastructure (GI) reduces runoff and improves water quality by trapping pollutants before they get into the streams and rivers that drain into the Great Lakes. GI includes features like rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, and street trees that filter and hold or slowly release stormwater. “With a changing climate and the increasing frequency of extreme weather, local communities are struggling to deal with excess stormwater and associated flood events,” said John Linc Stine, chair of the Great Lakes Commission and commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “At the same time, costs for communities to maintain traditional water infrastructure are skyrocketing as aging pipes, pumps, and treatment systems outlive their intended lifespan. The ability to deploy green infrastructure is highly impacted by federal and state or provincial policies. This report allows us better understand federal, state and provincial barriers to green infrastructure and what actions policymakers can take to eliminate them.” The analysis will be highlighted today at a congressional briefing organized by GLC and the Northeast-Midwest Institute that will feature speakers from GLC, American Rivers, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Environmental Consulting and Technology Inc., and remarks from U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio). The Great Lakes Regional Green Infrastructure Policy Analysis was undertaken as part of the GLC’s Green Infrastructure Champions Pilot Program, which aims to catalyze the adoption of green infrastructure practices and policies across the basin by bringing together leaders and helping them share their knowledge. The policy analysis and recommendations were developed with input from a regional advisory team. The Champions Pilot Program is funded by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. ← Previous news release The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair John Linc Stine, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission office is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org. Contact For questions or media inquiries, please contact Beth Wanamaker, [email protected]. Recent GLC News Great Lakes Commission releases green infrastructure policy recommendations in advance of Congressional briefing Great Lakes Commission awards nearly $900,000 under Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program The Advisor e-newsletter: July 2018 Great Lakes Commission, partners celebrate completion of Buffalo River habitat restoration projects Upcoming GLC Events Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Congressional Briefing September 5 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 2018 Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting October 2 - October 3 View GLC Calendar > View the full article

Efforts to restore the rare piping plover population on Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania seems to be working, according to groups monitoring the initiative. Read the full story by GoErie. View the full article

The grant, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will be used to restore 3,000 feet of fish habitat in Kids Creek in Traverse City, Michigan. Read the full story by 9 & 10 News. View the full article

The Associated Press is reporting that retaliatory tariffs from China and other countries cover $27 billion in U.S. exports, but while some Wisconsin ports are seeing the impacts of tariffs, others aren’t. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio. View the full article

The Toledo Zoo, along with state and federal wildlife departments, will attempt to replenish Lake Erie with lake sturgeon, one of the Great Lakes’ most threatened species. Read the full story by WOIO-TV – Toledo, OH. View the full article

Although the nonvenomous Lake Erie water snake continues to be one of the Great Lakes region’s best comeback stories, a fungus that can kill those and other snakes has scientists worried about their future. Read the full story by The Blade. View the full article

In Michigan, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has partnered with Emmet County since 2010 to control the invasive plant Phragmites along the Lake Michigan coastline. Read the full story by Petoskey News-Review. View the full article

Mercury levels remain high in the lakes, rivers and fish of the western part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula according to scientists from Michigan Technological University and the Environmental Protection Agency. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo. View the full article

In Michigan, wildlife officials hope the release of some young lake sturgeon on Friday into the Cass River in Frankenmuth will help to reintroduce the species in the region. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

A proposed underwater barrier project is intended to create a long-term natural solution that works with lake currents to continually nourish the beaches south of the breakwater in New Buffalo, Michigan. Read the full story by Harbor Country News. View the full article

Lake St. Lawrence has been low this summer as authorities try to bring high water levels down on Lake Ontario by flowing water faster out through the Cornwall, Ontario, dam. The Township of South Stormont plans a public meeting on Sept. 11 to discuss the issue. Read the full story by Nation Valley News. View the full article

A team of graduate students from Wayne State University in Detroit has developed a more efficient way to detect contaminants in Lake Erie in an ongoing effort to clean the water. Read the full story by The Blade. View the full article

It’s the fourth annual Pipe Out Paddle Protest against the pair of oil and liquid natural gas pipelines known as Line 5 that lie beneath the Straits. Read and listen to the full story by Michigan Radio. View the full article

The Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier CSL Welland was headed toward Quebec City off the coast of Olcott, NY, about 30 kilometres east of Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, when crew members on watch in the wheelhouse spotted two people floating in the water. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard. View the full article

A collection of elected officials and labor leaders turned up the pressure on an already tense labor dispute that has effectively stopped overseas cargo shipments at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s general cargo docks. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade. View the full article

It’s been three decades since 57-year-old Vicki Keith took on an amazing feat. In August of 1988, she embarked on a journey that took her across all five Great Lakes. Read and listen to the full story by Global News. View the full article

The Rain Garden 50/50 Cost Share program was designed to encourage residents to build rain gardens with permeable surfaces that allow for stormwater management. The program matches every dollar spent on rain gardens, up to $1,000 each. Read the full story by Metromade. View the full article

The Wisconsin and Great Lakes surfing scene has a dedicated community that will travel the shore of Lake Michigan in search of waves in all weather and all temperatures. They also support businesses with roots in the sport. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette. View the full article

Take a simulated submarine journey to the bottom of Lake Superior to see the famous shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, walk through the history of Great Lakes Native American cultures, or uncover the evolution of maritime technology – all at the Great Lakes Museum in Toledo, Ohio. Read the full story by the Times-Herald. View the full article

Detroit’s city school district is shutting off drinking water to all schools—which serve almost 50,000 students—after test results found elevated levels of lead or copper in 16 of 24 schools recently tested. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press. View the full article

An impressive photo of a thick lightning bolt illuminating the night sky over Lake Michigan was taken from an iron ore ship en route to Silver Bay, Minnesota. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press. View the full article

In Ohio, a new joint committee was formed to study the issues and challenges facing the long-term health of Lake Erie. The committee is made up of several members of the legislature with constituents in communities either on or near the lake, in both metropolitan and rural areas. Read the full story by WTRF-TV – Columbus, OH. View the full article

The International Joint Commission chair nominee wants to re-examine Plan 2014 after last year’s record flooding along Lake Ontario, saying that while the plan accounted for severe weather, the weather last year was much more severe than anticipated. Read the full story by The Watertown Daily Times. View the full article

With experts warning that invasive grass carp will become established in Lake Huron in 10 years, opinions are strongly divided on the best ways to deal with the threat and the tactics agencies are using to manage these fish that belong to the Asian carp family. Read the full story by The Manitoulin Expositor. View the full article

After using a 25-foot Boston Whaler for over 30 years, Minnesota fisheries workers will upgrade to Blackfin – a sleek, all-aluminum vessel made expressly for the Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by The Star Tribune. View the full article