Great Lakes

* Read about why the Great Lakes Committee was formed: Global Water Issues - by Hugh Mitchell.

Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Continues!
by Wayne Howard - Great Lakes Committee Chair

The Great Lakes Committee continues to be actively engaged with public outreach and the national “Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives” campaign, advocating for Great Lakes legislation. Our member, Holly Wheeler, was interviewed by Katrina Irwin for this week’s “Go Green” segment regarding bottled water. This was broadcast on TV Thursday, 3/6/08. The “Go Green” segment can be found online at http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=14803 .

GLC members participated in the Great Lakes Day on Capitol Hill in Washington (organized by the Healing Our Waters coalition), February 27-28. We lobbied to pass legislation to protect the Great Lakes, including legislation that will: (1) stop aquatic invasive species destroying the Great Lakes ( Legislation H.R. 2830 and S.1578 ); (2) reauthorize and increase funding ($54 M to $150M) for the Great Lakes Legacy Act, H.R. 1350 and S. 2994; (3) fund Great Lakes strategic projects; protect the Great Lakes by passing the Clean Water Restoration Act H.R. 2412 / S. 1870; (4) restore Clean Water Revolving funding to update sewage systems and improve coastal health; and (5) promote “Plan B+” as the appropriate water level management plan for Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2830) by a vote of 395 to 7 on April 24th, 2008. You can do your part to protect the Great Lakes by visiting www.HealthyLakes.org and clicking on “Take Action”.

There is a “Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Tour” planned, beginning June 4th in Buffalo, NY, led by the “Earth Voyager,” a Formula 60 trimaran, to engage people who love the lakes and highlight the urgent need and the remarkable economic, social, and environmental benefits of restoring and protecting the Great Lakes. (www.healthylakestour.org)

After visiting 15 locations in the Great Lakes the final stop will be Rochester, NY September 5/6/7. At each port “Earth Voyager” will be accompanied by a flotilla of local boats creating a grand visual celebration of the Lakes. Plans include reception, press conference, and Environmentalexpo. etc. Additional information will be provided on our web site: http://newyork.sierraclub.org/rochester/great_lakes.htm

Currently, we are preparing our position statements for the International Joint Commission’s (IJC’s) Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River proposed new water level/flow regulations (Plan 2007).

Please join us at our May 27th committee meeting as we prepare our final statements. Then help us advocate for “Plan B+” at the public meeting on June 11, 2008 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. It will be held at the Town of Greece Community and Senior Center, 3 Vince Tofany Boulevard. This new order will have a dramatic effect on wetlands, wildlife and water quality.

http://newyork.sierraclub.org/rochester/great_lakes.htm

Our program continues this year with several presentations already on our schedule. Please join us for one of them. You’re also encouraged to attend our Great Lakes Committee meetings, as listed on the back page of the eco-logue.

If you know of other groups that would like to host a viewing/discussion of “Thirst!” please contact me at wdhoward@rochester.rr.com.

* An Educational Outing in a canoe on Sodus Bay, NY. - The concerned residents and summer folks in the Sodus Bay area are involved in a volunteer non-profit organization “Save Our Sodus”(SOS) to revive the health of Sodus Bay. This summer two members of the Rochester Regional Group of Sierra Club, Great lakes committee, joined SOS effort to defeat the invasive weeds, European water chestnuts. Small boaters and canoeists aided the mechanical weed-harvesting boats which ply the shallows.