Michigan and the Great Lakes

Mon, 09/22/2008 - 07:28 — johncherry

Special thanks to greatlakestownhall.org for the inviting me to be a guest blogger this week, principally because last Thursday was an important day for the Great Lakes. The United States House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The Legacy Act has proven to be effective in providing significant resources to preserve and protect the Great Lakes, and I appreciate the U.S. House of Representatives' commitment to continuing and strengthening this absolutely critical funding source, now we have to make sure the United States Senate passes the legislation as well.

For us in Michigan the reasons are obvious. We have a deep, personal connection to the Great Lakes. I personally enjoy spending time on the water, and I grew up in a Michigan culture where people worked hard and long during the work week, but when vacations or weekends came along they loved to get away "to the lake," "to the cottage," or just "up north." I have been fortunate to serve in a number of capacities that have allowed me to help others to enjoy the promise of that culture. Whether as a Michigan legislator, as our State’s Lieutenant Governor, or as Chair of the Great Lakes Commission I have witnessed how our collective efforts have helped to preserve, protect and restore the vitality of the Lakes. However, our sense of stewardship tells us much more remains to be done.

I spent time this summer visiting Michigan communities along the shores of the Lakes to highlight their importance to our state's economy and quality of life, the environmental challenges the Lakes are facing, and to talk with citizens about their ideas for solutions to these challenges. I have also worked with the State of Michigan's Office of the Great Lakes, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), and other members of the Healing Our Waters Coalition to develop a comprehensive set of policies -- a draft action plan to address our challenges and to ensure that people will continue to be able to enjoy the benefits of the Lakes as they have for generations. We now have that draft framework of those policies, and over the next month the Office of the Great Lakes and MUCC will hold hearings throughout Michigan at which citizens can respond and make additional suggestions. We will announce that schedule soon, and I hope all who feel that personal connection to the Great Lakes will join us and share their ideas.

I am pleased that both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain have signed pledges to fund the restoration of the lakes. We want to make it as easy as possible for President Obama to put his $5 billion dollar commitment to protect and preserve the Great Lakes into action immediately or for John McCain to fulfill his pledge. No matter who the next president of the United States is, our goal is to put our comprehensive plan on his desk near the beginning of his term. so he can hit the water paddling, so to speak, when it comes to restoring and preserving the Great Lakes.

My guest blog this week will explore the draft action plan -- how it was developed, the main policy goals and the collaborations that we hope will arise from it. Thanks for logging on and being part of the conversation. More tomorrow on my Great Lakes tour, what we learned and how all our partners worked together to build a framework for restoring and protecting the Great Lakes.

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Comments

5 Billion in promises...

Submitted by DoctorSlime on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 12:53.

While it is exciting to have both candidates come up with 5 billion in promises to protect the Great Lakes, we all know the reality. Pre-election Promises are rarely kept.

We can look at the economy and watch 700 Billion being spent to save the Big Corporations who got in too deep, and bit off more than they could handle.

Our Great Lakes and when I say "Our" I mean, Yours, Mine, our children's, & future generations, including, Michigan, The US of A and Canada. That's a Huge "OUR".... Our Great Lakes are a big responsibility, 20% of the worlds Fresh water, its Our Job to protect it, guard it, and make ourselves deserving stewards of this fantastic resource, no one....NO ONE ...ANY where can match it.

Its a huge task, 5 billion is a huge number, but to be honest its not nearly enough to do the job.

Historically we haven't done such a great job of protecting "Our" Great Lakes, we need to do better one.

I look forward to reading, and listening to all the comments that the best of us can put forward, to encourage the protection, responsible sustainable development of "Our" Unique (Truly one-of-a Kind)
Great Lakes.

Refreshingly Yours,
DoctorSlime
aka Mike Garlick

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When government becomes unresponsive to the people who can't take care of themselves it's time to change elements within the government, by those who can for the sake of all of us. (ask me about in justice)

Doctor

Great Lakes water protection

Submitted by beachbum on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 15:07.

Thanks to everybody for taking action on the problems we are having with the water quality.

I'm the Beach Bum from the west coast. I hope my observations help with your targets. I go to all beaches on Lake Michigan, from St. Joe to Petoskey. I write to DNR Becky Humphries, but get no reply.

Algea blooms in South Haven were quite a bit better this year, but still a problem in August. I think a northside subdivision that developed over the past 3 years caused most of it and seems to be settled down now. Probably education of using, or banning, phosphates helped. Windy conditions kept the the lake rolling as well, cleaning the beach itself.

Trash in Frankfort was real evident around the 1st of August. Part of the mystery trash spill, it was a horrible example of human waste irresponsibly being dumped on our doorstep.

It also is disturbing to see algea blooms on northern beaches of Lake Michigan that never had them until a couple of years ago. It is a question that needs an answer. Phosphates, development, invasives, are all suspect. I can tell you, in over 25 years, I never had seen it until recently.

Grand River sewer spillage, when rain levels escalate, is a huge elephant in a small room. I don't know the numbers, but I bet you could eat up your 7B between Grand Haven and Muskegon. They have the problem every year and this year was "special".

I'll leave the fish reports to someone who fishes. I think it was tough to fish the big lake this year due to wind. Thank you.

The Graholm-Cherry Great Lakes "legacy"

Submitted by Alan Maki on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 16:31.

Sulfide mining in Michigan's Upper Pennisula is likely to be the Jennifer Granholm-Don Cherry-Democratic Party "legacy" to the Great Lakes, along with starving out adjuncts from Northern Michigan University who should be in the thick of the battles to save the Great Lakes.

Perhaps Mr. Cherry would care to address the issue of Kennicott Mining near Marquette, Michigan if it isn't too hot a potato for him to handle in this Election Year... as for Obama and McCain making any kind of committment to help solve the problems of the Great Lakes... give us all a break... how can a government squandering so much money in oil wars spend a dime to help stabilize and restore the Great Lakes?

Right now Mr. Cherry's own Party, the Democratic Party, is bringing forward legislation to make all workplaces--- except for casinos--- smoke-free; I wouldn't expect Mr. Cherry or Jennifer Granholm to do any better by the Great Lakes than what they are doing to tens of thousands of casino workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry who will be forced to continue breathing second-hand smoke filled air in spite of the dire consequences and warnings of ill health affects coming from the American Cancer Society.

Working people in Michigan have not faired to well under the Granholm-Cherry Administration, and Mother Nature hasn't done any better.

We are concerned about the water working people drink and the air they are forced to breath; we think there is a close connection between the two called "corporate profits" and "campaign contributions."

As long as political campaigns are tied to corporate profits we don't think our water, air, land, plants, animals or the communities we live in are safe... and, in the case of the Great Lakes, there is no separating one from the other.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

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Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Phone: 218-386-2432

Blog: h

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restoring our lakes

Submitted by sunshinemust on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 16:32.

I am a firm believer that we all should be able to enjoy our lakes and forest.Michigan has a lot to see and do,but we also must continue to abide by all the rules that are put into force to protect our waters and forest,it is without a doubt that the upcoming election holds all kinds of promises which of course will not be kept.We as citzens of this great state should work hard at selling this great state get people involved step up and do what ever we can to get people to vacation,work,build,restore our factories and bring people back into the job ,market this goes hand and hand what needs to be done if we protect our precious waterway and find ways to market what we have what a wonderful time this will be

Great Lakes Funding

Submitted by WolverBill on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 17:27.

If and when the money is appropriated I would hope that there is a well thought out plan to spend the money wisely. Recently I believe the Great Laeks funds have been allocated, at leas partially, for political reasons. in an attempt to get funds to as many jurisdictions as possible. In effect this dilutes the effort to really impact the most important problems. In my opinion it would be best to spend the money for two or three important project that would have the greatest benefit rather than spending it on 10 or twenty projects that at best would help but in some cases even hurt the water quality of the Lakes. For example, if there is known contaminated sediment in one harbor there might be some of the funds available to dredge and dispose of a portion of the problem. If the most toxic sediment is deeper down and the partial dredging exposed this layer to the water, then there is a better chance that the contaminated sediment would be resuspended by waves, ship props, and currents. It would be better to dredge all of the sediment even though it might take half of the total Great Lakes funding. I hope those who are managing the funding would convene a panel of experts from several fields interest including stakeholders but also scientific personnel to develop a rational plan based on all of the factors, leaving politics out of it.

Great Lakes Protection

Submitted by linknet2 on Tue, 09/23/2008 - 03:28.

I hope all citizens realize that any and all pacts or treaties, even the Great Lake Treaties, are not enforceable under our current 'free trade' pacts. The United States, a member of the WTO, World Trade Organization is subject to financial penalties if it protects any and all resources other member countries of WTO want or need.

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Saturday, December 18, 2010