A great effort to protect the Great Lakes
Advocates build support to safeguard our waters
This summer, Environment Michigan made protecting the Great Lakes its top priority campaign. Comprising 90 percent of the fresh surface water of North America, the Lakes are the lifeblood of our ecology, economy and way of life.
But the Great Lakes depend on countless streams and wetlands that provide clean water and habitat for fish and wildlife. Unfortunately, nearly half of the streams and 1 million acres of wetlands in Michigan are now at risk from development and pollution because the Bush administration and the courts have begun excluding these waters from protection under the Clean Water Act.
Restoring protection to our waterways
To reverse this “no protection” policy, Environment Michigan is working to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act—a bill in Congress that would protect all waters in the Great Lakes ecosystem. And our sister organizations in other Great Lakes states are doing the same.
“The Great Lakes can only be as healthy as the streams and wetlands that feed them,” said Christy Leavitt, federal clean water advocate for Environment Michigan. “That’s why this law is so critical.”
So far, we’ve made important progress. The Clean Water Restoration Act has 177 co-sponsors in the House, including Reps. Dingell, Ehlers, Stupak, Kildee, Levin, Kilpatrick and Conyers, and 21 in the Senate, including Sens. Levin and Stabenow. And in April, the bill was heard in committees in the House and Senate.
But there’s still work to be done. Environment Michigan and our allies are making sure that uncommitted lawmakers are hearing public support for Great Lakes protection. At press time, our field operation had contacted more than 100,000 citizens about the campaign. And on Capitol Hill, our advocates had met with more than 50 members of Congress and their staff.
And, on the weekend of July 4th, Rep. Dingell joined Environment Michigan and the Huron River Watershed Council at an event near the Huron River to urge his fellow congressmen to protect the Great Lakes by passing the Clean Water Restoration Act.
