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ANN ARBOR, MICH. (September 23, 2016) – At a presidential campaign forum yesterday, representatives from the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns said that they would support the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative if elected. The forum, hosted by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, came on the last day of the organization’s twelfth annual Great Lakes restoration conference in Sandusky, Ohio.

Todd Ambs, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“We’re glad to see both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump support Great Lakes restoration and protection through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. More than 30 million people depend on the lakes for their drinking water, and it’s imperative that the next president make the restoration of the Great Lakes a national priority.”

The presentation of Trump campaign representative Mike Budzik, past chief, Ohio Division of Wildlife under Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, is available at https://www.facebook.com/healthylakes/videos/10154889608099796/

The presentation of Clinton campaign representative David Hayes, former deputy secretary, Department of Interior in the Obama Administration, is available at https://www.facebook.com/healthylakes/videos/10154889995564796/

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We’re excited to be at Cedar Point – the roller coaster capital of the world – on the shores of Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, as the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition hosts our annual conference. We’re excited about this year’s conference—our 12th—where attendees can enjoy interesting presentations, fun field trips, and exciting receptions and rides (!).

This year, we’re hosting a presidential candidate forum on the last day of the conference, Thursday, September 22—where both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump representatives will attend to lay out their Great Lakes platforms.

For those coming to Sandusky, we look forward to seeing you there.

If you cannot join us here, you can still follow the conference proceedings on Twitter @healthylakes, on our website (right where you are!), and – new this year – on Facebook Live, where we will be broadcasting the aforementioned candidate forum at 9 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. on Thursday, September 22. More >

Trump rep Mike Budzik, past chief, Ohio Division of Wildlife under Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, and Clinton rep David Hayes, former deputy secretary, Department of Interior in Obama Administration, to attend candidate forum September 22.

SANDUSKY, OHIO. (September 19, 2016) – As the presidential race nears the home stretch, Great Lakes advocates are gathering in Sandusky, Ohio, to press Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaign officials to explain their Great Lakes platforms. The gathering is part of the 12^th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference, hosted by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, which attracts hundreds of people from the states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

Representatives from the Clinton and Trump campaigns will attend a campaign forum on Thursday, September 22.

• At 9 a.m. Trump campaign representative Mike Budzik, past chief, Ohio Division of Wildlife under Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, will speak during the first 45-minute session.
• At 11:10 a.m. Clinton campaign representative David Hayes, former deputy secretary, Department of Interior in Obama Administration, will speak during the second 45-minute session.
• The Coalition will broadcast the sessions live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/healthylakes/

“Millions of people are counting on the next president of the United States to stand up for the Great Lakes,” said Todd Ambs, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We look forward to hearing from Clinton and Trump representatives to learn how they intend to tackle the ongoing serious threats to the Great Lakes. It will be imperative for the next president to embrace a strong Great Lakes restoration platform to protect the drinking water, health, jobs, and way of life for the millions of people who call this region home.”

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ANN ARBOR, MICH. (September 8, 2016) – As members of the U.S. Congress return to Washington, D.C., after a nearly two–month recess, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging members of the House and Senate to act on Great Lakes restoration priorities that protect the drinking water for 30 million people and are essential to the eight-state region’s economy.

In a letter sent today to Congressional offices, the Coalition is urging public officials to authorize and fund core Great Lakes restoration programs such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as well as necessary investments to fix and modernize sewers and drinking water infrastructure in the region. The Coalition is also asking lawmakers to contribute federal funds to help the people of Flint, Mich., deal with systemic lead poisoning of families in the city.

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Environmental, business, industry, and local leaders urge White House aspirants to address Great Lakes supporters at Ohio gathering.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (August 29, 2016) – Business, industry, and conservation leaders joined regional mayors today in asking presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to attend the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s annual restoration conference, Sept. 20-22, in Sandusky, Ohio, to explain what they will do to protect and restore the Great Lakes—the source of drinking water for more than 40 million people in the United States and Canada.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and its partners are asking each candidate or their designee to present their Great Lakes agenda in separate 30-minute forums at the annual gathering of Great Lakes supporters on the shores of Lake Erie.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Council of Great Lakes Industries, Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative earlier this year urged White House contenders to support a Great Lakes platform to protect the region’s drinking water, health, economy, and quality of life by funding the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, supporting national water infrastructure, and committing to combat harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie that have poisoned drinking water, threatened public health, and hurt the economy.

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