Office Visits

You Did It!

Something unprecedented happened this week – all sixteen of the Great Lakes US Senators joined forces to tell the Budget Committee that the Great Lakes deserve more money. Can anyone remember a time when all sixteen Senators have come together, across party lines, to sign such a letter before?

“The longer we wait to meet the problems facing the Great Lakes, the more expensive and difficult they will be to solve. To meet just a small demand of problems identified by the Strategy and challenges, we recommend significant funding increases for all Great Lakes specific programs,” the letter states.

Could it Read More » »

Nowhere To Go But Up

For those who have dedicated themselves to tirelessly advocating for the Great Lakes, the President’s budget was disheartening to say the least. It became clear to most of us that the restoration of the Lakes and possibly the inspiration for a new vibrant economy in our region won’t happen until we have a Commander-in-Chief who is fully committed to our cause.

“This is not going to happen until we have a candidate for President committed to putting it in the budget,” Michigan Senator Carl Levin (D) told us at the US Capitol last week. Just moments before Illinois Rep. Rahm Read More » »

Great Lakes Day 2008

The Great Lakes region’s Healing Our Waters Coalition members joined forces in Washington today to hike the Hill and advocate for Great Lakes issues with US House and Senate Members and staff. They spent all of yesterday training up on a host of issues and preparing for today’s events.

“We need all the lobbying we can get,” Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich) told throngs of Great Lakes advocates preparing to march the halls of Congress.

Rep. Ehlers asked coalition members to urge Congress to pass the Great Lakes Legacy Act which is up for reauthorization. It was first passed Read More » »

Congresswoman Slaughter Receives Great Laker Award

Members of the Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition from New York State presented Congresswoman Louise Slaughter with the 2007 Great Laker Award on January 8, in her Rochester district office. HOW member organizations present included Audubon New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, and Great Lakes United.

Representative Slaughter was honored with the prestigious Great Laker Award recognizing her tireless leadership in Congress to advance Great Lakes protection and restoration. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force and Chair of the Rules Committee, Representative Slaughter used her Read More » »

Signup for Great Lakes Day 2008

Washington, DC, February 27-28, 2008

Registration / Scholarship applications due February 1st

As part of the annual Great Lakes Day in Washington, D.C., the Healing Our Waters® (HOW) -Great Lakes Coalition helps to bring coalition members and allies from the Great Lakes states to Washington to discuss the importance of restoring and protecting the Great Lakes with elected officials on Capitol Hill. Learn more and register here:

http://www.healthylakes.org/great-lakes-day-2008-event-registration