Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives - Urge Congress to Protect the Great Lakes

Climate Change Coming To US Senate Panel Tuesday

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:03:32 +0000

California Senator Barbara Boxer’s committee will hold a hearing on the Climate Change bill on Tuesday to hear the testimony of some heavy hitters from the White House.

The heads of Energy, the EPA and Agriculture are expected to testify at…

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Razor-Thin Victory For Climate Change; 50/50 split among Great Lakes Fencesitters

Tiffany Pache — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:49:40 +0000

In a narrow victory, the US House passed the first ever bill to deal with the affects of climate change on the Great Lakes. It will also provide future dollars toward protection and restoration efforts. In the end, eight republicans…

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They Did It! Obama’s Restoration Initiative Gets Thumbs Up

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:33:08 +0000

The US House approved President Obama’s historic commitment to Great Lakes restoration with a vote of 254 to 173. The $475 million investment will now head to the US Senate for a vote after the July fourth weekend.

Michigan’s Rep.…

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House Approves $475M Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Hugh — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:11:23 +0000

The effort to restore the Great Lakes advanced in the U.S. Congress, as the House of Representatives today approved $475 million to fund a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative first proposed in President Obama’s budget.

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Urge Great Lakes Congressmen To Vote For Climate Change Bill

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:26:05 +0000

As the US House nears a historic vote on climate change legislation, several Congressmen with districts on the Great Lakes are still on the fence as to whether or not they will support the bill. The America’s Clean Energy and…

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Do you live in Marcy Kaptur’s district?

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:11:45 +0000

Great Lakes Rep. Marcy Kaptur is reported to be leaning toward voting “no” tomorrow on the America’s Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), but she remains officially undecided. Ohio has been the focus for opponents of the legislation that would…

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In Climate Debate: Great Lakes States are Targeted

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:04:14 +0000

The extreme tug-of-war going on in Congress over the Climate Change legislation has moved its battlefront to the Midwest. A cadre of Republican Congressmen against America’s Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) are targeting Great Lakes lawmakers in an attempt…

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President’s Great Lakes Initiative Makes it Past First Senate Hurdle

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:01:00 +0000

The US Senate Committee charged with marking up the President’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative approved it yesterday providing $400 million for the initiative. The US House Appropriations Committee approved $475 million last week.

The $400 million is a huge victory because…

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Bills to hit the Floor

Tiffany Pache — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:11:28 +0000

The Great Lakes $475 million and the State Revolving Fund and EPA spending bills are due to hit the floor of the US House this week as well as see a mark-up session in the US Senate tomorrow.

A number of…

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Over 1,000 Tweeters follow Great Lakes restoration on Twitter

Hugh — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:23:01 +0000

Are you into this “Twitter” business the kids (and John McCain) are all on about these days?

Yeah? Then follow us! You’ll join over 1,000 people getting updates from this blog, useful and interesting Great Lakes news items, and Congressional action alerts.

Not…

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Good and Evil in the Great Lakes Clean Water Debate

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:39:58 +0000

Minutes after the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted in favor of the Clean Water Restoration Act, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) put a hold on the legislation setting the scene for a battle and possibly defeat on the US…

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2 More Wins!

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:43:51 +0000

The US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee worked late into the night passing numerous important water bills including the Clean Water Restoration Act and a significant increase for the Great Lakes Legacy Act. But they also passed two smaller…

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Great News for the Great Lakes from Congress

Hugh — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:53 +0000

Key steps were taken this week in Congress towards comprehensive restoration of The Great Lakes, adding momentum to the movement to protect the region’s most important environmental and economic asset.

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Senate EPW Committee Votes for $150m for GLLA

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:20:28 +0000

The US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to increase the appropriation for the Great Lakes Legacy Act from $50 million a year to $150 million a year.

The GLLA is responsible for cleaning up toxic pollution in the Great…

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Clean Water Restoration Act Makes it Through Committee with Yes Vote!

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:40:17 +0000

Fingers crossed it won’t be long before the Clean Water Act is able to do its job again and stop pollution in all our major waters – including the Great Lakes and her tributaries – the original spark for the…

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It’s Not Just for the Lakes, it is for the Economy, Stupid!

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:39:57 +0000

It’s Déjà all over again. Last September the US House passed a Great Lakes Legacy Act reauthorization that tripled the funding to clean up toxic pollution in the Great Lakes. One Senator from Oklahoma shot down the bill in the…

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Will They Vote For or Against Obama’s Promise?

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:09:10 +0000

There are three significant votes expected today, Thursday June 18 on the $475 million President Obama set aside in his budget for Great Lakes Restoration. This is the first time any President has made such a commitment to Great Lakes…

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Fine Print Worth Reading

Chris Grubb — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:42:59 +0000

Last week we reported that the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved the full $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as part of its Fiscal Year 2010 spending bill.

In the lead-up to Congressional…

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Greate Lakes Senators Have the Great Lakes Basin in Their Hands

Tiffany Pache — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:29:37 +0000

Sens. George Voinovich (R-OH),Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) have a chance this Thursday to help save the Great Lakes from significant degradation, but we have no real idea if either of them is going to support…

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US & Canada to Iron out Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Tiffany Pache — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:53:15 +0000

New threats are driving the US and Canada to reconsider the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement that lays the original milestones for restoring and then protecting the chemical and biological make up of the Great Lakes.

It only took two…

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Yabba Dabba Don’t!

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:45:37 +0000

The Detroit Free Press ran an unusual column this week ranting about Great Lakes restoration being a waste of money and a trip back to the caveman days! The shocking words criticized the House Appropriations Committee’s efforts to pass a bill…

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Restoration is Zeitgeist

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:59:39 +0000

If there was ever a right time to build a national coalition comprised of America’s great water restoration efforts, it is now. Not only are our ecosystems in great peril, but also the political zeitgeist appears to be with us.…

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“Make Your Problem Bigger!”

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:49:59 +0000

This morning NWF CEO Larry Schweiger challenged conservationists from around the country to look beyond their ecosystem restoration projects and include all the troubled waters in America.

“Instead of focusing on our own individual problems, we should make our problems…

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Great Lakes State Leading Health Care Innovation

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:45:23 +0000

Wisconsin is President Barack Obama’s number one agenda item today. The President is flying into Green Bay to hold a town hall style meeting to learn about how this Great Lakes State has made cutting edge healthcare available to more…

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House Appropriations subcommittee fully funds Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (Coalition Statement)

Hugh — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:42:47 +0000

The U.S. House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee today approved full funding for the new $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which addresses some of the most urgent threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, toxic pollution and habitat restoration.

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Great Lakes Senators Need to Speak Up

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:09:15 +0000

Its time to gin up support for President Obama’s Great Lakes Initiative in the US Senate. That is why we’ve asked each of the 15 Great Lakes US Senators (Minnesota is still figuring out who will be their second Senator)…

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Obey Won Kenosha & a whole lot more

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:34:53 +0000

Kenosha Seascape

We’d like to thank you David Obey for pulling through for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative! Turns out our Wisconsin Great Lakes Rep who chairs the Appropriations Committee advised (convinced) Subcommittee Chair and colleague Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) (the…

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New Orleans or Bust!

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:08:03 +0000

We are all heading down to The Big Easy to launch a coalition that will address all of America’s waterways. It isn’t just the Great Lakes that need restoration, but also the Florida Everglades, Puget Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, Louisiana Coastal…

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Tell Senators to Fully Fund Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Chris Grubb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:28:11 +0000

HEALING OUR WATERS® - GREAT LAKES COALITION

ACTION ALERT

TELL SENATORS TO FULLY FUND GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE

BACKGROUND: This week a House Appropriations subcommittee is expected to approve funding for a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at close to the level proposed…

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Why pro-business, anti-pork Republican Mark Kirk fights hard for Great Lakes Restoration

Hugh — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:33:51 +0000

The success of Congressman Mark Kirk is a great example of how support for Great Lakes restoration makes great political sense for Republicans and Democrats throughout the region. Congresspeople in Lakes states who think restoration funding isn’t in their political…

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Rep. Maurice Hinchey a Linchpin?

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:34:24 +0000

Rep. Maurice Hinchey

US Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) could be the guy on the Appropriations Subcommittee to convince his colleagues to push through the $475 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative fully funded.

A member of the Great Lakes Task Force and cosponsor of the…

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Coronation of the New Great Lakes Czar

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:15:36 +0000

Our own Cameron Davis, CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes and former co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been named President Obama’s point man on all things Great Lakes.

“We congratulate Davis in his new post,…

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There’s Something about Amy

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:20:46 +0000

Senator Amy Klobuchar is from Minnesota. Minnesota has a lot of lakes and it borders the Great Lakes. Amy loves climate change legislation and has been called a “leading proponent of efforts to combat climate change” by the Washington Post,…

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Good Vibrations

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:16:19 +0000

Good vibrations are rolling across Capitol Hill as the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prepares to take up the reauthorization of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 tomorrow. HOW and the NRDC are collecting signatures…

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Espirit de corps

Tiffany Pache — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:34:22 +0000

Republicans and Democratic lawmakers from the Great Lakes region have joined together in one voice to implore their colleagues to fully fund President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. In a strongly worded letter, the Great Lakes Congressional Task Force explained…

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Great Lakes Around the Web – May 18 – June 1, 2009

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:20:24 +0000

Great Lakes Around the Web – May 18 – June 1, 2009

Here is a selection of news items and blog regarding the Great Lakes in the last few weeks.

Great Lakes bats threatened by mysterious disease

Great Lakes…

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Saving the Lakes One Policy at a Time

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:38:01 +0000

Great Lakes by Valerie Levitt

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 would go a long way toward helping the Great Lakes ecosystem survive the throes of climate change. A year ago today, the Healing Our Waters – Great…

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Rep. Steve LaTourette: A Profile in Courage?

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:47:24 +0000

Rep. Steve LaTourette

Not only is Great Lakes Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) on the Appropriations Committee, he is on the subcommittee that will be tasked with recommending to the full committee how much money gets put into the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.…

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Down to the Wire

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:31:36 +0000

Today is the last day for Great Lakes House Members to sign onto the Great Lakes Task Force letter urging the US House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and yet, there are some…

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The “It” Guy

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:30:26 +0000

Meet Rep. Norm Dicks

Take a good look. This is Rep. Norman Dicks (D-Wash). Rep. Norman Dicks is the guy our Great Lakes US House Members have to convince to spend every last cent of the $475 million recommended by President Barack…

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5 reasons why Rep. Jackson Jr. should support Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Hugh — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:14:03 +0000

Jesse Jackson Jr.'s position on the House Appropriations Committee means he can play an important role in making sure the full $475M included in President Obama's FY2010 Budget gets to Great Lakes restoration programs on the ground. Here are five reasons he should do all he can to bring his committee colleagues on board.

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Obama’s $475 M Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: The Right Next Step for the Nation

Chris Grubb — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:31:41 +0000

The following is a guest post by Allegra Cangelosi, Director of Ecosystem Projects at the Northeast-Midwest Institute

The Obama Administration’s proposed Great Lakes Restoration Budget Initiative, if appropriated, will hit the ground running and produce near-term results. To some the proposed…

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Great Lakes Around the Web – May 11 – May 17, 2009

Jordan Lubetkin — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:27:24 +0000

Great Lakes Around the Web – May 11 – May 17, 2009

Here is a selection of news items and blog regarding the Great Lakes in the last week.

Did we miss something? Let us know via the comments.

Great Lakes groups…

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Pressure

Tiffany Pache — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:05:28 +0000

The Great Lakes Task Force is putting the full press on the subcommittee responsible for deciding how much money the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will get.

In a strongly worded letter to their colleague Rep. Norman Dicks, the Chair of…

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Just ‘Cause They Say You May Surf, Doesn’t Mean the Water’s Clean

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:53:42 +0000

Guess what Great Lakes surfers, Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would go a long way toward cleaning up the water that you surf in.

That is right, with $146 million going toward cleaning up the nasty chemicals and toxins that lie…

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Hang Ten for Lake Michigan

Tiffany Pache — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:14:37 +0000

From Vince Deur

Surf’s up Dude, well, it could be very soon at five Lake Michigan beaches in the Chicago Area thanks to HOW’s very own surf enthusiast Vince Deur. Deur has been lobbying the city for some time to decriminalize…

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Briefing on President’s Budget: Materials for Journalists

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:54:11 +0000

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is hosting a briefing for media on President Obama’s budget and the implications for Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery.

Read our take on the budget from our press release.

Here’s how much funding the eight…

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Rep. David Obey: A Great Lakes Kind of Guy?

Tiffany Pache — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:25:43 +0000

Rep. David Obey

As a chief architect of FY2010 budget, David Obey (D-Wisc.) helped bring money to his Wisconsin district that creates jobs while restoring the Great Lakes. We can only hope this is a harbinger, because as chairman of the…

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Can Great Lakes Restoration Help Save Detroit?

Hugh — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:55:00 +0000

With a potential $3 billion in new economic activity, new ways of living, and new sustainable industries, maybe restoration programs could help Detroit become a synonym for Green Success Story - rather than other cities being glad they aren't Detroit, maybe someday we could hear "We want to be the next Detroit."

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President’s Plan Gains Definition

Tiffany Pache — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:51:17 +0000

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a fantastic story that outlines excactly where the $475 million will go if the House and Senate Appropriations Committees fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Post from: Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives - Urge Congress to…

Post from: Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives - Urge Congress to Protect the Great Lakes