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Air Quality Coastal Management Ecosystem Management Habitat Islands Land Use Sustainable Development Wetlands Water BeachCast Conservation Levels and Hydrology Quality Quantity and Use Rivers and Lakes Watersheds Flora and Fauna Biodiversity Endangered Species Forests Invasive Species Invasive Mapping People Plants Wildlife Pollution Air Toxics Areas of Concern Human Health Pollution Prevention Soil Erosion Toxic Contamination References Agencies & Organizations Environmental Justice Laws and Policy Sanctuaries and Reserves Research Weather and Climate Legislative Tracking Great Lakes Priorities Legislative News Lake Conditions Lake Erie Lake Huron Lake Michigan Lake Ontario Lake Superior Also: Lake St. Clair |
Environment of the Great Lakes Region What's New | Overview | General Resources | Agencies & Organizations | Discuss 
What's New Michigan tax ruling could power wind energy projects Great Lakes Echo (1/25) A recent personal property tax ruling that will cost Michigan counties millions of dollars in revenue could prove vital for utility companies and energy manufacturers around the state. Rare bald eagle hatching on Lake Ontario signals revival of habitat CTV News (4/5) For the first time in decades, bald eagles have successfully hatched on the north shore of Lake Ontario - news that has bird enthusiasts flocking to the Hamilton area to spot the eaglets. Great Lakes salmon are the focus of new video series (4/4) Underwater footage of wild-spawned salmon in Michigan streams show the challenges faced by young fish. Participants in MDNR’s Salmon in the Classroom program can use this series as a refresher on the salmon’s life cycle and Great Lakes ecology. Trumpeter swans at risk in shrinking lakes Midland Mirror (4/2) The deaths of two trumpeter swans from lead poisoning in Georgian Bay this year are raising questions about the environmental impact of decreasing water levels in the Great Lakes. Free sand! Muskegon's Beach Street residents again giving away beach accumulated in their yards MLive (4/1) For residents near Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich., the end of shoveling snow is just the beginning of their year-round shoveling odyssey. Instead of shoveling snow, they are resuming their never-ending battle against sand. National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (3/29) In partnership with state and tribal agencies, the Obama Administration recently released the first nationwide strategy to help public and private decision-makers address the impacts that climate change is having on natural resources and their dependent people and economies.
Overview The environment of the Great Lakes region is blessed with huge forests and wilderness areas, rich agricultural land, hundreds of tributaries and thousands of smaller lakes, and extensive mineral deposits. The region's glacial history and the tremendous influence of the lakes themselves create unique conditions that support a wealth of biological diversity, including more than 130 rare species and ecosystems. The environment supports a world-class fishery and a variety of wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, beaver, muskrat, weasel, fox, black bear, bobcat, moose and other furbearing animals. Bird populations thrive on the various terrains, some migrating south in the winter, others making permanent homes. An estimated 180 species of fish are native to the Great Lakes, including small- and large-mouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, lake herring, whitefish, walleye and lake trout. Rare species making their home in the Great Lakes region include the world's last known population of the white catspaw pearly mussel, the copper redhorse fish and the Kirtland's warbler. The region's sand dunes, coastal marshes, rocky shorelines, lakeplain prairies, savannas, forests, fens, wetlands and other landscapes contain features that are either unique or best represented withink the Great Lakes basin. For example, the world's largest freshwater dunes line the shores of Lake Michigan. Over the course of history, many types of pollution have inflicted and been reduced in the region, yet significant challenges remain. These range from threats to divert water out of the Great Lakes basin to the introduction of nonindigenous invasive species and airborne toxics into the basin. Protection of water quality and sustainable development remain long-term goals.
General Resources Great Lakes Atlas U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) This Environmental Atlas and Resource Book is an excellent resource on the Great Lakes, including physical characteristics, natural processes, people, concerns, joint management and new directions (mirrored on Environment Canada's site). Great Lakes Radio Consortium The Great Lakes Radio Consortium produces environmentally focused radio features and news featured on more than 100 public radio stations around the Great Lakes region and several national radio programs. Illinois Natural Resources Information Network Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Provides natural resource-related information to the citizens of Illinois so that individuals and groups can make informed decisions about natural resource management and policy. Science & The Environment Bulletin Environment Canada This bimonthly publication provides information on leading-edge environmental science and technology. Includes collections on habitat, pollution, species at risk, water and related topics. Software for Environmental Awareness United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Purdue University produce free interactive software programs on environmental topics. Summary of Environmental Law in North America Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) The CEC created this summary to improve public access to the environmental law of the three parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement; i.e., Canada, Mexico and the United States. Visualizing the Great Lakes U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) GLNPO has an extensive collection of images from around the Great Lakes that is available for you to use.
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