GLIN==> Annual Lake Erie Conference - Sept. 7

[Jill Woodyard <jill.woodyard@www.epa.state.oh.us>]

August 26, 2000                        CONTACT: Jamie Kochensparger
				                  Public Information Specialist
				                  Ohio Lake Erie Commission
				                  419/245-2514
				                  jamie.kochen@www.epa.state.oh.us


For Immediate Release

Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan will highlight the 9th Annual Ohio 
Lake Erie Conference in Sandusky on Sept. 7, 2000

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission will host the 9th Annual Ohio Lake Erie 
Conference on Thursday, September 7, 2000 in Sandusky at the Radisson 
Harbor Inn. The day-long conference will feature programs and projects that 
preserve, restore and protect Lake Erie and its watershed. This event is 
open to all concerned citizens, researchers and Great Lakes representatives 
as well as regional, state, federal and Canadian officials.

This year's conference will focus on "Our Great Lake at the Millennium", 
highlighted by the official unveiling of the new Lake Erie Protection & 
Restoration Plan by Governor Bob Taft. Other State officials will address 
their agency's roles in the Plan, including: Dr. Samuel Speck, Director of 
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; Christopher Jones, Director of 
the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency;  Anne Harnish, Assistant Director 
of the Ohio Department of Health; and Wes Fahrbach, Deputy Director of the 
Governor's Regional Offices of the Ohio Department of Development.

The Commission will announce the 2000 Lake Erie Protection Fund (LEPF) 
awards, the Ohio Lake Erie Award recipients, and recognize the Life on Lake 
Erie Photo Contest Grand Prize winners. Presentations of several LEPF 
projects will be given, showcasing the success of this grant project 
benefiting Lake Erie.

The 9th Annual Ohio Lake Erie Conference is part of Ohio's public outreach 
program ~ Coastweeks 2000. Coastweeks is a national celebration of our 
nation's waters and shorelines, creating many educational, environmental, 
and recreational opportunities. Coastweeks is coordinated by the Ohio Lake 
Erie Commission for all Ohio citizens to enjoy from August 26 through 
September 24, 2000. The goal of this program is to increase the awareness 
of the value and fragility of the state's greatest natural resource ~ Lake 
Erie and its shoreline.

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ADD ONE - 2000 Ohio Lake Erie Conference

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is comprised of the directors of the Ohio 
Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of Natural Resources, 
Transportation, Development, Health and Agriculture. The Ohio Lake Erie 
Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie's 
natural resources, protecting the quality of the waters and ecosystem and 
promoting economic development of the region. In addition, the Commission 
oversees the Ohio Lake Erie Protection Fund (LEPF). During the last eight 
years, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission has raised more than $5.2 million in 
Lake Erie License Plate Sales. This money has been used to fund LEPF 
research and the implementation of grant projects that focus on improving 
the quality of Lake Erie.

To register for the conference or to obtain a detailed agenda, visit the 
Commission Web page at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/oleo/ or contact the Ohio 
Lake Erie Commission Office at 419/245-2514 or by e-mail: 
www.epa.state.oh.us. The conference registration deadline is Thursday, 
August 31, 2000.


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