For
details, see:
Mayor's conference -
www.glc.org/mayors
Lake St. Clair -
www.glc.org/stclair/heart
Sustainable Great Lakes conference -
www.glc.org/sustainable
June conferences focus on Great Lakes protection, restoration
Ann Arbor, Mich. — June is going to be a big month for the Great Lakes,
with a trio of major conferences devoted to their protection and restoration.
Among the issues to be addressed: a bigger role for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
mayors and communities in shaping regional policy, the pursuit of an environmentally
and economically sustainable future for the lakes, and mending the long-suffering
“heart” of the Great Lakes.
First up is the 17th Annual Conference of the International Association
of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors, June 16-18 in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Mayors have a critical role to play in shaping regional policy and this meeting
provides them with a forum to identify common challenges and opportunities
in protecting, promoting and developing the natural resources of the Great
Lakes-St. Lawrence system.
Co-hosts will be Tim Rigby, mayor of St. Catharines, and Richard Daley,
mayor of Chicago, the 2004 host city. Topics to be addressed include environmental
and restoration opportunities, mayoral lobbying initiatives, waterfront restoration
and maritime issues. Dr. David Suzuki, the noted scientist, environmentalist
and broadcaster, will give the keynote address.
Support services are provided by the Great Lakes Commission. For more information,
including links to online registration, visit
www.glc.org/mayors
Contact: Steve Thorp,
sthorp@glc.org
Next up is “Lake St. Clair: Restoring the Heart of the Great Lakes,” June
17-18 in Port Huron, Mich. Lake St. Clair has gained this nickname for its
valentine shape, its location and its importance to the larger the Great Lakes
system.
While only a small part of the Great Lakes system, Lake St. Clair nonetheless
faces some very big problems, including toxic contamination, nonpoint pollution
from agricultural and urban runoff, invasive species, loss of shoreline habitat
and wetlands, and more. This conference will convene stakeholders from the
Lake St. Clair community to review, assess and advance restoration and protection
efforts for the lake and its watershed.
Conference outcomes will help inform the development of a congressionally-mandated
comprehensive management plan being prepared for Lake St. Clair and the St.
Clair River. Registration and other information is available at
www.glc.org/stclair/heart
This conference is coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission with support
from the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency. Contact: Matt Doss,
mdoss@glc.org
Finally, a comprehensive look at the needs of the entire Great Lakes system
will be offered at “Moving Toward a Sustainable Great Lakes,” June 25-26 in
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. This conference will bring together a wide range of
stakeholders for an open dialogue on the integration of environmental, social,
and economic issues in securing a sustainable future for the Great Lakes.
Issues to be addressed include sustainability as a concept, Great Lakes
restoration planning, maritime transportation, waterfront redevelopment,
water quality and quantity, recreational issues, and institutional, legal
and scientific matters. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and well over a dozen other U.S. and Canadian
sponsors.
Additional information and online registration are available at:
www.glc.org/sustainable
Contact: Marquietta Davis,
davisma@tetratech-ffx.com
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