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NEWS RELEASE MAYORS COMMEND
INTRODUCTION OF GREAT LAKES COMPACT RESOLUTION Chicago, IL (July 23, 2008)
– Mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a
coalition of more than 55 U.S. and Canadian cities, commend Members of Congress
for introducing a joint resolution providing consent to the Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. “The quick introduction of
a resolution to provide congressional consent to the Compact is very
promising,” said David Ullrich, Executive Director of the Cities
Initiative. “Protecting the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, a
globally significant surface freshwater system, needs to remain a top priority
for all orders of U.S. and Canadian government.” Mayors of the Cities Initiative
passed a resolution at their 2008 Annual Member’s Meeting in Toronto,
Ontario last week which called for Congress to provide consent to the Compact
so that it can become law. At the meeting, the Mayors recognized the hard work
of the Governors and State Legislatures of the eight Great Lakes states to
ratify the Compact. Also recognized were the efforts of various Great Lakes
mayors to help move the Compact through their states, such as Cities Initiative
Vice Chair Mayor George K. Heartwell of Grand Rapids, MI; Mayor Gary Becker of
Racine, WI, a Director on the Cities Initiative Board; Mayor Carleton S.
Finkbeiner of Toledo, OH, also a Director; Mayor John Piskura of Sheffield
Lake, OH; Mayor Dave Ross of Superior, WI; and Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee,
WI. The sustainable and responsible
management of the waters of the Great Lakes, the driving force behind the
Compact, has long been supported by the Cities Initiative. In fact, in an
effort to lead by example with regards to water conservation, the Cities
Initiative launched its Water Conservation Framework in July 2007. The
Framework is a voluntary program through which cities work to reduce water use
within their jurisdictions by 15 percent by 2015. Thirty-three cities
currently participate and to date nearly half have collectively achieved a 7
percent reduction. For more information on the
Cities Initiative Compact resolution and proceedings from the 2008 Annual
Meeting, please visit www.glslcities.org/annual2008.htm.
The Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Cities Initiative (www.glslcities.org)
is a bi-national coalition of 56 mayors and other local officials that works
actively with governments and stakeholders to advance the protection and
restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The Cities Initiative
was founded by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2003 and was quickly joined by
Mayor David Miller of Toronto. Contact: David A. Ullrich, Executive
Director Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
Cities Initiative Office 312.201.4516 Melissa
A. Soline Program
Manager Great
Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative 177
North State Street, Suite 500 Chicago,
Illinois 60601 Phone
312.201.4517 Fax
312.553.4355 |