|
A summary of issues, activities and events at the Great Lakes Commission |
November 3, 2010 |
|
Kickoff event marks start of Little Elkhart River sediment reduction program
One of the first large scale soil erosion control projects funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) got underway recently following a kickoff ceremony in LaGrange County, Indiana. The Little Elkhart River Sediment Reduction Program is one of nine watershed-scale projects coordinated by the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control with GLRI grants totaling over $4.3 million. The LaGrange County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $190,000 for the Little Elkhart project to address stream bank erosion caused by unrestricted access by livestock to the streambed. Control measures will include increased fencing, stream bank stabilization and alternative livestock watering systems. The Great Lakes Basin Program is administered by the Great Lakes Commission. Contact: Gary Overmier, garyo@glc.org. |
|
Little Elkhart River Watershed Coordinator David Arrington, second from left, and Great Lakes Basin Program Project Manager Gary Overmier, far right, helped facilitate the Little Elkhart River sediment reduction program kickoff event. 
By implementing such measures as this controlled crossing for livestock, the Little Elkhart project will minimize the cattle’s access to the stream bank and stream bed, thus reducing erosion and degradation of water quality by animal waste. |
|
New York’s James Tierney assumes Chair of Great Lakes Commission; Kari Evans Bennett of Indiana is Vice Chair
At its 2010 Annual Meeting in Toronto October 8, James Tierney, assistant commissioner for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Water Resources, was elected the new chair of the Great Lakes Commission. He succeeds Illinois Governor Pat Quinn who completed a two-year term. Elected vice chair was Kari Evans Bennett, general counsel for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. In other business, the Commission voted to re-establish an Emergency Preparedness Task Force to review the status of response programs for oil and hazardous material spills in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. The action comes on the heels of the Enbridge oil spill from a ruptured pipeline near Marshall, Mich., which spilled over 800,000 gallons of oil into Talmadge Creek, a tributary to Lake Michigan. The Commission passed three resolutions: promoting mercury monitoring, research and reduction; advocating for reauthorization of the Federal Food Conservation and Energy Act (Farm Bill) of 2008 to secure strong water quality protections for the Great Lakes; and encouraging Congress to continue and sustain funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the landmark program established by President Obama in 2009. A recap of the Annual Meeting is now available at www.glc.org/about/glcmeetings.html. The site includes final resolutions and action items, a slideshow, and all powerpoint presentations and briefing book materials. Contact: Tim Eder, teder@glc.org. |
|
Great Lakes Commission Vice Chair and Wisconsin Commissioner Todd Ambs, center, turned over leadership duties at the meeting to newly elected GLC Chair James Tierney, right, assistant commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and new GLC Vice Chair Kari Evans Bennett, left, general counsel for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. |
|
Obama Administration hosts Great Lakes offshore wind workshop in Chicago with Great Lakes Wind Collaborative
The White House Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Energy hosted a workshop with the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative in Chicago Oct. 26-27, focused on the siting of offshore wind power in the Great Lakes. The two-day workshop brought together over 100 wind developers, federal and state regulators, environmental advocates and other regional stakeholders to discuss methods for ensuring greater clarity, certainty and coordination of federal and state decisionmaking for offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. The workshop offered participants an opportunity to learn more about the role of federal agencies in the siting of offshore wind power in the Great Lakes and clarified the process by which developers, states and other stakeholders can engage federal and state regulators in offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. A major outcome of the event was the charting of a path to develop a collaborative process to achieve greater clarity and certainty during federal decisionmaking with regard to offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative, coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission, is a multi-sector coalition of wind energy stakeholders working to facilitate the sustainable development of wind power in the binational Great Lakes region. For more information on the Collaborative, visit www.glc.org/energy/wind. Contact: Victoria Pebbles, vpebbles@glc.org. |
|
Great Lakes Commission position available: Program Specialist - GIS
The Program Specialist-GIS position is a key member of one or more Great Lakes Commission project teams, working with other project staff to carry out assigned tasks as necessary and deliver products within an established budget and time line. The Program Specialist-GIS conducts research, analysis and develops content in a variety of thematic areas, with a special emphasis on project elements involving geospatial analysis and mapping. Depending upon the project, tasks may include acquisition of spatial and/or non-spatial data from regional, state or federal agencies, academic institutions or business entities; spatial or statistical analysis; development of maps or other graphics; contributions to written reports; or other tasks as identified. The Program Specialist-GIS is also expected to be an active participant in project-related work groups and committees. More information is available at www.glc.org/announce/10/10progspec.html. Deadline: Nov. 15, 2010. Contact: Roger Gauthier, gauthier@glc.org. |
Upcoming Events
|
|
Great Lakes Commission |