great lakes restoration conference - Healing Our Waters Coalition

Th a nk you for Joining us in Detroit to help sh a pe the futur e of Gr e at L a k es R estor ation

The HEALING OUR WATERS ® – GREAT LAKES COALITION Sev enth ANNUAL

Great Lakes Restor ation Conference October 12-14, 2011 • The Westin Book Cadillac • Detroit, Michigan

Photo credits (clockwise from top): iStockPhoto, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Chad Stuemke, iStockPhoto, iStockPhoto, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, and the Sierra Club.

Great Lakes Restoration Continues to Produce Results We’re excited to be in Detroit for the 7th Annual Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition restoration conference. Every year, the conference continues to grow — a reflection of the attention Great Lakes restoration is receiving from people across the region, as well as public officials in our nation’s capitol. This is a return to Michigan, of sorts: The coalition held its first annual meeting in the Great Lakes State seven years ago in Grand Rapids. A lot has happened since then — much of it for the better. More than 1,500 citizens helped produce the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes, the foundation of restoration and protection efforts today. President Obama unveiled the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a precedent-setting program to jump-start federal restoration efforts. Most importantly, the U.S. Congress and President Obama have invested $775 million over the last two years in the initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore habitat, reduce polluted run-off and combat invasive species. In short, the promise of Great Lakes restoration has started to become reality. Other changes, however, pose severe challenges to Great Lakes restoration efforts. Foremost amongst them: The nation continues to dig itself out from a sluggish economy, while working to pare down national debt. In the name of belt-tightening, government expenditures are being scrutinized and cut. Securing funding for programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is becoming increasingly challenging. We agree that public officials need to make smart choices with taxpayer money—which is why we think that even in this tough economic climate restoration programs need to continue. Simply: restoration programs are some of the best returns on the federal dollar in the budget. Great Lakes restoration projects continue to produce results. This year’s conference features field trips and sessions that underscore how restoration efforts are benefitting people in Detroit and across the region–often helping communities most vulnerable to pollution and degradation. In Detroit, for instance, restoration funds are cleaning up toxic sediments that harm water quality and lead to fish consumption advisories. At the same time, grants are educating subsistent anglers about the dangers of eating contaminated fish in an effort to protect the health of families. Community by community, restoration activities are improving waterfronts, water quality, recreation opportunities, and local economies. Several years ago, the Brookings Institution found that every $1 investment in Great Lakes restoration produced at least $2 in economic return. Turns out that may be conservative: A recent western Michigan study estimated economic benefits of at least 6-to-1. Through partnerships and collaboration, restoration activities are paying dividends for the environment and economy. At the end of the day, the nation cannot afford NOT to restore and protect the Great Lakes—more than 30 million people depend on them for drinking water. Over the last seven years, we’ve made a lot of progress and have a lot of work left to do. We won’t quit until we’ve put an end to drinking water restrictions, beach closings and fish consumption advisories. Working together, we’ll get there. Jeff Skelding Director, Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition

The Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 115 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. To learn more, visit us at http://healthylakes.org/ 2

Healing Our Waters– Great Lakes Coalition

Conference Agenda All meeting rooms are designated in italics. Please Note: Due to arrangements to present a portion of the conference proceedings live on television and on-line, all sessions will begin and end at the designated time listed in the program book. Please plan to attend sessions on time.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 9:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. Field Trips for Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition Conference Participants Registration/Exhibitor Table Set-up Lobby – 1st floor 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Great Lakes Funders Meeting (Private Meeting) Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

HOW Governance Board Meeting Founders Room A – 3rd floor

1:00 - 6:00 p.m. Great Lakes Week Detroit – Working together, Taking Action Wayne State University, Community Arts Auditorium 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition Reception Co-partnered with the Canadian Consulate General – Detroit Detroit Institute of Art • Bob Dechert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs • Administrator Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency (invited)

Thursday, October 13, 2011 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Registration/Exhibitor Table Set-up Continental Breakfast Lobby – 1st floor 8:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks and Welcome to Detroit Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor • Jeff Skelding, Campaign Director, Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition • Joel Brammeier, President and CEO, Alliance for the Great Lakes • Melissa Damaschke, Program Manager, The Sierra Club • Speaker: Detroit Councilman Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Keynote Address • Bill Rustem, Director of Strategy, Executive Office of Governor Rick Snyder 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Plenary Session Prioritizing Great Lakes Restoration Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor What are the most important threats facing the Great Lakes, and where are they most serious? Participants will learn about a map-based synthesis of multiple threats to the Great Lakes. The workshop will sharpen understanding of the relative magnitude and distribution of human impacts and demonstrate a new approach to identifying priority restoration opportunities. • J. David Allan, Professor, School of Natural Resources & Environment, the University of Michigan

10:00 - 10:10 a.m. Break

Seventh Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference

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THURSDAY, October 13 – Continued 10:10 - 11:10 a.m. Breakout Sessions Ecological Restoration: Project Considerations for Success Founders Room B – 3rd floor This workshop will summarize lessons learned of two ecological restoration projects in Northeast Ohio that are meeting habitat and water quality improvement goals. Participants will be engaged in a discussion of attributes of these projects. Important restoration planning practices and items commonly overlooked when designing, constructing, monitoring and maintaining ecological restoration projects will also be discussed. • Ivette Bolender, Professional Geologist, Biohabitats, Inc. • Paul Kovalcik, Senior Environmental Scientist, Biohabitats, Inc. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: Deciding our priorities and bottom lines Founders Room A – 3rd floor We are now in the most intense part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement renegotiating process. Therefore, we must decide what are the main issues we are going to focus our efforts on and what our bottom lines are in deciding whether to support a new Agreement. After a brief presentation on the status of the renegotiations, we will break into small groups for roundtable discussions on top priorities and bottom lines. This session will make up an important part of the Great Lakes community’s ongoing discussions on this matter. • John Jackson, Program Director, Great Lakes United • Jane Elder, President, Jane Elder Strategies, LLC. Ensuring Clean Water through Stormwater Rulemaking Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor The U.S. EPA’s stormwater rulemaking process that is currently underway is a great opportunity for you to speak up for policies that will ensure cleaner water in the Great Lakes. Our workshop presenters will highlight the most important elements of the proposed rule. They will also describe how the policies they recommend will make a difference and why it’s critical for you to get involved and help actively promote the rule’s final adoption. • Katie Rousseau, Associate Director, American Rivers • Hal Sprague, Senior Policy Associate, Center for Neighborhood Technology • Karen Hobbs, Senior Policy Analyst-Water Program, Natural Resources Defense Council • Max Muller, Program Director, Environment Illinois Green Returns on Blue Investments Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd Floor This workshop will highlight investments in three communities on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, and seek good examples from other communities, so that participants can go home with ideas about how to turn blue investments into a greener economy at home, in the truest sense of the word. • Moderator: David A. Ullrich, Executive Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative • Randy Hope, Mayor/CEO, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, ON • George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Mich. • Denis Lapointe, Mayor, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC Environmental Justice and Greening Great Lakes Urban Centers Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor With an emphasis on Detroit, this workshop will highlight challenges, efforts and required sensitivities for achieving environmental justices and greening post-industrial urban centers within the Great Lakes region, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Gary, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Chicago. The workshop will highlight these cities shared assets, challenges and re-found value related to equitable green stewardship. • Moderator: Simone Lightfoot, Regional Urban Initiatives, National Wildlife Federation • Roshani Dantas, Policy Analyst/Green Initiatives, Green Task Force • Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr., Detroit City Councilman • Heaster Wheeler, Assistant CEO, Wayne County, Mich. • State Representative Rashida Talib, 12th State House District, Mich. House of Representatives • Rhonda Anderson, Organizer, Detroit Environmental Justice Project, the Sierra Club

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THURSDAY, October 13 – Continued 11:10 - 11:20 a.m. Break 11:20 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. Breakout Sessions Reconnecting Lake Erie to the River Raisin Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd floor Learn about how funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is helping the city of Monroe, Mich., improve fish and small boat passage by reconnecting Lake Erie to the lower 3 miles of the River Raisin. Interactive breakout sessions will allow attendees to share their thoughts on potential impacts of this type of project. • Michelle LaRose, P.E., Water Resource Engineer, Cardno JFNew • Barry LaRoy, P.E., Director of Water and Wastewater Utilities, City of Monroe, Mich. • Dan Stefanski, Monroe County Drain Commissioner, Monroe County, Mich. • Richard Micka, River Raisin Public Advisory Council • Scott Dierks, Senior Water Resource Engineer, Cardno JFNew Great Lakes Compact Challenges and Opportunities Founders Room A – 2nd floor The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact was signed into federal law with great fanfare in 2008. However, states must do more to realize the Compact’s potential to better manage Great Lakes waters in and outside of the basin through comprehensive water conservation and efficiency programs, improved data sharing and more comprehensive permitting. • Karen Hobbs, Senior Policy Analyst, Natural Resources Defense Council • Marc Smith, Senior Policy Manager, National Wildlife Federation • Sara Gosman, Water Resources Attorney, National Wildlife Federation • Thomas Cmar, Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council Offshore Wind: Balancing efficiency and accountability Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor This panel will address whether threats from climate change, mercury emissions and other effects of fossil fuel dependence justify development of offshore wind in select areas of the Great Lakes. What state and federal regulatory schemes currently exist and are they adequate to protect the lakes? How are regulators, developers and environmental groups addressing wind development and environmental protection? • Moderator: Frank Szollosi, Program Coordinator, National Wildlife Federation • Stanley Pruss, Principal, 5 Lakes Energy, LLC. • Emily Green, Director, Sierra Club Great Lakes Program • Michael Murray, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Organizing for Clean and Affordable Water Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor The People’s Water Board is a coalition of labor, social justice, and environmental organizations based in Detroit. They work together to confront: 1) devastating lack of access to water faced by tens of thousands of low-income people who have had their water shut off; 2) water pollution due to aging wastewater infrastructure; and 3) the effort of corporate interests to gain control of Detroit’s water system. Listen to this panel discussion to learn about their struggles and victories. • Melissa Damaschke, Sierra Club • Erma Leaphart, Sierra Club • Gwen Gaines, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization • Lila Cabbil, Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute Emerging Contaminant Threats and the Great Lakes Woodward Ballroom C – 2nd floor Chemical contaminants form a vast chemical soup in the Great Lakes, and from available data, we know exposure may be cause for concern. This workshop will discuss the threat of “emerging contaminants” in the Lakes, as well as give an overview of research, policy implications and recommendations for moving forward. • Lyman C. Welch, Water Quality Program Manager, Alliance for the Great Lakes • Nick Schroeck, Executive Director, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center • Dr. David Pitts, Co-Director, Urban Watershed Environmental Research Group, Wayne State University


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THURSDAY, October 13 – Continued 12:20 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor • Jill Ryan, Executive Director, Freshwater Future • Simone Lightfoot, Regional Urban Initiatives, National Wildlife Federation • Speaker: Maureen Taylor, State Chair, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization 1:30 - 1:40 p.m. Break 1:40 - 2:40 p.m. Breakout Sessions Multiple Societal Benefits of Large Scale Restoration Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd floor This workshop highlights successful large scale, on-the-ground restoration efforts in several priority areas of the Great Lakes. Strategies will be shared for planning, financing, and articulating results from restoration projects in order to bring multiple societal benefits. Participants will brainstorm the next level of restoration impacts we would like to see from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. • Moderator: Amy Beyer, Director, Conservation Resource Alliance • Russ Terry, Director of Conservation Programs, Ducks Unlimited • Jason Hill, Manager of Conservation Programs, Ducks Unlimited • Mark Holey, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Todd Hogrefe, Great Lakes Program Director, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Project Prioritization and Stream Restoration Success Founders Room A – 3rd floor The Silver Creek Super Project, in the Ocqueoc River Watershed (Presque Isle County, Mich.), embodies how locally driven efforts lead to broad partnerships and collaboration, successfully accomplishing full restoration of this highest quality tributary by treating stream impacts, invasive species, erosion, and by promoting many other conservation techniques. Protecting and restoring sensitive coldwater ecosystems is more important than ever, with increasing threats and ever dwindling financial support for that type of work. Yet, with the foundation of a system-wide inventory of watershed impacts and a watershed management plan in place, local partners have taken the lead in protecting their high-quality coldwater ecosystem, garnering interest from national organizations and agencies, including Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding. • Patrick Ertel, Restoration Project Manager, Huron Pines • Brad Jensen, Executive Director, Huron Pines Using IMPLAN for Conservation Economic Impacts Woodward Ballroom C – 2nd floor This workshop will show how IMPLAN, an impact modeling tool, has been and continues to be used to conduct economic impact analysis on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds distributed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service in targeted Great Lakes watersheds. The presentation will also highlight ways to use IMPLAN results to show multiplier effects and jobs supported by these expenditures in the Great Lakes watershed basin. • June C. Moss, Agricultural Economist, Natural Resources Conservation Service • David Buland, Economist, Natural Resources Conservation Service Great Lakes Waste and Environmental Justice Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor The Detroit trash incinerator is the symbol of environmental racism in the heart of the Great Lakes. It was conceived in the 1970s, paid for, designed and constructed in the 1980s, and has been operating ever since (with brief interruptions) at the rate of about 800,000 tons of trash per year, in an African-American community that is plagued by poverty, asthma and many other public health crises, unnecessarily generating nightmarish quantities of mercury, dioxins, heavy metals, particulates and other airborne toxics and odors that ultimately sink into the Great Lakes waters. This workshop will tell the story of the Detroit Trash Incinerator and explore the interrelated questions of race, class, economic development, political decision making and ecological sustainability, as they relate to the precious inland fresh water seas that have always served as the basis for human settlements in the region.

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THURSDAY, October 13 – Continued • • •

Thomas Stephens, Attorney, National Lawyers Guild Ahmina Maxey, Environmental Justice Activist and Organizer, East Michigan Environmental Action Council, and Zero Waste Detroit Dr. Brad Van Guilder, Environmental Justice Community Organizer, Ecology Center

Reducing Vulnerability of Restoration Projects to Climate Change Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor How do we protect our ecological restoration investments for the long-term? This workshop will guide managers through “climate-smart” restoration efforts, efforts that restore for future conditions in addition to past conditions. In this workshop we will interactively apply impacts of climate change from the most current scientific findings to examples of restoration efforts from throughout the Great Lakes while providing you with the tools to become “climate-smart.” • Melinda Koslow, Regional Campaign Manager for Climate Change Adaptation, National Wildlife Federation • Jennie Hoffman, Senior Scientist and Director of Programs, EcoAdapt • Jill Ryan, Executive Director, Freshwater Future 2:40 - 2:50 p.m. Break 2:50 - 5:15 p.m.

HOW Coalition Annual Meeting Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Poster Happy Hour Great Laker Awards Presentation Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor • MC: Jill Ryan, Co-Chair, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

6:30 p.m.

Dinner on your own OR Taste of Detroit The Michigan Environmental Council would like to assist attendees in experiencing the wide diversity of dining opportunities available in the greater Detroit area. Their services will include suggesting restaurants, making reservations, and providing a shuttle service to and from the hotel that will run from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night (10/13). Also provided will be a list of restaurants that are within walking distance of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel or can be easily accessed via the people mover. Shuttle reservations may be made onsite at the Michigan Environmental Council table on the 2nd floor. OR Dinner Cruise on the Detroit River Join the Great Lakes Commission Thursday evening for dinner and a boat cruise on the Detroit River. Dinner will be provided and a cash bar will be available. Leaders from the Detroit River Area of Concern will discuss restoration work along the river. The fee for this event is $35 and advance registration is required. The dinner cruise is open to all participants in Great Lakes Week activities and their guests; participation in the Areas of Concern conference is NOT required.

Friday, October 14, 2011 7:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor • Lauri Elbing, Policy Associate - Michigan Chapter, Great Lakes Project Policy Team, The Nature Conservancy 8:00 - 8:45 a.m.

Messages from Great Lakes Champions and Leaders Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor • Charles Wooley, Deputy Regional Director for the Midwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14 – Continued 8:45 - 9:00 a.m. Break 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. Breakout Sessions Conservation Results for Public-Private Partnerships Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor Innovative public-private partnerships are delivering substantial conservation and restoration successes in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. This workshop will share lessons from: soft shoreline engineering; transformation of an industrial brownfield into a Refuge Gateway; construction of a sturgeon spawning reef; and growth of an International Wildlife Refuge. • John Hartig, Refuge Manager, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge • Susan Phillips, Economic Development Manager, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments • Burke Jenkins, Landscape Architect, Hamilton Anderson Associates • Allison Krueger, Landscape Designer, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge • Jim Boase, Fishery Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service A 21st Century Chicago Waterway System Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd floor The Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative will present and solicit comment on options for separating the Mississippi River and Great Lakes watersheds in the Chicago area to prevent the transfer of aquatic invasive species while improving transportation, water quality and flood management. • Tim Eder, Executive Director, Great Lakes Commission • Dave Ullrich, Executive Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Economic Impact Studies: Practical Tips & Examples Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor Using four case studies, this workshop will help participants interpret, compare and use economic assessment tools based on public datasets, existing economic studies and targeted surveys. Environmental economists will identify the strengths of the approaches used in example projects and help answer questions from the audience. • Moderator: Chi-Ok Oh, Assistant Professor, Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Michigan State University • Lynn Vaccaro, Coastal Research Specialist, Michigan Sea Grant • Michael Moore, Professor, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan • Dan O’Keefe, Extension Educator, Michigan Sea Grant • Rick Waclawek, Director, Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiative • Jen Read, Assistant Director and Research Coordinator, Michigan Sea Grant Using Online Tools for Effective Organizing Woodward Ballroom C – 2nd floor Social media and online advocacy tactics are receiving a lot of buzz, and for good reason. But, it is crucial in our work to restore the Great Lakes that we move beyond the buzz to identify the right tactics to meet campaign goals. Come find out about best practices for online mobilizing, learn about useful online tools, identify online tactics that will support your work, and see how technology is being used by conference participants like you to magnify the impact of the 7th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference. • Jennifer Janssen, Online Advocacy and Outreach – Senior Coordinator, National Wildlife Federation 10:15 - 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions Getting Results: Implementing & Monitoring Habitat Restoration Projects Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor This session will engage participants by providing an overview of best practices related to habitat restoration implementation and project monitoring in the Great Lakes. Participants will come away

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14 – Continued with a better understanding of various habitat restoration implementation and monitoring techniques, and will hear about lessons learned from Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant recipients. • Julie Sims, Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Coordinator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Jessica Berrio, Federal Program Officer for the Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program, NOAA • Marty Boote, Environmental Scientist, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc. • Kristen Risch, Senior Scientist, Coldwater Consulting Creating a Paradigm Shift…Putting the Buffalo River First Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor The Buffalo River is on a path of restoration. Learn how diverse partnerships for river dredging, habitat restoration, sewer abatement, economic recovery and master planning, tourism, and recreational opportunities have been formed to make Buffalo River ecological restoration a top priority for all stakeholders. Buffalo Niagara RiverKeeper, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District, and Ecology and Environment, Inc. leaders will present elements of their unique partnership and their successes to date. • Moderator: David J. Miller, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Ecology and Environment, Inc. • Kris Erickson, Environmental Scientist, Ecology and Environment, Inc. • Craig Forgette, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District • Jill Spisiak Jedlicka, Director of Ecological Programs & Buffalo River Remedial Action Plan Coordinator, Buffalo Niagara RiverKeeper. Great Lakes 2012 Farm Bill Opportunities and Obstacles Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd floor This workshop will highlight current Farm Bill efforts, including GLRI funding and accomplishments from a broad perspective, on-the-ground success stories, and a look at the 2012 Farm Bill with its potential for creative opportunities and fiscal and policy challenges. Participants will hear from regional and national experts, and will have an opportunity to present ideas, programs and practices to improve the health of the Great Lakes through the new 2012 Farm Bill. • Moderator: Marc Smith, Senior Policy Manager, National Wildlife Federation • Gildo Tori, Director of Public Policy, Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, Ducks Unlimited • Terry Cosby, State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service • Vicki Anderson, Great Lakes Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service • Chris Adamo/Tina May (invited): Senate Agricultural Committee, U.S. Congress Chemicals Policy in the Great Lakes Woodward Ballroom C – 2nd floor This workshop will explore state-level Green Chemistry initiatives and chemicals policy reform efforts, which aim to protect public health and the ecosystems in the Great Lakes basin. Participants will learn how chemicals policy is an integral aspect of Great Lakes restoration, and how green chemistry fits into this discussion. • Lin Kaatz Chary, PhD, MPH. Executive Director, Great Lakes Green Chemistry Network • Alexis Blizman, JD. Legislative and Policy Director, Ecology Center & Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health • Max Muller, Program Director, Environment Illinois • Darrell Gerber, Program Coordinator, Clean Water Action Minnesota • Ted Smith, Great Lakes National Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Muskegon Lake Restoration: A Success Story Founders Room A – 3rd floor Muskegon Lake, located in Muskegon, Mich., has been listed as a Great Lakes Area of Concern due to a significant loss of wildlife habitat and degraded water quality. This presentation will discuss how an organized grassroots effort has successfully received state and federal funding to implement large-scale ecological restoration projects throughout the lake. • Kathy Evans, Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership • Brian Majka, Senior Restoration Ecologist, Cardno-JFNew


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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14 – Continued 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Break 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D • Jeff Skelding, Campaign Director, Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition • Chris Wible, The Scotts Miracle Gro Company 1:10 - 2:10 p.m. Breakout Sessions Restoration Successes: Healthy Beaches, Healthy Perceptions Woodward Ballroom D – 2nd floor Great Lakes beaches are vital to our economy, ecology and way of life. Keeping beaches healthy is our responsibility. Great Lakes Restoration funding is critical for improving our beaches by providing dollars for public education, monitoring to pinpoint pollution sources, projects to eliminate pollution sources, and monitoring to ensure restoration success. • Jamie Cross, Adopt-a-Beach Manager, Alliance for the Great Lakes • Jill Lis, Supervisor in the Environmental Public Health Service Area, Cuyahoga County Board of Health • Andy Knott, Executive Director, Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay • Shelley Billingsley, Assistant Engineer, Stormwater Unit and Parks, City of Kenosha Predicting Restoration Success in Northwest Indiana Woodward Ballroom A/B – 2nd floor The Northwest Indiana Restoration Monitoring Inventory (NIRMI) provides restoration-minded organizations and communities with the in-depth and comprehensive data needed to predict success in ecological restoration. This workshop presentation will demonstrate how a system like NIRMI can be used to allow restorationists the ability to predict, plan, conduct and maintain restorations. • Dr. Peter Avis, Assistant Professor, Northwest Indiana Restoration Monitoring Inventory, Department of Biology, Indiana University Northwest • Gayle Tonkovich, Procedural Manager-Scientist, Northwest Indiana Restoration Monitoring Inventory, Department of Biology, Indiana University Northwest • Wyatt Gaswick, Data Manager-Scientist, Northwest Indiana Restoration Monitoring Inventory, Department of Biology, Indiana University Northwest • Jason Palagi, Advisor and Co-Founder, Northwest Indiana Restoration Monitoring Inventory, Department of Biology, Indiana University Northwest Partnering with America’s Other Great Waters Founders Room A – 3rd floor How can Great Lakes advocates improve the chances of full funding for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in future years? Let congressional delegations from other Great Waters know that they have your support for their own regional restoration programs. Leaders from America’s Great Waters Coalition will discuss how building political power under a national unification strategy can maximize support for all Great Waters at a time when Congress is dramatically slashing budgets for environmental programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other regional restoration plans. • Peter Alexander, Director, Northeast Great Waters Coalition, Steering Committee Member, America’s Great Waters Coalition • Josh Saks, Senior Legislative Representative for Water Resources Campaigns, National Wildlife Federation • Anthony Caligiuri, Regional Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Center, National Wildlife Federation Reducing Sewage Contamination in Stormwater Woodward Ballroom C – 2nd floor In Michigan, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne counties have undertaken aggressive illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) programs to identify and reduce sanitary discharges to their stormwater drainage networks. This presentation will highlight the success of the counties’ IDDE programs and the resulting water quality improvements. • Annette DeMaria, Senior Engineer, Environmental Consulting Technology, Inc.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14 – Continued It’s the Hydrology, Stupid Crystal Ballroom – 4th floor The Lake Erie basin is getting wetter, more frequently flooded, and more intensively farmed. Altered hydrology plays a significant part in delivering nutrients to the lake. This workshop will examine strategies for implementing efficient water quality improvements in intensively farmed landscapes through the strategic use of filters, combined with farmer networks to promote better nutrient use efficiency. Workshop attendees will come away with a better understanding of the challenges farmers face in growing crops for a hungry world while trying to minimize environmental impacts, as well as the tools available to help them do just that. • Karen Chapman, Great Lakes Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund • Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, Western Lake Erie Basin Project Director, The Nature Conservancy 2:10 - 2:20 p.m. Break 2:20 - 3:20 p.m.

Plenary Session Asian Carp Roundup Woodward Ballroom A/B/C/D – 2nd floor Asian carp continue to advance toward the Great Lakes through numerous pathways. With more than a dozen samples of the Chicago Waterway System testing positive for carp eDNA in 2011, this route continues to be the most critical potential invasion pathway. Separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River remains the only measure that can prevent live organisms like Asian carp from moving between these two iconic waters. In 2012, the country will for the first time see results of a comprehensive study of practical methods to achieve separation at the Chicago Waterway and put our region on a path to permanent prevention of a threat that, left unchecked, could overrun the Great Lakes. Implementing separation means protection for the lakes but also means confronting the challenges of sewage overflows, flood control and transportation modernization. Join this final session at the conference as we discuss how to put the region and the country on a path toward achieving separation. • Moderator: Sam Speck, former Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and former Commissioner, International Joint Commission • John Goss, Asian Carp Director, White House Council on Environmental Quality • Kay Nelson, Director of Environmental Affairs, Northwest Indiana Forum • John Quail, Director of Watershed Planning, Friends of the Chicago River • Jack Darin, Director, Sierra Club Illinois Chapter (invited)

3:30 p.m. Conference Closing

The Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition would like to thank the staff of the Sierra Club – Great Lakes Program and the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Natural Resource Center for their help in planning this year’s conference.


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Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coa Citizens Award

Mark Van Putten J.D. President and Founder, ConservationStrategy LLC Mark Van Putten is a relentless advocate for the restoration of the Great Lakes. Mr. Van Putten has worn many hats in the Great Lakes community, starting with his leadership of the Great Lakes Resource Center of the National Wildlife Federation for 14 years, where he utilized law, advocacy and science to push policymakers to advance basin-wide approaches to protecting and restoring the Lakes. Mr. Van Putten is also a terrific coalition builder, his vision of bringing to bear the combined forces of environmentalists, business people, hunters and fishermen and policymakers to help raise the Great Lakes from an “environmental issue” to a central political indicator, was pivotal in the creation of the Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition. His vision to nest restoration of the Lakes in culture, economy, quality of life and environment, created the powerful sense of place that has allowed the Great Lakes community’s collective efforts to secure law, funding and public support. Mr. Van Putten’s unique body of work has been to instill people in the Great Lakes with a powerful sense of place — one that moves citizens, policymakers, and donors to fight as they would to protect their home.

Public Official Award

Patti Birkholz Director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Office of the Great Lakes Patty Birkholz has been the Director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes since 2010, but her work in championing the Great Lakes spans many decades. As a state Senator from Saugatuck on the shores of Lake Michigan, she chaired the Senate Natural Resources for 8 years and was responsible for landmark legislation in Michigan that set important precedents for Great Lakes protection. Ms. Birkholz played a huge role in the passage of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, often working behind the scenes to build support across the region. As part of that leadership, she co-founded the Great Lakes Legislative Council, the only body of state legislators working across state lines on Great Lakes issues. Later, she led the development of Michigan’s innovative water withdrawal law, a model for states throughout the Great Lakes. Ms. Birkholz was also the lead author of Michigan’s law to regulate ballast water discharges of invasive species into the Great Lakes. She led a group of legislators in a lawsuit to defend that legislation from attack by the shipping industry. In her new position, Ms. Birkholz has continued to champion the Great Lakes through a broad range of activities. She is spearheading an effort by the Great Lakes states and provinces to develop a unified regional approach to battling invasive species and is a key force in efforts to prevent Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes. Her office is leading efforts to restore Michigan’s Areas of Concern and anticipates soon celebrating the delisting of several AOC’s. Ms. Birkholz remains involved in implementation of the Great Lakes Compact and continues to build partnerships with water users and the conservation community to ensure wise management of our Great Lakes water resources. Under Ms. Birkholz’s leadership, the Michigan Coastal Management Program is working with coastal communities and partners to promote an understanding of the role of working waterfronts and develop and apply tools and policies that will support the economic, environmental, and social health of Michigan’s coastal communities. She is also leading the Administration’s interest in facilitating the appropriate development of off shore wind energy on the Great Lakes.

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lition Great Laker Award Recipients Media Award

Barbara Arrigo Editorial Writer, The Detroit Free Press Barb Arrigo, an editorial writer with the Detroit Free Press, has been a powerful voice for local and regional conservation issues— including the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. A seasoned reporter with deep knowledge of environmental issues, Ms. Arrigo has followed and editorialized on the national effort to restore the Great Lakes from the crafting of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to the formation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to the emerging threat of the Asian carp. In editorials marked with clarity, insight and even humor, Ms. Arrigo has increased public awareness about urgent issues facing the Lakes, held public officials accountable and moved the region closer to solutions that benefit the Lakes and the millions of people who depend on them.

Great Lakes Echo and David Poulson Associate Director of the Knight School for Environmental Journalism Great Lakes Echo, under the direction of David Poulson at the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University, has been a leader in regional reporting on Great Lakes issues. Great Lakes Echo produces compelling, original, investigative reporting and commentary on local and regional environmental issues—and provides it at no cost to other news outlets, filling a vital role at a time when many traditional media outlets are cutting back on environmental reporting. Great Lakes Echo has covered issues as diverse as restoring the Detroit River shoreline to the dangers posed by failing septic systems. As a region-wide news service, the Great Lakes Echo is second to none in providing broad and thoughtful coverage on issues that impact the health and well-being of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Lifetime Achievement

The Honorable James Oberstar United States Congressman from 1975–2011 Congressman Jim Oberstar represented Minnesota’s 8th District from 1975 to 2011. Throughout his 18 terms serving in Congress, Mr. Oberstar was a true champion for clean water and the Great Lakes, playing a critical role in the original passage of the Clean Water Act, advocating for improvements to wastewater infrastructure, and fighting for funding for the restoration of the Great Lakes. Mr. Oberstar began his career working for Congressman John Blatnik of Minnesota from 1963 to 1974. While serving as the administrator for the Committee on Public Works, Mr. Oberstar helped create the Clean Water Act, which was passed by Congress in 1972 along with an override of President Nixon’s veto. The Clean Water Act, legislation which established pivotal standards designed to improve the health of the nation’s waters, was a turning point in the American environmental movement and represented the nation’s desire to clean up its polluted lakes and streams. Mr. Oberstar has been there from the beginning, and has continued to fight for the protection and health of our nation’s waters, particularly the Great Lakes. Oberstar has been a long-time champion for the Great Lakes while serving in the U.S. House. He served as co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force for many years and as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 2007 to 2011. As Chairman, he authored legislation to restore Clean Water Act protections to waters of the United States and for regulation of ballast water pollution. Mr. Oberstar’s dedication to the protection and restoration of the nation’s waters has been critical to bringing the Great Lakes back to good health.


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Field Trips DISCOVER DETROIT! TOUR #1

Tour #4

East Side Detroit

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge – Brownfield Redevelopment and Wetland Restoration

The east side of the city borders the Detroit River, one of the country’s fastest rivers. On this tour, you will hear from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, who worked with communities on the east side to create access to the riverfront. You will also see the newly constructed wetlands at Milliken State Park that absorb stormwater from neighboring parking lots. In addition, you will tour Belle Isle, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York City, and learn about two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects that the Friends of the Detroit River received. Lastly, you will see the famous Heidelberg art project on the way to Earthworks Urban Farm. Limit: 40 people

TOUR #2

West Side Detroit Detroit has gained national attention for its urban farms. On this tour you will see DTown Farm, which was created by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Friends of the Rouge River will explain their Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project on the Rouge River that incorporates grow zones. In addition, you will learn about West Grand Boulevard Collaborative’s efforts to install low-impact development components at the Duffield Branch of the Detroit Public Library. Lastly, you will see the first green alley in Detroit. Limit: 40 people

TOUR #3

Tour the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Gateway property to see firsthand brownfield redevelopment, including wetland, prairie and recreational land restoration. Includes a short walk to the river with views of Humbug Island and a short stop at the Interpretive Center. The tour will cover the history of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which is the only international refuge and will discuss exciting news about Canada’s participation in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. A great opportunity for bird and wildlife watching. The next stop is the Brancheau Wetland Restoration to learn how agricultural fields can be transformed into productive wetlands. It will include a discussion of phragmites management and control efforts, as well as opportunities for wildlife viewing and wetland plant identification. The last stop will visit Pointe Mouille State Wildlife Area to view ongoing GLRI wetland restoration project being conducted by MI DNR and other partners. The tour will focus on project elements and how to put together successful GLRI applications. Limit: 40 people

TOUR #5

Southwest Detroit

Belle Isle Bike Tour

Unfortunately, Southwest Detroit is one of the heaviest polluted areas in the country. Hear from Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice Program about these polluting facilities and the actions that local citizens are implementing to protect the health of their community. Also on this tour you will see an art gallery that has a green roof, a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project by Friends of the Rouge that removes old boats from the river, and a local community farm.

Explore the architecture of Detroit’s island gem, including the Eero Saarinen-designed Flynn Pavilion, the Albert Kahndesigned Aquarium, the Boat and Yacht Clubs, the Casino and Livingstone Lighthouse. A sampling of the park’s numerous statues will be discussed, including General Alpheus Starkey Williams and his famous horse Plug Ugly and Scott Fountain. The tours includes stops at the Conservatory, Nature Center and Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Limit: 20 people

All tours will drop participants off at the Westin Book Cadillac so folks can change and get lunch before the joint session at Wayne State University. Busing, compliments of Wayne State University, will be provided to take participants to the campus where the joint session is being held. Busses will leave from outside the Westin Book Cadillac starting at noon and running until 12:45

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HEALING OUR WATERS – GREAT LAKES COALITION COCKTAIL RECEPTION Co -hos t ed by t he C a n a di a n Cons u l at e Gener a l of C a n a da , De t roi t

Wednesday, October 12 • 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. At the Detroit Institute of Art (5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit) Enjoy cocktails and hor d’oeurves from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Special welcome by Bob Dechert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Speaker: Administrator Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency

Please join the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and the Canadian Consulate General of Canada – Detroit for an enjoyable evening at the Detroit Institute of Art. Reunite with friends as you stroll through the stunning galleries of the DIA. Sip cocktails in the Rivera Court, home of the Detroit Industry murals by Mexican artist Diego Rivera (1886–1957) as a tribute to the city’s manufacturing base and labor force of the 1930s. It is considered the finest example of Mexican mural art in the United States, and the artist thought it the best work of his career. This is a pre-registered event. If you are not registered in advance, admission will be $30 at the door and dependent on space.

THANK YOU TO THE Canadian CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA, DETROIT

Canadian Consulate General, Detroit


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Th a nk you to our 2011 Confer ence FUNDERS, Sponsor s, a nd Partner s! HOW COalition Funders

www.erbfamilyfoundation.org

www.glft.org

www.joycefdn.org

www.kresge.org

www.mott.org

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www.wegefoundation.org


Champions

Protectors

Canadian Consulate General, Detroit


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Benefactors

Friends Biodiversity Project Biohabitats’ GLRI Team – ASC Group/EA/Environ/ CEC/PRI/SEH/Santac Blue Satellite, Inc CARDNO JFNEW Detroit Zoological Society EA Engineering Ecology and Environment, Inc. Fabco Industries, Inc. Great Lakes United Michigan Environmental Council NOAA in the Great Lakes US Army Corp of Engineers Water Protection Network

Patrons Supporters American Rivers Citizens Campaign for the Environment Detroiter’s Working for Environmental Justice Midwest Floating Island Sierra Club Sustain Our Great Lakes

Non-Profits Ecology Center and Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health Environment America Flow for Water Friends of the Detroit River Gathering Waters Conservancy Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Great Lakes BioneersDetroit

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Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (at Wayne State) Great Lakes Observing System Izaak Walton League of America Lake Erie Waterkeeper, Inc. Michigan State University Press Ohio Environmental Council WARM Training Center


2011 Healing Our Water s – Gr eat L ak es Coalition Member s Alliance for the Great Lakes

League of America

Ohio Environmental Council

American Rivers

Indiana Wildlife Federation

Ohio League of Conservation Voters

Audubon Michigan

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Partners for Clean Streams, Inc.

Audubon Minnesota

International Association for Great Lakes Research

PennEnvironment

Audubon of New York

Izaak Walton League of America

Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association

John Ball Zoological Gardens

Prairie Rivers Network

BaySail – Appledore Tall Ships

John G. Shedd Aquarium

ReForest London

Biodiversity Project

Kalamazoo River Cleanup Coalition

Residents for Responsible Government

Brookfield Zoo

Kalamazoo River Protection Association

River Alliance of Wisconsin

Calumet Ecological Park Association

Kalamazoo River Sturgeon for Tomorrow

Save the Dunes

Center for Environmental Information

Lake Erie – Allegheny Earth Force

Save the River

Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Lake Erie Coastal Ohio

Seneca Park Zoo

Clean Water Action – Michigan

Lake Erie Region Conservancy

Sierra Club – Great Lakes Program

Clean Water Action – Midwest Office

Lake Michigan League of Women Voters

Sierra Club Ontario

Clean Wisconsin

Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative

St. Louis River Alliance

Clinton River Watershed Council

Lake Superior Alliance

Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners

Water Protection Network

Land Trust Alliance

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

County Executives of America

League of Ohio Sportsmen

Toronto Green Community

Delta Institute

League of Women Voters of Illinois

Trout Unlimited

Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin

League of Women Voters of Indiana

Union of Concerned Scientists

Ducks Unlimited

League of Women Voters of Michigan

Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Izaak Walton League

League of Women Voters of Minnesota

University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment

Ecology Center

League of Women Voters of New York

Environmental Advocates of New York

League of Women Voters of Wisconsin

Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education

Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited

Audubon Ohio Audubon Pennsylvania

League of Women Voters of Ohio

Wastewater Education Onsite Wastewater Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Watchers West Creek Preservation Committee

Environment America

Michigan Division of the Izaak Walton League of America

Environment Illinois

Michigan Environmental Council

Environment Michigan

Michigan Land Use Institute

Environment Ohio

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Freshwater Future

Michigan United Conservation Clubs

Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc.

Michigan Wildlife Conservancy

Gathering Waters Conservancy

Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Georgian Bay Association

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters

Georgian Bay Eco Museum

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

Wisconsin Environment

Georgian Bay Forever

Minnesota Conservation Federation

Grand River Sailing Club

Minnesota Council of Trout Unlimited

Great Lakes Boating Federation

Minnesota Environmental Partnership

Great Lakes United

National Audubon Society

Great Lakes Water Studies Institute

National Parks Conservation Association

Huron River Watershed Council

National Wildlife Federation

Illinois Council for Trout Unlimited

Nature Abounds

Indian Mission Conservation Club

Nature Quebec

Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton

New York State Zoo


West Michigan Environmental Action Council Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association Winous Point Marsh Conservancy Wisconsin Association of Lakes

Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Wisconsin Wetlands Association Wisconsin Wildlife Federation

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Don’t let Great Lakes funding dry up. The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water for 30 million people. We can’t afford not to protect them. Tell Congress not to cut funding for Great Lakes restoration. Efforts to restore the Great Lakes are already producing results. But there is still work to be done. If we cut the funding now, it will only cost more later because projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait. Visit us at www.healthylakes.org to find out how— in just a few minutes—you can help us protect and restore the Great Lakes.