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Environment of the Great Lakes Region What's New | Overview | General Resources | Agencies & Organizations | Discuss 
What's New Where is the Spanish, and where is it going? The Mid-North Monitor (11/18) In 1972, Canada and the U.S. signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, committing to restore the "chemical, physical and biological integrity" of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. A 1987 amendment added a provision to develop Remedial Action Plans such as the one used on the Spanish River. Feds set aside money for Great Lakes cleanup Rochester City Newspaper (11/18) There is no shortage of environmental problems with the Rochester Embayment, a recessed section of Lake Ontario that stretches from Parma to Webster. The Embayment is listed as a federal area of concern because of the negative effects of the water quality on fish and wildlife populations, the added cost of treating water for municipal use, and other issues. COMMENTARY: Now is time to take action The Windsor Star (11/18) Recent news stories have referred to the policy of the Essex Region Conservation Authority to purchase land to connect Point Pelee National Park to Hillman Marsh. This is a matter of major environmental significance for our region and the whole of the north shoreline of Lake Erie. Chicago Wilderness (11/9) Chicago Wilderness is a regional alliance dedicated to protecting nature and enriching life in the Chicago metropolitan area. Wildlife Federation meets at MSU to assess global warming in state Lansing State Journal (11/7) Michigan’s $5 billion recreational and tourism industry could experience thousands of job losses because of climate change threatening natural resources, according to members of the National Wildlife Federation at their Nov. 4 meeting. First Nation women 'walk the environmental talk' WeNews (10/23) Tomorrow's global day of climate activism aims for media and political attention. First Nation women have another way. Since 2003, they've walked the shoreline of a Great Lake or major river, meditating on the needs of an unborn generation.
Overview The environment of the Great Lakes region is blessed with huge forests and wilderness areas, rich agricultural land, hundreds of tributaries and thousands of smaller lakes, and extensive mineral deposits. The region's glacial history and the tremendous influence of the lakes themselves create unique conditions that support a wealth of biological diversity, including more than 130 rare species and ecosystems. The environment supports a world-class fishery and a variety of wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, beaver, muskrat, weasel, fox, black bear, bobcat, moose and other furbearing animals. Bird populations thrive on the various terrains, some migrating south in the winter, others making permanent homes. An estimated 180 species of fish are native to the Great Lakes, including small- and large-mouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, lake herring, whitefish, walleye and lake trout. Rare species making their home in the Great Lakes region include the world's last known population of the white catspaw pearly mussel, the copper redhorse fish and the Kirtland's warbler. The region's sand dunes, coastal marshes, rocky shorelines, lakeplain prairies, savannas, forests, fens, wetlands and other landscapes contain features that are either unique or best represented withink the Great Lakes basin. For example, the world's largest freshwater dunes line the shores of Lake Michigan. Over the course of history, many types of pollution have inflicted and been reduced in the region, yet significant challenges remain. These range from threats to divert water out of the Great Lakes basin to the introduction of nonindigenous invasive species and airborne toxics into the basin. Protection of water quality and sustainable development remain long-term goals.
General Resources Great Lakes Atlas U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) This Environmental Atlas and Resource Book is an excellent resource on the Great Lakes, including physical characteristics, natural processes, people, concerns, joint management and new directions (mirrored on Environment Canada's site). Great Lakes Radio Consortium The Great Lakes Radio Consortium produces environmentally focused radio features and news featured on more than 100 public radio stations around the Great Lakes region and several national radio programs. Illinois Natural Resources Information Network Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Provides natural resource-related information to the citizens of Illinois so that individuals and groups can make informed decisions about natural resource management and policy. Science & The Environment Bulletin Environment Canada This bimonthly publication provides information on leading-edge environmental science and technology. Includes collections on habitat, pollution, species at risk, water and related topics. Software for Environmental Awareness United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Purdue University produce free interactive software programs on environmental topics. Summary of Environmental Law in North America Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) The CEC created this summary to improve public access to the environmental law of the three parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement; i.e., Canada, Mexico and the United States. Visualizing the Great Lakes U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) GLNPO has an extensive collection of images from around the Great Lakes that is available for you to use.
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