Great Lakes Restoration Conference in Cleveland

Shannon Holland and I went to Cleveland over the weekend for a conference discussing restoration of the Great Lakes. I came away impressed with the urgency of protecting and restoring the Great Lakes before they reach an ecological "tipping point." The rapidity of the deterioration in the Great Lakes is truly alarming--for example, the population of diporeia, tiny freshwater shrimp that make up 80% of food for Great Lakes fish, have declined 94% in Lake Michigan alone since 1994. Every 8 months, a new invasive species is introduced to the Great Lakes system. There are already 160 invasive species.

The huge inland seas, which make up 95% of the fresh water in the United States, face a host of stresses threatening ecosystem breakdown, including invasive species, over fishing, nutrient loading, toxic chemicals, abusive land use practices, hydrological alterations, and climate change. The dead zone has reappeared in Lake Erie.

Eight states, 2 provinces, 35 native tribes, and 40 million people surround the Great Lakes. Five of the Great Lakes states are swing states in the upcoming election. We have to make our elected officials realize that restoration of this priceless natural resource is a priority with voters. When Congress allocated $4 billion dollars to restore the Everglades, we realized that largescale federal restoration is possible. We know enough to act, but the government has to allocate the money--$20 billion dollars is needed.

I was also struck by Cleveland's similarity to Buffalo. Both cities are trying to emerge from their heavy industrial past by revitalizing their waterfront. But Cleveland's waterfront was not all it was cracked up to be, in my opinion. Clevelanders are stymied by lack of public access to the waterfront, which is blocked by industry and residential development. Dike 14, Cleveland's equivalent of Times Beach, is still technically a Confined Disposal Facility that the Army Corps of Engineers wants to use for dredge materials. Whiskey Island, a 20-acre patch of green space with sand volleyball courts and a marina nestled in front of Cleveland's industrial sector, is under threat of takeover from Cleveland's Port Authority for use as a gravel pit.

Buffalo has amazing potential for waterfront revitalization--it appears that the NFTA is finally going to relinquish possession of the Outer Harbor, and the Niagara River Greenway is in the planning process. Today, a visitor from Portland, Oregon walked into our office to convey her admiration for the Citizens' Vision for the Outer Harbor in our window. I hope that vision will become a reality in Buffalo.