DO SOMETHING: Great Lakes

The bulletin below is taken from a recent email sent out by the Wisconsin InterNetwork. If you would like to become involved with many Wisconsin environmental issues, their list is a great one to become a part of. Also, for two great reads about the Great Lakes, go to:
*THE GREAT LAKES (The Detroit News)
*Greatest Lakes in the World (National Wildlife)

DO SOMETHING !!
Help protect the Great Lakes.

ACTION NEEDED:
Please attend an upcoming public hearing on the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact in Green Bay (Ashwaubenon) and ask Governor Doyle to strengthen the pact in order to protect the Great Lakes.

August 29- Ashwaubenon 5-8pm
Ashwaubenon Village Hall
Council Chamber
2155 Holmgren Way
Enter the north public entry.
Open House - 5:00-5:30 (Comment forms and DNR staff will be available.)
Formal Presentation - 5:30, followed by public comment period.

It is important to attend the hearings as a visible demonstration of support. However, if you cannot attend the hearings, submitting your comments to Governor Doyle will make a big impact.

Governor Jim Doyle
Office of the Governor
115 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
608-266-1212
608-267-8983 (Fax)

Deadline for responding:
Please take action
by August 29, 2005.

PROBLEM:
The Great Lakes, one of the natural wonders of the world, are a place we call home and the heart of the ecosystem that we rely on for life. The Great Lakes are vast, but they aren't infinite - only one percent of the water in the Lakes is renewed by rainfall and snowmelt every year. The remaining 99 percent is a one-time gift from the retreating glaciers of the world's last ice age. Piping more water out of the Great Lakes without protective standards threatens the future health and supply of fresh water in the Great Lakes drainage basin. It's not a sustainable solution for communities that are using water faster than it can be replenished. Although more than 40 million residents drink it every day, there is no plan that will ensure the long-term protection and sound management of our Great Lakes water. We should all be working to change this.

SOLUTION:
On June 30th, 2005, the bi-partisan governors and premiers of the U.S. states and Canadian provinces that share the Great Lakes released a draft cooperative agreement for the future protection of our waters. The agreement, known as the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact, calls for the responsible use and protection of Great Lakes waters. This binding "responsibility pact" sets rules for the withdrawal of Great Lakes waters and ensures that local communities will have a say on any future diversions of our water to areas outside of the Great Lakes basin. The draft agreement contains many important protections for our Great Lakes, but we must do better.

ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATION IN THIS CAMPAIGN:
1000 Friends of Wisconsin
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
Citizens for Safe Water
Around Badger
Clean Wisconsin
Environmental Defense
League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
Madison Audubon Society
River Alliance of Wisconsin
Sierra Club, John Muir Chapter
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute
Wisconsin Wetlands Association