ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES
150 N MICHIGAN AVENUE NO 700, CHICAGO, IL 60601 www.greatlakes.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE THE WORLD'S LARGEST FRESH WATER RESOURCE USING POLICY, EDUCATION AND LOCAL EFFORTS, ENSURING A HEALTHY GREAT LAKES AND CLEAN WATER FOR GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE.

CLEAN WATER FOR PEOPLE: ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES, CLEAN, SAFE AND AFFORDABLE WATER SERVICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN ALL COMMUNITIES. AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS CREATES THE GREATEST BURDEN ON LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. OUR GREAT LAKES WATER SUPPLY REQUIRES CONSTANT VIGILANCE. THE ALLIANCE WORKS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ADVOCATE FOR SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS. IN ILLINOIS, THE ALLIANCE PRODUCED THE CALUMET DATABOOK, A 200+ PAGE RESOURCE UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS THAT REFLECTS THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF RESIDENTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO THE CALUMET RIVER, ONE OF THE MOST INDUSTRIALIZED AND CONTAMINATED RIVERFRONT AREAS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THIS WILL BE USED AS A FOUNDATION FOR A NEW INDUSTRIAL MODERNIZATION PLAN BEING CREATED BY THE CITY OF CHICAGO. IN DETROIT, WE DEVELOPED A SERIES OF CASE STUDIES OF FIVE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DETAILING THEIR WORK WITH GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, TO BE USED TO INFORM AND MOTIVATE SIMILAR WORK IN THE DETROIT AREA. IN OHIO, WE ARE CREATING A CANDIDATE EDUCATION TOOLKIT TO EDUCATE CANDIDATES ABOUT ISSUES REGARDING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND AFFORDABILITY, AND A RESIDENT EDUCATION TOOLKIT TO INFORM VOTERS IN ADVANCE OF 2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. ACROSS THE REGION, THE ALLIANCE HAS WORKED TO ENCOURAGE CITY AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO IMPOSE MORATORIA ON WATER SHUTOFFS, AND WORK TO RESTORE WATER SERVICE TO ALL RESIDENTS AMIDST THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WE LED ADVOCACY THAT RESULTED IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT - THE POLICY THAT PROTECTS THE GREAT LAKES WATER SUPPLY FROM DIVERSION TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. FINALLY, WE PUSHED BACK ON NUMEROUS EFFORTS BY U.S. EPA TO ROLL BACK ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR GREAT LAKES WATER.

COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT: THE ALLIANCE PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF PROGRAMS THAT EDUCATE AND ENGAGE ITS SUPPORTERS, ALLOWING THEM TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE ADVOCATES OF OUR WORK, AND HELP ADVANCE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREAT LAKES. THE ADOPT-A-BEACH PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST CLEANUP PROGRAM ON THE LAKES, ENGAGING THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS EACH YEAR ACROSS ALL EIGHT GREAT LAKES STATES TO REMOVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF TRASH FROM GREAT LAKES BEACHES. ALSO, THE ALLIANCE RELEASED A NEWLY REDESIGNED VOLUNTEER WEBSITE, ADOPT.GREATLAKES.ORG, WHICH PROVIDES VOLUNTEERS A NEW, USER-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE ALLOWING FOR SUPPORTERS TO MORE EASILY AND DEEPLY ENGAGE WITH THE ALLIANCE'S PROGRAMMING. ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDE OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LEADERSHIP IN CREATING AWARENESS AND FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS TO SUPPORT OUR WORK. THE ALLIANCE AMBASSADORS WORK TO HELP INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THROUGH PUBLIC EVENTS AND OTHER ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS. IN 2020, THE ALLIANCE RELEASED ITS VOTER TOOLKIT, A NON-PARTISAN RESOURCE THAT PROVIDED VOTERS OF GREAT LAKES STATES TIPS FOR GETTING INVOLVED IN ELECTIONS, CLEAN WATER QUESTIONS TO ASK OF CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE, ALONG WITH STATE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION REGARDING A VOTER'S REGISTRATION STATUS, HOW AND WHERE TO VOTE SAFELY, AND ALL PERTINENT DEADLINES.

AGRICULTURE AND WATER: NONPOINT SOURCE RUNOFF FROM AGRICULTURE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS TO WATER QUALITY ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES STATES. WE WORK WITH RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES, BUSINESS INTERESTS, AND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION TO CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANING UP THIS SOURCE OF POLLUTION THAT CAN CAUSE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. THE ALLIANCE IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THIS WORK IN THE WESTERN LAKE ERIE BASIN AND THE LOWER FOX RIVER WATERSHED AND GREEN BAY IN WISCONSIN. IN WESTERN LAKE ERIE, THE ALLIANCE PROVIDED COMMENTS AND OVERSIGHT OF OHIO'S DOMESTIC ACTION PLAN FOR CLEANUP, CONVENED WATER PARTNERS ACROSS THE REGION TO PROVIDE PUBLIC MESSAGING ON THE STATE'S FAILURE TO MEET ITS 20% REDUCTION TARGET OF PHOSPHORUS ENTERING THE LAKE BY 2020, AND IS WORKING TO IMPLEMENT A NEW POLLUTION REDUCTION PLAN FOR LAKE ERIE. IN WISCONSIN, THE ALLIANCE HAS BUILT A COALITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, THE ONEIDA NATION, RESEARCHERS, AND AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS, TO CREATE A COMMON AGENDA AND SHARE RESPONSIBILITY IN REDUCING PHOSPHORUS POLLUTION IN THE LOWER FOX RIVER BASIN. THIS COALITION IS ESTABLISHING MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS AND A LARGER FRAMEWORK THAT CREATES ACCOUNTABILITY AMONG ALL MEMBERS OF THIS COALITION.

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