Great Lakes Governors Challenge Presidential Candidates to Protect Great Lakes

November 08, 2007 -- MILWAUKEE – Eight governors from Great Lakes states today called upon presidential candidates to make the protection of the Great Lakes a top priority. In a letter to all Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, Governor Doyle of Wisconsin, Chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, challenged the presidential field to explain how they would support ongoing efforts to protect, preserve, and improve the Great Lakes.

“The next President must share our vision of protecting the Great Lakes,” Governor Doyle said. “The Great Lakes are not only our greatest natural resource, but they are also a true national treasure. We need federal leaders who share our vision – strong partners who recognize that the Great Lakes are critical to our nation’s future. Protecting, preserving, and improving the Great Lakes is not just a Wisconsin issue or a Michigan issue, it must be a national and international priority.”

Great Lakes states have helped decide the last several presidential elections and figure to play a pivotal role in the 2008 presidential race. Great Lakes states hold one-quarter of the nation’s electoral votes and include five battleground states. Three major presidential candidates hail from Great Lakes states –Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, and Barack Obama.

Nearly seven in ten voters believe the Great Lakes are vital to the region’s economy. Voters’ commitment to the health of the Great Lakes transcends political ideologies with 66 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Republicans, and 64 percent of Independent voters supporting efforts to restore and improve the lakes.

The national economy depends on the Great Lakes. More than 35 million Americans live, work, and recreate in, on or by the waters of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes generate $55 billion annually through tourism for the entire Great Lakes region. They also create nearly $377 million in personal income from wages and salaries. In Wisconsin alone, the Great Lakes support over 11,000 jobs in Wisconsin's ports.

Two years ago, eight governors and two Canadian premiers representing the Great Lakes states, came together in Milwaukee to sign the Great Lakes Compact an agreement to preserve and protect Great Lakes water. The Governors called for federal leadership to build upon statewide and regional efforts, including:

· Broad, national protection against the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species;

· Federal support for the Great Lakes Legacy Act;

· Federal funding to begin the restoration of 200,000 acres of wetlands in the Great Lakes Basin; and

· Ensure that existing and proven programs such as the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Sea Lamprey control program are fully funded.

For more information on these and other initiatives visit:
http://www.cglg.org/projects/priorities/index.asp.

To view the letters, visit:
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=12462.

Source: Wisconsin Governor

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