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Greetings
Wetland Activist,
Now, more
than anytime in recent history, Wisconsinites have a chance to guarantee
the long- term protection and sound management of Great
Lakes water, ensuring that these treasures not be sold to the
highest bidder and that they are protected for generations to come.
Why is
this a wetlands issue? Because the health of the extraordinary coastal
wetlands that surround the Great Lakes depends on appropriate management of
water levels in the Great Lakes.
Substantial withdrawals of water from the Lakes over time could be
devastating to these ecologically and economically significant wetlands.
In July, the U.S.
governors and Canadian premiers of all ten states and provinces that border
the Great Lakes released a draft of what could be a globally unique and
important agreement for the long term protection of Great
Lakes water. The draft was released for 90 days of public
comment (ending October
18, 2004).
Your comments are needed. The final agreement will reflect comments
made by Wisconsin citizens. Please
attend a hearing, held by the Wisconsin DNR on behalf of the Council of
Great Lakes Governors, in your area to offer comments and/or to send a
letter to the Council of Great Lakes
Governors. Hearing details can be found at right; background, details,
and suggested comments follow below.
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Background on "Annex 2001" Agreement
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The Great Lakes are at risk
of becoming a global export because no management standard is in place to
protect our supply of fresh water. In the face of growing pressure to
supplement diminishing water supplies outside of the basin, an
environmentally protective management system is necessary for the Great Lakes.
In
2001, the governors of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota,
New York, Ohio,
and Pennsylvania amended the original
1985 Great Lakes charter. That
"annex" agreement, known as Annex 2001, committed the states to
work with the Canadian provinces of Quebec
and Ontario
to develop the draft agreement that is the topic of these public comment
sessions.
Known
as the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact, this binding agreement
will set standards for future diversions and withdrawals of water from
the Lakes to areas outside of the Great Lakes drainage basin, areas as
close as Waukesha and as far away as Arizona.
The draft Compact is a good start. It recognizes
that water resource connections go beyond political boundaries. It
contains many important protections for the Great Lakes by requiring
conservation defined as measures that minimize water withdrawals or
consumptive use and improvement meaning measures that have additional
beneficial or restorative effect on the waters of the Great
Lakes. Maintaining this emphasis on conserving, restoring
and improving the Great Lakes is critical to the success of the Compact
and long-term protection of the Great Lakes.
The public participation and enforcement sections also deserve praise. An
important strength of the enforcement section is the inclusion of
attorney's fees provisions. Making attorney's fees available helps
guarantee enforcement and protects the Compact from budgetary or
political whims. It is also important that these provisions remain in the
Compact.
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Talking Points
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There are some areas of the Compact that need further
consideration. The conservation and improvement provisions are not well
defined and not uniformly applied. The 120-day averaging and 10-year
phase-in periods are too long. To assure the effectiveness of the return
flow standard, the compact should commit the states to establishing
rigorous consumptive use standards on a strict time standard. Specifically,
the agreement could be improved to include:
· Conservation measures that include
definitions and benchmarks.
· Improvement measures that apply to all
withdrawals, not just to diversions and the largest withdrawals.
Subjecting new and increased withdrawals to the standards of
conservation, no harm, and improvement was the core commitment of Annex
2001.
· Return Flow provisions that commit the
states and provinces to establish rigorous consumptive use standards on a
strict time standard.
· A shorter phase-in period of the new
rules; the proposed 10 years is too long and the Compact standards should
be applied to all new or increased diversions the date that the Compact
is signed.
· Water withdrawal standards that average
water use over 30 days. The current averaging period of 120 days is too
long and would result in exemption of large water users and in cumulative
water loss to the system.
· An evaluation of the
"cumulative" impacts of water withdrawals on coastal wetlands
as well as local river and groundwater levels.
With these improvements, this Compact will offer the
protections the irreplaceable Great Lakes deserve.
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How To Submit Written Comments
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If you are unable to attend a public comment session, we
encourage you to submit your comments in writing to Governor Jim Doyle,
David Naftzger (Executive Director of the Great Lakes Council of
Governors), and the Great Lakes Council of Governors.
Here is
some suggested text you might use in your letter:
Dear Governor Doyle, David Naftzger and
the Council of Great Lakes Governors:
The Great Lakes are one of the natural wonders of the world. This
world-class resource deserves world class protection.
The draft Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact is a good start. The
Compact recognizes that water resource connections go beyond political
boundaries. It contains many important protections for the Great Lakes by
requiring conservation and improvement. The Compact's provisions for
enforcement and public participation will ensure that it is more than a
paper exercise. Maintaining this emphasis on conserving, restoring, and
improving the Great Lakes is critical to the success of the Compact and
the long-term protection of the Great Lakes.
However, there are some areas of the Compact needing further
consideration. I am asking you to strengthen the Compact by including:
· Conservation measures that include
definitions and benchmarks.
· A shorter phase-in period of the new
rules; the proposed 10 years is too long.
· Water withdrawal standards and time
frames that include largest users, like agriculture.
· Evaluation of the
"cumulative" impacts of water withdrawals on coastal wetlands
as well as local river and groundwater levels.
With these improvements, this Compact will offer the protections the
irreplaceable Great Lakes deserve. Thank you for the chance to offer
these comments and participate in these important procedures.
Please reinforce your statement of support with a personal message.
Send
written comments to David Naftzger, Executive Director, Council of Great
Lakes Governors, 35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1850, Chicago, IL 60601.
Submit e- mail comments to Annex2001@cglg.org or enter them online
by clicking the link below.
Submit your comment to the Council of Great Lakes
Governors »
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Attend the Hearing Nearest You
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Ashwaubenon
Thursday, Sep. 30
Village Hall
2155 Holmgren Way
Stevens Point
Monday, Oct. 4
UW-Stevens Point
800 Reserve Street
Duluth/Superior
Tuesday, Oct. 5
Holiday Hotel & Suites
200 West 1st Street
Ashland
Wednesday, Oct. 6
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center
US 2 at County Hwy G
All hearings, except Duluth, have an
open house from 4 to 6 p.m. and formal presentation and public comment
period beginning at 6 p.m. In Duluth, which Wisconsin DNR is jointly
hosting with Minnesota DNR, the session will run from 4 to 8 p.m. but the
format is undecided.
A fifth hearing was held Tuesday,
September 28th in Milwaukee. We regret that this Alert was sent too late
for recipients to be able to attend this hearing. We encourage anyone
from the Milwaukee area wanting to submit comments to either travel to
another hearing or to submit written comments.
Submit a written comment online
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