New Report: Local Governments Investing Billions in Great Lakes Restoration, Where's the Federal Government?

What: Briefing on new report on the billions of dollars local governments are investing in Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River protection and restoration.

When:
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008 at 12 p.m. (NOON) EST

Where:
National Press Club
529 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20045

Speakers:
Members of Congress -- invited
Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry
Mayor Gary Becker (City of Racine, Wisconsin)
Mayor Denis Lapointe (City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec)
Jeff Skelding, Healing Our Waters -- Great Lakes Coalition

The new report details how much money local governments are investing in Great Lakes restoration and protection and asks whether the U.S. and Canadian governments are upholding their end of the bargain to protect the largest freshwater resource in the world. Produced by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the Great Lakes Commission, the report comes as local, state and federal leaders join advocates in Washington, D.C., for the annual Great Lakes Day.

Key questions that will be addressed:
-- In what areas is the money being spent?
-- How much are cities investing relative to the federal government?
-- Are investments keeping up with threats such as sewage contamination?

-- How does this affect the health of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system as a whole?

CONTACT: Melissa Soline of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, +1-312-201-4517, cell, +1-773-456-0948, melissa.soline@glslcities.org; Christine Manninen of the Great Lakes Commission, +1-734-971-9135, cell, +1-734-560-8598, manninen@glc.org; or Jordan Lubetkin of the National Wildlife Federation -- Great Lakes Office, +1-734-887-7109, cell, +1-734-904-1589, lubetkin@nwf.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Feb. 26/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Great Lakes Commission; Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

2008-02-26 18:30:17 0298946 PRNEWSWIRE