Congressional Briefing Announced On Efficiently Funding Soo Locks

The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Great Lakes Governors & Premiers will host a Congressional briefing on efficiently funding the Soo Locks on October 17th at 9 a.m. 

Please join representatives of the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, the Great Lakes States, Lake Carriers' Association, and the American Great Lakes Ports Association for this important conversation.

The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are a vital component of the nation's infrastructure. In 2018, Congress re-authorized construction of a new lock at full federal expense after the US Army Corps of Engineers benefit-cost analysis favorably rated this project. The Great Lakes Governors and a coalition of regional stakeholders have called on Congress to appropriate needed funds to efficiently fund this crucial national infrastructure. 

What: Congressional Briefing on Efficiently Funding the Soo Locks

When: Thursday, October 17, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Where: SVC-215

Who: Hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Great Lakes Governors & Premiers; and with participation from the Great Lakes States, the Lake Carriers' Association, the American Great Lakes Ports Association, and other possible organizations

And special thanks to Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, in coordinating space for this important briefing.

To RSVP, please email Matt McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute, at mmckenna@nemw.org.

Northeast-Midwest Institute Presents Conservation Assessment Report To Upper Mississippi River Basin Stakeholders

The Northeast-Midwest Institute presented lead author Sridhar Vedachalam's conservation assessment report during a Water Quality Task Force Meeting hosted by the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) on September 17th in Quincy, Illinois. Dr. Vedachalam discussed findings contained in the report, as well as policy implications from conservation efforts. This Water Quality Task Force Meeting marks the second consecutive year of collaboration between the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the UMRBA, which has permitted the NEMWI to deliver its research directly to stakeholders from across the Upper Mississippi River Basin - including federal agency staff, state regulators, and local watershed groups.

The report analyzes the implementation of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in six watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin: Middle Cedar River in Iowa; Upper Macoupin Creek and Otter Lake in Illinois; the State of Minnesota with a special emphasis on Middle Cannon River; and Baraboo River and Oconomowoc River in Wisconsin. An assessment of these six projects confirms the vital role of federal funding in initiating or strengthening these collaborations across various sectors from state and local governments to educational institutions, agri-businesses, and environmental organizations.

The full conservation assessment report can be accessed  here.