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*MEDIA ADVISORY 
*Jeff Johnston, EGLE Public Information Officer, [email protected], 517-231-9304 

Nov. 14 binational Lake St. Clair environmental conference open to media

EGLE and partners present one-day event to discuss issues of habitat, climate, economy, water quality, pollution, and more

Media are invited to attend and cover a one-day U.S.-Canadian environmental conference focused on Lake St. Clair, presented Nov. 14 on the shores of the lake in Harrison Township. It’s an opportunity that comes around only once every three years. The conference will highlight timely issues and celebrate a milestone 25 years of binational collaboration in lakewide management.  

Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), is speaking and will be available for interviews.


* *WHAT:* 2024 Binational Lake St. Clair Conference. 

* *WHEN:* 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. 

* *WHERE:* Macray Harbor [ [link removed] ], 30675 N. River Road, Harrison Township. 

* *FOR WHOM: *Federal, state, provincial, and local government staff and elected officials; First Nations and tribal government staff and members; business and industry leaders; community organizations; local residents; media representatives; and anyone interested in Lake St. Clair management. (Note: More than 140 attendees signed up before registration closed.) 

* *BY WHOM:* Presented by a four-party managers committee of EGLE; the Province of Ontario, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Major sponsors include the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Ford House, GEI Consultants, the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce/Blue Economy Initiative, and Taplin Group. 

* *WHY:* The conference will reflect on 25 years of joint environmental management by the U.S. and Canada; discuss major initiatives and specific monitoring, restoration, and protection activities; and chart a sustainable course for the lake’s future. 

Registration for this conference has closed. Members of the media who wish to attend should stop at the on-site registration table.

In addition to Roos, the roster of speakers and discussion moderators includes Walpole Island First Nation Heritage Centre Supervisor Naomi Williams, EPA Great Lakes National Program Office Director Teresa Seidel, Canada Water Agency Executive Director Jennifer Vincent, and a keynote address by Steve Remias, chair of the Lake St. Clair Blue Economy Committee, on “Four Decades of Tourism, Growth, and Conservation.” 

The conference brings together stakeholders from both nations to further their commitment to restoring and protecting Lake St. Clair. Participants will explore innovative strategies to enhance the watershed's environmental, economic, and cultural value through lakewide management. 

Topics on this year’s agenda include: 


* Lake St. Clair’s water-focused “blue economy.” 

* Habitat, wildlife, and water quality monitoring, protection, and restoration. 

* Algal blooms and muck. 

* Fighting beach closures with native plants. 

* Climate change impacts and adaptations.  

* Invasive species. 

* Phosphorus reduction. 

* PFAS source identification and reduction at wastewater treatment plants and in land-applied biosolids. 

* Coastal wetland conservation. 

* The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’ (SEMCOG) Southeast Michigan Healthy Climate Plan [ [link removed] ]. 

* A new United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise [ [link removed] ] hosted by Wayne State University and the University of Windsor. 

* Clinton River Area of Concern [ [link removed] ] status.

In addition to those mentioned above, agencies represented include the Clinton River Watershed Council, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Macomb County Health Department, the Michigan Boating Industries Association, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, SEMCOG, the Six Rivers Land Conservancy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Windsor, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, and Wayne State University. 

Hosting of the conference, held every three years, normally alternates between locations in Michigan and Ontario. The 2021 conference was held virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. Michigan last hosted the conference in 2018.

Find a complete preliminary agenda here [ [link removed] ].

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To request this material in an alternative format, contact [email protected] or call 800-662-9278.

EGLE does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, national origin, color, marital status, disability, political beliefs, height, weight, genetic information, or sexual orientation in the administration of any of its programs or activities, and prohibits intimidation and retaliation, as required by applicable laws and regulations.

 

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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy · Constitution Hall · 525 West Allegan Street · PO Box 30473 · Lansing, MI 48909 · 800-662-9278