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Cities Initiative Board of Directors Announces New President/CAO

March 27, 2017 10:55 am Leave a Comment

The Board of Directors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is pleased to announce the selection of John Dickert as the organization’s next President and Chief Administrative Officer. Dickert will succeed David Ullrich, who will step down from his position this summer as Executive Director after fourteen years and will continue as a Senior Advisor to the Cities Initiative.  Currently serving as the Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, Dickert brings decades of experience in local, state and federal government relations, strategy, fundraising, and coalition building.

“The work of the Cities Initiative is vital to the health and protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River,” says Dickert. “I am thrilled to step into this position with the Cities Initiative and work with a dynamic coalition of 128 other mayors to ensure the voice of local government is a part of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence decision making.” Ullrich added, “Mayor Dickert has been a strong force in our organization for years, and I am confident the positive presence of the Cities Initiative will continue under his leadership.”

Dickert brings a breadth of experience in real estate, consulting, development, and lobbying to the Cities Initiative, including Government Affairs Director of Wisconsin Credit Union League and real estate agent for First Weber Group. Mayor Dickert also worked for Congressional offices at the federal and state level, including Congressman Les Aspin, State Representative Dale Bolle, State Representative Jeannette Bell, and Congressmen Peter Barca. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 1986.

Since his election as Mayor in 2009, Dickert has been actively engaged with the Cities Initiative as a director on the board since 2010 and chair from 2014 to 2015. As Mayor, Dickert has been involved in numerous water resource-related organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Commission, and overseen the revitalization of Racine’s waterfront areas, most notably North Beach and the Root River.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a coalition of 128 cities from the United States and Canada representing over 17 million people who work together for the long term protection and restoration of the resource. The mayors work closely with state, provincial, federal, tribal, first nation, and non-government organizations from across the basin to protect, restore, and sustain one of the largest freshwater resources in the world.

Cities Initiative Delegation Attends Great Lakes Days in Washington D.C.

March 17, 2017 3:39 pm Leave a Comment

• Minister Catherine McKenna (left)
• Senator Tammy Baldwin (above)
• Congressman Dan Kildee
• Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
• Congressman Paul Ryan staffer
• Congressman Brian Higgins staffer
• Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky staffer
• Congresswoman Robin Kelly staffer

Elimination of Great Lakes Funds Shocks Mayors

March 16, 2017 5:01 pm Leave a Comment

Earlier today the Trump Administration released its 2018 budget which eliminates the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Gutting GLRI from the budget is especially appalling to members of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative), a binational coalition of 128 mayors, given the success of and bipartisan support for the program. GLRI has been integral over the last eight years in helping clean up toxic hotspots, better manage polluted storm water runoff, addressing invasive species, and protecting habitats and wildlife. The elimination of GLRI is part of a larger effort by the Trump Administration to scale back Environmental Protection Agency funding by 31.4 percent.

“I believe the American Government's budget does not reflect the great importance of these environmental questions related to climate change and water issues, and that we all have, at every level of government, a responsibility in this regard,” says Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, chairman of the Cites Initiative. “We shall continue to express our strong solidarity and will speak with one united unwavering voice against these unacceptable budget cuts.”

“The Great Lakes are a national treasure similar to the Grand Canyon and it is not solely the responsibility of state and local governments to invest in their protection,” added Mayor Paul Dyster of Niagara Falls, New York, Vice Chair of the Cities Initiative. “Local governments already invest over $15 billion per year and rely on investment from the federal government for Great Lakes restoration and protection efforts.”

Mayor Sandra Cooper of the Town of Collingwood, Ontario, Secretary of the Cities Initiative said, “All levels of government on both sides of the border have a moral responsibility to protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River for future generations. A complete elimination of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will put a halt to successful restoration efforts and the Lakes at a risk of degradation.”

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a coalition of 128 cities from the United States and Canada representing over 17 million people who work together for the long term protection and restoration of the resource. The mayors work closely with state, provincial, federal, tribal, first nation, and non-government representatives from across the basin to protect, restore, and sustain one of the largest freshwater resources in the world.

Additional Coverage:

David Ullrich on TVOntario's The Agenda with Steve Paikin

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors Deeply Concerned about U.S. Budget

March 3, 2017 2:00 pm Leave a Comment

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative), a coalition of mayors from over 125 cities across the basin representing over 17 million people, expressed deep concern over draft White House budget cuts that would reduce funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by 97% from $300 million to $10 million and for the EPA by 25%.  The mayors work closely with state, provincial, federal, tribal, first nation, and non-government representatives from across the basin to protect, restore, and sustain one of the largest freshwater resources in the world.

Current Vice-Chair of the Cities Initiative Paul Dyster, Mayor of Niagara Falls, New York, said, “It would be a tragedy for the U.S. government to step back from its commitment to the Great Lakes, a resource that is critically important to the economic well-being and quality of life of the region.  A tremendous amount of progress has been achieved over the past 5 years under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and that would be lost with these cuts, with so much more work left to be done.”

Mayor Sandra Cooper of the Town of Collingwood, Ontario, Secretary of the Cities Initiative said, “With the northern shore of all the lakes, Georgian Bay, and a stretch of the St. Lawrence River as part of Ontario, these resources are part of the fabric of who we are as a people, and to reduce the investments so dramatically just does not make sense from an economic, environmental, or quality of life standpoint.  Investments in the Great Lakes have been shown to deliver a 2:1 return according to studies completed several years ago.”

David Ullrich, Executive Director of the Cities Initiative, said, “Cuts of this magnitude would be devastating to the efforts of our two countries over the past 5 decades to restore the resource.  Great progress has been made on cleaning up toxic hot spots, reducing nutrient loadings that cause algal blooms, and preventing the introduction of invasive species.”  He went on to say, “Local governments have been investing at over $15 billion per year according to 2008 study by the Great Lakes Commission and the Cities Initiative, well beyond the federal governments’ investments, and this would be a major step back from the responsibility shared for this resource.”

In addition to these budget cuts, the administration announced earlier this week a halt to critical work to stop the Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.  The mayors expressed grave concern over any additional delay in dealing with this looming threat to the $7 billion fishery.  The recent discovery of Asian carp in the St. Lawrence River makes the situation even more critical.

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In the St. Catharines Standard, Cities Initiative members Mayor Walter Sendzik of St. Catharines, Mayor Wayne Redekop of Fort Erie and Mayor John Maloney of Port Colborne added to the outcry over possible GLRI budget cuts.

Mayor Mike Bradley of Sarnia also spoke out on the proposed GLRI budget cuts in the National Observer.

Ontario Mayors Sandra Cooper of the Town of Collingwood, John Paterson of the Town of Leamington, and Randy Hope of Chatham-Kent expressed their concern over possible GLRI cuts to The Canadian Press.

Mayor John Dickert of Racine, Wisconsin shared his thoughts on the potential 97% cut to GLRI funds on Up Front with Mike Gousha.

More coverage here: Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post Canada, MLive, Toledo Blade, The Buffalo News, Toronto Star, Windsor Star, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WBFO, St. Catharines Standard, Chicago Sun Times, National Observer, Washington Post, Blue Fish Radio, Up Front with Mike Gousha, The Globe and Mail, Lockport Journal

Mayor Carruthers of Traverse City Joins Cities Initiative Board

February 20, 2017 3:31 pm Leave a Comment

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative) is proud to announce the newest member of the board of directors, Mayor Jim Carruthers of Traverse City, Michigan.

“I look forward to Mayor Carruthers’s contribution to the Board,” said Mayor Denis Coderre, chair of the Cities Initiative Board of Directors and Mayor of Montréal. “His commitment to the Great Lakes and unique regional perspective will continue to help our organization grow.”

Prior to becoming Mayor, Carruthers served on the city commission for eight years and worked for the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. As Mayor, Carruthers has been actively engaged in the debate over Enbridge’s Line 5, a twin oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. In addition, he spearheaded a city resolution unanimously approved by the city commission to set a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2020 for all city operations.

“I look forward to serving on the Cities Initiative board while supporting protections over our fresh water resource with other leaders from around the Great Lakes Region,” said Mayor Carruthers.

The Future of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence on the Agenda for Montréal’s 375th Anniversary

January 13, 2017 3:00 pm Leave a Comment

Mayors from 8 states and 2 provinces to meet June 14-16

Montréal, January 13, 2017 – Today, mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s Board of Directors (Cities Initiative) met in Montréal to further strengthen their strategy to address water issues and to prepare the next important mayors’ gathering during the Montréal’s 375^th anniversary celebration, June 14-16,
2017.

“Water is a key component of Montréal’s geography and history; the River and the archipelago are crucial to our City’s success. More than ever, mayors show leadership on important water issues in all of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region”, said Cities Initiative chair and Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre. The Cities Initiative’s 2017 Annual Meeting and Conference will be the premier event to gather municipal leaders from 8 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The conference segment of the event will focus on strategic partnerships between different regional stakeholders that specialize in Great Lakes and St. Lawrence integrated management, restoration and protection. All stakeholders are invited to visit https://glslcities.org/events/annual-meeting/montreal-2017/ for more information and to register.

In addition to its regular administrative business, the Cities Initiative’s board of directors discussed many regional issues including the challenge to the Waukesha water diversion approval, excessive nutrient runoff in Lake Erie and Lac. St-Pierre, plastic pollution, invasive species and pipelines, especially Enbridge’s Line 5 and TransCanada’s Energy East.

Success for the Great Lakes: WIIN Act Signed Into Law By Obama

December 19, 2016 2:07 pm Leave a Comment

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative) is very pleased the United States Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.  WIIN includes many provisions that are critically important to the Great Lakes.  It includes authorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for five years at $300 million per year, provides support for shipping, addresses the algal bloom problem, allocates funding to solve the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and strengthens programs to improve fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes.

Mayor Paul Dyster of Niagara Falls, current vice-chair of the Cities Initiative, said, “The passage of this law is critically important to the future of the tremendous freshwater resource we share between Canada and the United States and to our communities, and ensures that the momentum developed over the past five years in protecting and restoring the resource will be maintained.”

Cities Initiative Executive Director David Ullrich added, “Many of our member cities have received funding under GLRI, which has allowed them to complete restoration projects that otherwise would not have been possible.  These projects contribute to the economic well- being and quality of life in our communities, and make them more attractive for locating a new business and as a destination for visitors.”

The actions by this Congress and the President are essential to the future of many programs that are important to the Great Lakes, and it will be important for the next Congress to fund these programs at levels that will ensure their success.

The legislation includes the following Great Lakes provisions:

• Authorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a successful and popular program that is helping states and local communities clean up degraded toxic hotspots, restore habitat for fish and wildlife, thwart Asian carp and other invasive species, and prevent polluted runoff across the eight-state Great Lakes region
• Makes permanent the allocation of priority funds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for the Great Lakes Navigation System, sets a minimum appropriations level from the fund, and requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete guidance on managing the Great Lakes as a single, comprehensive navigation system
• Establishes a Great Lakes Harmful Algal Bloom Coordinator to work with federal, state and local agencies to coordinate actions to address harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes
• Includes a variety of provisions that respond to the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and support the work of states and local communities to repair, upgrade and monitor water infrastructure
• Reauthorizes and strengthens the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act and the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program, which support fish and wildlife restoration, conservation and management projects in the Great Lakes region

Join The Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative at the Climate Leadership Conference, March 1-3 in Chicago

December 16, 2016 4:04 pm Leave a Comment

Join us March 1-3 in Chicago to connect with the nation’s leaders on climate at the sixth annual Climate Leadership Conference (CLC). The CLC convenes around U.S. EPA’s prestigious Climate Leadership Awards, and brings climate, energy and sustainability professionals together to address climate change through policy, innovation, and business solutions.

Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative will help host a workshop on Wednesday, March 1^st from 9:00am – 11:30am. View current program agenda and speaker line-up to date to engage, learn from and network with thought leaders and decision makers.

REGISTER now using the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s discount code: CLC-Great Lakes-15%

Conference details will be regularly updated at: www.ClimateLeadershipConference.org

Funding Supports Work to Reduce Phosphorus Loss to Waterways

December 9, 2016 1:02 pm Leave a Comment

Efforts to reduce phosphorus loss into Ontario waterways and the Great Lakes will progress thanks to the funding announcement of $203,000 from Growing Forward 2, a Canada-Ontario agricultural funding program administered through the Agricultural Adaptation Council. These funds will be matched with $100,000 from participating organizations, including the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) to launch a joint ‘Strategy to Reduce Phosphorus Loss into the Thames River’.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and OFA, have been working to build and implement the joint strategy.

“Together, OFA and the Cities Initiative have developed a workable strategy to improve water quality and reduce phosphorus entering Lake Erie,” says Keith Currie, OFA President. “It’s never been more important to work together, water quality is a serious issue and we are grateful for the support of the Federal government and participation of agricultural organizations, municipalities, conservation authorities, and the drainage industry in the Thames-Sydenham region.”

The five-year ‘Strategy to Reduce Phosphorus Loss into the Thames River’ is designed to improve water quality in the Thames River and contribute to Ontario’s commitment to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Erie by 40% by 2025. The strategy will reduce the transportation of phosphorus off agricultural land, by improving water management to retain water on the land during the non-growing season, and installing cost-effective treatment technologies in drainage channels before the water reaches the Thames and its tributaries.

“It is through this type of collaboration that we are going to improve water quality and promote a healthy and thriving agricultural sector in south-western Ontario,” says Huron-Kinloss Mayor Mitch Twolan, past-president of the cities initiative. “With this partnership, the OFA and local governments are collaborating with drainage professionals, conservation authorities, First Nations, researchers, water technology companies, and NGOs to find new and innovative ways to keep phosphorus on the field and out of our waterways”.

Participating organizations and financial contributions to support the strategy have been made by the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Grain Farmers of Ontario and its Chatham chapter, the City of London, the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Blue Water Pipe Inc., and the local chapters of the OFA in Kent, Lambton and Middlesex. The strategy has also received $20,000 from the founding partners, OFA and the cities initiative, respectively.

The strategy will complement and collaborate with other initiatives to reduce phosphorus entering waterways, including the Fertilizer Institute’s 4Rs program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (GLASI) program, the Upper and Lower Thames Conservation Authorities’ Clean Water Program, and the ‘Growing Ontario Together’ initiative led by the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Cities Initiative Represented at Northland College Water Summit

October 19, 2016 1:30 pm Leave a Comment

The Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation convened a Water Summit on Oct. 1, 2016 dedicated to “The Future of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.” Experts, including Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Director, Dave Ullrich, gathered on Madeline Island in Lake Superior to examine past successes and challenges of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and to discuss the program’s future.

The video below, featuring Ullrich, as well as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Senior Advisor to the Administrator, Cameron Davis, and Council of Great Lakes Industries President, Kathryn Buckner, provides an overview of the Water Summit and commentary on the success and future of GLRI

“The people in the room, first of all, represented a tremendous amount of perspective and experience and good ideas on how we can make GLRI even better in the future,” said Ullrich. “It's much more than just taking on and completing specific projects and making the Great Lakes better. It is strengthen the Great Lakes community and I think can do even more in the future. It's a huge success.”

For more information on Northland College's Water Summit, click here.