On Jan. 26, Smart Great Lakes (SGL) Initiative partners hosted over 80 attendees, including staffers from several congressional offices, to learn about the SGL vision and ways in which Congress can help achieve the 10 goals laid out in the recently published Common Strategy for Smart Great Lakes.

Co-hosted and moderated by the Northeast-Midwest Institute’s Matt McKenna, the conversation was opened by Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and featured Kelli Paige, CEO of the Great Lakes Observing System, J. Val Klump, Associate Dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Kimberly Neely Du Buclet, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), and Joel Brammeier, CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Photo by Jessica Grow, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Watch the recording | Slides upon request

Email Katie Rousseau, Smart Great Lakes Liaison, with any questions katie@glos.org.

Full description from the event invitation:

The Great Lakes region is grappling with the mounting effects of climate change, including coastal erosion, recurring harmful algal blooms, and extreme weather.

To meet these environmental challenges, our region needs a more expansive monitoring network, increased science funding, and a robust, shared data infrastructure.

Prompted by this vision, in 2019, dozens of regional experts in research, conservation, government, and technology came together to launch the Smart Great Lakes Initiative. This year, the initiative published the “Common Strategy for Smart Great Lakes,” a document that lays out 10 goals and dozens of specific actions for applying technology to better understand the lakes.

Past investments in the Great Lakes have required massive, regional and national support, and cross-border support, and Smart Great Lakes is no different.

Right now, the region is in need of investment to:
– Support science, innovation, and technology that improve our ability to identify, assess, and respond to stressors and change.
– Build Great Lakes data systems that are adaptable, interoperable, and accessible so that rights holders, stakeholders, and policymakers can make evidence-informed decisions.

This briefing laid out some details and present an opportunity to learn more about Smart Great Lakes from invested regional partners, including:
– A welcome from Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, MI-12
– Kelli Paige, CEO of the Great Lakes Observing System
– J. Val Klump, Associate Dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
– Kimberly Neely Du Buclet, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
– Joel Brammeier, CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes
– Matt McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast Midwest Institute, moderator

To learn more and get involved in the initiative, visit smartgreatlakes.org

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