The first week of March was a busy time in Washington, DC, as Great Lakes advocates from around the region, including the Alliance, gathered for the annual “Great Lakes Days” to lobby Congress for funding and laws to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The event, organized by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes coalition, brought hundreds of Great Lakes advocates to Washington, DC, to meet with Members of Congress.

The Alliance was tapped to lead the Illinois delegation and brought together allies from several Illinois-based organizations, including Friends of the Chicago River, the Illinois Environmental Council, and Stantec. Our group met with over 10 Illinois congressional offices on March 9 to discuss Great Lakes policy priorities.  Overall, we believe we had a productive and frank dialogue, especially noting the difficulty of achieving some of our funding and legislative priorities this year with a divided Congress.

We couldn’t have timed our advocacy better as the White House released the FY 2024 President’s Budget the same day of our congressional visits.  While we did not see the increases we had hoped for in all of the programs targeting the Great Lakes, the budget does have some good news. We appreciate that the Administration proposed a $1.9 billion (19%) increase for US EPA’s budget, with the majority of these funds targeting programs supporting water infrastructure improvements for rural and underserved communities. In addition, US EPA’s budget includes increases for programs that reduce lead in schools and support actions to address PFAS, including EPA’s first-ever draft rule to regulate PFAS in drinking water.

The budget debate now moves to Congress, and it is going to be contentious as House Republicans are determined to reduce federal spending. Overall, House Republicans have vowed to cut federal non-defense programs back to FY 2022 levels or lower. With the Senate in Democratic hands, it is unclear how top-line spending policy will ultimately be worked out, but we will continue to advocate for programs that protect our water resources.

In addition to the release of the President’s Budget, the House considered and passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to disapprove the Biden Administration’s recently released “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) Clean Water Act rule that sets forth protections for the nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. We supported the development of the “Waters of the United States” rule and opposed the congressional resolution to disapprove the rule as the rule provides important Clean Water Act protections to the region’s water resources. The Senate is anticipated to take up the resolution soon, although the final vote is unclear, and the Biden Administration is expected to veto the resolution if it passes. 

With all of these events occurring during Great Lakes Days, it gave us a great opportunity to talk about our federal priorities to our congressional representatives and to build a foundation upon which to continue the dialogue as we move forward in the legislative process.  We will keep you informed of how developments in Washington, DC, this year and appreciate your support for programs that protect and restore the Great Lakes.

The post DC Update: Great Lakes Advocates Head to Washington, President’s Budget Released appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

As the Alliance’s Agricultural & Restoration Policy Director, Tom leads work in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to achieve the Alliance’s agriculture and water goals and implements regional restoration initiatives. In addition, he serves as a convener, organizer, and relationship builder at all levels of government and stakeholders, emphasizing state-level agriculture water policy.

Resources:

Bold Action Needed to Meaningfully Reduce Algal Blooms in Western Lake Erie

The post The Cost to Meet Water Quality Goals in the Western Basin of Lake Erie Season 2, Episode 26 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

In 2015, the Governors of Ohio and Michigan and the Premier of Ontario committed to reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie by 40% by 2025. Interim targets set for 2020 were not met. Data consistently shows that it is unlikely the 2025 goal will be met.

On February 14, 2023, the Alliance for the Great Lakes and Ohio Environmental Council released a new study – The Cost to Meet Water Quality Goals in the Western Basin of Lake Erie .

Project partners examined the additional agricultural conservation practices needed and associated costs for Michigan and Ohio to implement them in the Western Basin of Lake Erie to meet water quality goals.

The study found:

• Current investments in Ohio and Michigan aimed at reducing phosphorous runoff from agricultural lands are woefully inadequate.

• If funding and conservation practice adoption continue as they currently are, the study found that there is no pathway for Michigan and Ohio to meet the 40% nonpoint source phosphorus reduction goal.

• Meeting the 40% phosphorus reduction goal is possible. But it will require significant, sustained additional funding, by several orders of magnitude annually, along with major increases in conservation practice adoption, also by orders of magnitude annually, and in some cases shifting the types of conservation practices.

Bold action is needed to meaningfully reduce western Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom problem that threatens our drinking water, recreation, and regional economy.

If Ohio, Michigan, and the federal government are truly committed to protecting the health of our communities and the lake, elected leaders and agency officials must recognize the scale of the problem and what it will take to solve it.

The study highlights shortcomings in current practices and funding and provides insights into what is needed in Michigan and Ohio to reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie by 40%.

Major shifts needed in the types of conservation practices utilized

Annual, in-field conservation practices are not sufficient to meet water quality objectives – even when implemented on 100% of agricultural acres in the western Lake Erie basin. The study suggests that annual in-field practices, such as cover crops, no-till, and crop rotation, cannot be scaled sufficiently to meet the water quality goals of the western basin.

Changes are needed in the types of conservation practices funded as part of this effort. State and federal agencies must invest sustainably in edge-of-field structural practices like constructed wetlands and two-stage ditches to meet water quality goals in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. These practices deliver more consistent phosphorus reductions year-over-year and are not easily abandoned like annual in-field practices.

The study finds that Michigan and Ohio will need to increase the number of acres using annual in-field and edge-of-field structural conservation practices to meet water quality goals. In-field practices like cover crops and crop rotation will need to be increased by up to 8 times. Edge-of-field structural practices, such as wetlands and two-stage ditches, will need to be increased by up to as much as 25 times current levels.

Significant, sustained new investments needed

The study found that state and federal agencies currently are underinvesting by several orders of magnitude. Michigan will need to increase funding by $40-65 million over current spending, a more than six-fold annual increase from current levels. Ohio will need to roughly double current annual funding levels by $170-250 million over current spending.

Funding should be prioritized for practices that make quantifiable, meaningful reductions in phosphorus flowing off agricultural lands. For instance, the H2Ohio program, initiated by Governor DeWine in 2019, has significantly invested in solutions to phosphorus nutrient pollution. H2Ohio dollars have funded wetland construction and incentivized in-field practices. But to truly implement these practices at the scale needed to make meaningful phosphorus reductions, programs like H2Ohio will need to be funded at much higher levels and, over the long term, beyond the biennial budget cycle.

Elected leaders and agency officials must acknowledge the scale of the problem, appropriate adequate funding, and develop strong plans for meeting nonpoint source phosphorus reductions.

For more information, download the full report and fact sheet.

The study, led by Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Ohio Environmental Council, with technical support from LimnoTech and Delta Institute, used readily available, peer-reviewed information, data, and literature to create modeling scenarios.

The project team designed a process to estimate needed agricultural conservation practices in the western basin of Lake Erie and the associated costs for both Michigan and Ohio to implement these needed practices.

The post Bold Action Needed to Meaningfully Reduce Algal Blooms in Western Lake Erie appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Farm Runoff Causes Downstream Pollution Problems

When it rains, chemical fertilizer and manure from farm fields flow into waterways. This runoff can contain pathogens and bacteria along with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous.

While these nutrients are vital for growing plants, too much in our waterways can have disastrous results fueling a bumper crop of algae that can make water toxic to wildlife and people.

When the blooms die, the decomposing algae uses up oxygen in the water, creating “dead zones” where fish and other aquatic creatures can’t live.

Farms are the main source of nutrient pollution flowing to the lakes, and stopping farm runoff will significantly decrease downstream algal blooms and dead zones. But national farm policy, along with a lack of mandatory regulations, makes stopping the flow of pollution off farm fields and into waterways challenging.

Change Needed at All Levels, From Farm Fields to National Policy

Over the past few decades, small farms have been consolidated into larger operations. This has led to intensifying how food is produced across the country. Row crops used to rotate among multiple crops, but today in the Midwest, our cropland is dominated by corn and soybeans. Livestock operations are large enough that some produce as much manure waste as a small town. All of this has led to more pressure on the land to produce more, which means more fertilizers and more potential for pollution. But there are steps farms can take to reduce runoff significantly.

“Farmers are often pointed to as the problem. But we also need to recognize that farmers are one piece of a very big agribusiness system,” said Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture and Restoration Director. “Yes, there are things we can be doing at the farm level to reduce pollution, but we also need to change policies at the national level to move away from this system we’ve created over the last 20-30 years. The Alliance is working on both.”

The Alliance advocates for regulations at the state and local levels to mandate, incentivize, and prioritize best practices to limit farm runoff and protect the Great Lakes and the water bodies that feed into them. The Alliance also convenes partners at the local level around the region to find community-led solutions to this pollution problem.

Next year Congress will consider a new federal farm bill, a massive funding package that is a major driver of the nation’s food and agricultural policy. The Alliance is part of a national coalition advocating for changes in farm bill programs. Today, most federal programs delivering billions of dollars to Great Lakes farms each year are not tied to clean water goals. It’s no surprise that despite these investments, the lakes aren’t getting any cleaner. One goal is to tie funding for agricultural practices to clean water outcomes. In other words, if an agricultural producer receives federal funding for conservation programs, they must show a measurable reduction in pollution running off their lands.

Local Solutions Needed

But the Alliance isn’t waiting for changes in federal programs. State and local governments have a huge role to play in reducing runoff from agricultural lands. And, they have an incentive to get involved as the impacts of nutrient pollution are felt locally.

In Wisconsin’s Green Bay, the Alliance has partnered with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, local government officials, and the Oneida Nation to host a farmer round table. At the event, farmers come together to discuss their conservation practices and learn from each other. This led to a historic agreement between four counties and the Oneida Nation to formally come together to develop a shared strategy for recovery and locally achievable goals to reduce agricultural pollution and clean up Green Bay.

In August 2014, Toledo-area residents were without water because toxins from a massive algal bloom in western Lake Erie contaminated the city’s drinking water. The Toledo crisis, along with advocacy by the Alliance and other partners, led to a commitment by the Governors of Ohio and Michigan and the Premier of Ontario to reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie by 40% by 2025. Although it is unlikely leaders will meet this goal in this timeframe, the commitment pushed governments to significantly increase funding for on-the-ground projects to limit agricultural runoff and focus state and federal agency staff on developing solutions.

“Stopping agricultural pollution, and protecting our waterways, is complicated. And to solve this problem, we need everyone at the table, from farmers, government agencies, businesses along the supply chain, and the people and communities getting hurt by this pollution,” said Sara Walling, the Alliance’s Senior Policy Manager for Agriculture and Restoration. “The good news is that a wide range of solutions exists, from local actions like in Green Bay to regional coordination like around Lake Erie to national and state policy changes. And the Alliance is working to incorporate all these tools into our policy work.”

Downstream users are paying a real cost for managing a pollution problem they did not create, compounding water affordability issues many Ohioans face. An analysis by the Alliance for the Great Lakes found that a family of five in Toledo is paying roughly an additional $100/year in their water bill. The costs are due to increased costs at water treatment plants for monitoring and treatment to protect drinking water from harmful algal blooms.

The post Agricultural Pollution and the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Significant progress has been made in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. But much more needs to be done. Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water, whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Invasive species threaten the lakes, and plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.  

In our 2023 federal policy priorities, we’ve identified the top five opportunities for Congress and federal agencies to address these challenges. Many of these priorities are familiar. Congress and the administration must keep up the momentum generated over the past few years to fix our water infrastructure, stop invasive species, and support on-the-ground restoration projects.  

Equity and justice are embedded throughout these policy priorities. Equity and justice must be considered at every step of the federal decision-making process to ensure that all Great Lakers have access to safe, clean, affordable water. Federal water programs must prioritize low-income communities and communities of color, where the burden of pollution often hits hardest. Repairing the long-term harm from environmental injustices isn’t a one-off action. Instead, Congress and the administration must ensure that community voices are at the table, and listened to, from the beginning of all decision-making.  

This year, we have two new priority areas focused on opportunities we’ve identified for the federal government to push forward new approaches to long-standing problems. First is the Farm Bill, which only happens every five years and sets national agriculture and food policy. We see an opportunity to improve federal agriculture subsidy programs to make sure farmers produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops. Second, concern about plastic pollution continues to grow, and Congress can act to limit plastic pollution by reducing it at the source and not once it is a problem on our beaches and in our communities.  

Read on for full details of our 2023 Great Lakes federal policy priorities, or download the fact sheet to learn more.

Increase water infrastructure funding, prioritize funding for communities most in need 

The infrastructure bill passed by Congress late in 2021 was an important down payment to fix the nation’s failing and outdated water infrastructure. The funding will jump-start efforts to replace dangerous lead pipes, fix leaky pipes, and stop sewage overflows.  

However, the funding is only a start. It’s estimated that the Great Lakes region will need at least $188 billion over the next twenty years to fix our water infrastructure problems. Currently, the infrastructure bill will provide Great Lakes states with an additional $1.8 billion per year for the next five years. It is clearly not enough. We need to keep the pressure on Congress to provide additional funds for water infrastructure programs. Additionally, funding programs must be structured to ensure that money reaches communities with the highest need, such as those with many lead pipes. 

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Increase annual funding to at least $8 billion for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds  
• Increase by $1 billion annual funding levels for lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants  
• Pass a federal ban on water shutoffs 
• Establish a federal program to provide financial assistance for water and sewer bills 

In 2023 we urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to: 

• Work with states to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure funding and provide technical assistance to disadvantaged and underserved communities  
• Complete the Drinking Water Needs Assessment in early 2023 to increase the amount of lead service line funding to Great Lakes states which have the highest number of lead pipes in the country

Download the water infrastructure fact sheet.

Pass a Farm Bill that prioritizes clean water 

Agriculture is the largest unaddressed source of nonpoint pollution in the Great Lakes region. Runoff from agricultural lands puts the Great Lakes at risk. It pollutes drinking water, threatens wildlife, harms the regional economy, and prevents people from enjoying recreation on the Great Lakes. 

Every five years, Congress develops a “farm bill,” a major package of legislation that sets the agenda and funding for national farm and food policy. In 2023, Congress can pass a Farm Bill that ensures farms produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that: 

• Increases funding for US Department of Agriculture conservation programs  
• Includes provisions to ensure accountability for farm conservation programs aimed at stopping runoff pollution from agricultural lands
• Reduces funding for concentrated animal feeding operations 

Pass legislation to stop plastic pollution  

Researchers estimate that 22 million pounds of plastic pollution enter the Great Lakes each year. Plastic pollution isn’t just an unsightly problem in our waterways. It’s estimated that humans ingest a credit card-sized amount of plastic each week, with unknown long-term consequences for our health. 

For many years, efforts to stop plastic pollution put the responsibility on the end-user, such as recycling. But only a fraction of plastic produced each year is recycled, leaving the remainder to end up in landfills or as litter that lands in our waterways. The alternative is to require plastic producers to be responsible for their products through their lifecycle, which is called extended producer responsibility. Congress has an opportunity to be a leader on this issue.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass legislation that: 

• Makes plastic waste producers responsible for its reduction 
• Reduces the federal government’s use of single-use plastics 
• Funds additional research on the public health impact of plastics

Download the plastic pollution fact sheet.

Protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species  

Invasive species have caused irreparable harm to the Great Lakes ecosystem and cost the region billions of dollars since the late 1980s. Preventing them from ever entering is the best way to protect the Great Lakes. The battle against invasive species is focused on two fronts – stopping invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and cleaning up ship ballast tanks.  

Established populations of invasive carp are only 50 miles from Chicago and Lake Michigan. But it’s not too late to prevent them from reaching the lakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed constructing additional carp prevention measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. The facility is a critical choke point in the waterways leading to Lake Michigan. Congress and federal agencies must continue to support this project.  

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened the Great Lakes to direct ocean-going shipping. Unfortunately, ships brought invasive species along for the ride in their ballast tanks. Although regulations to clean up ship ballast tanks have reduced introductions, loopholes remain for “lakers,” ships operating solely in the Great Lakes. The US EPA can close that loophole. 

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Fund the next phases of construction of the Brandon Road project to stop invasive carp 

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions: 

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should continue implementing the Brandon Road project with public participation and work with the state of Illinois to finalize the project partnership agreement. 
• The U.S. EPA should issue rules requiring all vessels operating on the Great Lakes, including lakers, to clean up their ballast tanks.

Download the invasive species fact sheet.

Update and fund Great Lakes restoration programs 

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is one of the most important tools in the region’s toolbox to protect and restore the lakes. The program provides funding for on-the-ground restoration projects, from wetland restoration to cleaning up toxic hotspots. In addition to environmental benefits, GLRI funding garners an additional 3-to-1 return in economic benefits.  

While we need continued investment in Great Lakes restoration, the strategy guiding the GLRI was developed almost 20 years ago and needs an update. Federal agencies should revise the Great Lakes restoration strategy to address the next generation of threats to the lakes, including climate change and long-standing environmental injustices.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Fund the GLRI with at least $425 million in FY24 

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions: 

• The White House and U.S. EPA should update the Great Lakes action plan to address environmental injustice, climate resilience, and the next generation of risks to the Great Lakes.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should include large-scale natural infrastructure in the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study to address extreme water level changes caused by climate change. 

Download the Great Lakes restoration fact sheet.

The post Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2023 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Crystal M.C. Davis leads the Alliance’s policy and advocacy efforts related to Lake Erie and manages the organization’s Ohio office. She has played an integral role in the Alliance’s emerging work around drinking water and developing a people-centered model for protecting the Great Lakes.

As the Alliance’s Agricultural & Restoration Policy Director, Tom leads work in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to achieve the Alliance’s agriculture and water goals and implements regional restoration initiatives. In addition, he serves as a convener, organizer, and relationship builder at all levels of government and stakeholders, emphasizing state-level agriculture water policy.

Resources
New Study: Downstream Water Users Bear Financial Burden of Upstream Pollution – Alliance for the Great Lake

Five Years Later: Lessons From the Toledo Water Crisis – Alliance for the Great Lakes

Tom Zimnicki, Agricultural Pollution in the Great Lakes – Alliance for the Great Lakes

Alliance Statement on the 2022 Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast – Alliance for the Great Lakes

The post Crystal M.C. Davis and Tom Zimnicki – Harmful Algal Blooms and Downstream Costs appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“Each summer, western Lake Erie is plagued by harmful algal blooms fueled by nutrient pollution flowing off upstream agricultural lands. While this year’s bloom is forecasted to be relatively mild compared to past years, even a smaller bloom can turn toxic and threaten drinking water safety. The cost burden of these blooms on ratepayers is real. According to new research from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a family of five in Toledo is paying roughly an additional $100/year in their water bill because of this pollution. The Alliance remains committed to addressing water pollution in western Lake Erie and working with Ohio lawmakers to solve this problem. Downstream ratepayers should not have to shoulder the financial burden or health impacts of this pollution problem.”

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Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org

The post Alliance Statement on the 2022 Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Ohioans across the state are struggling to afford their water and sewer bills. A first-of-its-kind case study finds that water bills are pushed even higher for communities that pull their drinking water from Lake Erie due to harmful algal blooms caused by upstream agricultural pollution. And the costs are not insignificant. An analysis by the Alliance for the Great Lakes found that a family of five in Toledo is paying roughly an additional $100/year in their water bill because of this pollution problem. The case study illuminates the fact that downstream water users are paying a real cost for managing a pollution problem they did not create, compounding water affordability issues faced by many Ohioans.

Harmful Algal Blooms Threaten Drinking Water

Each summer, western Lake Erie experiences massive algal blooms which can produce harmful toxins that threaten drinking water supplies. These blooms are fueled by excess nutrients flowing off upstream agricultural lands into the lake.

The harmful algal blooms (HABs) in western Lake Erie can produce harmful cyanotoxins, a common one being microcystin. These toxins are a serious threat to human and animal health. Microcystin is a potent liver toxin and a possible human carcinogen. Cyanotoxins can also kill livestock and pets that drink affected waters.

Almost eight years ago, toxins from an algal bloom got into the drinking water systems of Toledo, Ohio. On August 2nd, 2014, more than half a million Toledo-area residents were ordered not to drink or even touch their water. The order lasted for nearly three days. A few weeks later, residents of Pelee Island, Ontario faced a similar crisis lasting nearly two weeks.

Pollution Burden Shouldered by Downstream Water Users

To ensure drinking water safety, drinking water facilities that draw water from Lake Erie have put into place additional monitoring and treatment, which can cost millions of dollars. This is a very real financial burden for drinking water facilities, which gets passed on to ratepayers.

These additional costs – which are critical to ensure safe drinking water – add up. The Alliance’s analysis found the additional annual average per-capita cost for HAB-related monitoring and treatment for Ohio residents who get their drinking water from Lake Erie is $10.48. For Toledo-area residents, the additional cost jumps to $18.76 per year, which translates to almost $100 extra per year on a water bill for a family of five. The case study is based on data from a 2020 survey administered by the Ohio Department of Drinking and Groundwater.

Downstream ratepayers, many of whom are already struggling to pay their water bills, should not have to shoulder the financial burden of addressing this pollution problem. And the longer this pollution problem continues, the costs will only increase as the water quality in western Lake Erie continues to degrade.

Improved Data, Transparency, and Accountability Needed

The case study identified three lessons learned from the analysis. They are:

• Downstream Water Users Bear the Burden of Upstream Polluters: Downstream ratepayers are paying a real cost for managing a pollution problem they did not create. And, it is exacerbating existing water affordability issues. Ohio needs a statewide conversation about who is responsible for this financial burden. The state of Ohio must give downstream stakeholders a meaningful seat at the table in policy discussions on stopping agricultural runoff pollution.

• Ongoing Data Needed: The Ohio Department of Drinking and Groundwater should repeat this survey every three years. However public water facilities should collect cost information related to HABs on an annual basis. The data in this report is from 2020, which was a relatively small algal bloom year in western Lake Erie. Many costs incurred by water treatment facilities are variable depending on the bloom size and toxicity. Repeating the study will provide more accurate information to ratepayers, elected officials, and government agencies managing this pollution problem.

• Transparent & Accessible Data Needed: The information in this case study was received only after learning Ohio Environmental Protection Agency conducted the cost survey and the Alliance for the Great Lakes requested the results from the agency through a public records request. It is unacceptable that this is not easy to find and understand public information. Ratepayers should be able to easily access this information and have a right to know the impact upstream pollution has on their water bills.

Download and read the full case study: Western Lake Erie Basin Drinking Water Systems: Harmful Algal Bloom Cost of Intervention.

The post New Study: Downstream Water Users Bear Financial Burden of Upstream Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

As the Alliance’s Agricultural & Restoration Policy Director, Tom leads work in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio to achieve the Alliance’s agriculture and water goals and implements regional restoration initiatives. In addition, he serves as a convener, organizer, and relationship builder at all levels of government and stakeholders, emphasizing state-level agriculture water policy..

Resources

Five Years Later: Lessons From the Toledo Water Crisis

The post Tom Zimnicki, Agricultural Pollution in the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Crystal M.C. Davis joined the Alliance for the Great Lakes as Policy Director in 2016. Based in Cleveland, Crystal leads the Alliance’s policy and advocacy efforts related to Lake Erie and manages the organization’s Ohio office. She has played an integral role in the Alliance’s emerging work around drinking water and developing a people-centered model for protecting the Great Lakes. 

Resources

The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality – The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality a book by Anna-Lisa Cox (bookshop.org)

The post Crystal M.C. Davis, Legacy of Black Farmers and Water Stewardship appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.