At this point, we are all aware of the importance of the Great Lakes. In the past, we did take them for granted, dumping in anything that we wanted. Today, thankfully, it’s a different story. These fresh water lakes are the key to the future, and must be protected by all means.
On Tuesday March 28 WNED | WBFO will host the International Joint Commission’s Buffalo Public Meeting on the Great Lakes (part of a series of IJC public meetings). The binational treaty organization is looking to collect and record public comments that will help to show the community’s support to protect and restore the the Great Lakes, by Canada and the United States.
Before the public meeting, there will be a roundtable discussion (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm), which will be moderated by Dave Rosenthal, managing editor of Great Lakes Today (based in Buffalo). It is mainly due to the efforts of Rosenthal and the regional journalism collaborative (funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) that the upcoming public meeting and roundtable discussion is being held in Buffalo.
The event is open to the public, starting with a presentation by the IJC titled “You are the Voice of the Great Lakes.” That presentation will be followed by the viewpoints of the following environmental experts:
• Community Collaboration for Restoration Action, Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper
• Making the Great Lakes the Place to be for Outdoor Recreation, Krystyn Tully, Swim Drink Fish Canada
• Emerging Contaminants and Impacts on Fish and Wildlife, Dr. Diana S. Aga, University at Buffalo
• Wetland Habitat Restoration Needs for Larval Fish Nursery in the Niagara River, Dr. Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja, SUNY at Buffalo State
• Niagara River Corridor Ramsar Site, a Wetland of International Significance, Jajean Rose-Burney, Western New York Land Conservancy
• Alternative Futures for Restored Waterfronts, Sean Burkholder, University at Buffalo
• Buffalo Blue, a Sustainable Business Perspective, Mark Shriver, Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable
International Joint Commission’s Buffalo Public Meeting on the Great Lakes
Tuesday March 28, 2017
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
WNED Studios | 140 Lower Terrace | Buffalo, NY
To register for the meeting and to read the governments’ and IJC’s progress reports visit participateIJC.org.
Note: Both meetings will be streamed live on the WBFO and Great Lakes Today Facebook pages.