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        WEEKLY UPDATE March 31, 2015 

In This Issue

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    Northeast-Midwest Delegations Support Funding for Regional Priorities    

Letters from various members of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions were sent to appropriations committee leadership over the past two weeks, supporting regionally-important programs. The region supported such major programs as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Community Development Block Grants, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The full list of letters, and final signed versions, are linked below.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst or Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

NEMWI Contributes to Regional Nutrient Management Discussion   

 

The NEMWI's Elin Betanzo, Senior Policy Analyst, and Danielle Chesky, Director-Great Lakes Washington Program, participated in the Environmental Law and Policy Institute's 2015 Science-Policy Confluence Conference from March 26-27. The conference, entitled "Great Lakes Nutrient Management and Water Quality," focused on nutrient management in Great Lakes waters and the resulting impacts on water quality throughout the basin. Organizers brought together academics, private industry, state and local government, non-governmental organizations, and advocates to discuss: the many challenges with managing nutrients; their public health, ecosystem, and economic impacts on the general public; and policy strategies that may reduce nutrient impacts on water resources. Elin Betanzo presented her collaborative work with the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The case study explored the amount of water data needed and available to answer "How effective are management practices at reducing nutrients from nonpoint sources at the watershed scale?" in the Lake Erie drainage basin. The presentation contributed to the larger discussion about quantifying monitoring needs for changing ecosystems and tracking reductions in nutrient concentrations and loads. The report, expected to be released in April on the NEMWI website, will provide policy makers with a valuable tool to inform decisions regarding agricultural management practices, monitoring, and information sharing.

 

For more information, please contact Elin Betanzo, Sr. Policy Analyst, or Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

  

Briefing Recap: The Army Corps' Role in the Great Lakes

 

On Monday, March 23, the NEMWI hosted a Capitol Hill briefing entitled, "The Army Corps' Role in the Great Lakes" featuring Michael O'Bryan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. O'Bryan gave an overview of the Army Corps' work in the Great Lakes region. He highlighted the connectedness and interdependence of the ports in the Great Lakes Navigation System, and its designation as a system within the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. The Corps also highlighted the importance of key system points, including the Soo Locks, where the estimated economic impact of a 30-day closure would be $160 million. The Corps is currently reviewing an analysis of the benefits of the Soo Locks and possible solutions should the biggest lock, the Poe Lock, shut down. Mark Barker, President of the Interlake Steamship Company and Chair of the Lake Carriers Association, discussed the efficiency of the maritime system and the importance of maintaining the Great Lakes Navigation System to maximize transportation and economic growth in the region. Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers Association, said that budgeting for the Great Lakes as a system, similar to the Mississippi River, would be desirable and would focus on the interdependence of the ports. Honorary cosponsors of this briefing were Senate Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs Sens. Senator Mark Kirk (IL) and Debbie Stabenow (MI), Senate Vice-Chairs Sens. Rob Portman (OH) and Amy Klobuchar (MN), and House Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Sean Duffy (WI-07), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25).

 

For more information, please contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program  

at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

 

NEMWI Briefing/Webinar:  

Invasive Species Success Stories -  

They Exist!     


On Thursday, April 16, 2015, the NEMWI will host a Capitol Hill briefing on efforts to control invasive species (Longworth 1310). Although the constant mantra regarding invasive species has been doom and gloom, through coordination, research, and federal support, the Great Lakes are leading the way with solutions to manage and remove invasive species. Speakers from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey will discuss their efforts, partnerships, and achievements in finding ways to control, though not eradicate, invasive species. They will provide staff background on invasive species efforts regarding sea lamprey, which at one point devastated the lake trout fisheries in the Great Lakes. Speakers will also discuss efforts targeted at the zebra and quagga mussels, which after entering the US through the Great Lakes have spread throughout the country, down the Mississippi River and out west. Though prevention and early detection are still the most cost-effective methods to invasive species management, the region's scientists and managers have made strides to further combat these two species. A webinar option is available by registering here.

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

Federal Funding Opportunity for New Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers


The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced funding availability for up to 12 separate Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) cooperative agreements for the operation of an MEP Center in designated states, including NEMW states Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The objective of the MEP Center Program is to provide manufacturing extension services to primarily small and medium-sized manufacturers within the whole state designated in the applications. The selected organization will become part of the MEP national system of extension service providers, currently comprised of more than 400 Centers and field offices located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. NIST will host webinars on April 6th and 16th to provide general information and advice on preparing proposals for this competition. The content of these webinars will be the same. Proposals are due June 1, 2015.

 

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

NACFAM to Host Manufacturing Conference, April 9-10

 

The National Council for Advanced Manufacturing will host its annual conference on April 9-10, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA. This year's conference is titled "Transforming U.S. Manufacturing -- Challenges and Opportunities." Topics of discussion will include: the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation; manufacturing connectivity, optimization, and sustainability; the Manufacturing Extension Partnership; and building a manufacturing talent pipeline. Agenda and registration details are available here.

 

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

 

NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation