The Nature Conservancy Applauds Action to Finalize Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Compact
MADISON, WI — October 3, 2008 — The world’s largest freshwater ecosystem will be better protected from water withdrawal and diversion with President Bush’s action today signing and finalizing legislation known as the Great Lakes Compact.
The Senate had unanimously passed the Compact in early August, and the House of Representatives passed it with a majority vote in late September. This federal action came after years of state legislatures from around the Great Lakes basin working towards and approving the Compact in an historic, collaborative and bipartisan effort. The Canadian government has also voluntarily agreed to the Compact’s provisions to protect the binational waters.
“Thanks in large part to Governor Doyle's leadership as well as bipartisan support from Wisconsin's state and federal lawmakers, we've helped achieve some very important protections for Lake Michigan and Lake Superior," said Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. "There is more to be done but this is a great step towards conserving the Great Lakes - the world's greatest freshwater system."
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide.
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