The Work Involved in Restoring Areas of Concern

In a few days, I’ll be attending the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference. Preparing for the conference, I found myself thinking about the work I have seen throughout the Great Lakes over the years.

More than 25 years ago, I was working for U.S. Senator John Glenn when momentum began to build for the Great Lakes Task Force, a congressional initiative to focus national attention on the Great Lakes. The work from the Task Force, led in part by Sen. Glenn, helped to create the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). It is entirely fitting that this year’s conference will be held in his home state of Ohio.

Answering the challenge

So much has been accomplished over the last three decades in the Great Lakes region to identify and address toxic hot spots; invasive species concerns; nonpoint source pollution; and habitat quality. The GLRI hasn’t been a toothless initiative. Since 2010, over $2.4 billion has been spent on more than 4,700 projects both in the U.S. and Canada. This initiative has answered the challenge to leave a Great Lakes that is truly better for the next generation.

Now that I’m back at Cardno I am looking forward to digging in on our support for restoration projects around the Great Lakes. It’s a real point of pride for many of us that Cardno has worked on nearly half (15 of 31) of the key Areas of Concern (AOCs) within the U.S., including the East Branch Grand Calumet River.

Our team has performed this restoration work together – in some cases over decades – with local, state and federal partners. We put our heart and energy into this work in part because so many of us live in the Great Lakes watershed. We care about our home and will do all that we can to bring our knowledge and experience to bear on this restoration effort.  

More success to come

Our scientists and restoration ecologists have worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other stakeholders to remove impairments at these sites and delist them. Make no mistake. Removing all of these impairments takes time and scientific rigor.

From an initial list of 31 AOCs in the U.S., 4 have been formally delisted and progress continues at others throughout the basin. Yet clearly more work remains to be done. I’m looking forward to sharing some of the work our team has completed as well as work in which we are currently engaged at the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference on September 11 and 12 in Cleveland. Look for our booth and stop by to pick up a packet of native plant seed from Cardno’s Native Plant Nursery.