DULUTH, Minn. – The future of the Great Lakes is up for public comment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is crafting the next phase of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Trump administration has recommended dramatic funding cuts for the initiative, so far without success.

Andrew Slade, a consultant with the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, said the next phase – known as "Action Plan Three" – covers the period from 2020 to 2024. He noted that the federal program to restore environmental health to the Great Lakes came only after decades of deterioration and neglect.

"'There's a river, we've got some stuff we don't know what to deal with – a paper factory or mill, or whatever – let's just dump it in the river, essentially,'" he said. "Over the course of 100 years now, people have woken up and done the hard work to stop doing that."

Since the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative began a decade ago, nearly $3 billion has been invested in more than 4,000 projects. The EPA held its only Minnesota hearing in Duluth last week, but people still can comment online at glri.us.

Slade said the initiative addresses threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, such as toxic substances and invasive species. It also aims to accelerate progress in making sure fish from the lakes are safe to eat and that the water is safe for recreation and drinking.

"Remediating contaminated sediments to restoring habitat, to even education programs have gone on," he said. "Duluth, like a lot of Great Lakes cities, we get our drinking water right from Lake Superior so, you know, obviously we're trying to make sure that we protect that."

The EPA will hold other meetings on Action Plan Three in Milwaukee, Wis., tonight, Saginaw, Mich., next week and Chicago in August. A final plan should be available for formal public comment this fall.

The comment page is online at glri.us.


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Ahead of revised methane regulations expected from the federal government, a new study shows that gas flaring in oil-producing states such as Texas could be more harmful than previously thought.

The industry has maintained that flaring at oil and gas fields is 98% effective at reducing methane. The study, however, showed that the rate is closer to 91%.

"And you don't even have to be an expert with a flare camera to see unlit flares and smoking flares at any given moment," said Sheila Serna, climate science and policy director at the Rio Grande International Study Center, who previously worked as an air investigator in Texas.

High levels of methane can reduce the amount of oxygen people get from the air, resulting in multiple health problems. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release its supplemental proposal for regulating methane pollution sometime this month.

John Goldstein, senior director for regulatory and legislative affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund, said the study findings show flaring is responsible for five times more methane entering the atmosphere than previously estimated.

"That's a big deal for climate," he said. "That's a big deal for the waste of natural-gas resources. That's a big deal for local air pollution."

In 2020 and 2021, Goldstein said, researchers took more than 12 flights to test the emissions produced by flaring across the three major U.S. oil- and gas-producing areas.

"Eighty-percent of this problem is focused in two states: North Dakota and Texas," he said. "So, those are two states that have a lot of flaring, and that haven't done adequate measures at the state level to really curtail that practice."

Texas currently does not regulate methane emissions, and Serna said that's needed because when flares don't operate properly, they release unburned methane directly into the atmosphere.

"The regulation is the first step," she said, "but state agencies also need to do their part in making sure that the regulations are actually followed and carried out - holding the state accountable, and holding industry accountable to following the regulation."

Nine Colorado groups and individuals have been honored as "Conservation Heroes" for their outstanding contributions to land, water and wildlife conservation.

Linda Lidov, director of membership and communications for Keep it Colorado, said the awards are meant to spotlight the collaborative vision and strategy which go into protecting Colorado's healthy vibrant landscapes, wildlife habitat, and local farms and ranches.

"Sometimes we don't realize all the work that goes into making those places special," Lidov observed. "Protection or conservation of those lands and the wildlife that live there doesn't just happen by itself. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes."

The nine heroes were honored at an awards ceremony held at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden last month for work preserving Colorado's natural landscapes, abundant wildlife, ranching and farming, fresh local food, cultural and historical heritage, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Three award recipients were tapped for their work in the San Luis Valley, a region at significant risk because of drought and development. The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition was honored for its farm-to-pantry program, which brings fresh produce to nonprofits, food banks and clubs for youths.

Lidov noted the coalition also has created an urban farm park, in part to foster next-generation farmers, where anyone can access land to grow food.

"Because the park has been permanently conserved under an easement, it will exist as a resource for the community without the threats that land will ever be developed," Lidov explained.

Rio de la Vista was honored for her role bringing local ranchers, biologists and water managers together to form the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust. Sen. Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, received an award for championing pro-conservation policies and his work at the Rio Grande Water Conservation District.

Lidov added it really does take a village to protect Colorado's unique landscapes and way of life.

"We all, I think, share similar goals around thriving economies, thriving communities, thriving outdoor spaces and connection to nature," Lidov contended. "And conservation serves all of these areas."

A wildlife ecosystem can benefit from a beaver dam, but their location can cause headaches for humans when they produce flooding.

In Taos, New Mexico, conservationists think they've found a cohabitation solution. It is technically called a "Castor Master," but is better known as a "Beaver Deceiver," a device designed to allow an ecosystem habitat which can support otter, raccoons, skunk, coyote and a variety of bird species without mucking-up the town's infrastructure.

Stephen Fry, project and policy specialist and collaborative facilitator for the group Amigos Bravos, called the system to be installed today in Fred Baca Park a "win-win" for the Rio Fernando Watershed and a Keystone species previously plentiful in the state.

"And now, whenever beaver seem to appear back on the landscape, most people are concerned and annoyed," Fry noted. "But it's honestly quite easy to live on the landscape with beaver, and we just have to be more intentional and creative about it."

Fry pointed out installation of the "Beaver Deceiver" should prevent the city from needing to use heavy machinery each spring to clear dams and other debris in order to control the water level.

Beaver dams can reduce soil erosion and retain sediment, which absorb and filter pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides and fertilizers, improving the quality of water downstream used by humans and other species.

Fry explained the project came about after the city of Taos agreed to purchase the materials needed, and volunteers, including youth in the community, agreed to do the installation.

"It's a great example of a simple, simple technology that manages flooding and allows the beaver to stay on the landscape and provide all these great ecosystem services," Fry stressed. "For not only themselves, but other species and humans."

The effort is being led by the Rio Fernando de Taos Collaborative, working with individuals, elected leaders, organizations and government entities to restore the local watershed.