A vital part of our economic recovery is to restore one of the nation’s most important great waters—our Great Lakes. Over 30 million people depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, and millions more benefit from the business, industry, and commerce that depend on them.

Political and climatic factors greatly impact the health of the Great Lakes and the ability to restore and protect this magnificent ecosystem. Learn more about this valuable water resource at one for two Lake Michigan Summits hosted by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. This year’s Lake Michigan Summit will feature topics on Michigan’s environmental and regulatory climate (Patty Birkholz, Director, Office of the Great Lakes; August 8, Frank Ruswick, Deputy Director, Office of the Great Lakes), current water levels and forecasts for future lake levels (A guest speaker from the US Army Corps of Engineers) and permitting information, especially pertaining to the Great Lakes including what permits are needed, where to find info on the permits, and how to get assistance, etc. (August 1: Todd Losee, Wetlands Specialist, MDEQ; August 8: Anne Hokanson, Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Ecologist, MDEQ).