HOW HE SEES IT Our Great Lakes must be preserved

By BOB TAFT
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
As Ohioans, we know that the Great Lakes are unparalleled for the tremendous economic, environmental and recreational benefits they provide to the millions of citizens who live within reach of their shores. But since these national treasures are right in our backyards, it is easy to take them for granted.
The Great Lakes are constantly threatened by ecological challenges and other regions and countries who would use the water as an answer to their water problems. As threats to the Great Lakes increase, it is crucial that we strengthen and solidify our protections of this irreplaceable resource.
Throughout my work as chair and co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, I have been focused on protecting the quality of our Great Lakes and ensuring sustainable use of their waters for our current and future citizens. I was proud to join leaders of the Great Lakes region in Milwaukee and Chicago to reach two historic milestones in preserving and improving our shared treasure.
On Dec. 13, I was proud to join other governors, premiers and leaders of the Great Lakes states and provinces to sign an unprecedented water management agreement, the Great Lakes Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements. This bi-national accord will ensure the sustainable use of our Great Lakes water resources and prevent diversion of the waters outside the region, while confirming that the Great Lakes states and provinces retain authority over their use. These historic agreements give us better tools than ever before to protect our precious heritage.
Comprehensive plan
And I recently joined 400 regional leaders and stakeholders to release the Great Lakes Restoration Strategy, a comprehensive action plan which addresses our nine priorities to guide the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. More than 1,500 stakeholders from all levels of government, tribes, interest groups and members of the public came together to form the plan. From addressing invasive species and pollution to adopting sustainable use practices, the plan lays out a path to build on the progress we have made to secure the future of the Great Lakes.
Shared challenges
The cooperative efforts of our region's leaders have allowed us to successfully accomplish our goal of ensuring that we can keep Great Lakes water where it belongs -- within the Great Lakes watershed. But even with our recent accomplishments, we cannot completely address these challenges on our own.
In 2004, President Bush issued an executive order that brought the Great Lakes stakeholders together as never before. It is crucial that the federal government continue to show its support by increasing funding of our efforts in the fiscal year 2007 budget.
The future of the Great Lakes affects all Ohioans, not just those who live in northern Ohio. I call upon each citizen of our Great Lakes state to write or call your members of Congress, asking them to support our work to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are a national treasure, but it would be a national tragedy if we don't continue to protect them.
X Bob Taft is governor of Ohio and co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors. Additional information is available at www.cglg.org.