Tuesday, March 4, 2008

State-by-State Wrap Up: Pennsylvania


I'm following up with some state leaders for the campaign about how Great Lakes day went last week and how folks back home can build on the momentum. Here's my email interview with Pennsylvania's Tom Fuhrman of the Lake Erie Region Conservancy:

How did it go? How does Great Lakes restoration go over with Pennsylvania representatives?

Our meetings went well. We met with the staff of three congressmen and with Senator Casey who has signed onto all of the important Great Lakes legislation. Senator Specter also has signed onto the Restoration Implementation Act of 2007. Most legislators react positively to supporting restoration.

Pennsylvania doesn’t have a lot of coastline – how do you communicate the Lake’s importance to people in the area?

Although we don’t have a lot of shoreline, what we do have is very important to our lifestyles and economy. The fishery alone is well over $50 million annually. We also have Presque Isle State Park with its 13 miles of sandy beaches that attract over 4 million visitors each year. Boating is also a huge part of the economy. Of our 43 mile’s of shoreline, over 1/3 is open to public access. The media and the local Chamber does a very good job of reminding the public of the value of these resources.

What can Pennsylvanians do to get involved with Great lakes and wetland restoration?

We encourage Pennsylvanian’s to lobby their elected officials to support important legislation such as the Compact Agreement and Restoration.

LINKS:
Presque Isle State Park
Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership



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