TAFT CELEBRATES EARTH DAY 2004 ON LAKE ERIE TOUR
Governor visits sites that demonstrate commitment
to protection and restoration of Lake Erie
ALONG OHIO’S LAKE ERIE SHORE (April 22, 2004) Governor Bob Taft celebrated Earth Day today with a tour of the Lake Erie shore, highlighting efforts by state government and its partners to protect and restore Ohio’s Great Lake.
“No single resource better demonstrates the spirit of Earth Day and the strides we have made toward improving our environment,” Governor Taft said of Lake Erie. “And no resource is a stronger reminder of the challenges that remain.”
The first stop on the Earth Day tour was Black River Landing in downtown Lorain, where Governor Taft celebrated progress made toward cleanup of the Black River. Identified by the International Joint Commission as one of Lake Erie’s most contaminated tributaries, the Black River is now recovering thanks to combined federal, state and local efforts. Governor Taft announced two milestones in the river’s journey toward full cleanup. First, a 21-year-old contact advisory on the lower five miles of the river was lifted last week by the Ohio Department of Health. In addition, U.S. EPA has just declared the Black River to be “in recovery” for fish tumors and deformities -- one of several reasons for which the river was classified as impaired.
At noon, Governor Taft toured the Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve near Huron, site of the only national estuarine research reserve on the Great Lakes. A recent state-funded expansion of the preserve’s visitor center and laboratory utilized “green,” environment-friendly construction technology including low-voltage, high-efficiency lighting and a variety of recycled materials. The governor viewed work on some of 18 long-term research projects currently underway there to study effects of urbanization, invasive plant and animal species, and other forces on Lake Erie’s delicate ecosystem.
Governor Taft’s Earth Day tour ended at Maumee Bay State Park, near Toledo, for a celebration of the state’s acquisition of North Bass Island. Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) completed the purchase of 589 acres, or 87 percent of the island, for $17.4 million, using equal amounts of state and federal funding. The purchase provides permanent protection of Lake Erie’s largest remaining undeveloped island, with nearly 2.5 miles of shoreline, 58 acres of natural coastal wetlands and unique geologic features all habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species.
As chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, Governor Taft has provided leadership in regional efforts to improve the health and well-being of all the Great Lakes the world’s most extensive fresh water resource.