Lake Michigan is an integral part of our way of life here in the Great Lakes region. It’s a massive ecosystem, a valuable natural resource, and absolutely critical to our economy. The near-shore Lake Michigan zone is among the most biologically productive in the region, and the Lake itself provides drinking water, recreational opportunities, wetlands and wildlife, and critical dunes and pristine shorelines.
The use of Lake Michigan’s vast resources has enriched our community, but the cost to the Lake has become clear with time. The unique biodiversity of Lake Michigan is at great risk from a variety of threats, including: invasive species; climate change; water pollution; altered hydrology; poorly planned residential and industrial growth; and stress from agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices.
We believe that Lake Michigan is ours to protect, promote and enjoy. It is up to us, the citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin, to balance the three fundamental elements – environmental integrity, economic vitality and sociocultural well-being.
That’s why we are launching the “Love Lake Michigan” campaign. The campaign aims to increase awareness of the value of Lake Michigan and catalyze action to protect it through education, engagement and empowerment of citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin.
Join the campaign by: pledging to love Lake Michigan; sharing your love of the Lake via social media (#LoveLakeMichigan); participating through the Forum; and volunteering in the basin. Learn more about the Love Lake Michigan campaign at www.lovelakemichigan.org.
By engaging the more than 12,000,000 citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin, we can work toward our vision of a Lake Michigan with safe and healthy beaches, restored habitats, healthy fish and wildlife populations and a thriving economy for all of us to enjoy now and into the future.
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About the Lake Michigan Forum: The Lake Michigan Forum is project funded by US EPA through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and administered by Delta Institute, a 501c3 organization working to catalyze environmental resilience, economic vitality, and healthy communities in the Great Lakes region. The Lake Michigan Forum provides input to US EPA on the Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan from stakeholders of the Lake Michigan Basin; it also serves as a critical link between government, academia, regional planners, industry, and public stakeholders throughout the basin, enabling these groups to share information and coordinate action to restore and protect the integrity of Lake Michigan.