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Lake coalition gets insight into area needs

Representatives from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative are all ears when it comes to the needs of Dunkirk and Chautauqua County regarding assistance and improvements along Lake Erie.

During a meeting at the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation & Economic Development on Central Avenue, Eamonn Horan-Lunney and Jon Altenburg informed area government leaders and community members of the coalition that is made up of Canadian and U.S. mayors and chief elected officers. The effort surrounds working collaboratively to promote the environmental and socioeconomic health of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin.

Vince DeJoy, Dunkirk director of Planning and Development, noted the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative has been “an important partner for the past two years on issues of climate change and erosion along our Lake Erie shoreline.” A report completed by the organization in August focused on various challenges along the city’s shoreline that are related to high wave and wind activity from Lake Erie. Those issues include coastal erosion along shorelines, beaches, and bluffs and water quality concerns at public bathing areas, specifically along Lake Front Boulevard and Wright Park Beach.

While both Horan-Lunney, director of member and government relations, and Altenburg, president and chief executive officer, provided insight into the organization’s goals, it also sought input on the high needs for the region’s shoreline.

Altenburg also noted an urgency to the strategic pillars of the organization that include: climate change and coastal resilience, water equity and infrastructure, economic transformation and ecosystem and source water protection. These items all play a role in the future of the region, which has the potential to grow in the coming years.

“All these things are important to plan for the next 30 years,” he said.

Currently, the organization represents more than 20 million residents and is made up of more than 260 members from Duluth, Minn. to Rimouski, Quebec. Major cities involved include Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Toronto.

Those numbers are important when seeking support and federal funding for environmental and economic issues. Those themes, that include the use of renewables, revolve around industry, transportation, energy and waterfronts.

“When we work as a region versus an individual community, you’re going to get a lot more done,” Altenburg said.

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