The Alliance for the Great Lakes: Protecting Water, Sustaining Life

Published: Saturday, September 26, 2020

The Great Lakes are massive and awe inspiring. But they are also at risk from issues like invasive species, plastic pollution, and toxic algal blooms if we do not take care of them. Boaters are deeply connected to the Great Lakes and are at the front lines of their protection.

Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers and advocates join together with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to keep the lakes healthy and safe for all. The Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to protect our region’s most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes.

The Alliance is a trusted leader working across the region. They develop fact-based policy solutions, advocating at regional and local levels to protect the lakes. They accomplish this with three connected approaches.

Advocacy & Leadership – The Alliance partners with communities and decision-makers to develop actionable solutions that protect the lakes and our communities. As an example, the Alliance is a leader in the campaign to stop invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

Education & Action – Through action-oriented information and programs, the Alliance empowers people and communities to protect the lakes. Their Adopt-a-Beach volunteer program involves nearly 15,000 volunteers each year in beach cleanups that keep litter, most of it plastic, out of the lakes.

Research & Analysis – The Alliance is a trusted, non-partisan source of information to inform community leaders and guide policy to protect the Great Lakes. As an example, each year, the Alliance releases its annual federal legislative priorities, which outline a federal Great Lakes policy agenda and identifies the next steps Congress should take to protect the lakes.

People have the power to protect the lakes, and boaters can play an important role by getting involved. Learn more about how you can get involved at www.greatlakes.org.