Great Lakes Day 2024 - Save the Dunes

A Successful Great Lakes Day for
Save the Dunes

The Indiana team with Congressman Rudy Yakym’s Staff

March 2024

Save the Dunes is a proud governing member of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), a group of organizations dedicated to securing a sustainable Great Lakes restoration plan and the federal funding to implement it.

Each year in March, more than 100 Great Lakes advocates head to Washington, D.C. for Great Lakes Day to elevate the HOW Coalition’s policy priorities, and to tell the story of restoration success, drinking water investment needs, and the importance of conservation action.

Save the Dunes is the Indiana state lead, in charge of assembling a lobbying team to attend Great Lakes Day. “Federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes are producing results, but serious threats remain,” said Laura Rubin, Director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, which organizes the two-day event.

Each year during the first week in March, we celebrate the wonder and resource of the Great Lakes by ascending on Washington D.C. to lobby for clean water and congressional support for ongoing funding for programs such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

First up, the whole Indiana team met with Congressman Rudy Yakym, who represents District 2 which includes part of LaPorte County. Congressman Yakym showed great interest in regulating toxic PFAS chemicals.

Bringing along community members to share their stories this year at Great Lakes Day made an incredible impact. Save the Dunes was lucky to bring along Grace Tefolla- a community member and Urban Green Intern at Student Conservation Association who lives in Gary, Indiana- and Jennifer Johnson- Program Associate for Audubon Great Lakes- to share their unique perspectives with our representatives.

Congressman Rudy Yakym shares his perspective on PFAS chemicals.

Meeting with Senator Braun’s staff member

The next day, our team split up to conquer more ground on Capitol Hill.

Team A was made up of Save the Dunes Executive Director, Betsy Maher, Community Engagement Coordinator, Em Racine, our Board Vice President, Vern Beck, and National Parks Conservation Association’s Tim Koenning.

We made it our point to bring up economic growth generated from GLRI support, the importance of clean water for our communities, and how impactful continuing to support GLRI is to the Indiana Dunes National Park.

We asked all representatives to fully fund the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

Team B, made up of Save the Dunes Advocacy Coordinator, Harshini Ratnayaka, Jennifer Johnson of Audubon Great Lakes, and Grace Tafolla of the Student Conservation Association, met with staff members from Representative Andre Carson’s office, who represents Indiana’s 7th District (Indianapolis), thanking them for their support of GLRI.

We asked for continued support for clean water protections by strengthening the Clean Water Act and addressing legacy and emerging contaminants such as toxic PFAS, lead, and plastics.

Indiana team with Congressman Carson’s staff member

Team A meeting with Senator Young’s staff member

Rounding out the last day of meetings, team A met with a staff member from Senator Young’s office. We discussed why it is so important that his office support HOW’s policy priorities, and we made sure to share how special Northwest Indiana is, and the impact that clean water has on both the people and the environment in the State of Indiana.

Vern Beck, Save the Dunes’ Board Vice President, NIPSCO Union representative, and NWI resident, brought up concerns regarding invasive carp species, and the importance of keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

The Indiana team came back together for one last meeting on Capitol Hill. Save the Dunes has established a positive relationship with Northwest Indiana Representative Frank J. Mrvan, as we met with him and his team last month at the Barker House, urging him to continue to support positive environmental legislature in NWI.

We loved ending Great Lakes Day on a high note, celebrating the support from Representative Mrvan, asking him to support Funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at no less than $450 million to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm and city runoff pollution, and prevent and manage invasive species.

All in all, it was a very successful visit to our nation’s capitol to advocate for the Great Lakes. We are so grateful for the opportunity to speak up for Lake Michigan, and we can’t wait to return next year!

Indiana Team with staff member from Representative Mrvan’s office

A Successful Great Lakes Day for
Save the Dunes

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A Successful Great Lakes Day for Save the Dunes

A Successful Great Lakes Day for
Save the Dunes