Speaker Heastie Announces Establishment of Great Lakes Watershed Task Force

Speaker Carl Heastie today announced the creation of a Great Lakes Watershed Task Force to be chaired by Assemblyman Patrick Burke. The task force will examine economic development and environmental issues unique to communities in the Great Lakes watershed.

“The Assembly Majority is committed to protecting our natural resources, including the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Watershed,” said Speaker Heastie. “This new task force spearheaded by Assemblymember Burke will allow the opportunity to discuss and address the issues facing this region.”

“This new task force will bring stakeholders together who are invested in the health and prosperity of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region,” said Assemblyman Burke. “I am proud to lead this task force and I thank Speaker Heastie for his commitment to the environment and to our community.”

The Great Lakes account for an estimated 20 percent of the world’s freshwater. That freshwater has served as an important economic engine throughout the state’s history, however, that relationship has left an unfortunate environmental legacy. The task force will examine ways to revitalize watershed communities both economically and environmentally.