September 18, 2002 Media Advisory

Chicago, IL – Invasive species, poor water quality, non-point source pollution and the resiliency of rivers and streams are among the key issues impacting Midwest waterways that experts and area officials will discuss at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting of the presidentially-appointed U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. The meeting is Sept. 24-25, 2002, at John G. Shedd Aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium, 1200 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

The public meetings will feature remarks by marine experts, a farmer, industry representatives, environmental organizations, citizens and government officials on the impact of federal, state and municipal policies on business, conservation, resource management and recreation in the Great Lakes region.

A news briefing with Commission Chairman Admiral James D. Watkins (USN) Ret. and local Commissioner Ted Beattie, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium, will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24. Media should park and enter through the aquarium’s loading dock, which is located off Solidarity Drive.

The Great Lakes Regional Meeting is the last of nine regional public meetings the 16-member Commission is conducting across the nation. Based on information gathered at public meetings and its in-depth analysis of U.S. coastal policies, the Commission will be compiling recommendations for the development of a comprehensive national ocean policy to effectively preserve and utilize the world’s oceans and their resources.

The Commission’s findings and recommendations will be presented to Congress and the President in a final report in 2003. For more information on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy go to: http://oceancommission.gov.

Contacts:

David Roscow
703-276-2772 x21

Kate Naughten
202-309-5476


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