Federal plan to improve Great Lakes' health

The announcement on Sunday of a five-year plan to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem bodes well for birds. An Associated Press article cited $2.2 billion as the minimum price tag to clean up decades of damage.

Among the goals is a "zero tolerance policy" toward future invasions by foreign species, including the Asian carp, a huge, ravenous fish that has overrun portions of the Mississippi River system and is threatening to enter Lake Michigan.

Others include cleanup of the region's most heavily polluted sites, restoring wetlands and other crucial habitat, and improving water quality in shallow areas, where runoff from cities and farms has led to unsightly algae blooms and beach closings.

Also promised is a strategy for monitoring the ecosystem's health and holding federal agencies accountable for carrying out the plan.

You can find highlights of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative here, and full details appear here. The initiative even has a Twitter profile.

Map courtesy of Great Lakes Information Network