Great Lakes

NWF’s Great Lakes Regional Center is a leader in protecting the Great Lakes for the local wildlife and inhabitants. The team works to help restore habitats and waterways, stop invasive species, defend against sulfide mining, and support local communities across the region.

Ducks at Seney National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS.

2021 Great Lakes Region Agenda for Congress:

As the new Congress gets down to business after a bitter election—and post-election—that featured outright assaults on our democracy, we’re hearing a lot of talk about the need to unite … Read more

Sportfishing client holds up large catch on boat in the Great Lakes.

Michigan’s Outdoor Recreation Future and Climate Change

Nobody needs to tell Lake Michigan charter fishing boat Captain Denny Grinold that the climate is changing. “Last year I had to cancel 59 trips due to windy days or … Read more

A field in the Chesapeake Bay

Growing A Sustainable Future for Agriculture

Agriculture is inextricably tied to the future of people and wildlife. Working lands – the farms, ranches, and forests that we depend on for food and fiber – make up … Read more

A loon glides on water with a fish in its mouth

Can the Great Lakes Still Be Great Uniters?

These are the most divisive times many of us have ever lived through. The violent right-wing coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol claimed five lives and shook our democracy to … Read more

A monarch on a flowering swamp milkweed.

Minnetonka, Minnesota Named Monarch Champion

Minnetonka, Minnesota, just a few miles west of Minneapolis, is working hard to help save the imperiled monarch butterfly. Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum took the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch … Read more

A moose cow and calf lay in the snow.

Protecting our Great Northwoods

Stretching across millions of acres north of the 45th parallel in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, our Great Northwoods is one of the most revered places on the continent. These ecologically-rich … Read more

Bipartisan Defense Bill Begins to Address Toxic PFAS Chemicals

For over fifty years, the U.S. military has used firefighting foam containing high concentrations of dangerous chemicals. The military’s heavy use of aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”) has resulted in widespread … Read more

Proposed EPA Ballast Rules Too Weak to Protect Great Lakes from Invasive Species

Year after year, the Great Lakes are being threatened by invasive species — with the silent intruders often getting a free ride in the ballast water of ocean going vessels. … Read more

A Win a Decade in the Making: Governor Whitmer Moves to Shut Down Line 5

Sitting in the open waters the Great Lakes, for over 4 miles, a nearly 70-year-old pipeline, called Line 5, pumps over 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids per … Read more

Healthy Advisory sign PFAS

Confronting the “Forever Chemical”

Michigan residents and the National Wildlife Federation’s advocacy scored a major win in July, with the announcement of new regulations limiting harmful chemicals in drinking water. The new rules limit … Read more