Heastie announces establishment of Great Lakes Watershed Task Force

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie 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,” Heastie said. “This new task force spearheaded, by Assembly member Burke, will allow the opportunity to discuss and address the issues facing this region.”

Burke said, “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. 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% of the world’s freshwater.

Heastie’s team said, “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.”