Last Chance for Project Grant Applications!
If you are thinking of applying for a grant this fall, now is the time to submit your proposal! The deadline for applications is next Tuesday, September 30th. Your local community organization could receive up to $5,000 in funding to protect drinking water, shorelines, inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin through grassroots advocacy efforts. Learn more about the application process, eligible projects, and more with these resources:
- Q&A webinar recording
- Request for Proposals flyer
- Grant Programs web page
- View our past projects here
Contact Alana at (231) 348-8200, ext.6 or Alana@freshwaterfuture.org with any questions.
Take Actions: Together, Our Voices Make a Difference
Keep Up the Pressure Against the PERMIT Act
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a package of anti-clean water bills, also known as the PERMIT Act, in the next few weeks. It’s critical that representatives hear directly from you to understand why they must voteNO. To learn more, watch this video from the National Wildlife Federation (Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram) and then send a personalized message to your elected U.S. Congressperson.
Last Chance: Protect the Porcupine Mountains and Lake Superior
Through the end of September, we have the opportunity to tell Michigan and federal senators and representatives to deny taxpayer funds for a proposed copper sulfide mine. A private, foreign mining company is seeking start-up costs at both the state and federal levels to open the Copperwood mine adjacent to one of the most cherished state parks in Michigan. Tell key decision-makers in the U.S. federal government to deny taxpayer handouts for this heavily-polluting extraction project. Michigan residents – please send Michigan lawmakers a message, too, asking them to deny two grants from next year’s budget. Both the Michigan legislature and U.S. Congress are required to make funding decisions by September 30th. Please use your voice today to protect nearby Lake Superior and the State Park from toxic pollution.
Michigan Lakefront Property Owners – Your Lake Foam is Needed!
Researchers at Western Michigan University and the Michigan Geological Survey are studying PFAS, the forever chemicals in lake foam found along shorelines, but need residents’ help first. By analyzing the types and amounts of PFAS in these samples, researchers hope to understand more about foam and how to manage it. Until October 1, 2026, lakefront residents can learn more and report their shoreline foam through this online form.
Canadian Corporations Push Domestic Data Centers
As Canada continues to reel from U.S. tariffs, proponents of data centers and artificial intelligence seek to build more homegrown competitors to the American technology giants. Canadian corporate leaders cite concerns with data privacy since the U.S. passed a law in 2018 (the CLOUD Act), that allows U.S. law enforcement agencies to obtain electronically-stored data in American facilities within foreign countries. These large data centers are critical threats to the overconsumption of freshwater and progress towards climate change.
Freshwater Future invites organizations in both the U.S. and Canada working on large water withdrawals to join our next monthly call to network, share information, and strategize to protect our Great Lakes basin. Contact Alana to register for the next meeting at alana@freshwaterfuture.org.
