The United States Coast Guard has announced plans to turn the Great Lakes, the world’s largest body of fresh water, into the world’s largest freshwater shooting range. Since 1817, a treaty between the U.S. and Canada prohibited this kind of activity on the Great Lakes. But when President Bush made the Coast Guard part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2004, he reinterpreted the agreement with Canada.

At the very least, please go the the site www.citizensforlakesafety.org/petition.html and sign the petition if you haven’t already. We’re shooting for a minimum of 1000 signatures by Wednesday afternoon - so please spread the word.

The only public hearing on this plan is this Wednesday, November 1, 2006 in Waukegan Illinois at the Genessee Theater, 203 North Genessee St., Waukegan, IL.
Schedule of events for all meetings is:
4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Open house. The public can receive information on the proposed zones and ask Coast Guard officials questions.
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Public meetings. After a brief statement by Coast Guard officials, the public can comment. Comments will be recorded and entered into the docket for this rulemaking.

The Genessee Theater is very close to the train station. Here are the links for the Metra North Line Schedule:
Chicago to Waukegan - www.metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_n/cnwn_wko.shtml
Waukegan to Chicago - www.metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_n/cnwn_wki.shtml.

For full information go to citizensforlakesafety.org