| At 10 a.m. on Wednesday Jan. 23, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, vice chair of the bi-national Great Lakes Commission, will join officials from the city of Chicago at the Shedd Aquarium, 1200 South Lake Shore Drive, to announce a combined $5.1 million grant for Great Lakes habitat protection and restoration from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the ArcelorMittal USA Foundation. The grant funds, representing a $2.1 million donation from ArcelorMittal and $3 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and several federal agency partners, will be used to protect and restore wetlands in the Great Lakes region, including Illinois. "This public-private partnership marks an important step toward restoration of the Great Lakes� vital wetlands," Quinn said. "I am proud to represent the Great Lakes Commission in announcing this substantial and timely investment in clean water and improved wildlife habitat." The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by Congress in 1984 to fund conservation projects benefiting the nation�s fish, wildlife and plants. The ArcelorMittal USA Foundation is a philanthropic arm of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, the world�s largest steel company. |