DeWine says he'll make Lake Erie a priority as governor

SANDUSKY — Ohio's governor elect, Attorney General Mike DeWine, said he has Lake Erie's welfare in mind as he picks his cabinet members and makes plans for his new administration.DeWine said one of his recent family outings illustrates his interest in the lake, and confirmed reports that he supports a water quality public works bond issue proposed by state Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, and state Rep. Steve Arndt, R-Port Clinton.In a Friday interview with the Register, DeWine described a recent family gathering."I like to fish in Lake Erie," he said. "In fact, last summer, we spent a week in Sandusky."DeWine said his family stayed in downtown Sandusky as the attorney general and his wife, Fran, marked their 50th wedding anniversary. The gathering drew 37 members of the DeWine clan."We went out, caught some walleye, caught some perch, and had a good time on the lake," he said.President Donald Trump invited DeWine and 12 other newly elected governors to visit the White House in December. DeWine said he and Michigan's new governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, talked to Trump about the threat posed to the Great Lakes by Asian carp."We tried to reiterate to the president the importance of Lake Erie, and also specifically, the Asian carp," he said.Trump seemed interested and there was a good discussion about Asian carp, DeWine said. "The president had some questions about that. We tried to answer those questions," DeWine said.DeWine said he named a trusted assistant, First Assistant Attorney General Mary Mertz, as his nominee for director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources."I want someone in there who has a real passion for Lake Erie," he said.Mertz is described as a person who likes to go sailing on Lake Erie. Other key cabinet posts that would affect the health of Lake Erie have not been made yet."As I'm in the process of picking my director of EPA as well as my agriculture director, these picks will be with a lot of things in mind, but certainly they will understand the importance of Lake Erie. It's going to a priority in our administration," he said.Those two appointments likely will be announced within days, DeWine said.DeWine repeated a statement he made during the campaign, that he supports the clean water bond issue proposed by Gardner and Arndt."I support it because we need a long-term funding source," DeWine said. A guaranteed source of funding is needed for the next decade, he said.Last year, Gardner and Arndt proposed a $1 billion clean water bond issue. The 10-year program would have earmarked half of the money on measures to help the Western Basin of Lake Erie, the part of the lake that has the biggest problem with algal blooms.DeWine said he supports the concept but wants to participate in discussions about the details."We've not gotten down into the real specifics of that," he said."It's going to be important to bring people together. We're going to have to bring the agricultural community together. We are going to have to bring the proponents of Lake Erie together."DeWine at the new lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, will take office on Jan. 14.Mike DeWine