Currently a senior policy specialist for FLOW – For Love of Water, Dave Dempsey has worked in and out of government as an environmental advocate and water policy expert for over 30 years. He has played a critical role in shaping conservation and Great Lakes policy as the environmental advisor to Michigan Governor James Blanchard, policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council, and policy advisor to the International Joint Commission. Dempsey is also a prolific and prize-winning writer, with a large number of books and publications to his credit.
For this short video, Nature Change asked Dempsey what natural resource changes he’s witnessed in his long and illustrious career. We also ask about his most recent book on the Great Lakes and the future of freshwater in Southeast Michigan. Published this year (2019) by Greenstone Press, The Heart of the Lakes focuses on the corridor from Port Huron to Monroe with a special emphasis on the Detroit River as well as the choices people and governments are making to protect and improve this important Great Lakes connector.