TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Representatives of Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are scheduled to outline their policies on Great Lakes protection this week.

Both campaigns have been invited to the annual meeting of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition on Thursday. Hundreds of scientists, government officials and activists are attending the conference in Cleveland.

Former Environmental Protection Agency chief Carol Browner will be speaking for the Obama campaign. The Romney campaign hasn’t announced a representative.

The 120-member coalition is seeking promises from both candidates to continue an Obama administration program that has spent more than $1 billion on environmental restoration projects in the region.

They also are seeking a pledge to construct barriers in Chicago waterways to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from reaching the Great Lakes.

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