Transportation and Sustainable Development program
Project Summaries

1. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Study
   The study was initiated by a Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the U.S. and Canadian governments May 1, 2003. It is being carried out under the auspices of seven U.S. and Canadian agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transport Canada, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Environment Canada, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. The Great Lakes Commission has been contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to partner with the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council (SODES) as facilitators of stakeholder engagement for the Study. This project addresses Article VI, Section 13, and Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action I of the Draft Strategic Plan.

2. NOAA Port Outreach Initiative
   The Commission has obtained funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center to help develop a network of port specialists accessible to each of the four U.S. coastal ranges, the east, west and Gulf coasts, and the Great Lakes. Areas of potential collaboration include air and water quality management, aquatic nuisance species, dredging and disposal of dredged material, land use conflicts, spill preparedness, environmental management, waterfront development planning and financing, port security and public education and awareness. This project addresses Article VII, Section 4, and Article VI, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action II of the Draft Strategic Plan.

3. Benefits of the Marine Transportation Mode
   The Great Lakes Commission was contracted by six organizations to update its 1993 study Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Commerce: Safety, Energy and Environmental Implications of Modal Shifts. Sponsors include the Lake Carriers’ Association, American Great Lakes Ports, Chamber of Maritime Commerce, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., the Canadian Shipowners Association and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. The studies compares rail, truck and marine transportation modes on the basis of fuel use, emissions, and risk of accidents. Added to the 2004 product are a case study reflecting emerging interest in the Great Lakes marine mode for passenger travel and an analysis of land use implications of modal shifts. This project addresses Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action III of the Draft Strategic Plan.

4. Soo Locks Replacement
   The Great Lakes Commission has played a key role in this proposed project to build a second lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan large enough to accommodate 1,000-foot vessels. The Commission’s advocacy helped secure congressional authorization of the project and an initial construction authorization.. The Commission is currently working toward a Project Cooperation Agreement with the Corps formalizing the Commission’s role as non-federal sponsor of the project, and is continuing to secure non-federal funding from the five states who have yet to commit their shares. This project addresses Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action I of the Draft Strategic Plan.

5. Environmental Windows for Dredging
   Environmental windows are time constraints placed on dredging operations to protect aquatic habitats from detrimental effects. Working under a grant from the EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) created a Windows Advisory Team to develop the research process to establish a scientific basis for windows implementation. A proposal to continue the windows project for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 was not accepted, so following submission of a final report the project will be closed out this year. This project addresses Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action I of the Draft Strategic Plan. This project addresses Article VI, Section 4, and Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action II of the Draft Strategic Plan.

6. Recreational Boating Economic Benefits Study
   The Great Lakes Commission has been contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess the economic impact of recreational boating in the Great Lakes as part of the John Glenn Great Lakes Basin Program (Section 455 (c) of WRDA 1999). The legislation states that “the Secretary, using information and studies in existence on the date of this Act to the extent practicable, and in cooperation with the Great Lakes States, shall submit to Congress a report detailing the economic benefits of recreational boating in the Great Lakes basin, particularly at harbors benefitting from operation and maintenance projects of the Corps of Engineers.” This project addresses Article VI, Section 4 and Article VII, Section 4 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective C, Strategic Action III of the Draft Strategic Plan.

7. International Association of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors
   The Association was established in 1986 to provide U.S. and Canadian mayors of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River coastal communities with a forum to address common interests and issues surrounding sustainable economic development and environmental stewardship. The Great Lakes Commission partners with the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council (SODES) as co-secretariat of the Association and facilitators of its annual conference. This project addresses Article VI, Section 2 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Goal 3, Objective C, Strategic Action II of the Draft Strategic Plan.

8. Coastal Habitat Restoration and Conservation Plan for Lake St. Clair
   This binational effort to characterize, protect and restore Lake St. Clair’s coastal habitat is part of a cooperative agreement between NOAA’s Coastal Services Center (CSC) and the Great Lakes Commission. The Commission is receiving $270,000 under the agreement, a large portion of which is going (under contract) to the Michigan Natural Features Inventory for synthesizing ecological data and developing relevant GIS layers. The project will produce an integrated coastal management model, an web site with online GIS resource, and a draft coastal habitat plan. The 2-year project began in September 2002. This project responds to Article I, Section 1 and 4 and Article VI, Sections A, B, G, and L of the Great Lakes Basin Compact, and Goal 2, Objectives B and C; Goal 3, Objective B; Goal 4, Objective B; Goal 5, Objectives A and B; Goal 6, Objective A; and Goal 7, Objective A of the Draft Strategic Plan.

9. Upland Testing and Evaluation for Beneficial Use of Dredged Material
   In response to a need identified by the Great Lakes Dredging Team’s Beneficial Use Task Force,. U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office provided the Commission with $50,000 to develop an annotated bibliography and detailed briefing paper addressing the issue of testing and evaluating dredged material for beneficial uses in upland environments. Significant state and federal cooperation on the project resulted in a more substantive guidance document, entitled Testing and Evaluating Dredged Material for Upland Beneficial Uses: a Regional Framework for the Great Lakes (The Framework). The Framework provides guidance on how to identify and implement appropriate beneficial uses for dredged material of different types under various circumstances and includes a series of detailed case scenarios. An annotated bibliography serves as a companion document to the regional framework and includes citations for the more than 200 references used throughout the Framework. This project responds to Article I, Section 2 and Article VI, Section D of the Compact and Goal 2, Objective F; Goal 3, Objective A; and Goal 5, Objectives A and B of the Draft Strategic Plan.

10. Great Lakes Dredging Team
    TSD staff have served as the Secretariat to the Great Lakes Dredging Team (GLDT) since its inception in 1996. Funding for this is provided primarily by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but U.S.EPA provided initial funding and has funded related projects. Secretariat support involves maintaining the GLDT membership, web site; planning and conduct of regular GLDT meetings (1-2 times/year); periodic conference calls and associated follow-up and coordination with members and outside interests. Project-specific work for Upland Testing and Evaluation and the Windows Advisory Team is being completed (see related project summaries) and additional activities in these areas are being explored. This activity responds to Article I, Section 3l; Article VI, Sections D and G; and Article VII, Section C and D of the Compact and Goal 5, Objectives A and B; and Goal 6, Objective C of the Draft Strategic Plan.

11. SOLEC
    V. Pebbles continues to serve on the SOLEC Steering Committee along with M. Donahue. This activity responds to Article VI, Sections A and L of the Compact, and Goal 3, Objective B and Goal 7, Objective A of the Draft Strategic Plan.

12. Brownfields-Greenfields Linkages State Roundtable Series
    Two new grants starting in FY04 support continued work on sustainable land use focusing on urban revitalization and open space protection. The policy roundtable concept was endorsed by a Commission resolution adopted in October, 2001 based on earlier Commission work. The first such policy roundtable was held in Michigan in January, 2003. Funding provided by U.S. EPA will support 4 additional state roundtables between 2002 and 2005. Planning is currently underway for roundtables in Ohio and Wisconsin. Each will build on current state initiatives in the area of brownfields redevelopment, greenfields protection and sustainable land use. This activity responds to Article I, Section 2, Article VI, Sections B and F, and Goal 1, Objective C; and Goal 3, Objective B of the Draft Strategic Plan.

13. Sustainable Land Use Web Site
    In 2003, three land use related web sites were completely redesigned into a single online resource: Great Lakes Sustainable Land Use. Get your regional land use information in one click. This activity responds to Article I, Section 2, Article VI, Sections A and B, and Goal 1, Objective C; and Goal 3, Objective B of the Draft Strategic Plan.

14. Support to the Parties Implementation Work Group of the IJC
    Addressing water quality impacts of urbanization is an ongoing priority of the International Joint Commission. V. Pebbles has been formally appointed by the IJC’s Science Advisory Board as a non board member to assist the a work group with this effort. Current work involves overseeing contract work on urban programs and policies and securing adequate funding and a contract to evaluate the effectiveness of practices designed to mitigate the water quality impacts from urbanization. This activity responds to Article VI, Sections A and L of the Compact, and Goal 2, Objective F, Goal 3, Objective B and Goal 7, Objective A of the Draft Strategic Plan

15. Non-Point Source Pollution Workshop
    TSD staff are actively engaged in the planning and design of a Great Lakes Commission project to plan and conduct a workshop to evaluate the progress in non-point source controls from land use since a major IJC study was conducted in the 1970s, known as PLUARG. (see workshop description in RM program memo). TSD staff are coordinating these efforts with those of the IJC workgroup (above), so that the two activities are complementary. This activity responds to Article VI, Section A of the Compact, and Goal 3, Objective B and Goal 2, Objective F of the Draft Strategic Plan.