Resolution: Monitoring Plan for Binational Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
Adopted on May 16, 2001

Whereas, the natural dynamics of the coastal Great Lakes wetland ecosystem have been altered – for better or worse – by lake level regulation, urban and rural development, restoration efforts, and other anthropogenic factors; and

Whereas, our ability as a region to assess coastal Great Lakes wetland health is severely compromised given the absence of a comprehensive monitoring program that can track trends through time; and

Whereas, the U.S. and Canadian federal governments, as part of the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) process, have developed indicators for coastal Great Lakes wetlands; and

Whereas, the Great Lakes Commission has formed a Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium consisting of members of both the scientific and policy communities at federal, state, provincial and tribal levels to incorporate SOLEC indicators in the development a long term monitoring plan to assess changes to this vital ecosystem through time; and

Whereas, the responsibilities of the Consortium are to select and develop indicators; set priorities for monitoring Great Lakes coastal wetlands; develop a binational wetlands data inventory; develop and review a classification system; establish a database for decision support; design and implement a monitoring program utilizing state-of-the-art methodologies; and help institutionalize the monitoring plan by securing necessary participants and funds; and

Whereas, success of the plan development and implementation effort is fundamentally dependent upon the support and involvement of all relevant government jurisdictions and nongovernmental interests.

Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Great Lakes Commission urges its member jurisdictions and interested parties to engage themselves in monitoring plan development to ensure that it is practical, pragmatic, and lends itself to implementation; and

Be It Finally Resolved, that the Great Lakes Commission urges the U.S. Congress to enhance its support for Great Lakes coastal wetlands monitoring through adequate funding of Clean Water Act programs, federally funded Great Lakes laboratories, and the biennial State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference, comprehensive remapping programs and associated initiatives, among others.

Unanimously adopted by the eight member states of the Great Lakes Commission at the 2001 Semiannual Meeting in Ann Arbor, Mich., May 16, 2001.