< About this document > Title: A Path Toward Sustainability, The Ecosystem Charter One Year Later Description: Special insert to the November/December 1995 ADVISOR Agency: Great Lakes Commission Date: November/December 1995 Keyword: Ecosystem Charter Contact: Great Lakes Commission 400 Fourth St., Argus II Bldg. Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816 Phone: 313-665-9135 Fax: 313-665-4370 E-mail: glc@glc.org < Path toward sustainability, Ecosystem Charter one year later > Since its release in October 1994, more than 160 agencies and organizations throughout the region have endorsed the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin, pledging to support its principles and work toward a common vision that calls for a clean environment, strong economy and high quality of life for basin residents. As a result, the charter has gained international recognition and is being used as a model for similar ecosystem management initiatives elsewhere in North America and throughout the world. To mark the first anniversary of its public release, signatory agencies and organizations were invited to review their efforts to implement the charter, and explain how they have benefited from the document and used it to guide their activities. The response was excellent, and offers insight into how the charter is being interpreted and used by a diverse array of signatories. For some, like the Great Lakes Commission, the charter has been a guide for developing future workplans and priorities. "The Ecosystem Charter is unique because it offers an unprecedented, consensus-based view of commonly held principles," says Commission Executive Director Mike Donahue. "Among other things, the charter provided the foundation for our recently released Strategic Plan, which will guide the Great Lakes Commission into the next century." Other organizations have used the charter as an information and education tool, to enhance communication and cooperation with other groups that share a common vision for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin. Many signatories noted that the charter simply serves as a constant reminder that local efforts are important steps toward achieving a much larger common goal. Donahue also notes that the Ecosystem Charter has played a significant role in protecting regional interests in an era of governmental restructuring and downsizing. "The Ecosystem Charter speaks to institutional, as well as ecological, interrelationships," he says. "Effective management is a true partnership, with a strong element of intergovernmental and multijurisdictional collaboration. Using charter principles as guidance is not only good science, it promotes efficient, cost-effective programs as well." See what others have to say on the following pages. < Become an Ecosystem Charter signatory > We invite you to join the more than 160 agencies and organizations that have already endorsed the Ecosystem Charter. If you are interested in lending your support to this innovative means of advocating an ecosystem approach to management, please contact the Great Lakes Commission at 313-665-9135, or find out more about the charter on the World Wide Web at http://www.great-lakes.net:2200/partners/GLC/pub/ec/ecochart.html This web site provides the Ecosystem Charter text, an online signatory response form, fact sheet, signatory statements and more. < Comments from signatories > * Canandaigua Lake Watershed Task Force When we were having difficulties organizing and managing information from an area with the size and complexity of our watershed, the Ecosystem Charter was published and made us feel more comfortable with our task. In preparing the State of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed-1994 a document assessing the health, problems and remedial actions needed the charter gave us an idea to facilitate that process: we would create a compact for the Canandaigua Lake watershed that would morally bind a group committed to solving the problems. In a series of meetings and, borrowing freely from the Ecosystem Charter, the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Compact was framed. * Indiana University Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs We have used the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin to inform students and colleagues about the ecosystem concept and its practical application. It also has proved useful in identifying the institutional and political problems that require solution if the ecosystem concept is to be implemented. The charter can be used as a case-in-point in the study of intergovernmental cooperation. * Commission for Environmental Cooperation The Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin fills an important niche in the Great Lakes family of collaborative institutions. Like the nonbinding preambles of international conventions, it invites support without demanding a level of obligation that exceeds the comfort level or capacity of those who sign on. The CEC has distributed many copies of the charter and witnessed its positive impact beyond the Great Lakes Basin. Participants in the Northern River Basins Study a multijurisdictional and multistakeholder study on the cumulative impacts of development on the Peacc, Athabasca and Slavc River System have been encouraged to see the charter as a possible model for that region. The charter also was one of the documents that influenced drafts of a statement which eventually became a North American resolution on Sound Management of Chemicals. * Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Centre The Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Centre has used the principles as a key reference in the development of training materials and information clearing services. The Ecosystem Charter was used as one of the guiding references for the development of the GLPPC's Strategic Plan for 1995-1998, and is a valuable guide for prioritizing workplans. The Ecosystem Charter principles provide a consistency of purpose when collaborating with other agencies and resources in the Great Lakes region. * National Association of Conservation Districts, North Central Region Conservation districts have always been interested in managing natural resources from an integrated ecosystem management perspective. Whole farm planning and watershed activities sponsored by districts incorporate these principles. In recognition of this, NACD formed a special committee on the Great Lakes to integrate the activities of the 207 districts in the basin. The Ecosystem Charter was reviewed formally by the committee with our activities aimed at keeping the ecosystem healthy by reducing sediment into our water bodies and helping to restore the health of the ecosystem through a wide variety of activities, including wetland restoration. * Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and Ducks Unlimited, Canada Ducks Unlimited will use the Ecosystem Charter in the development of new, and the expansion of current, landscape level programs in public and private partnership. As an international organization, it will help solidify our international habitat restoration programs throughout the Great Lakes region. The charter will serve as the foundation from which Ducks Unlimited will build partnerships with public and private agencies, organizations, corporations and landowners as we further our mission to protect, restore and enhance waterfowl habitat in the watersheds of the Great Lakes. The Ecosystem Charter has complemented the focus taken by Ducks Unlimited in Ontario under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The top priority area in this province for delivery of our upland and wetland conservation programs is within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin, most notably at Long Pt. Bay and the Lake St. Clair/lower Detroit River system. The charter has been one of the catalysts encouraging our development of long-term strategies, in concert with partner agencies, to secure and rehabilitate these continentally important landscapes. * National Park Service The National Park Service firmly believes that the charter has stimulated each unit to work much more closely with neighboring land management agencies, local communities, and other organizations in carrying out the charter's basic principles. In the long term, the NPS believes that the greatest benefit derived from our endorsement of the charter will be the fostering of an institutional environment in which NPS functions as a more integral part of the Great Lakes community, thus lending support to NPS's basic mission of preserving and protecting the natural and cultural resources and providing for visitor enjoyment. * Northwest Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council A number of organizations and agencies in northern Michigan are giving consideration to a "regional" Ecosystem Charter, which is being modeled after the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin. The Ecosystem Charter for Northern Lower Michigan is being developed to assist us as we deal with growth management and other issues related to a rapidly growing area. At present this effort is in its very early stages, and we are continuing to pursue partnerships to involve a significant number and diversity of agencies and organizations in the northern lower Michigan ecosystem. * Waterfront Regeneration Trust The Waterfront Regeneration Trust has developed the Lake Ontario Greenway Strategy with the goal of fostering commitment to actions that will regenerate a healthy and sustainable waterfront. The vision of the trust and its many partners is complimentary to and consistent with the vision espoused by the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin. Both the strategy and the charter provide a context for setting priorities and guidance on ways to achieve this shared vision. * Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory The Ecosystem Charter addresses principles of ecosystem management which are of special importance to the kinds of research undertaken regionally by GLERL as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We believe there is much to be gained by cooperating with other federal and state agencies, academia and our Canadian colleagues in collaborative research on issues addressed in the charter. In this time of changing national priorities, downsizing government and tight budgets, it is important to have a charter that addresses the ecosystem approach and the need to cooperate to make the best use of resources for sound ecosystem research. * Saint Lawrence Economic Development Council The Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin inspired SODES to develop and promote the St. Lawrence River Code of Ethics. The code of ethics is a set of principles proposed for every user of the St. Lawrence River. These principles are aimed at increasing awareness and respectful use of the river ecosystem. SODES will invite users (companies within the maritime community, organizations, governments) to sign the code and implement its principles. In addition, SODES will further promote the Ecosystem Charter within the St. Lawrence Region as soon as a French version is available. * Williams Soil and Water Conservation District, Ohio The Ecosystem Charter will provide guidance to us as we develop our long-range plan and thereafter our annual workplan. The charter will foster cooperation with other organizations and help direct us as individuals to act as stewards of this great global resource. * Puget Sound/Georgia Basin International Task Force While our Environmental Initiative lies outside of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin effort, the Ecosystem Charter has been helpful in demonstrating how another part of the country frames the concept of ecological management of its aquatic resources. The Puget Sound/Georgia Basin Environmental Initiative is focused on improving management of the marine environment in the shared waters between British Columbia and Washington. In the future, as we expand our efforts, we are hopeful that we will develop the breadth of the Ecosystem Charter in our management efforts as well. * Ninth Coast Guard District, Marine Safety Division The Ecosystem Charter is a valuable structure for coordination with the Great Lakes environmental community. In order to accomplish our environmental missions, we must engage in partnerships with other agencies and interests in the Great Lakes region. Thus, the Great Lakes Commission and the Ecosystem Charter perform an essential service to use in helping us form those partnerships. We are quite satisfied with the language of the charter. It is a balanced and well-conceived vision. But the most important thing is that it is an expression of the common vision of the whole Great Lakes community a model for the whole world, as well as the two nations of how governments, industries, local communities and scientific institutions can work together to protect a common resource. * Huron River Watershed Council The Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin has greatly benefited the work of the Huron River Watershed Council over the past year. Both directly and indirectly, its vision and principles have guided us in reformulating the council's mission statement, in coordinating our programs to provide a more holistic approach to protecting the ecological integrity of the Huron River ecosystem (as part of the greater Lake Erie and St. Lawrence drainage), and in developing a strategic plan to take us to the year 2000. The Ecosystem Charter also will soon be used as a model in developing a watershed partnership agreement for the Huron River Basin. * Lake Michigan Marina Development Commission The guidance provided by the Ecosystem Charter's vision statement and principles has arrived at a pivotal time for Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline region. During the past year, the Ecosystem Charter provided the foundation on which the six Lake Michigan Marina Development cities updated their regional development plan. It also has served as a positive influence on development plans for gaming boats along the Indiana shoreline. With the Portage Public Marina currently under construction, application of the Ecosystem Charter's principles is apparent in the environmentally sensitive design and construction of this new public amenity. Additionally, the charter's principles supporting cooperation between agencies and provision of information and education on basinwide issues, underpin the Lake Michigan Marina Development Commission's continued active involvement in the International Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference. * Indiana Department of Natural Resources The mission of Indiana's Department of Natural Resources is "to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use" the state's natural, cultural and recreational resources. The Ecosystem Charter's vision statement and principles serve as guideposts for the department in the fulfillment of that mission within the Great Lakes Basin. The charter is a constant reminder of the need to follow an ecosystem approach to resource management as departmental Great Lakes Basin programs and activities are reviewed, modified or implemented. In addition, most of the principles also are applicable throughout the remainder of the state and can be incorporated into programs outside the Great Lakes Basin. * Keweenaw Bay Indian Community The Ecosystem Charter is of assistance in establishing management strategies for various environmental resources present in the basin. Over the past year, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community found the charter to be a source of inspiration in applying for a grant from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to support our Ecosystem Stewardship Program: Great Lakes Tribal Lands.The overall goal of the Ecosystem Stewardship Program is to institute a process that enables tribal leaders to effectively establish land use planning and management strategies based on information about the natural resources and the risks that these resources face. * Wisconsin Great Lakes Nonpoint Abatement Coalition The Wisconsin Great Lakes Nonpoint Abatement Coalition, an organization of 28 county Soil and Water Conservation Departments, has employed principles V, IX and XIV since becoming a charter signatory. Program activities included a presentation by Native American nations regarding their ideas for sustainable resource and ecosystem management on tribal lands. We also are participating in a study of rotational dairy cattle grazing and its sustainability with water quality and wildlife. To emphasize partnership arrangements in the Wisconsin Lake Michigan Basin area, we are reorganizing our dues structure to encourage citizens, private sector and other interests to join. Also, to encourage cooperation among county governments in the basin, we will be developing a networking system to share information and technology regarding nonpoint pollution abatement in the basin. * League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania The Ecosystem Charter principles provided a helpful model for the League's 1996 Common Ground Project on Water Resources Management, which brought together representatives of major water user groups to assess the need for a more comprehensive water management system in Pennsylvania. Development of consensus on a set of principles was viewed as a necessary first step in forming a program to address the variety of water management issues across the state. * International Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference The International Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference is actively implementing the Ecosystem Charter by adopting and distributing resolutions to promote and increase awareness of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence ecosystem among shoreline communities. The resolutions adopted at the 1995 meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, are aimed at supporting the SODES' Code of Ethics for users of the St. Lawrence River; and supporting the Montreal Biosphere initiative, the first Canadian environmental observation center dedicated to water and the protection of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence ecosystem and its plan to collect sewage treatment water quality data from Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waterfront municipalities. * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Central Division The charter's principles of ecosystem management are integrated in our daily activities. Through our regulatory program we strive to work cooperatively with states to protect our natural resources. As part of the operation and maintenance of Great Lakes ports and harbors, we have developed partnerships to address environmental concerns, most notably at Indiana, Ashtabula and Toledo harbors. We have developed partnerships with selected state departments of natural resources to assist in solving environmental problems. We have entered into agreement with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to help control sea lamprey and are currently working on a proposal to trap sea lamprey at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Finally, we support the IJC and are involved with the Remedial Action Plans for the Great Lakes Areas of Concern. North Central Division will continue to support the vision and principles of the Ecosystem Charter, within our authorities and policies along with the other signatories. In the spirit of the Corps' motto, Essayons!. . . Let us try! < Ecosystem Charter Vision > Our vision is a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem... * Where all people consider and conduct themselves as part of their ecosystem; * Where all people recognize the fundamental and inextricable link between economic well-being and the health of the ecosystem; * In which all beneficial organisms can thrive free from preventable ecological threats to their well-being; * Where environmental degradation is a legacy of the past and a basis for remedial action; * That exists as an evolving natural and cultural system that can successfully adapt to change; * In which use of natural resources is compatible with conservation of such resources; * That maintains the integrity of the ecosystem and accommodates appropriate development; * That is a rich mosaic of waters and lands, of natural areas and places of human activity and of different peoples who govern themselves in various ways; * That nurtures an abundance and diversity of plant and animal species in their natural communities and habitats as well as in specially protected and rehabilitated sites; * That embraces the concept of sustainable development by meeting the needs of this generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs; * Where all people and their governments act as stewards and are committed to informed action and supportive policy decisions; * In which a shared governance process, among diverse and respected traditions, provides an accessible and equitable basis for responsible actions and accountability among all people and their institutions. < Ecosystem Charter Principles > I People in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin have a right to live in an ecosystem that supports their health and well-being as well as that of diverse communities of beneficial organisms. II People have the right to use natural resources and ecological processes for economic purpose and enjoyment, commensurate with the responsibility to rehabilitate and maintain the integrity of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem. III The environmental and human health risks related to activities and resource uses shall be assessed and characterized, where possible, by those who propose them in the interest of demonstrating that such activities will not cause undue harm to the ecosystem. IV The chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem shall be achieved by understanding, respecting, rehabilitating and protecting ecological processes and natural resources and by identifying and maintaining genetically diverse plant and animal communities within the ecosystem. V An ecosystem approach to management that involves rehabilitating and protecting ecological processes and resources of the basin ecosystem shall be fully and widely adopted, based on the understanding that human activities, natural resources and ecological processes are interdependent and parts of a unified whole. VI A coordinated, multidisciplinary research agenda is necessary to improve understanding of the scientific, social and economic dimensions of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem. VII The environmental quality of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem shall be improved by virtually eliminating the discharge or release of persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances into the Basin Ecosystem. VIII The natural fluctuations of the levels and flows within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River System shall be accommodated to the extent possible, while maintaining appropriate water use and related coastal activities. IX Societal needs for a healthy ecosystem and economy shall be addressed by promoting the sustainable use of renewable natural resources. X Biological diversity is an essential element of ecosystem integrity, and shall be supported so that plant and animal populations may flourish in natural communities and habitats as well as in specially protected and rehabilitated sites. XI Ecosystem integrity and the economic well-being of human communities are interdependent; achieving and protecting ecosystem integrity is, therefore, an essential part of economic activity within the basin. XII Industry in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin is a key partner in achieving and protecting ecosystem integrity; industry support for and implementation of environmental, conservation and safety standards and practices is necessary. XIII Cooperation is essential among government entities, including federal, state, provincial, Native American authorities/First Nations, regional and local governments, if the principles of the charter are to become public policy priorities. XIV Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem governance and management shall emphasize partnership arrangements among government entities, the private sector, citizen organizations and other interests. XV Timely, accurate and accessible information shall be provided to the public regarding all planned activities that may significantly affect the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem. XVI Stewardship of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem shall be fostered through educational efforts that promote greater understanding of the ecosystem, the problems and opportunities facing it and policies and programs designed to improve, protect and manage it. XVII Meaningful public participation in decisionmaking processes regarding the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Ecosystem shall be encouraged by providing opportunities for public involvement and empowerment. < Charter offers a common vision for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin ecosystem > A single, concise document that presents fundamental principles drawn from existing laws, agreements and policies, the Ecosystem Charter provides a common vision to preserve, protect and sustain the environment and economy of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin. Coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission with funding from the Joyce Foundation, charter development involved input from a broad cross section of agencies, organizations and associations throughout the basin. More than 60 documents, ranging from local partnership agreements to global policies, were reviewed to generate the charter's language. The result is a unique statement of vision, findings, principles and actions that serves as a tool for information/education; policy coordination and guidance; and advocacy of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence policies and programs. The Ecosystem Charter is not a legally binding agreement, nor does it replace or affect implementation of any existing laws, treaties, agreements or policies. Instead, it offers guidance and showcases the efforts of its signatories. The charter is a living document owned by its signatories. Periodic revisions may be made to ensure that it reflects the most current thinking on the ecosystem approach to managing the basin's resources. < For more information > The Great Lakes Commission welcomes your input on the Ecosystem Charter, including endorsements, descriptions of implementation activities, and any additions, deletions or further revisions that you believe may be needed. Contact: Michael J. Donahue Executive Director mdonahue@glc.org Victoria Pebbles Program Specialist pebbles@glc.org Great Lakes Commission, Argus II Building, 400 Fourth Street; Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103-4816 Phone: 313-665-9135 Fax: 313-665-4370 E-mail: glc@great-lakes.net