The Declaration of Indiana
A maritime agreement for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Maritime System

Action Agenda: 1995
The signatories to the Declaration of Indiana (signed May 15, 1991) recognize that pursuit of the identified principles must be accomplished through an "Action Agenda" with well-defined objectives, tasks and lead organizations. To this end, each signatory agrees to develop and pursue those items consistent with their individual policy positions and priorities, and participate annually in the update of an "Action Agenda."

• A U.S.-Canadian governmental Great-St. Lawrence Maritime System consultative process should be maintained with inclusion of port, maritime labor and shipping interests in a consultative capacity.


• Any Federal action that may increase the financial burden on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence maritime commerce must be subject to thorough review of its impact on the industry prior to adoption.


• The Canadian and U.S. Seaway agencies should implement, on a three-year trial basis, a short extension of the current average Seaway navigation season until January 1, subject to acceptable environmental conditions, as an inducement for additional cargo traffic.


• The U.S. Harbor Maintenance Tax must be rolled back from .125% to .04%.

• Any changes in existing maritime user fees or imposition of new levies affecting the maritime industry must be subject to thorough industry review and be accompanied by a specific assessment of their impact on the industry prior to their adoption.


• Policies related to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Maritime System should be harmonized between the two national governments (e.g., cost recovery, Seaway tolls, System operation and maintenance, etc.).


• Non-routine rehabilitation of the Welland Canal and the Montreal-Lake Ontario Seaway locks and navigation structures should not be funded through Seaway tolls or other special commercial navigation levies.

• Overseas trade missions, where the potential for waterborne shipments exist, should be planned and coordinated with representatives of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence maritime industry, and such missions sponsored by the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (Canada) and/or the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (U.S.) should be continued and periodically reviewed to ensure responsiveness to new trade opportunities.


• The U.S. and Canadian Federal transportation agencies should consider special support for trade development initiatives undertaken by System ports.

• The Canadian and U.S. locks at Sault Ste. Marie should be modernized with the addition of a Federally funded, second large U.S. lock and a new rehabilitated Canadian lock, and new studies should be conducted regarding the feasibility of enlarging the Seaway locks.


• The U.S. and Canadian Federal governments should develop new policies to preserve shipyard maintenance and repair capacity in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region, and the phase-out of U.S. and Canadian tariffs on shipbuilding repairs now underway under the Free Trade Agreement should be accelerated so that tariffs are removed immediately.


• The U.S. Coast Guard cutter MAackinaw, the only heavy duty icebreaker stationed on the Great Lakes, must be kept operational, at least on a seasonal basis until adequate replacement is assigned to the Great Lakes.

• Adequate means including new confined disposal facilities for dredged material must be provided to maintain authorized navigation channel depths and preserve system water quality.


• Federal, State/Provincial and local governments must increase efforts to reduce rural and urban runoff that causes soil erosion and sedimentation and poses water quality, dredging and dredged material problems in the Great Lakes harbors and connecting channels.


• Effective means of controlling and containing the spread and impact of non-indigenous aquatic nuisance species should be developed and implemented by federal, state and provincial governments, with continued consultation of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence maritime interests.

All items adopted unanimously by member states of the Great Lakes Commission with the exception of the season extension item. This was adopted on a 6-2 vote with Michigan and New York opposing.