Great Lakes Restoration Planning Workshops

The Great Lakes Commission sponsored a series of workshops throughout the Great Lakes states in 2004 to solicit public input on the development and implementation of priorities for ecosystem restoration. The initiative is funded by the National Sea Grant Program and each workshop features a partnership between the state's Sea Grant Program, governor's office, relevant state agencies and the Great Lakes Commission. Participants will have an opportunity to review and discuss restoration priorities developed by the Council of Great Lakes Governors, and share additional thoughts and ideas relevant to their jurisdiction and the entire region. Workshop outcomes will be captured in proceedings documents and shared with Great Lakes leadership and the entire community of stakeholders in the interest of promoting consensus and unity of purpose in restoration and protection initiatives. Details and proceedings for the individual workshops are provided below.

Download the complete workshop series proceedings document: A Blueprint for the Future: Toward a Great Lakes Restoration Strategy (PDF, 1.6M)

Download the executive summary: Planning and Implementing a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (PDF, 380K)

Project Partners:

Illinois - Indiana Sea Grant
Michigan Sea Grant
Minnesota Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant
Ohio Sea Grant
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
Wisconsin Sea Grant
National Sea Grant
Council of Great Lakes Governors

Lake Michigan Restoration and Protection Priorities Workshops

Green Bay, Wisconsin
12:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 2004
KI Convention Center Ballroom B1, 333 Main St., Green Bay

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
12:30-5 p.m. Wednesday, August 18, 2004
UWM Union Ballroom, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., UW-Milwaukee Campus

Final Proceedings of Wisconsin Workshops (PDF)
Wisconsin Restoration Workshop Invitation (PDF 1.3M)

On behalf of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, we are pleased to invite you to participate in one of two half-day workshops being hosted by the Great Lakes Commission, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to discuss and develop restoration and protection priorities for Lake Michigan

If you have any questions, please contact Stephen C. Wittman at swittman@aqua.wisc.edu

Public Meeting Concerning Great Lakes Restoration Priorities
Duluth, Minnesota
June 30, 2004

Final proceedings (PDF)
Minnesota Sea Grant Meeting Announcement

The public is invited to help develop and review Lake Superior restoration and conservation priorities at the Kirby Student Center Ballroom on the University of Duluth Campus from 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m. on June 30. Specific workshop information and a detailed agenda will be posted soon. The outcome of the Minnesota workshop will be captured in proceedings documents with the other Great Lakes States and shared with Great Lakes leadership and the entire community of stakeholders in the interest of promoting consensus and unity of purpose in restoration and protection initiatives across all the Great Lakes states.

If you have any questions, please contact Diane Desotelle at email: desotelle@chartermi.net, phone: 218-728-1228

Public Meeting Concerning Great Lakes Restoration Priorities
Hammond, Indiana
May 24, 2004

Final Proceedings (PDF)
Workshop Flyer (PDF)
Workshop Program (PDF)
Purdue University Map (PDF)

This meeting, to be held at Purdue University - Calumet, will feature brief presentations on the restoration priorities initiative, and on the state of the Great Lakes (with a focus on Illinois and Indiana). This will be followed by a facilitated, open forum for public comment and discussion. Again, all comments will be used by the Governors to inform their restoration and protection strategies.

There is no fee for the workshop, but we encourage you to register by contacting Pat Gable at 734-971-9135 or pegable@glc.org by May 21. This is an open meeting, and we encourage you to share this information with all who may have an interest.

Great Lakes Restoration Workshop:
Your Chance to Make a Difference in Our Lakes' Future
Rochester, New York
April 27, 2004

Final proceedings (PDF)
Workshop Brochure (PDF)

This event, to be held at the Holiday Inn at the Rochester Airport in Rochester, will bring together public and private stakeholders from along New York's Lake Erie and Lake Ontario shorelines to identify and refine lake-wide restoration needs and priorities and to help foster a collective vision to guide the process. Everyone who uses or is interested in New York’s Great Lakes resources is invited to attend the workshop.

The Great Lakes Commission first embarked upon this project to provide the scientific and technical assistance needed to inform the development of legislative, appropriations, and policy priorities for the Council of Great Lakes Governors' Great Lakes restoration initiative. At this meeting, New York Sea Grant, in association with the Great Lakes Commission, will seek input on the priorities from stakeholders interested in New York's Great Lakes waters. This input will help develop a shared vision and the principles, goals, objectives and strategic actions needed to achieve that vision. For more information on the workshop, please visit www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/Pages/GLRestoration0404.htm.

Contact: Chuck O'Neill
Coastal Resources Specialist, NY Sea Grant
Email: cro4@cornell.edu
Phone: 585-395-2638

Public Meeting Concerning Great Lakes Restoration Priorities
Erie, Pennsylvania
February 25, 2004

Final proceedings (PDF)
Workshop Results (PDF)

The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at the Waldron Center on Gannon University’s campus in Erie, Pennsylvania. Policy makers and opinion leaders representing diverse sectors of Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes community are invited. Plenary and breakout sessions will provide opportunities for all voices to be heard. Workshop outcomes will be forwarded to our Great Lakes governors, Congressional members, and the larger Great Lakes community for guidance as restoration planning efforts move forward. There is no charge for this event, and lunch will be provided. However, you must register by contacting Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Lake Erie Coastal Outreach Specialist Sean Rafferty at (814) 898–6358 or via email at sdr138@psu.edu by Wednesday, February 18. Attendance is limited due to facility capacity, and registrations will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis. For more information please visit Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Web site at www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/events4.html.

Contact: Eric Obert
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
E-mail: eco1@psu.edu
Phone: 814-898-6453

Public Meeting Concerning Great Lakes Restoration Priorities
Parma, Ohio
February 24, 2004

Final proceedings (PDF)
Announcement letter (PDF)

A series of public meetings is being held to solicit input in each of the Great Lakes states. The format of Ohio’s meeting has been designed to allow maximum opportunity to gain input from the public. Therefore, beyond brief introductory remarks, there will be no formal presentations. There will be a station for each of the nine priorities at which participants may ask questions and record their comments, as well as a tenth station for more general comments. Proceedings for this meeting are forthcoming.

Workshop Proceedings: "Restore the Greatness! Developing Restoration Priorities for the Great Lakes"
Ann Arbor, Michigan
September 17, 2003

Workshop Proceedings (PDF)

On September 17, 2003, approximately 100 stakeholders convened for a "restoration priorities" workshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission, the Michigan Sea Grant College Program and the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes. Supported by the National Sea Grant College Program with additional assistance from the University of Michigan, the event elicited stakeholder advice on ecosystem restoration priorities and means to implement them. Outcomes will be shared with the region's governors and broader policy and stakeholder communities to inform and advance efforts for a large scale ecosystem restoration effort. The proceedings document (PDF) presents workshop outcomes in detail. Workshops in other Great Lakes states are in the planning stage.

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Lt. Gov. John Cherry (Mich.), is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration of Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.