2002 Great Lakes Program unveiled in Washington, D.C.

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Five lakes. Seven goals. One ecosystem.

Calling for bold action to undo a legacy of misuse, the Great Lakes Commission has issued a seven-point strategy to revitalize the Great Lakes, the greatest system of fresh water on the face of the earth.

The 2002 Great Lakes Program to Ensure Environmental and Economic Prosperity was recently released at Great Lakes Day in Washington, D.C., a gathering of the region’s policymakers and opinion leaders, including members of Congress. Built around seven key goals, the program calls for a series of congressional actions to “Restore the Greatness” and promote a clean environment, prosperous economy and high quality of life for citizens of the Great Lakes region.

The seven goals are:

• Cleaning up toxic hot spots
• Shutting the door on invasive species
• Controlling nonpoint source pollution
• Restoring and conserving wetlands and critical coastal habitat
• Ensuring the sustainable use of our water resources
• Strengthening our decision support capability
• Enhancing the commercial and recreational value of our waterways

“The Great Lakes are the crown jewels of the world’s fresh waters and hold the key to economic prosperity, environmental health and quality of life for tens of millions of residents,” said Nathaniel E. Robinson, chairman of the Great Lakes Commission. “They’ve come a long way since they were declared ‘dead or dying’ three decades ago but much work remains to be done.”

A steady erosion of federal funding has stalled progress on many Great Lakes restoration efforts. The Great Lakes Program seeks to reverse this trend through a series of legislative and appropriations priorities for existing federal programs that have been underfunded or never received funding, as well as a number of “new start” initiatives. These measures include federal/state and U.S./Canadian partnerships in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system and emphasize the interdependence of environmental health and sustainable economic development.

This is the second iteration of the Great Lakes Program for Environmental and Economic Prosperity, originally introduced last year. Updated for the second session of the 107th Congress, the program forms the basis of the Commission’s advocacy efforts for the coming year.

“Our annual legislative and appropriations priorities offer a blueprint for basin restoration efforts,” said Michael J. Donahue, Commission President/CEO. “We were pleased to see that the Congress embraced many of these goals last session and we hope to build on that success in the current one.”

The Great Lakes Program has been endorsed by the Board of Directorsof the Great Lakes Commission, representing the organization’s eight member states. Its provisions build upon the many federal authorities, regional agreements and strategic plans associated with individual and collective members of the Great Lakes community and call for applying sustainable development principles in the use, management and protection of water, land and other natural resources.

This was the 33rd Annual Great Lakes Day in Washington. The March 14, 2002 event included the Congressional Breakfast, co-sponsored by the Commission and the Northeast-Midwest Institute, followed by the Commission-hosted Great Lakes Issues Briefing at which the Great Lakes Program was formally released.

For immediate release: March 22, 2002
Contact: Michael J. Donahue, [email protected], office: 734-971-9135

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The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Nathaniel E. Robinson (Wisconsin), is a nonpartisan, binational compact agency created by 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 state legislators, agency officials, and governors’ appointees 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.