Ann Arbor, MI – The Great Lakes Commission held its 2020 Annual Meeting this week in a virtual format for the first time ever. During the three-day meeting, the Commission passed a resolution updating its position on invasive Asian carp, heard from partners on regional collaboration to protect the Great Lakes and national experts on work to build climate resilience, and re-elected its chair and vice chair.

“We are grateful that more than 175 of our Commissioners, Observers and partners could join us online this week to discuss critical regional priorities, including climate resilience,” said Erika Jensen, interim executive director of the Commission. “As is true for all issues facing the Great Lakes, collaboration will be essential to protecting communities in the Great Lakes basin from increasingly severe weather and storm events. A standing committee of Commissioners is continuing work on a draft action plan that will leverage existing programs and expertise in this space and help coordinate and plan on a basinwide scale, and we look forward to sharing that work at our Semiannual Meeting in May 2021.”

The Commission passed one resolution at the meeting, which updated its policy on invasive Asian carp. The resolution, introduced jointly by members of its Illinois and Michigan delegations, calls on the U.S. federal government to fund and advance prevention and control measures for Asian carp, including the design, engineering, and construction of a control point at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. The Commission also voted to establish an ad-hoc committee to update its policy on mercury contamination.

Finally, the Commission re-elected Sharon M. Jackson of Indiana as chair and Todd Ambs of Wisconsin as vice chair. Chair Jackson serves as Deputy General Counsel to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. Vice Chair Ambs serves as Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The Commission will next convene the week of May 10, 2021 for its semiannual meeting and will host the annual Great Lakes Day in early March 2021. The formats of these events will be announced in the future. 

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is an interstate compact agency established under the Great Lakes Basin Compact of 1955. The Commission is authorized 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 Basin and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, industry and nonprofit leaders and agency officials from eight states and two provinces. 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 office is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org.