Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) passed resolutions supporting USGS science programs and short-sea shipping, and approved an Action Plan for a Resilient Great Lakes Basin at its 2022 semiannual meeting, held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this week.

“The Great Lakes Commission is thrilled to be meeting in Green Bay to work on critical issues for the lakes, including climate resiliency and providing clean and safe drinking water for our communities,” said GLC Chair Todd L. Ambs, of Wisconsin. “We are grateful to our commissioners, observers, and friends for joining our first in-person meeting since 2019.”

During the meeting, the GLC heard remarks from Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin Senator André Jacque, and Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and were joined by expert panels on reducing nutrient runoff in Great Lakes watersheds, ensuring infrastructure investments are accessible to disadvantaged and small communities, protecting Great Lakes shorelines, and integrating regional research efforts. Commissioners and guests also discussed conservation opportunities in the 2023 Farm Bill and work on a draft regional blueprint for water infrastructure to be released later this year. Commissioners and guests also visited several area farms to learn about conservation practices that help improve water quality and support the needs of farmers contributing to the region’s food supply.

The Commission also took action to establish an ad-hoc committee exploring opportunities for the Great Lakes Circle Tour and approved a request from the Council of the Great Lakes Region to serve as an official observer to the GLC.

The GLC will next meet for its annual meeting, October 11-13, in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.