Compact Bodies Post Agendas & Meeting Materials

Dec 1: The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body (Regional Body) which previously announced its upcoming conference call meeting for December 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM EST [See WIMS 11/6/09] has now posted an agenda and materials to be discussed. Included in the information is: Draft December 8, 2009 Regional Body Meeting Agenda; Draft Resolution #13--Adoption of Water Use Reporting Protocols; Draft Resolution #14--Adoption of Fiscal Year 2010 Budget--Third and Fourth Quarters (January 1-June 30, 2010); Draft Chair's Proposed Invitation List to Regional Body's Advisory Committee, Resource Group and Observers; Draft Water Management Program Review Document; Draft Water Conservation and Efficiency Program Review Document; and Draft September 22, 2009 Regional Body Meeting Summary. Additionally, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council (Compact Council) is meeting via conference call following the Regional Body meeting has posted similar documents for discussion.

Access the agenda and materials for the Regional Body meeting (click here). Access the agenda and materials for the Compact Council meeting (click here).

Regional Body & Compact Council To Meet Dec. 8

Nov 6: The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body (Regional Body) announced it will meet on December 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM EST. The conference call meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda and materials to be discussed will be available in coming weeks on the Regional Body website (See link below).

Additionally, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council (Compact Council) will meet on the same day at 3:00 PM. The conference call meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda and materials to be discussed will be available on the Council of Great Lakes Governors website in coming weeks (See link below). The Council of Great Lakes Governors serves as Secretariat to the Regional Body and the Compact Council.

Access the Regional Body information (click here). Access the Compact Council information (click here).

Ocean (Great Lakes) Policy Meeting In Cleveland

Oct 23: Obama Administration officials will hold their sixth regional Ocean Policy Task Force Public Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, October 29, 4:00-7:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Marriott Cleveland Downtown at Key Center, Ballroom (Salon D and E), 127 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114.

The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, consists of senior-level officials from Administration agencies, departments, and offices including: Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the U.S. EPA Administrator; Rear Admiral Sally Brice O’Hara, Deputy Commandant for Operations, U.S. Coast Guard; and Captain Byron Black, Senior Maritime Safety and Security Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Transportation.

The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of the oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes [See WIMS 6/15/09]. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning. The public is encouraged to attend and an opportunity for public comment will be provided.

Members of the public can access the meeting in three ways: by attending in person at the Cleveland meeting; by calling into the listen only phone line (800-369-2133; participant code: 8314284); or via live webstream at the website Great Lakes Live (link below). Public comment can also be submitted online at the link below.

Access the White House Ocean Policy website for complete background and to submit comments (click here). Access the Great Lakes Live website (click here).

Live Webcast Of IJC's Biennial Meeting

Oct 5: The International Joint Commission (IJC) has announced that there will be live webcast of sessions from the IJC's Biennial Meeting under the Great Lakes Quality Agreement. The two-day agenda for October 7 & 8 includes: Opening plenary; Keynote speakers James Bruce, Environmental Consultant and Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator; Reporting out from the six priority workshops; "Great Lakes Protection and Restoration" Senior U.S. and Canadian officials; Public forum and dialogue on Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; "A Look to the Future" by Commissioner Pierre Trépanier; and "Rethinking Water for the 21st Century: New Challenges, New Opportunities" Peter Gleick.

Access the complete agenda (click here). Access the Great Lakes Live website for the webcast (click here).

Great Lakes Conferences' Sessions Webcast Live

Sep 25: Experts will discuss Lake Michigan and Great Lakes issues at three conferences in Milwaukee from September 29 through October 2. Topics at the concurrent State of Lake Michigan and Great Lakes Beach Association conferences September 29 - October 1 include Lake Michigan fisheries; invasive species; nuisance and harmful algal blooms; climate change; lake water levels; sustainability; progress in cleanups on contaminated sediment; rapid testing methods for beach management; and beach restoration. In association with these meetings, the annual Areas of Concern (AOC) conference will be held October 1-2 at the same location.

The events will be held at the Hyatt Regency and many sessions will be webcast live (See link below). The conferences are sponsored by U.S. EPA, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, Great Lakes Beach Association and many other organizations.

Access agendas, sponsors and information at (click here). Access separate information for the Areas of Concern conference (click here). Access the schedule of conference session webcasts (click here).

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative News

Jul 28: The slides from the presentations being given by the U.S. EPA at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Stakeholder Meetings [See WIMS 7/14/09] are now available online. The slides provide background information about the Great Lakes, the Initiative, Proposed Programs for implementation in Fiscal Year 2010, and the Great Lakes Multi-Year Action Plan Outline (Fiscal Years 2010 thru 2014). The Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline is also available at the link below and stakeholder feedback may be submitted until by August 19, 2009 online.

Access the presentation slides (click here). Access the GLRI Action Plan (click here). Access the GLRI website for links to additional information and background (click here).

Groups Remind Of Great Lakes 2009 Meetings

Jul 14: The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, consisting of more than 100 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes, issued a release reminding of the upcoming public comment meetings on the State of the Great Lakes 2009 report [See WIMS 6/19/09].

Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the HOW Coalition said, “This report clearly shows the need for Congress to act to restore the Great Lakes. Toxic pollution, invasive species and climate change threaten not only our health and quality of life, but the region’s economy. The U.S. House and Senate can advance Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery by fully funding the $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.” President Obama this year introduced a $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative [See WIMS 6/29/09], which has been passed in Senate committee and the full House of Representatives.

Next week, the EPA will kick-off a series of public comment sessions in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to examine the initiative. The hearing schedule is: July 21, Milwaukee, WI; July 22, Chicago, IL; July 23, Merrilville, IN; July 27, Cleveland, OH; July 28, Erie, PA; July 29, Rochester, MI; August 3, Lansing, MI; and August 4, Duluth, MN.

Access an announcement from HOW and link to additional information and meeting specifics (click here). Access the Great Lakes Restoration website for more information (click here).

5th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference

Jul 7: The Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition 5th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference will take place September 10-12, in Duluth, MN at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown Waterfront. The Coalition will reunite with friends, celebrate successes, and develop strategies to achieve the Great Lakes restoration goals for 2010 and beyond. The conference agenda will address critical issues such as linking Great Lakes restoration to economic recovery, working with the Obama administration to fulfill the $5 billion Great Lakes commitment, and securing Congressional funding for on the ground restoration work.

Access details and online registration (click here).

Great Lakes Beach Association 2009 Joint Conference

Mar 25: The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, U.S. EPA, and other sponsors have announced the State of Lake Michigan and Great Lakes Beach Association 2009 Joint Conference, to be held September 29-October 1, 2009, Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, WI. The 6th biennial State of Lake Michigan and the 9th annual Great Lakes Beach Association Conference joint conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency, located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, near the famed Riverwalk. The conference brings together elected officials, scientists, resource managers, planners, students, and citizens working to improve the lake and its beaches, as outlined in the Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan.

Access further details (click here).

Commission To Take Great Lakes Priorities To DC

Feb 18: Next week, at its annual Great Lakes Days in Washington, DC, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) will present recommendations to Congress to support job creation and stimulate economic development on a long-term basis by investing in Great Lakes protection and restoration. In its list of legislative priorities for fiscal year 2010, the Commission is urging Congress and the Administration to work together to create a sustainable funding mechanism for the Great Lakes and to increase support for several existing programs. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, GLC chair said, “An investment this year in Great Lakes restoration will improve our precious environment and yield solid economic returns for the region and the nation."

According to a release from GLC, the health of the lakes is vital to more than 35 million citizens who depend on them for drinking water; a recreational boating industry that generates spending of $16 billion annually and supports over 100,000 jobs in the Great Lakes states; a commercial and sport fishery valued at more than $4 billion; and a maritime transportation system that supports trade and manufacturing for the heartland of North America. They said, a significant Federal investment is needed to match the estimated $15 billion annually that is invested by local governments.

In its priorities for fiscal year 2010, the Great Lakes Commission calls on Congress to: provide sustainable, ongoing funding for Great Lakes restoration through a block grant, trust fund or similar mechanism as recommended by the President during the campaign; create jobs and protect water quality by providing the Great Lakes states with nearly $500 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; clean up toxic sediments by fully funding the Great Lakes Legacy Act with $54 million in 2010 and an increased annual authorization of $150 million; close the door on aquatic invasive species through strong ballast water treatment requirements, better regulation of organisms in trade, and continued funding for such existing programs as the sea lamprey control program; and restore valuable fish and wildlife habitat with full funding of $16 million for the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act.

The five priorities are consistent with those of the Council of Great Lakes Governors and shared by an alliance that includes the mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the Healing Our Waters® - Great Lakes Coalition, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority, Council of Great Lakes Industries, and GLC.

Access a release from GLC and link to complete details on the GLC priorities (click here).

Lake Michigan Monitoring Meeting Webcast

Nov 14: The Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council Fall 2008 Meeting addressing The Lake Michigan Nearshore: Monitoring Gaps & Plans to Address Them, is being held at the Marina Grand Resort in New Buffalo, MI on November 18-19, 2008. A live video webcast will be available starting 1:00 PM Eastern time on the 18th.

The draft Agenda. features the following topics: National Water Quality Monitoring Council Update; Lake Michigan Pilot Demonstration Update; 2008 State of the Lakes Ecosystem Recap; USGS Beach Health Initiative: Indicators, Research & Analytical Methods Update; Lake Monitoring with the Triaxis: Capabilities and Future Plans; 2010 Coastal Condition Report; 2010 Lake MI GLNPO/LaMP Intensive Year Monitoring & Follow-up on 10/24; BEC Meeting: Closer Connection Between Monitoring and the LaMPs; RFP on Phosphorous by Adding Loads; GLRRIN near shore research plans; NEST Indicators Program (National Environmental Status & Trends); Lake Michigan focus issue: Botulism Research and Monitoring; Lake Michigan Pilot Study Nearshore Gaps and Related Components; and Discussion: Coordinating/Developing Monitoring Around Nearshore Issues.

Access links to the complete agenda and the webcast (click here).

Great Lakes Water Conference November 14

Oct 2: The University of Toledo College of Law and its affiliated Legal Institute of the Great Lakes will hold their 8th annual Great Lakes Water Conference on Friday, November 14, 2008 at the University of Toledo College of Law. This year’s panels of experts will focus on Implementing the Compact, Transboundary Pollution (featuring a recent suit by a Canadian citizen against a Michigan power plant as a case study), and Groundwater Rights (and Wrongs) (providing context for understanding groundwater rights and Ohio’s proposed constitutional amendment). The keynote speaker will be Commissioner Sam Speck of the International Joint Commission. The conference is free to the public, and attorneys can earn 4.5 hours of CLE credits for $50.

Access an announcement (click here). Access a brochure, registration information and links to previous conferences (click here).