Regional Coordination program

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Our goal
To strengthen the collective Great Lakes management effort by providing regional leadership, generating consensus on regional priorities among diverse interests and building partnerships for decisive regional action.

What we do
The Regional Coordination Program carries out the Commission’s mandate for regional advocacy, as embodied in the Great Lakes Basin Compact, our enabling legislation. This includes building consensus among members; forming coalitions with regional, national and international partners; and presenting recommendations to regional and national leadership. Program staff have extensive experience in shaping legislation and bringing resource management issues to the attention of elected officials and other decisionmakers.

• Advocacy
  Among the Commission’s principal roles is to serve as an advocate for the region, identifying and recommending policies, laws and regulations related to the use and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes basin. One of the Commission’s most visible activities in this area is co-sponsoring, along with the Northeast-Midwest Institute, the annual Great Lakes Day in Washington, which brings together members of Congress, regional leaders, stakeholders and others to address matters of Great Lakes policy. The Commission also produces, on behalf of its member states, an annual compilation of regional legislative and appropriations priorities for presentation to Congress; regularly communicates with members of Congress through letters, congressional briefings and submitting testimony to committees; and participates in conferences, strategy sessions, briefings and similar events with other Great Lakes interests to discuss and build consensus on policy issues.

• “Great Lakes Program to Ensure Environmental and Economic Prosperity:” Produce annual summary of federal legislative and appropriations priorities to address Great Lakes needs, which is submitted to Congress on behalf of the Commission’s member states.
• Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC): Provide communications support for the GLRC, including web site design and maintenance, database development, and hosting of discussion forums and email lists.