Resolution: Data Exchange Partnerships and Standardization of Decision Support Tools
Adopted on April 17, 2003

Whereas, access to accurate and timely data by members of the scientific, management and policy communities is critical to decisionmaking that affects Great Lakes water resources; and

Whereas, the general public and other stakeholders, including commercial, non-governmental organizations and academic interests, need ready access to information to fully participate in the decisionmaking process; and

Whereas, accurate, consistent, well-documented and easily accessible information should be the foundation of all decision support systems (e.g., databases; networked computers; physical, ecological and human process models; and visualization tools that clarify complex relationships); and

Whereas, there is limited emphasis on information standardization across international, state, provincial and county boundaries in the Great Lakes region despite substantial federal, state, provincial and local investments in systems for information storage and retrieval and Internet clearinghouses; and

Whereas, there are few interoperable data exchange programs between Great Lakes states, provinces and federal agencies even though substantial strides have been achieved in developing national and international data standards and exchange protocols.

Therefore, be it resolved, that the Great Lakes Commission staff will generate a formal data exchange agreement and negotiate the same with Great Lakes states and provinces, agencies and other relevant parties within 12 months; and

Be it Further resolved, that the Great Lakes Commission encourages the states and provinces and all Great Lakes-St. Lawrence agencies and organizations to work consistently toward standardizing decision support tools that fully exploit available Internet resources; and

Be it finally resolved, that the Great Lakes Commission encourages its member states and provinces, and its Observer agencies, to use the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) as the nexus of this new-generation information and decision support framework.

Unanimously adopted by the Great Lakes Commission at its 2003 Semiannual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 17, 2003.