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Policy and Advocacy |
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Questions? |
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Comments or questions about the Commission's advocacy and policy work? Contact , Executive Director, at teder@glc.org
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Current Advocacy
Great Lakes Commission Legislative Priorities for FY 2009
On behalf of its eight member states, the Great Lakes Commission has developed a set of legislative priorities to protect and enhance the quality of our region’s environment and economy. These priorities were presented to Congress at Great Lakes Day 2008, held in Washington DC on February 28, 2008. The Commission’s priorities respond to and will advance the recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy (www.glrc.us). The Commission endorses the recommendations of the Council of Great Lakes Governors to Congress; the recommendations herein complement the governors’ requests.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact
The recent completion of the ratification process for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact by the eight Great Lakes states represents a significant step forward for the protection of this precious freshwater resource. The Compact assures that future decisions regarding usage of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waters will be guided by policies designed to protect and conserve the resource. Congress must take the next step and grant its consent to the Compact.
Great Lakes Legacy Act
The Great Lakes Commission calls on Congress to reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act in 2008. The Legacy Act authorizes funding to remediate contaminated sediments in Great Lakes Areas of Concern designated under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Legacy Act program has been highly successful in implementing contaminated sediment cleanups and has become a cornerstone of restoration efforts for the Areas of Concern. The program enjoys strong support from the Great Lakes states, the business community, regional environmental organizations, and local Area of Concern advisory councils.
Ballast Water Legislation
The Great Lakes Commission, the Great Lakes governors, the mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and others have consistently and repeatedly urged Congress to enact legislation to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species. Now Congress is listening. In just the last two months, legislation has been introduced in the Senate (S.B. 1578) and the House (H.R. 2830). While we are pleased that Congress is finally moving, the Great Lakes Commission is concerned that in their current forms, neither of the bills will provide adequate protection for the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
The Great Lakes Commission supports reauthorization of the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in the 2007 Farm Bill, with language that maintains the current authorized funding level ($5 million) and ties the program to the priorities of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy. Soil erosion and sedimentation are the primary source of land-based nonpoint source pollution, including a major source of nutrients and toxic chemicals, to the Great Lakes system. In an effort to combat erosion and sedimentation, Congress authorized the Great Lakes Basin Program to address one of the primary environmental problems in the Great Lakes basin. The Great Lakes Basin Program is all about making a difference — in water quality, land use and agricultural productivity. Since its inception in 1991, this federal/state partnership has supported nearly 400 locally sponsored demonstration, information and education projects to reduce erosion and sedimentation throughout the Great Lakes region.
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