Contact: Dr. Michael J. Donahue E-mail: mdonahue@glc.org

For immediate release May 3, 2000

2000 Semiannual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission, May 11-12 Setting our agenda: State and provincial priorities for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Policymakers and opinion leaders from throughout the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region will convene May 11-12 in Duluth, Minn., to address and act on key public policy issues affecting the environment and economy of the world’s largest freshwater system. State and provincial delegates to the Great Lakes Commission will be joined at the event by other government officials and private sector and citizen interests.

Topping the agenda is a presentation on Commission priorities for legislation and appropriations during the Second Session of the 106th Congress. Also, a special session on ballast management and aquatic nuisance species will offer differing views on current and prospective legislative initiatives to regulate ballast discharge for commercial vessels. Other meeting topics include water use, diversion and export; brownfields redevelopment and greenfields preservation; and beneficial use of dredged materials. Also, state and provincial delegates will set priorities for the next 12 months and adopt a new five-year strategic plan for the Great Lakes Commission. Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba and Thomas Baldini, chair of the International Joint Commission-U.S. Section, will be among approximately two dozen speakers at the event.

In addition to the business session, attendees will enjoy a May 11 tour, reception, dinner and entertainment at Glensheen Mansion on the shores of Lake Superior.

The semiannual meeting will be preceded by meetings of the Great Lakes Dredging Team and Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species on May 10-11. The Great Lakes Dredging Team is a consortium of state and federal officials that addresses key policy issues associated with dredging and dredged material disposal at Great Lakes commercial and recreational harbors and channels. The Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species is a consortium of public agency, university and private sector representatives charged with coordinating, initiating and advocating prevention and control activities in the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region.

The semiannual meeting of the Great Lakes Commission is hosted by the members of the Commission's Minnesota Delegation. These include Rep. Thomas Huntley, delegation chair; Sen. Cal Larson; Sen. Steve Novak; Rep. George Cassel; and Mark Ludlow, governor's appointee.

All events are open to the public.

The Great Lakes Commission is a nonpartisan, binational compact agency created by state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of state legislators, agency officials and governors’ appointees from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.