![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081111120528im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Regional Collaboration
Federal agencies, Great Lakes Governors, Great Lakes Mayors, Great Lakes Tribes, and Members of the Great Lakes States Congressional Delegation together are convening a collaboration to restore and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.
- Collaboration intro
- Conveners meeting
- Interagency Task Force
- Presidential Executive Order
- Great Lakes Declaration
- Great Lakes Framework
- Issue Area Strategy Teams
EPA is hosting this information on behalf of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Members.
Regional Collaboration: Making the Great Lakes Greater
Great Lakes Framework
Download full text:
FRAMEWORK
FOR THE GREAT LAKES
REGIONAL COLLABORATION (December 3, 2004)
(PDF, 13pp, 36kb)
Excerpt from the Framework document (December 3, 2004):
II. Introduction
The Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario - are an international treasure, constituting the largest system of fresh, surface water on Earth, containing roughly 20 percent of the world’s fresh water supply. In addition to their natural beauty, the Great Lakes serve as a source of drinking water for more than 30 million people, support the culture and life ways of native communities, form the backbone for billions of dollars in shipping, trade, and fishing, and provide food and recreational opportunities for millions of American and Canadian citizens.
While there has been progress in restoring and improving
the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem, there are still tremendous threats
to the physical, biological and chemical integrity of the ecosystem. The
environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem have become increasingly
complex over the years. The myriad of jurisdictions and programs with
responsibility for the Lakes is similarly complex. According to an April
2003 Government Accountability Office Report, the governmental presence
overseeing this international resource includes two countries, numerous
Tribes and First Nations, more than 140 federal programs, and numerous
city and state programs, all dealing with
environmental restoration activities in the Great Lakes Basin. While,
these organizations have experienced individual opportunities for successes
during the last 30 years, there is no overarching strategy to deliver
coordinated restoration and protection efforts in the future.
Multiple efforts have been taken to move toward a coordinated approach to Great Lakes ecosystem protection and restoration. In October 2003, the Great Lakes Governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Illinois, and Indiana identified nine critical environmental issues worthy of national attention. These priorities listed by the Governors have since been adopted by the Great Lakes Mayors and ratified by the Great Lakes Commission. Several members of the Congressional delegation have also been actively pursuing coordinated restoration goals.
In May 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13340 creating a cabinet-level Task Force to bring an unprecedented level of collaboration and coordination to accelerate protection and restoration of this national and internationally significant resource. Recognizing that efforts to protect and enhance the ecosystem must go beyond the federal government, the Executive Order also calls for the convening of a Regional Collaboration of National Significance to facilitate collaboration among the U.S. federal government, the Great Lakes states, local communities, Tribes, and other interests in the Great Lakes region as well as Canada.
II. Purpose of this Document
The purpose of this Framework is to establish the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration to enhance the U.S. efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem. It will also support the United States’ commitments under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, as amended by protocol in 1987, the Convention on the Great Lakes Fisheries of 1954, and other regional multijurisdictional agreements with Canada. This Framework creates the process by which the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) will operate, identifies who will be involved in the GLRC, and defines the final deliverable the GLRC intends to produce.
The signing of this Framework document signifies the convening of the
GLRC. Signatories become Members of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
and participate in the GLRC by the principles and structure laid out in
this Framework document. By signing, Members demonstrate a serious commitment
to meaningful participation in the Collaboration, with an emphasis on
thoughtful discussion, collaborative problem-solving, a respect for diversity
of opinion, and a common desire for progress in the Great Lakes ecosystem.
The
signing of this document indicates commitment to participate in the GLRC
according to the Framework. Any signatory may withdraw from the process
at any time if they choose to do so.
This excerpt is posted to help you understand the purpose of the document before you download it. To read the complete Framework document, please open or download the PDF file linked at the top of this page.