Commission Strategic Plan

Internal Working Draft – April 13, 2016 Not for Distribution

Introduction

The Great Lakes Commission is a public agency established by the Compact in 1955 to help its Member states speak with a unified voice and collectively fulfill their vision for a healthy, vibrant Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region. The Canadian provinces of and joined the Commission as associate members via a Declaration of Partnership in 1999. The Compact created the Commission to implement its terms and requirements, as noted in Article I:

1. To promote the orderly, integrated, and comprehensive development, use, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin.

2. To plan for the welfare and development of the water resources of the Basin as a whole as well as for those portions of the Basin which may have problems of special concern.

3. To make it possible for the states of the Basin and their people to derive the maximum benefit from utilization of public works, in the form of navigational aids or otherwise, which may exist or which may be constructed from time to time.

4. To advise in securing and maintaining a proper balance among industrial, commercial, agricultural, water supply, residential, recreational, and other legitimate uses of the water resources of the Basin.

Vision

The Great Lakes Commission is a binational leader ensuring the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River support a healthy environment, vibrant economy and high quality of life for current and future generations.

Mission

Represent, advise and assist our member states and provinces to advance their common interests in achieving the balanced and sustainable use of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin water resources.

Values

The following core values guide the work of the Great Lakes Commission and set the standards that we aspire to achieve in serving our member states and provinces.  Member led: We are guided by and serve the common interests of our member states and provinces.  Regional Perspective: We bring a regional perspective to federal, state and provincial programs, policies, projects and priorities.  Leadership: We are ambassadors for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region and serve as liaisons within and beyond the region.  Transparency: We are open and transparent in carrying out our work.

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 Integrity: We strive for the highest levels of honesty, credibility and accuracy in the information, recommendations and perspectives that we convey.  Objective: We are nonpartisan, balanced and science-based in our work.  Open-minded: We are inclusive and welcome diverse views.  Collaboration: We respect the roles of other regional institutions and collaborate with relevant entities to achieve common goals and interests.  Sustainability: We incorporate principles of sustainable development and adaptive management in our work.

Goals

The Great Lakes Commission’s goals are the platform on which its work is based and toward which its program objectives are directed. They articulate the outcomes the Commission seeks to advance over the five-year timeframe of its strategic plan, while recognizing that the Commission’s work alone will not completely fulfill these goals. The goals are specific to the Commission’s mission and reflect what it aspires to accomplish to support its member states and provinces.

 Businesses and coastal communities leverage water resources as assets to support strong economies and a high quality of life for residents.

 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River water resources are protected from pollution and impacts from climate change; are accessible; provide high quality drinking water; and are managed in a balanced and sustainable manner for the benefit of people today and future generations.

 Aquatic habitats support diverse and healthy fish and wildlife populations, are protected from the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species, and provide cultural and economic benefits to local communities.

 Harbors and waterways support recreational uses and a commercial navigation industry that efficiently moves goods and enhances the competitiveness of our regional economy.

Core Competencies

The Great Lakes Commission is uniquely equipped to serve its member states and provinces with the following core services, which constitute the skills, knowledge base, professional competencies and leadership attributes that are applied across all of its program areas. The core competencies are how the Commission conducts its work to achieve its goals, fulfill its mission and advance its vision.

Communications and Outreach: The Commission raises public awareness; communicates with federal, state/provincial, and local agencies and stakeholders; and provides information technologies and outreach services to support effective decisionmaking and stewardship.

Information Management and Delivery: The Commission collects, integrates and makes accessible high quality and unbiased data and information to enable its member jurisdictions and other parties to develop sound policies, manage and adapt programs, and make informed decisions affecting the water resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region. The Blue Accounting Initiative is an important example of the Commission’s work in this area.

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Facilitation and Consensus Building: The Commission convenes and participates in forums that address issues of interest to its member jurisdictions; serves as a neutral broker of information and research; and facilitates dialogue among diverse perspectives to build consensus on solutions to challenges and opportunities affecting water resources.

Policy Coordination and Advocacy: The Commission helps its member states and provinces speak with a common voice by coordinating, analyzing, advising, communicating and advocating shared policy priorities with federal governments. The Commission collaborates with other regional, national and international organizations to advance common interests.

Regional Project Management: The Commission secures resources and coordinates activities that address common interests of its member jurisdictions and provides the capacity to manage projects and administer funding to member states, provinces and other partners to advance shared goals.

Program Areas

The Great Lakes Commission organizes its work in program areas that encompass projects and activities that address similar goals. The program areas reflect what the Commission does and include measurable objectives to assess progress toward its overarching goals.

1. Water Quality

Problem and Opportunities

Maintaining water quality and ensuring reliable supplies of clean water is vital for public health, water- dependant industries, healthy fish and wildlife populations, and water-related tourism and recreation. Federal, state and provincial laws have been designed to ensure that water quality—from tributary streams to the open Great Lakes—meets standards established to support human uses, maintain ecosystem services, and prevent damage from flooding and other water-related actions. The Great Lakes states and provinces have primary authority to implement these laws, which both protect waters from degradation and clean up waters that are impaired or degraded. Acting together states and provinces can become better equipped to consider or respond to the cumulative impact of activities and actions across the entire basin, and pursue opportunities to strengthen their collective, regional effort to protect and enhance water quality. The Great Lakes Commission fills a gap by facilitating collective action toward improved water quality throughout the basin. The Commission’s core competencies in outreach, information management and delivery, policy analysis, and consensus building complement individual state and provincial programs in ways that maximize water quality benefits across the Great Lakes basin.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

2. Water Use, Management and Infrastructure

Problem and Opportunities

Strengthening our region’s ability to effectively monitor and manage water resources continues to be a priority of the governors and premiers, as evidenced by the 2008 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Agreement. The Commission has the history, mandate and expertise to lead and support efforts in this area and has assisted the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers in implementing the Compact and Agreement through the annual collection

3 and reporting on water withdrawals, diversions and consumptive uses. At the local level, aging and degraded water infrastructure is a significant problem that threatens our ability to provide safe drinking water and prevent pollution from failing wastewater systems. With its many older cities, the financial burden in upgrading and maintaining water infrastructure is particularly daunting for region. The Commission has supported projects focused on water conservation, green infrastructure and the energy- water nexus and has the ability to establish new partnerships, develop decision-support tools, and manage data and information to assist its member states and provinces in these areas. Additionally, the Commission’s advocacy program will continue to support federal programs, policies and funding to help states and local communities manage water infrastructure.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

3. Coastal Community Revitalization

Problem and Opportunities

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River are both a natural treasure and a vital economic asset for the binational region. Freshwater resources fueled the region’s early economic growth and provide a unique competitive advantage in attracting water-dependent industries, transporting goods and raw materials, supplying drinking water, and supporting tourism and water-based recreation. Waterfront areas historically have been centers of economic activity and many coastal communities are working to clean up and reclaim degraded or under-utilized waterfronts and leverage them to support economic development, recreation and other purposes. Regional leaders have recognized the potential of fresh water and the “Blue Economy” to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the . The Commission is well suited to identify and support sustainable strategies to maximize water-dependant economic growth and community revitalization through research, policy development, technology transfer, and information exchange. The Commission advocates for federal policies, programs and funding to support state and local efforts to restore and revitalize waterfront areas, ensure resiliency to impacts from climate change, and balance multiple benefits. Finally, the Commission can promote the region as a global center for research and development of technologies to manage freshwater resources.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

4. Coastal Conservation and Habitat Restoration

Problem and Opportunities

The region includes more than 10,000 miles of coastline and the majority of its population and economic activities are located in coastal areas. These areas support rich and diverse ecosystems and a valuable recreational and tourism economy. Human activities have heavily impacted habitat and coastal resources in the region, degrading ecosystem health, restricting waterfront development opportunities, and impairing the ability of communities to fully benefit from local water resources. Management challenges and opportunities include balancing the development and protection of natural resources; ensuring resiliency to changing lake levels and other impacts from climate change; restoring and protecting habitat for valuable fish and wildlife; cleaning up heavily degraded areas, such as the Areas of Concern; and protecting nearshore areas from nonpoint source pollution. The Commission is well positioned to assist the states, provinces and other parties in building capacity to implement cleanup and restoration work

4 under the Great Lakes Legacy Act, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Farm Bill, and other programs. The Commission can also build collaborative partnerships to advance research, strengthen management, and disseminate information to address coastal management challenges.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

5. Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Control

Problem and Opportunities

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are among the most significant threats to the environmental and economic health of the ecosystem. More than 180 non-native aquatic species have become established in the Great Lakes, damaging valuable fishery resources; imposing costs on municipal and industrial water users; and harming tourism and waterfront property owners. Preventing new AIS introductions and controlling those already present is a priority for regional leaders and a key focus of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The region is vulnerable to new AIS introductions from numerous pathways, including ballast water discharges, connecting waterways, trade in live organisms and recreational activities. Because invasive species do not respect political boundaries, effective solutions require a regional approach and sustained coordination among jurisdictions. The Commission is uniquely positioned to facilitate coordinated, regional approaches to AIS prevention and control, including support for monitoring, surveillance and rapid response programs; research, management and technology development; policy and regulations; and public awareness of AIS threats. As a respected convener and facilitator, the Commission is well suited to support collaborative efforts and regional forums, such as the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, which the Commission has administered since 1991. The Commission’s communications and information technology skills are valuable for outreach to the public and key stakeholder groups, as well as identifying and preventing AIS sales via the Internet and other pathways. At the federal level the Commission advocates for AIS programs, resources and strengthened laws to prevent the importation of harmful non-native species.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

6. Commercial Navigation and Water-Based Recreation

Problem and Opportunities

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River support a commercial navigation system that is vital for the regional and national economies of the and Canada. The Great Lakes Navigation System supports manufacturing, agribusiness and power generation, among other industries, while recreational boating and other water-based activities drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation sector. Ensuring an economically viable commercial navigation system requires the ongoing maintenance of harbors, ports, marinas, shipping channels and locks throughout the Great Lakes, including regular dredging to maintain safe navigation depths. Given the interdependent nature of the system and the critical role of key infrastructure (such as the ), these activities require close regional and binational coordination. With its dual mandate for both economic development and environmental protection, and the Commission is uniquely qualified to assist the states and provinces in sustaining the system. Among other activities, the Commission convenes federal, state/provincial and industry partners to address

5 regulatory challenges related to dredging and disposal of dredged material, and advocates with Congress for funding for navigation infrastructure and policies to ensure environmentally sustainable practices.

 Objective(s) (How the Commission will use its core competencies to address the issue)

 Action(s) (How we will measure progress)

7. Emerging Issues

Problem and Opportunities

The previous program areas reflect current or anticipated threats to the environmental and economic health of the region, and the contributions that the Commission can make in each of these areas. Beyond this, the Commission can leverage the expertise of its staff, member jurisdictions and partners to identify and assess new or emerging issues of regional importance that may require further study and discussion. Some examples of recent emerging issues that developed into new areas of work for the Commission include the re-emergence of harmful algal blooms, leading to the drinking water crisis in Toledo, ; the transportation of oil in the region and the risk of oil spills from various modes of transport; and the contamination of drinking water supplies as a result of aging infrastructure in Flint, . Emerging issues are often raised by the Commission’s member jurisdictions and may result in formal Commission resolutions, briefing papers, or workgroups led by Commission staff. Emerging regional needs also present opportunities for the Commission to engage topical experts and convene its member jurisdictions and other parties to facilitate an informed, collective response on behalf of the region.

 Criteria for determining and guiding potential Commission activities on emerging issues. (To follow…)

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