2018 Annual Report 1 Board of Directors John Linc Stine, Chair Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Sharon Jackson, Vice Chair Deputy General Counsel, Office of the Governor of Indiana Jon W. Allan, Immediate Past Chair Director, Office of the Great Lakes, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wayne A. Rosenthal Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Basil Seggos Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation James Zehringer Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources William Carr Senior Manager, Government of Ontario Office of International Relations and Policy Timothy J. Bruno Chief, Office of the Great Lakes, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Jean-François Hould Québec Government Representative in Chicago, Government of Québec Stephen G. Galarneau Director, Office of Great Waters, Great Lakes and Mississippi River Environmental Management Divison, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Board of Directors list is as of December 2018. Cover photo: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, Michigan, on Lake Superior ©flickr/74418101@N02/David Marvin. This page: Oak Street Beach in Chicago, Illinois, on Lake Michigan ©flickr/romanboed/Roman Boed. 2 John Linc Stine Darren J. Nichols Investing in a National Asset: Restoring the Great Lakes Basin Ecology and Economy ... Together MAY 2019 s the Great Lakes community of Partnership formally welcoming Ontario today, tomorrow and going forward to ensure heads into 2020 together, thank and Québec as members of the Great Lakes that we leave the Great Lakes Basin in better A you for joining us as we take Commission and as supporting partners condition and with even more opportunities a moment to reflect on the history and of the Great Lakes Basin Compact. for future generations? We hope you will join the future of the Great Lakes Basin. us in answering these important questions. As the Commission welcomes its next generation of leaders, we are reflecting on Season of Change the past and looking forward to the future. Collaboration: Working on our Future Together In many ways 2018-2019 has been a The Commission is embarking on a first- season of change across the Basin. Five ever assessment of the Great Lakes Basin The Commission understands this is no Great Lakes states elected new governors Compact—to understand the shared com- small effort; we alone are not up to this and both Great Lakes provinces elected mitments of eight states, two provinces and urgent and compelling task. We are focused new premiers. The Great Lakes Commis- Congress, and to understand the responsi- on building and supporting strong and sion selected a new executive director and bilities of the Great Lakes Commission. At intentional investments in collaborative welcomed several new commissioners. the same time, we are convening the Great governance—including voices, perspec- Congress added new members to the Great Lakes Basin community for a discussion tives, values, concerns and aspirations from Lakes Congressional Task Force while about our shared future ... and our shared across the region. We are committed to find- continuing its demonstration of leadership stewardship of the Great Lakes and the ing and leveraging areas of shared interests and strong bipartisan support for the Great people that will live, work and recreate here. into the commitments, partnerships and Lakes. These and other changes offer all investments needed to achieve the best of us an opportunity to revisit and renew Looking Forward possible future for the Great Lakes’ ecology, our commitment to shared leadership and landscapes, economy and communities. As we take a close look at the states’ and stewardship of the Great Lakes Basin. provinces’ agreement and the Commis- To support collaborative policy and sion’s authorities under the Great Lakes decision-making, we are investing in Milestones Basin Compact, we hope to understand the an open platform where we continue Amid these changes, the Basin is also history and the spirit of cooperation that has to welcome perspectives, information celebrating significant milestones. 2018 served the Great Lakes Basin so well over and ideas. We call this space Blue marked fifty years since Congress’ 1968 the last six decades. More importantly, and Accounting—a platform to convene to authorization of the Great Lakes Basin perhaps more urgently, we are challenging solve problems, reach for aspirations and Compact. 2019 marks twenty years since ourselves and the Basin community to look measure shared progress ... together. the eight Great Lakes governors and two forward and ask what should be true about continued on next page > Great Lakes premiers signed a Declaration the Great Lakes Basin in fifty or a hundred years? And what do we need to be doing 3 Edgewater Park in Cleveland, Ohio, on Lake Erie ©flickr/edrost88/Erik Drost. Urgent Priorities The Commission is committed to Thank you ... and Onward! working together to keep Asian carp and Along the way, the Commission continues Thank you for your continued support other invasive species out of the Great to pay close attention to urgent Great Lakes for the Great Lakes Basin Compact, the Lakes—and we will continue to work with priorities, including issues like harmful Commission and the important convening Illinois, other states and the U.S. Army algae in Lake Erie, building needed maritime role we’ve filled for more than 60 years. We Corps of Engineers on a successful plan infrastructure, preventing invasive species continue to serve as a neutral convener, for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. of all types from entering the Great Lakes, helping people find agreement and solu- building resilient coastal communities, We continue to seek and support a tions from Duluth to Québec City, from protecting and ensuring clean drinking water single comprehensive binational ballast Chicago to Hamilton to Milwaukee to Toledo for citizens across the Basin, and investing water policy that protects the waters of the ... and to your Great Lakes community. in infrastructure that protects our water and Great Lakes and supports a ready, resil- Please join us as we roll up our sleeves, supports the world’s third-largest economy. ient and efficient transportation system. lift our eyes and look forward to our The Commission is also developing The Commission urgently supports shared future and these Great Lakes! policies that support “green infrastruc- immediate investment in maritime navi- ture”—creating natural ecosystem func- gation system infrastructure, including tions that reduce stormwater and flooding construction of a new Soo lock. The Soo while boosting the livability of our cities, Locks are a critical infrastructure as- creating recreation and habitat areas and set that is vital to North America’s eco- John Linc Stine, Chair restoring natural resources in the Basin. nomic prosperity and national security. The Commission continues to support The Commission supports continued other important state and federal pro- full funding for the Great Lakes Resto- grams—the Farm Bill, Coast Guard capaci- ration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI is an Darren J. Nichols, Executive Director ties, a new Soo lock, port infrastructure, investment that already demonstrates a drinking water protection, and more. return of more than three dollars for every dollar invested—a return that is expected As we look ahead, we hope you will bring to continue to yield dividends over time. your priorities and explore ways to include them in the Commission’s work. We en- courage you to take a moment to read the Great Lakes Basin Compact, then join us in asking how we as a community can invest in our shared Great Lakes future together. 4 Funders The funders listed below provided support to the Great Lakes Commission in 2018. The majority of GLC programs and projects are pursued in partnership with other agencies and organizations, and benefit from their funding support. Thank you to our 2018 funders and supporters: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers C.S. Mott Foundation Ecology & Environment Inc. Erb Foundation Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Financials Government of Ontario Government of Québec Great Lakes Fishery Commission The financial report covers the Great Lakes Commission’s 2018 Great Lakes Fishery Trust fiscal year, which concluded June 30, 2018. Greater Milwaukee Foundation The GLC concluded FY 2018 in sound financial condition, with Herrick Foundation operating revenues of $11.65 million. Total expenses exceeded Illinois Department of Natural Resources revenues by 1.83 percent. Overall, the GLC continues to International Joint Commission effectively manage its general, restricted and cash reserve funds to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Joyce Foundation Lawrence Technological University These figures are confirmed by an independent audit, which is conducted each year to examine the GLC’s financial operations. LimnoTech, Inc. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality State of Illinois Revenues State of Indiana Grants and contracts $ 11,000,329 94.41% State of Michigan State contributions 480,000 4.12% State of Minnesota Meetings, publications, misc. 58,812 0.50% State of New York Interest income 18,333 0.16% State of Ohio Change in fair value of investments 93,597 0.80% State of Wisconsin The Nature Conservancy TOTAL $ 11,651,071 The Ohio State University U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Expenses U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Grants and contracts $ 8,694,440 73.28% U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic Personnel 2,519,240 21.23% and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office operations 337,031 2.84% U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office Program activities 137,347 1.16% U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Travel 124,637 1.05% U.S. Geological Survey Communications 51,265 0.43% University of Wisconsin-Madison TOTAL $ 11,863,960 Wege Foundation Change in net position ($ 212,889) -1.83% Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 5 Tobermory, Ontario, on Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay ©flickr/ajoch/Anthony J.