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

For immediate release October 26, 2000

Ann Arbor, Mich. - The Great Lakes Commission, acting at its recent annual meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, has adopted a bold new strategy to advance environmental protection and resource management efforts in the Great akes-St. Lawrence region. Delegates from the eight Great Lakes states, as well as Ontario and Québec, convened to discuss and act on a series of policy positions and new initiatives that will advance state and provincial priorities for the region.

"Four themes emerged that collectively form this strategy," explains Nathaniel E. Robinson, newly elected chair of the Commission. "The Commission has committed to expanding our regional advocacy role, our partnerships within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence community, our decision support services, and our suite of specific projects." Among other actions, the Commission will:

• establish a new advocacy staff position and associated strategy to advance its priority needs within the 107^th Congress;

• explore opportunities for meaningful partnership with the region's First Nations and tribal authorities;

• develop a binational data and information management policy to support decisionmaking processes on a range of environmental protection and resource management issues; and

• initiate projects that include a binational Lake St. Clair Management Initiative and a monitoring network for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system.

Actions at the meeting, attended by more than 120 representatives from the public, private and citizen sectors, complement some 50 ongoing projects and activities that respond to elements of the Commission's five-year Strategic Plan adopted earlier this year. Details, including all resolutions adopted at the annual meeting, are available at the Great Lakes Commission web site: http://www.glc.org/.

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Nathaniel E. Robinson (Wisconsin), 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 Quebec 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.