Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today applauded Congress and the Biden Administration for enacting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bipartisan infrastructure legislation includes significant investments in key Great Lakes priorities, including $1 billion in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, $55 billion for drinking water and wastewater projects, $10 billion for action on emerging contaminants such as PFAS, $2.25 billion for port infrastructure development grants, and $1.9 billion for Army Corps of Engineers aquatic restoration projects.

“The Great Lakes Commission is grateful to our region’s bipartisan congressional delegation and President Biden for their work on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said GLC Chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “This legislation represents historic investment in longstanding GLC priorities, including $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Since it was launched in 2010, the GLRI has funded more than 5,000 projects across the Great Lakes. These projects have cleaned up toxic contamination, restored wetlands, prevented the spread of aquatic invasive species and more. They also produce a substantial return on investment, with every dollar spent generating an estimated $3.35 in additional economic activity.”

In June, the GLC led a coalition of regional agencies, legislators, mayors, and business and environmental groups in urging Congressional leaders to include key Great Lakes priorities in the legislation. The GLC will continue to advocate for Great Lakes priorities in upcoming legislation, including investments in climate resiliency and Great Lakes icebreaking capacity. 

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. –The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) passed resolutions expressing its priorities on climate resiliency, infrastructure investment, mercury contamination, and nutrient-driven algal blooms at its 2021 Annual Meeting, held online this week.

At the meeting, the GLC also elected a new chair and vice chair and signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to advance mutual goals for Great Lakes conservation, protection, sustainable use and development. The MOU recognizes the GLC’s unique ability to ensure that scientific information is brought to policymakers and managers in a timely and effective manner, as well as engage its state and provincial membership to identify priority areas of scientific inquiry.

“The Great Lakes Commission is committed to bringing its binational membership together to work on real solutions for the biggest issues facing the lakes, in collaboration with our partners at the federal, tribal, state, provincial and local level,” said outgoing GLC Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “The resolutions passed today speak to the enthusiasm of our party states and provinces for this difficult but rewarding work. I am grateful to our commissioners, observers, and friends for their partnership with the GLC and contributions to our meeting.”

Commissioners elected Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, as its chair and Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, as its vice chair.

“I am excited to serve as chair after rejoining the Wisconsin delegation to the Great Lakes Commission two years ago,” said Ambs. “As a longtime advocate for the lakes, I know that the GLC is a terrific forum for collaboration. I am particularly looking forward to working with our commissioners and partners as we draft our strategic plan for 2022 – 2027.” 

During the meeting, the GLC assembled expert panels on nearshore nutrient reductions, mercury contamination in the Great Lakes ecosystem, and building resilient communities in the basin. Commissioners and guests also heard from the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water on water infrastructure and other priorities and USGS on its recently released Great Lakes Science Forum report, which assessed data gaps and science needs across the Great Lakes ecosystem. Commissioners also recognized Thomas Crane, the GLC’s long-serving deputy director, with an honorary resolution of recognition and appreciation for 35 years of service.

Video of meeting sessions will be available online in the near future. In March, the GLC will host annual Great Lakes Day events in Washington, D.C., and it will next convene in June for its semiannual meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) announced today that it will award more than $1.5 million in grants to reduce the runoff of sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants into the Great Lakes and their tributaries through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program.

“The Great Lakes Commission is proud to help our state and local communities improve water quality through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program,” said Sharon M. Jackson, chair of the GLC and deputy general counsel to Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “This year we are thrilled to celebrate 30 years of conservation efforts and partnerships through this unique program. Over the last three decades, these projects have prevented millions of pounds of phosphorus and tons of sediment from reaching the Great Lakes. Congratulations to the 2021 grantees; your work contributes to a healthy Great Lakes basin.”

Each year, the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program provides competitive grants to local, state and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to install erosion and nutrient control practices in the Great Lakes basin. These practices are important to preventing harmful algal blooms and dead zones. The program supports projects not typically funded by other federal cost-share programs, including innovative and unique practices. The 2021 projects generally focus on three approaches: long-term sediment and nutrient management through engagement with the agricultural community, streambank restoration, and green infrastructure.

The following grants have been awarded:

Funding for the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Since it was first funded in 2010, the GLRI has provided more than $4 billion to fund more than 5000 projects across the Great Lakes region. The projects have cleaned up toxic hot spots, restored wetlands, helped to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and reduced harmful sediment and excess nutrients to the most significant surface freshwater resource on the planet, the Great Lakes.

More information about the projects is available at www.nutrientreduction.org.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – An action plan released today recommends building blocks for growing the Great Lakes basin economy by leveraging the economic potential of the region’s freshwater resources. Leaders from more than 50 Great Lakes agencies and organizations, convened by the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), developed the action plan as roadmap for collective action and a challenge to regional decision-makers to take strategic action.

The plan recommends actions to help the region: develop a cohesive vision and organizational structure; advance its water research, education, technology and innovation sectors; create a unique Great Lakes brand and strategically market the Great Lakes Blue Economy at the national and international levels; and establish and track shared goals and metrics for growing the regional economy.

“The Great Lakes are a critical driver for our regional economy,” said GLC Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana. “The steps recommended in this action plan will help the region leverage our freshwater resources to attract and retain talent, increase jobs, and increase quality of life equitably throughout the Great Lakes basin.”

Funding for development of the action plan was provided by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Wege Foundation, the Fund for Lake Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Office of the Great Lakes, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of the Great Lakes. Development of the action plan grew out of a 2018 study of the positive impact of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) on the region’s economy.

For more information and to read the action plan, please visit: bit.ly/BlueEconomyActionPlan.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) announced today that it has named Erika Jensen to serve as its executive director. Jensen joined the GLC in 2006 and has served as interim executive director of the agency since August 2020. She will be the GLC’s first female executive director since it was established in 1955.

“The Great Lakes Commission is thrilled to name Erika Jensen as our next executive director,” said Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana. “Under Erika’s steady leadership over the past year, the GLC has effectively navigated the coronavirus pandemic while seeing considerable success in achieving its policy and program priorities. Her longstanding commitment to the Great Lakes, strategic vision, and strong relationships in the region and on Capitol Hill make her the perfect person to lead the GLC into its next era.”

As executive director, Jensen will oversee the work of the GLC, a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect and promote the resiliency of the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. The eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin are represented on the GLC by a delegation of government-appointed commissioners.

“I’m honored to take on this role and grateful to our Board and Commissioners for entrusting me with the future of the Great Lakes Commission,” said Jensen. “I look forward to working with our member states and provinces to build on our past successes, solve challenging issues facing the basin, and ensure that the Great Lakes continue to support communities across the region now and into the future.”

In her previous role, Jensen oversaw the GLC’s aquatic invasive species prevention and control program and coordinated both the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and the Invasive Mussel Collaborative. She joined the GLC as a Sea Grant Fellow and has a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – A coalition of regional agencies, legislators, mayors, and business and environmental groups urged Congressional leaders to include key Great Lakes priorities in upcoming infrastructure legislation. The groups communicated their priorities through a joint letter following the release of President Biden’s infrastructure investment plan earlier this year and ongoing negotiations on the Hill.

“Investments in water infrastructure, commercial navigation, environmental restoration, and resilience will create jobs, foster equity for underserved communities, and strengthen the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes region for future generations,” reads the letter. “Our agencies and organizations – representing the Great Lakes states, cities, conservation groups, ports, and business – strongly support robust investments in these areas. These investments will address longstanding basin-wide priorities while stimulating economic activity in hard-hit communities throughout our region.”

The coalition urges Congress to accelerate the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure; ensure the Great Lakes economy, environment, and communities are resilient to the impacts of a changing climate; and strengthen Great Lakes ports and the maritime transportation system.

The priorities are endorsed by the Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition, American Great Lakes Ports Association, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Hundreds of organizations across the Great Lakes region will be coming together to educate boaters and the public about the risks of spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS) during the third annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, to be held June 26 to July 4. The event is coordinated annually among state and provincial agencies with the support of the Great Lakes Commission and partner organizations.

 As part of the Landing Blitz, volunteers will join paid inspectors at boat launches to educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of AIS, ways to identify AIS, and how to report an AIS discovery. Properly inspecting and cleaning boats, trailers and other equipment helps prevent the spread of AIS, which are recognized as one of the most significant threats to the ecological and economic health of the Great Lakes.

“More than 185 nonnative species are already established in the Great Lakes, many of which are invasive and cause harm,” said Sharon M. Jackson, chair of the Great Lakes Commission and deputy general counsel for Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “Progress is being made, but we must continue to work together through successful partnerships like the AIS Landing Blitz to prevent new invasions and reduce the damage from species already here.”

Last year’s Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz reached 128,000 people at over 1,000 public and private boat landings across the region, and an additional 830,000 people engaged with online virtual content and social media about the event. This year, agencies leading the effort will host a hybrid event, continuing to reinstate in-person inspections and outreach in accordance with relevant COVID-19 public health procedures while maintaining an online presence.

“As recreation and tourism continues to open back up across the Great Lakes basin, we are excited to communicate directly with boaters at landing sites, while continuing to exercise appropriate safety procedures,” said James M. Tierney, Great Lakes Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner for Water Resources at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

For more information on the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, including educational materials, location, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.glc.org/blitz.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – At its 2021 Semiannual Meeting, held online this week, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) convened leaders from the United States and Canada on top issues facing the Great Lakes. The GLC and more than 150 guests received updates on Great Lakes issues from leaders of key U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as from the province of Québec’s Transport Minister.

“Healthy, productive Great Lakes are critical to the future of both the U.S. and Canada,” said GLC Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “These issues don’t stop at the border, and the Great Lakes Commission is committed to bringing binational leadership to the table to tackle the biggest issues facing the lakes.”  

“At EPA, we’re committed to accelerating Great Lakes restoration, bolstering the region’s economic health, and supporting the cleanup of the region’s most contaminated sites,” said U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan in recorded remarks. “The entire Biden-Harris administration knows how important it is to collaborate on priorities like water infrastructure, water quality and environmental protection. Agencies like the Great Lakes Commission are crucial to facilitating that collaboration across jurisdictions and all levels of government.”

During the meeting, the GLC assembled expert panels on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River maritime strategy, regional water equity, and harmful algal blooms. Commissioners and guests also received updates from senior legislative staff on climate and infrastructure priorities for the 116^th U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on construction of critical national projects at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois and Soo Locks complex in Michigan. In an action item, the GLC agreed to update its policy on supporting small commercial and recreational harbors in the Great Lakes basin. Video of meeting sessions will be available online in the days to come.

The GLC will next convene in October 2021 for its annual meeting, to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The formats of these events will be announced in the future. 

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.