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“COMMEMORATION OF 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT LAKES COMMISSION” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S9724-S9725 on Sept. 7, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
COMMEMORATION OF 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT LAKES COMMISSION
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Commission. The Great Lakes Commission is a bi-national agency working to improve the Great Lakes and the region. The Commission promotes the orderly and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the Great Lakes basin, its tributaries and the St. Lawrence River. Its members include the eight Great Lakes States, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with associate member status for the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
Since its establishment in 1955, the Great Lakes Commission has been a pioneer in applying principles of sustainability to the natural resources of the Great Lakes basin and St. Lawrence River. The Commission promotes the paired goals of environmental protection and economic improvement and has built its reputation on an integrated and objective approach to public policy issues and opportunities.
When the Great Lakes Commission was founded in 1955, the Great Lakes region was about to gain greater regional and economic importance; St. Lawrence Seaway was close to completion. With a greater influx of commercial activity along the waters, there was a collaborative desire in the region to form an organization whose task would be to promote the development, use and conservation of the Great Lakes Basin while making it possible for the States to derive maximum benefit from its resources. Additionally, the Commission was to serve as an advisory agency of the States and Federal Government. In 1954, at the Great Lakes Seaway and Water Resources Conference the notion of creating a State and provincial compact was discussed. In the following year, the eight Great Lakes States all passed legislation to establish the Commission.
Congressional ratification did not come until 1968 after jurisdiction over the type of consultation the Commission would be able to provide to both the U.S. and Canada had been addressed.
Over the years, the Great Lakes Commission has been responsible for providing a unified voice, quality research, and sound advice for the Great Lakes region. Among its accomplishments are the establishments the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database, the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, the Great Lakes Information Network, the Michigan Water Corps, and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference. I would just like to share briefly with my colleagues a bit about these great programs.
In 1988, the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database was one of the first compilations of its sort. It provides a comprehensive collection of information on the region's water use, including reports, charts and other publications. Today, it is just one of many database and monitoring programs initiated by the Great Lakes Commission.
The Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was created in 1991 to prevent further soil erosion and sedimentation from damaging the Great Lakes waters by using educational and financial tools. This program has already saved more than 650,000 tons of soil and prevented 487 tons of nitrogen and 674 tons of phosphorus from flowing into the waterways.
The Great Lakes Information Network is an online database that combines economic, environmental, travel, and educational information about the Great Lakes. It is a premier search engine on information regarding the region and has won numerous awards. The Commission's work to establish and maintain such a network is invaluable to those who need data and research on the Great Lakes.
Recently, the Michigan Clean Water Corps has also joined the long list of successful programs supported by the Great Lakes Commission. The Clean Water Corps was established in 2003 by executive order from Governor Jennifer Granholm to work in partnership with the Huron River Watershed Council and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The goal of the Corps is to provide volunteers with training to monitor and distribute information on the water quality of the waters around Michigan and to provide educational tools to assist in creating an informed public.
In 1987, the Commission brought together the regional mayors to meet about Great Lakes issues for the first time. The Commission helped promote the idea that the mayors in the Great Lakes region could unite and be a driving political force. This annual conference also provides a forum for the mayors of the Great Lakes region to share ideas to address the area's problems.
These are just a few of the programs that the Great Lakes Commission oversees and implements. As they continue these initiatives in the coming years, they will also focus more on sustainability and growth.
The Great Lakes Commission is vital for the health and future of the Great Lakes. I would like to thank the Great Lakes Commission for the wonderful work they have done over the past 50 years and congratulate them on reaching this milestone. I hope that my colleagues will join me in expressing that appreciation.
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