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Great Lakes Perspective Samuel W. Speck Chair, Water Management Working Group Council of Great Lakes Governors Chair, Gr

Great Lakes Perspective Samuel W. Speck Chair, Water Management Working Group Council of Great Lakes Governors Chair, Great Lakes Commission Director, Ohio Dept of Natural Resources Waves of Change: Examining the Role of States in Emerging Ocean Policy NGA Conference September 4, 2003

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Great Lakes Perspective Samuel W. Speck Chair, Water Management Working Group Council of Great Lakes Governors Chair, Gr

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  1. Great Lakes Perspective Samuel W. Speck Chair, Water Management Working Group Council of Great Lakes Governors Chair, Great Lakes Commission Director, Ohio Dept of Natural Resources Waves of Change: Examining the Role of States in Emerging Ocean Policy NGA Conference September 4, 2003

  2. Great Lakes Basin

  3. Great Lakes • Largest system of fresh water on the earth • 20% of world’s supply of fresh surface water; 90% of United States’ supply • 6 quadrillion gallons of water over 94,000 square miles of lake surface • Basis for multi-billion dollar industries in every state and province • Intensive, multiple use under a complex multi-jurisdictional management structure • 895 billion gallons withdrawn/used in-stream daily; (59 billion excluding hydroelectric); 2.64 billion consumed

  4. Binational agency representing Great Lakes states and provinces • Formed mid 1950s via state law and 1968 via federal consent as an interstate compact • Provincial associate membership began in 1999

  5. Great Lakes Commission • Promotes the informed use, management and protection of the water and related natural resources of the Great Lakes Basin and St. Lawrence River • Addresses resource management, environmental protection, transportation and sustainable economic development issues • Functions are information sharing, policy research and development, and advocacy

  6. Non-partisan partnership of eight Great Lakes Governors • Formed in 1983 • Premiers of Ontario and Quebec are associate members • Mission is to encourage and facilitate environmentally responsible economic growth

  7. Great Lakes Charter • 1985 Good-faith agreement between Great Lakes Governors and Premiers • Framework for protecting Basin waters from large scale diversions and consumptive uses • Establishment of water management principles

  8. Factors Leading to the Annex to the Great Lakes Charter in 2001 • 1986 U.S. federal statute (WRDA) - Prohibits diversions unless approved by Governors of all Great Lakes States - Allows veto without standards - Regulates first drop (no threshold) - Ontario & Quebec not subject to U.S. federal law - In-basin consumptive uses not incl - Question whether ground water incl • 1998 Nova Group proposal • 1999 Recurring lower lake levels

  9. October 1999Governors and Premiers Commitment • Develop new agreement • Develop new common standard for water removal based upon protection of the water resources • Secure funds to develop a better base of water use data

  10. Governors and Premiers Principles for Water Management Regime • Protect the resource • Be durable • Be simple • Be efficient • Retain authority in the Basin

  11. Great Lakes Charter Annex • Signed June 18, 2001 • In contrast to WRDA the Annex would: - Include Ontario and Quebec - Include in-basin consumptive uses - Include ground water - Commit to improve the sources & applications of scientific information re management of Basin waters

  12. Annex Directives • New decision making standard • New set of binding agreements • Decision support system • Public participation • Further commitments Improve sources & applications of scientific information, including role of ground water

  13. Draft Decision Making Framework • Regional review by State-Provincial body for large diversion and consumptive use proposals • Individual State or Provincial review for smaller diversion and consumptive use proposals

  14. Annex Implementation • June 2004 - timeline to develop agreement • State-Provincial agreement • State legislation such as approval of an interstate compact • Provincial legislation

  15. Great Lakes Priorities • March 1, 2001 Congressional Great Lakes Task Force request to Governors • Common set of priorities for Great Lakes restoration • CGLG Priorities Task Force • April 2003 GAO Great Lakes Report • S 1398 and HR 2720

  16. Great Lakes Priorities • Leadership role of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers is key to establishing policy priorities for a comprehensive restoration plan • Priorities will reflect broad goals such as protection of human health, restoration of habitat, control of invasive species

  17. Summary • Great Lakes Basin Commission – compact • Council of Great Lakes Governors – partnership Great Lakes Charter – good-faith agreement Great Lakes Charter Annex – good-faith agreement that calls for binding agreements which are being developed Great Lakes Priorities Task Force – partnership • WRDA – U.S. federal law

  18. Regional Management Operationalize Regional Agreements • Compact • Good-faith agreement • U.S. federal law • Currently working towards meeting intent of the Annex which calls for binding agreements

  19. Regional Management Biggest Challenges • Resolving legal issues • Deriving consensus among highly diverse interests • Developing a scientific basis for decision making • Bridging different histories of water regulations within the respective jurisdictions

  20. Regional Management What Could Be Done Differently? • Better monitoring and research to provide a scientific basis for decision making • Better coordination, definition of objectives, and measurement of results among existing programs (GAO Great Lakes Report)

  21. Regional Management Lessons Learned • Sustainability of the resource is the critical bridge for bringing people together • Improvement in scientific information is needed for good decision making and setting standards • Effective management of water resources in the Great Lakes Basin requires an international partnership • Bridging group such as the Great Lakes Commission is necessary to bring diverse interests together

  22. Regional Management What Can the Federal Government/Ocean Commission Do? • Recognize the key role of the States and Governors • Recognize the Great Lakes as part of the focus of our national ocean policy • Promote regional, watershed-based approach to policy development • Ensure the Great Lakes receive full and equitable share of federal support and funding

  23. “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” ~ Loren Eiseley, The Flow of the River

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