A resource developed for the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2010, the Green Book is a introductory guide to the problems affecting the Great Lakes in 2010. Topics include water conservation, Asian carp, toxics and pollution, wind energy and green gardening.

Therefore be it resolved that the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Management Committee established by the Great Lakes Charter draft a Great Lakes water conservation plan within the next year, and

Be it further resolved that this plan require the states and provinces to review and map all drinking water supplies for their quality and long-term sustainability, and

Be it further resolved that user pay principles be the foundation of this water conservation plan and uniform efficiency standards be developed for all sectors of society that use lake and/or groundwater supplies within the Basin watershed, and

Be it further resolved that Great Lakes United seek funding to hold a workshop for members to explore ways to advocate for local water conservation programs and to explore the need of such programs for the sustainability of the Great Lakes.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United support legislative and administrative proposals which recognize the natural fluctuation of lake levels and, address long-term solutions to lake level problems including improved coastal zone management practices, establishment of flood sensitive zones, restrictions on building on barrier island and flood sensitive zones, utilization of environmentally sound shoreline protection devices and a better understanding of the flow-thru rates from one lake to another.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United support one-time federal emergency assistance to Great Lakes shoreline property owners for the necessary financial resources to relocate families, set-back structures and/or buy out existing properties for public use.

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United continues to oppose any increased diversions into or out of the Great Lakes Basin and promotes a regional water management and data collection system that implements the intent of the Great Lakes Charter.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, amended in 1987.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United formally endorses the recommendations in Unfulfilled Promises; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United member organizations develop an implementation strategy for the findin s of Unfulfilled Promises, and promote adequate public participation in review o f the Agreement; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU focus priority attention on the virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances and zero discharge. The Water Quality Task Force, in cooperation with member groups and staff, shall develop a definition of zero discharge, suggest alternatives for persistent toxic substances and develop an action plan to advocate the changes. GLU also advocates the inclusion in any amended GLWQA of a commitment by the two countries to develop timetables to achieve virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United supports the implementation of zero discharge goals through state and provincial legislative/regulatory initiatives such as the proposed Safe Drinking ater Act in New Yor state; AND

FINALLY BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these state/provincial initiatives have estabfished timetables for implementation.

A background document prepared by Great Lakes United outlining major topics concerning the  Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (during the 2011-2012 renegotiation of the Agreement). 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United, at its 1994 meeting in Buffalo, New York, reaffirms its support for a strong Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative, as expressed in comments of September 13, 1993, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United believes that the GLI must be adopted and implemented on a consisknt basis throughout the eight Great Lakes States as binding regualation, not voluntary guidance, and the final rules should be made stronger than the draft proposal, not weaker; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United calls upon New York Governor Mario Cuomo and his fellow Governors of the Great Lakes States to maintain support for a strong GLI, and to allow U.S. EPA to complete its work finalizing the GLI without political interference; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United opposes any legislative amendment to weaken the GLI.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the member organizations of Great Lakes United charge the Board of Directors to continue to designate a week to be called "Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Week" (GLW) for the purpose of educating citizens about the basin's hietory, ecology, and resource management issues; and to focus attention upon the Great Lakes ecoeyetem; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that since GLW encompasses all the educational goals of Great Lakes United, it should become a plenary seesion agenda item at the Great Lakes United Annual Meeting for ae long as Great Lakes United continues to proclaim Great Lakes Week; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that sember organizations of Great Lakes United take a coordinating role in organizing events for euch a week in their respective communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each Great Lakes United region designate a repreeentative to coordinate activities within their own region; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in order for a region to designate a GLW representative, Great Lakes regions of Great Lakes United need to meet to deeignate a representative; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Great Lakes Week Task Force of Great Lakes United designate individuals to obtain proclamations of each a week by Governors, Premiers, the President, the Prime Ministers and legislative bodies throughout the Great Lakes Basin; and

Et Cetera

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United, at its 1994 annual meeting in Buffalo, New York, petition Congress to restore full funding provided by the Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to ensure the completion of current research programs designed to develop strategies to understand, deal with, and perhaps reduce the econornidecological impacts of the zebra mussel, AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United call upon all its member organizations to write their Congresspersons and members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees urging them to support the restoration of full funding for zebra,mussel research in the Great Lakes.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that GREAT LAKES UNITED will work to support the establishment and implementation of the Great Legacy Program to preserve natural areas as reservoirs of biodiversity and protect the best examples of biodiversity in aquatic and terrestrial sites located in pristine or restored areas of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU strongly urges the Council of Great Lakes Governors to provide regional political leadership necessary to establish and implement the Great Legacy program, a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin-wide biodiversity conservation strategy; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU urges the states and provinces in the Great Lakes Basin as well as local units of government to take expeditious and appropriate steps to support the establishment and implementation of the Great Legacy program;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be conveyed to the Governors and Premlers of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Basin and the office of the Council of Great Lakes Governors.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United supports the goals of the Green Vehicle Challenge, a campaign which challenges vehicle manufacturers to produce vehicles in the near-term that meet a strong green standard, meeting the following criteria:

• Fuel Efficiency, 1.5 time s the fleet average for that vehicle's class
• Tailpipe Emissions, meeting California's ULEV standard's or better
• Clean Manufacturing, that includes best-in-class paintinglcoating, elimination of
• substances of concern and design for recyclability/recycled content

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that GLU supports a pledge campaign to collect commitments from vehicle consumers and fleet purchasers to purchase green vehicles if made available;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that GLU support policy initiatives, such as financial incentives and extended product responsibility, to promote the goals of the campaign;

AND BE IT FlNALLY RESOLVED that GLU supports the development of transition strategy to maintain and create jobs in the Great Lakes region while moving to greener vehicles.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, signed by Ontario with nine other Great Lakes jurisdictions, requires each state and province in the basin to establish water conservation goals, objectives and programs. Implementation of the recommended actions in this report would position Ontario as a regional leader on conservation.