Therefore be it resolved that Great Lakes United urges the United States Congress to immediately adopt legislation establishing regulations and programs to reduce ballast water discharge that are at least as stringent as the provisions of S. 770, the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act, as introduced in March 2005, which will set nationwide standards and develop technology and place it onboard ships to prevent
releases of non-native invasive species by 2011, which is the preferred national solution.

Background information on the zebra mussel. Includes native range, history of invasion, biology, and ecological impacts.

A map show sitings of zebra and quagga mussels across the United States.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 1986 Annual Meeting of Great Lakes United formally endoraea the document and the following seven-point program recoamendations:

1. Each state and province should formally incorporate a water registration system for all users of Great Lakes waters. This mandatory registration system should include amounts of water returned to the Great Lakes system and in what quality. In addition, this system should not be used to legitimize existing diversion. We should not accept thie registration system as a basis for "grand-fathering" all existing diversions and consumptive uses.

2. Establish present consumptive use needs in the basin based on the registration data and develop projected future consumptive use needs under a variety of economic growth scenarios. This must be coordinated with the establishment of a data base that understand the quantity and quality of water available to the Great Lakes Basin.

3. Detailed analysis of the environmental, social and economic impacts of water diversion, and incorporate those findings into a Public Health and Welfare case. Economic impacts could only be incorporated as they relate to the health and welfare of the citizenry, to avoid economic protectionism as in the El Paso case.

4. Advocate water conservation/improvement programe within and outside the Great Lakes Basin.

5. Develop state and provincial prohibitive diversion legislation based on the Public Health and Welfare case.

6. Great Lakes jurisdicitions would defend the legislative ban on diversion of Great Lakes water out of the basin in courts based on the Public Health and Welfare case. If the legal case was loat, Great Lakes jurisdictions could then incorporate a permitting system for
water withdrawals.

7. Great Lakes jurisdictions would work with national and-international leaders to develop and implement anti-diversion legislation and agreement 8.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United reaffirms its long-standing opposition to Winter Navigation; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that our opposition be one of Great Lakes United's highest priorities.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United calls upon the Congress of the United States to proceed deliberately in reauthorizing the Clean Water Act, and to oppose the numerous bills that would weaken wetland protection provisions of the Act, particularly Section 404; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Congress explicitly include wetland protection in the Clean Water Act Goal Statement, and that the current regulatory definition of waters of the United
States be amended to presume that all waters and wetlands are susceptible to use in interstate commerce; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the list of activities regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act be expanded to include all activities that may damage or degrade wetlands such as draining, dredging, channelizing, flooding, placement of floating and piling supported structures; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 401 should be amended to expressly broaden the protections provided by this section to include wetlands, and direct states to address physical and biological alterations of aquatic areas, as well as chemical pollution; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Nationwide permit program should be substantially revised to control ongoing cumulative wetland losses, specifically to (1) eliminate Nationwide General Permit No. 26, (2) comply with Section 404 (b) (1) guidelines, and (3) prohibit using multiple general permits to avoid the acreage limitations of other general or individual permit requirements.

Therefore be it resolved that Great Lakes United urges the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to disapprove DOE's attempts to declassify HLRW as "waste incidental to reprocessing" and abandon it on-site and Be it also resolved that Great Lakes United supports the exhumation and containment of the West Valley nuclear waste.

A letter from the Great Lakes Task Force (U.S. members of Congress in the Great Lakes states) to the Committee on Environment and Public Works recommending that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implement measures to authorize a study to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds, and prevent the spread of invasive species.

THEREFOREs BE IT RESOLVED THAT, Great Lakes United supports water conservation planning, programs, and measures in the Great Lakes region and in more arid regions in the U.S. and Canada, not only for present needs but also for use by future generations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United opposes the conversion of additional arid lands to agricultural lands through irrigation.

Presentation material from the Navigation webinar that took place on August 2, 2011 at 12:00pm EDT.  

Therefore be

it resolved that the Province of Ontario keep its original promise to use this revenue, as they had originally stated they would, for enhancement of remediation and fish stocking.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United adopts a policy banning the use of disposable products, especially polystyrene and other plastic products, where alternative recyclable and reusable producis exist in ail its offices and at all its meetings, even when where such poiicy is understood to increase COSTS; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United will adopt a policy promoting the recycling of all paper, glass and beverage czns used in its ofices and at all its meetings; AND

BE IT FGRTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United will adopt a policy to use recycled paper in all its publications, the office and other activities to the greatest extent possicie; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, thar Great Lakes United will publicize these policies wherever possible as a means of setting a positive example and acting as a model in this area.