The Great Lakes are a source of tremendous wealth, both environmental
and economic. But we are learning that their resilience has its limits.
Decades of neglect and constant threats have placed the environmental
integrity of the lakes at the tipping point, and we must take action before
it’s too late.
This Great Lakes Blueprint details eight key priorities for protecting the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River as a significant natural, cultural and
economic entity. These priorities include recommendations on how all
levels of government in Canada can restore and protect the Great Lakes,
identifying needed improvements to policy and planning. The priorities
fall under the following categories:
- Improve Governance
- Enable Effective Public Participation
- Connect Water Quality and Quantity
- Practice Ecosystem-based Stewardship
- Eliminate Pollution
- Upgrade Sewage Infrastructure
- Halt Aquatic Invasive Species
- Protect Water Levels and Flows
This blueprint has been created by the following organizations: Ecojustice,
Environmental Defence, Canadian Environmental Law Association,
Great Lakes United, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and
Policy and Sierra Club of Canada. The blueprint includes recommendations
that have been made in numerous other documents and by many
other groups.15
References
[15] Documents Include:
Alliance for the Great Lakes, Biodiversity Project, Canadian Environmental Law Association and Great Lakes United. (2006). The Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement: Promises to keep, challenges to meet. Available at: www.cela.ca.
Bails, J., Beeton, A., Bulkley, J., DePhilip, M., Gannon, J., Murray, M., Regier, H. & D. Scavia. (2005). Prescriptions for Great Lakes
Ecosystem Protection and Restoration: Avoiding the Tipping Point of Irreversible Changes. Available at: www.healthylakes.org/2006/05/.
Citizens Action Agenda for Restoring the Great Lakes. (June 2003) The Great Lakes Green book. Available at: www.glu.org.
Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. (2005).
International Joint Commission. (2006). Advice to governments on their review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement”
International Joint Commission. (2006). Synthesis of Public Comments on the Forthcoming Review by the Federal governments of Canada
and the United States of The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Available at: www.ijc.org.
National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada. (2004). “Threats to water availability in Canada. Available at: www.nwri.ca/
threats2full/intro-e.html.
O’Conner, Honourable Dennis R. (2002). Part 2 - Report on the Walkerton Inquiry: A Strategy for Safe Drinking Water. Available at: www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part2.
Ontario Public Advisory Council. (2006). Great Lakes Hotspots: Ontario Citizens Speak Up. Available at: www.citizensrapinfo.ca/report.pdf. |
