What's New Beachfront property owners upset over delay in getting DEQ permits The Bay City Times (5/12) There's a backlog of 47 permit applications at the DEQ office in Bay City. Many property owners applied for their permits early, so they'd be able to start cleaning in the spring - and get ready for beach muck, or dead algae, that's been piling up more and more in recent summers.
EDITORIAL: Stowaway species Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (5/9) Congress finally is moving to protect the Great Lakes and other waterways from invasive species in ballast water. The House has acted. Now, it's up to the Senate.
DEQ eyes plants to stabilize riverbanks The Saginaw News (5/8) Plans to clean up and contain dioxin along the Tittabawassee River include stabilizing areas of the riverbank in danger of falling into the water and spreading the contamination.
Anglers urged to switch to lead-free tackle Star Tribune (5/8) As anglers in Minnesota prepare their gear for the Saturday fishing opener, state officials are asking that only lead-free tackle be used.
Inland Seas: Understanding and Protecting the Great Lakes (5/8) The goal of this movie is to provide an overview of the concepts of surface and groundwater watersheds and the concept of water diversions. The movie relates these issues to the Great Lakes Compact Agreement and presents ideas on how individuals can make an impact on water use and the policies surrounding water protections
General Resources TEACH Great Lakes: Law and Policy Legislation focusing on the Great Lakes basin involves the federal governments of both the United States and Canada. This module discusses the organization of these two governments and the agreements and policies both have made together in order to protect the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Congressional Updates Find out the latest status of legislation that affects the Great Lakes region, and what you can do to express your opinion.
Great Lakes Ecosystem Northeast-Midwest Institute Provides the latest status on federal funding for Great Lakes projects and programs, as well as appropriations schedules and letters written by the Great Lakes Task Force.
Laws of Canada Department of Justice of Canada Has annual statutes and more.
Legal Information Institute Cornell Law School Provides information and full text of U.S. codes, court opinions and laws.
Office of Regional Counsel U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The office provides legal support to the U.S. EPA and represents Region 5 in judical and administrative actions.
Summary of Environmental Law in North America Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) The CEC created this summary to improve public access to the environmental law of the three parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement; i.e., Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Thomas Library of Congress Search full-text versions of U.S. House and Senate bills from recent sessions of Congress. Enter "aquatic nuisance" as key words to find bills relating to ANS.
Agreements Canada-Ontario Agreement Renews and strengthens planning, cooperation and coordination between Canada and Ontario in implementing actions to restore and protect the Great Lakes basin ecosytem.
Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement An effort to reduce transboundary air pollution and control pollution, climate change, and stratospheric ozone depletion.
Great Lakes Binational Stategy Strategy for the virtual elimination of persistant toxic substances in the Great Lakes Basin.
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 1978 Expresses the commitment of each country to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
North American Free Trade Agreement To eliminate barriers in trade and promote conditions of fair competition between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The Great Lakes Charter To conserve the levels and flows of the Great Lake basin while conserving an environmental balance of the ecosystem.
Federal Laws Federal Register Provides a uniform system for making available regulations and legal notices issued by federal agencies.
Thomas Library of Congress Search full-text versions of U.S. House and Senate bills from recent sessions of Congress. Enter "aquatic nuisance" as key words to find bills relating to ANS.
Laws of Canada Department of Justice of Canada Has annual statutes and more.
Plans A Joint Strategic Plan for Management of the Great Lakes Fisheries Great Lakes Fishery Commission To alert all interest groups to fishery resource needs, provincial, state, tribal and federal fishery agencies agreed to a strong, practical, strategic Great Lakes fisheries management plan.
A Strategic Plan for the Great Lakes Commission Released in September 1995, this document provides a five-year blueprint to guide the organization's efforts as mandated in its enabling legislation, the Great Lakes Basin Compact (P.L. 90-419).
Strategic Vision of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission for the Decade of the 1990s Great Lakes Fishery Commission Losses of fishery habitats, extinction of fish populations and species, and naturalization of nonnative species clearly preclude a full recovery of the Great Lakes to pristine conditions. However, a focus on the five issues as advocated in this vision statement will improve capability for more ecosystem recovery, a process encouraged by the commission (1992).
Treaties Boundary Waters Treaty Signed in 1909, it provides the principles and mechanisms to help resolve disputes and to prevent future ones, primarily those concerning water along the boundary between Canada and the United States.
Indian Treaties Industry Canada's SchoolNet Digital Collections Thirteen documents representing various types of arrangements between Aboriginal Peoples and representatives of the government of Canada have been selected for this project by the National Archives of Canada.