[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATION OF 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT LAKES COMMISSION

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the 
Great Lakes Commission. The Great Lakes Commission is a bi-national 
agency working to improve the Great Lakes and the region. The 
Commission promotes the orderly and comprehensive development, use and 
conservation of the Great Lakes basin, its tributaries and the St. 
Lawrence River. Its members include the eight Great Lakes States, 
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania 
and Wisconsin, with associate member status for the Canadian provinces 
of Quebec and Ontario.
  Since its establishment in 1955, the Great Lakes Commission has been 
a pioneer in applying principles of sustainability to the natural 
resources of the Great Lakes basin and St. Lawrence River. The 
Commission promotes the paired goals of environmental protection and 
economic improvement and has built its reputation on an integrated and 
objective approach to public policy issues and opportunities.
  When the Great Lakes Commission was founded in 1955, the Great Lakes 
region was about to gain greater regional and economic importance; St. 
Lawrence Seaway was close to completion. With a greater influx of 
commercial activity along the waters, there was a collaborative desire 
in the region to form an organization whose task would be to promote 
the development, use and conservation of the Great Lakes Basin while 
making it possible for the States to derive maximum benefit from its 
resources. Additionally, the Commission was to serve as an advisory 
agency of the States and Federal Government. In 1954, at the Great 
Lakes Seaway and Water Resources Conference the notion of creating a 
State and provincial compact was discussed. In the following year, the 
eight Great Lakes States all passed legislation to establish the 
Commission.
  Congressional ratification did not come until 1968 after jurisdiction 
over the type of consultation the Commission would be able to provide 
to both the U.S. and Canada had been addressed.
  Over the years, the Great Lakes Commission has been responsible for 
providing a unified voice, quality research, and sound advice for the 
Great Lakes region. Among its accomplishments are the establishments 
the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database, the Great Lakes Basin 
Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, the Great Lakes 
Information Network, the Michigan Water Corps, and Great Lakes St. 
Lawrence Mayors' Conference. I would just like to share briefly with my 
colleagues a bit about these great programs.
  In 1988, the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database was one of the 
first compilations of its sort. It provides a comprehensive collection 
of information on the region's water use, including reports, charts and 
other publications. Today, it is just one of many database and 
monitoring programs initiated by the Great Lakes Commission.
  The Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control 
works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the EPA 
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was created in 1991 to prevent 
further soil erosion and sedimentation from damaging the Great Lakes 
waters by using educational and financial tools. This program has 
already saved more than 650,000 tons of soil and prevented 487 tons of 
nitrogen and 674 tons of phosphorus from flowing into the waterways.
  The Great Lakes Information Network is an online database that 
combines economic, environmental, travel, and educational information 
about the Great Lakes. It is a premier search engine on information 
regarding the region and has won numerous awards. The Commission's work 
to establish and maintain such a network is invaluable to those who 
need data and research on the Great Lakes.
  Recently, the Michigan Clean Water Corps has also joined the long 
list of successful programs supported by the Great Lakes Commission. 
The Clean Water Corps was established in 2003 by executive order from 
Governor Jennifer Granholm to work in partnership with the Huron River 
Watershed Council and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. 
The goal of the Corps is to provide volunteers with training to monitor 
and distribute information on the water quality of the waters around 
Michigan and to provide educational tools to assist in creating an 
informed public.
  In 1987, the Commission brought together the regional mayors to meet 
about Great Lakes issues for the first time. The Commission helped 
promote the idea that the mayors in the Great Lakes region could unite 
and be a driving political force. This annual conference also provides 
a forum for the mayors of the Great Lakes region to share ideas to 
address the area's problems.
  These are just a few of the programs that the Great Lakes Commission 
oversees and implements. As they continue these initiatives in the 
coming years, they will also focus more on sustainability and growth.
  The Great Lakes Commission is vital for the health and future of the 
Great Lakes. I would like to thank the Great Lakes Commission for the 
wonderful work they have done over the past 50 years and congratulate 
them on reaching this milestone. I hope that my colleagues will join me 
in expressing that appreciation.

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