Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers
Name	Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers
Formation	2005 (as successor to Great Lakes Commission & Conference)
Type	Interstate and interprovincial compact-like body
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois; Ottawa, Ontario (rotating)
Region served	Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, Ontario, Quebec, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Michigan
Membership	Governors of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Premiers of Ontario, Quebec

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers is a regional coalition of subnational executives from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin that coordinates policy, planning, and advocacy across international and inter-state boundaries. Founded to succeed earlier compacts and commissions, the organization brings together governors from United States states and premiers from Canada provinces to address shared challenges such as water management, transportation, and economic development. It operates alongside bodies like the Great Lakes Commission, International Joint Commission, and collaborates with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

History

The coalition traces antecedents to the Great Lakes Compact negotiations, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada, and institutions like the Great Lakes Commission and the Council of Great Lakes Governors, aligning with milestones such as the 2012 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact implementation and the Binational Executive Committee efforts. Early meetings referenced precedents including the Chicago River reversal projects, the St. Lawrence Seaway development, and cross-border accords such as the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, reflecting concerns raised during events like the Toledo water crisis and debates after the Love Canal controversy. Over time, summit declarations have invoked frameworks from the North American Free Trade Agreement era and coordinated responses to crises including invasive species episodes like the zebra mussel invasion and algal blooms impacting Lake Erie.

Membership and Structure

Membership comprises sitting governors and premiers from jurisdictions bordering the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, including executives from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Quebec. The organization uses an executive committee model similar to the National Governors Association and rotating chairmanship akin to practices in the Council of the Great Lakes Governors. Staffed by policy directors, legal counsel, and liaison officers, it coordinates with agencies such as the United States Coast Guard, Transport Canada, and regional authorities like the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Affiliates and observers have included representatives from the Environmental Defense Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation Ontario, and municipal entities like the City of Toronto and City of Chicago.

Programs and Initiatives

The body sponsors initiatives on basin-wide priorities including water conservation, invasive species prevention, and infrastructure modernization, drawing on programs modeled after the Chesapeake Bay Program and partnerships used by the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative. Notable initiatives address coastal resilience around Lake Superior, nutrient runoff reductions in Lake Erie, and shipping safety in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The organization also convenes summits, issue-specific task forces, and pilot projects collaborating with institutions such as the University of Michigan, McGill University, NOAA, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to pilot monitoring networks and dredging studies.

Policy Areas and Advocacy

Policy advocacy focuses on cross-border water governance, invasive species management, climate resilience, and trade-related infrastructure—seeking alignment with instruments like the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and regulatory frameworks administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada. It advocates for funding via federal appropriations in Ottawa and Washington, D.C., navigational safety through the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, and protections that echo provisions of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. The organization has taken positions on shipping corridors used by American Steamship Company, biosecurity measures related to Asian carp, and cross-border emergency response coordination with entities such as the Canadian Coast Guard.

Governance and Decision-Making

Decision-making employs consensus-based resolutions ratified at biennial or annual summits attended by governors and premiers, supported by technical committees that mirror structures in the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The chair rotates among member jurisdictions; working groups include representatives from provincial cabinets, state agencies like Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and academic partners including Ohio State University and University of Toronto. Legal frameworks reference elements of interstate compacts like the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, while diplomatic protocols align with practices established in Canada–United States relations.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding derives from member contributions, grants from national governments, and partnerships with philanthropic organizations such as the Great Lakes Protection Fund and foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The coalition contracts studies with research centers including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and regional universities, and leverages infrastructure funds administered through federal agencies such as the United States Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Canada. Private-sector partners have included maritime firms, port authorities like the Port of Montreal and Port of Duluth–Superior, and trade groups such as the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters cite the organization’s role in coordinating basin-wide responses to challenges exemplified by reductions in phosphorus loading to Lake Erie and joint strategies against invasive species like round goby and sea lamprey, as well as infrastructure investments along corridors used by Great Lakes Steamers. Critics argue the body lacks binding enforcement authority compared with entities created under the Great Lakes Compact and raise concerns about representation, the pace of action on climate-driven issues like shoreline erosion on Lake Ontario, and transparency relative to public agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and provincial ministries. Debates continue over the balance between economic priorities advocated by stakeholders like the American Association of Port Authorities and environmental protections championed by groups such as Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Category:Great Lakes