Great Lakes regional Collaboration
October 05, 2005

THE GREAT LAKES DECLARATION

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration brings together a federal Task
Force, the Great Lakes states, local communities, Tribes, regional
bodies, and other interests in the Great Lakes region to express their
support for a Great Lakes Declaration.

Great Lakes Declaration

We, the Conveners of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration,
established on December 3, 2004, in Chicago, Illinois, in
acknowledgement of Executive Order 13340 signed by President George W.
Bush on May 18, 2004:

Recognize that the Great Lakes are an international treasure which
contain about 20 percent of the earth's fresh surface water, support
the culture and life ways of native communities, provide drinking
water to millions of people, and form the backbone for billions of
dollars in shipping, trade, fishing and recreation;

Recognize that the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978, as
amended by protocol signed November 18, 1987, the Convention on Great
Lakes Fisheries of 1954, and other regional multi-jurisdictional
agreements with Canada, commit the United States and Canada to restore
and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the
Great Lakes ecosystem, including the adoption of common objectives and
cooperative programs;

Recognize that while there has been progress in restoring and
improving the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem, there are still
tremendous threats to the physical, biological and chemical integrity
of the ecosystem;

Note that citizens, as well as many federal, state, and local
agencies, Tribes, elected officials, and stakeholder groups, including
the environmental nongovernmental organizations, industry groups, and
the agricultural community, serve a vital role in protecting the Great
Lakes ecosystem;

Acknowledge that numerous multi-governmental and non-governmental
stakeholder networks have demonstrated a long history of effectively
collaborating on a variety of complex regional and local ecosystem
protectionand restoration efforts; and

Affirm the need for leaders in the region, including Great Lakes
Governors, federal agency heads, Members of the Great Lakes
Congressional Delegation, Great Lakes mayors and Tribal leaders,
building upon the extensive regional efforts to date, to
collaboratively work together and with the Great Lakes community
toward a common goal of protecting and restoring the Great
Lakesecosystem in order to address the new and continuing challenges
and ensure a healthy ecosystem for future generations.

Hereby, consistent with the laws applicable to our respective
jurisdictions, pledge our support for the development of a widely
understood and broadly supported strategy including actions to further
protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem through the Great Lakes
Regional Collaboration process.