As called for in the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the governments of Canada and the United States convened a Great Lakes Public Forum, with the International Joint Commission, to:
- Provide an opportunity to discuss and receive public comments on the state of the lakes and binational priorities for science and action; and
- Provide an opportunity for the International Joint Commission to discuss progress reporting.
The Forum takes place once every three years, and allows for significant public input to the implementation of the amended Agreement.
The 2016 Forum was held at the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Archived footage of key presentations is available courtesy of the International Joint Commission in conjunction with Detroit Public Television. Links to individual presentations are listed below.
Agenda
DAY 1: Tuesday, October 4, 2016
(Room 206)
- How are the Great Lakes Doing? – Nancy Stadler-Salt, Great Lakes Program Coordinator, Great Lakes Issue Management and Reporting Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Jacqueline Adams, Environmental Scientist, United States Environmental Protection Agency. PDF (5.28 MB).
- Restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern – Jon Gee, Manager, Great Lakes Areas of Concern, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Wendy Carney, Deputy Director, Great Lakes National Program Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency. PDF (3.55 MB).
Questions and Answers – Moderated by David A. Ullrich, Executive Director, Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
- Reducing Risks from Harmful Chemicals – John Marsden, Manager, Great Lakes Issue Management and Reporting Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Margaret Guerriero, Director, Land and Chemical Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency. PDF (1 MB).
- Understanding Groundwater Impacts to Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health – Dale VanStempvoort, Section Head, Groundwater, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Norm Grannemann, retired, United States Geological Survey. PDF (986 KB).
- Taking Action on a Lakewide Scale – John Marsden, Manager, Great Lakes Issue Management and Reporting Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Christopher Korleski, Director, Great Lakes National Program Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency. PDF (2 MB).
Questions and Answers – Moderated by Kathryn Buckner, President, Council of Great Lakes Industries.
DAY 2: Wednesday, October 5, 2016
(Room 206)
- Tackling Algal Blooms in the Great Lakes – Susan Humphrey, Associate Regional Director General, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Tinka Hyde, Division Director, Region 5 Water Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency (presentation to come).
- Protecting and Restoring Native Species and their Habitats – Susan Humphrey, Associate Regional Director General, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Lori Nordstrom, Assistant Regional Director – Ecological Services, United States Fish and Wildlife Service. PDF (1 MB).
Questions and Answers – Moderated by Tim Eder, Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Commission.
- Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes – Tricia Mitchell, A/Manager, Regional Analysis and Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Jennifer Day, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. PDF (926 KB).
- Addressing the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species to the Great Lakes – Gavin Christie, Division Manager, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Todd Turner, Assistant Regional Director, Aquatic Resources Program, Region 3, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (presentation to come).
- Preventing and Reducing Threats from Vessel Discharges to the Great Lakes – Chris Wiley, Manager, Technical Services, Marine Safety, Transport Canada and Lorne Thomas, Chief, External Affairs Division, United States Coast Guard, Ninth District. PDF (239 KB).
- The Importance of Science to the Protection of the Great Lakes – Ram Yerubandi, Research Manager, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Water Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Todd Nettesheim, Environmental Engineer, United States Environmental Protection Agency. PDF (2.63 MB).
Questions and Answers – Moderated by Robert Lambe, Executive Secretary, Great Lakes Fishery Commission.