What's New Minnesota’s environment, arts tax begins Wednesday Duluth News Tribune (6/30) Minnesota's self-imposed sales tax increase goes into effect July 1, 2009 to help pay for clean water, improved wildlife habitat, more parks and trails, and the performing arts.
COMMENTARY: Michigan shouldn't cede wetlands responsibility The Port Huron Times Herald (6/24) The wetlands program under the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is ready to be dismantled and handed over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This will take stewardship (and control) away from the state.
Great Lakes Legacy Act passes out of committee Petoskey News-Review (6/23) The bipartisan Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2009 was passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously last week.
Proposed federal legislation would mean real-time data about beach bacteria The News-Herald (6/22) Sponsored by Ohio Senator Voinovich, the "Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act" will help local and state entities to better provide bacterial count information on a near real-time basis and to ensure adequate warning for unsafe beach conditions.
House resolution targets water withdrawals Petoskey News-Review (6/22) House Resolution 551, introduced by Congressman Bart Stupak, declares that water is a public trust, not a private commodity.
Great Lake mayors want to be part of Water Quality Agreement SooNews.ca (6/18) Mayors call for the new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to be in place by June of 2010 and for local government to be included as full partners in the negotiation and implementation of the Agreement.
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.