Photo credit: Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
With over 10,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, the region boasts countless sandy beaches, scenic vistas, ports, lighthouses, parks, and trails. With so much to offer, it is no surprise that over 34 million people choose to live in the Great Lakes basin. Coastal communities are where goods are transported, tourists and residents recreate, and local economies thrive.
What is the GLLC Doing?
In 2018, the GLLC adopted a policy agenda that identified meeting the needs of coastal communities as a top priority for the Caucus. Specifically, the GLLC committed to the following:
- Support the sustainable economic development of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River coastal communities, including the restoration and preservation of habitat
- Support efforts to maintain the region’s locks and ports and to replace infrastructure when necessary to ensure the movement of cargo on the Great Lakes
Since 2015, the GLLC has followed the issue of funding for commercial and recreational harbors in the Great Lakes. In addition, the GLLC has advocated for funding to build a new Poe-sized lock to ensure continued operation of the Soo Locks. In 2019, the GLLC began to focus on the issue of lakefront erosion due to high lake levels and increasing strength and frequency of storms.
Policy Positions and Correspondence
- Resolution in Support of Modernization of the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (September 2017)
- Sign-on Letter Urging Funding for Maintenance Dredging of Great Lakes Small Commercial and Recreational Harbors (October 2016)
- Resolution in Support of Maintaining Great Lakes Commercial and Recreational Harbors (September 2015)
On this Website
- High Water Levels in the Great Lakes and their Impacts on Coastal Communities (September 6, 2019)
- The Soo Locks: A Key Part of Great Lakes Infrastructure, Economic Growth (January 11, 2016)
For More Information
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative