To take coordinated regional action to benefit the Great Lakes, state and provincial legislators must first be equipped with a detailed understanding of the enormous value the lakes bring to the region’s ecology and economy, as well as threats that could potentially harm the lakes. Providing opportunities for legislators to hear from each other and experts on Great Lakes issues is a foundational part of the GLLC’s mission.
The Caucus provides educational opportunities for its members and other legislators through annual meetings, web meetings throughout the year, and the biennial Patricia Birkholz Institute for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Policy.
The Birkholz Institute will be held in Detroit in May 2023 and will be an in-depth workshop on climate resiliency in the Great Lakes region. Information on how to apply to be a part of the 2023 cohort will be provided soon. If you have any questions, contact Jess Lienhardt at jlienhardt@csg.org.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) will convene in Québec City, Québec for its 2023 Annual Meeting on Friday and Saturday, September 8-9, 2023. It’s an opportunity you won’t want to miss, so mark your calendars, and please plan to join us!
Annual Meetings
The GLLC meets annually in locations that rotate among the 10 jurisdictions in the region. The meetings provide members with an opportunity to learn about key issues as well as to collaborate with their colleagues on Great Lakes-related policies.
Web Meetings
Web meetings make it possible for legislators to stay abreast of developments related to issues on the GLLC’s policy agenda throughout the year.

Birkholz Institutes
A biennial event for the GLLC, the Birkholz Institutes bring together a small group of legislators to take a deep dive into an issue on the GLLC’s policy agenda and then to lead the Caucus’s work to take coordinated regional action on the issue.
Event Sponsorships
To enable us to host these Caucus activities, we rely on support from charitable foundations and event sponsors. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a future GLLC event, contact Jess Lienhardt at jlienhardt@csg.org.