Issues

The work of the GLLC is focused on issues related to water quality in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region. These issues are articulated in the Caucus’s Policy Agenda. Click on the sections below to learn about the issue, why it is important to the Caucus, and what actions the GLLC is taking to address the problem.

Water
Consumption

Nutrient
Pollution

Aquatic Invasive Species

Toxic
Substances

Coastal
Communities

Read our latest posts on the issues

• GLLC Joins Statement on U.S. Federal Great Lakes PrioritiesMarch 10, 2023
  On March 9, Great Lakes organizations across the region gathered in Washington D.C. to highlight U.S. federal priorities for the basin on Great Lakes Day. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) signed onto the joint statement addressing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding, water infrastructure investment, climate resiliency, harmful algal blooms, […]
• ICYMI: Tracking the Great Lakes Region’s Progress Through Blue AccountingMarch 2, 2023
  On February 10, the GLLC hosted speakers from the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) to talk about their Blue Accounting program. Program manager Nicole Zacharda and project manager Ceci Weibert presented on Blue Accounting’s drinking water, aquatic invasive species, and nutrient management data sets and visualizations. Zacharda outlined the areas of focus for […]
• A Look Back at Great Lakes Legislation: The 2021-2022 SessionMarch 1, 2023
  During the 2021-2022 legislative session, the GLLC tracked more than three hundred pieces of legislation in the Great Lakes states and provinces related to our five issues areas: aquatic invasive species, coastal communities, nutrient management, toxic substances, and water consumption. one-third of the 2021-2022 bills and resolutions were introduced or co-sponsored by […]
• April 23 Web Meeting: How States and Provinces are Currently Managing Nutrient Inflow into the Great LakesApril 28, 2021
  This web meeting, hosted by the Caucus’s Task Force on Nutrient Management focused on the different approaches state’s in the region are doing to reduce nutrient inflow into the Great Lakes. Senator Dan Lauwers told us about Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). A voluntary program initiated in 1998, MEAP recognizes farmers […]
• U.S. aquatic invasive species, ballast water laws evolvingDecember 18, 2020
  The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus’s series of quarterly meetings for 2020 closed out with a presentation on aquatic invasive species and ballast water management from Sarah LeSage, who coordinates the Aquatic Invasive Species program in the Water Resources Division of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Dec. 11 […]
• Controlling Nutrient Runoff Focus of Second Virtual Session of GLLC’s 2020 MeetingSeptember 24, 2020
  In most years, on most days, nutrients from the agricultural operations of the Great Lakes region largely stay on the fields. But when heavy rains come, the runoff of phosphorus and other nutrients occurs, as they leave the fields, enter streams, and ultimately reach the lakes.  “The practices that are in place don’t work during those […]