A new partnership aims to better connect science, policy, and business interests to accelerate both the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.
The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) and the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) made the announcement at the State of Lake Huron Conference in Saginaw. The event was co-hosted by the two organizations and the Great Lakes Beach Association.
The Great Lakes are a globally significant freshwater resource requiring special protection and management. The basin provides drinking water to millions of Americans and Canadians. It also supports a regional economy that serves as the engine of commerce in and between both countries. The basin is also one of the world’s most diverse, with 3,500 species of plants and wildlife and more than 250 species of fish.
“The economy and environments of the Great Lakes are vitally important to both countries, yet conversations about the region’s development and protection are often disconnected,” said Mark Fisher, president and chief executive officer of CGLR. “The partnership between CGLR and IAGLR will serve as a unique platform for connecting scientific experts, policy makers and lawmakers at all levels of government, companies and business leaders across sectors, nongovernmental organizations, youth, and civil society to each other’s dialogues, with the goal of finding solutions to the region’s interrelated socioeconomic and environmental challenges.”
“A strategic goal of IAGLR is to engage its considerable scientific expertise to better inform policy decisions pertaining to the many transboundary socioeconomic and environmental problems facing the Great Lakes,” said Paul Sibley, president of the research-based association. “The formalized partnership between IAGLR and CGLR provides a mechanism to achieve this goal and reflects the growing recognition that solving Great Lakes issues requires integrative collaboration between scientists, policy makers, lawmakers, industry, and the public that extends beyond traditional boundaries and approaches. One that incorporates a diversity of perspectives and expertise.”
The Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) is a member-run, binational non-profit organization that is dedicated to deepening the United States-Canada relationship in the Great Lakes Region.
The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) is a scientific organization made up of researchers studying the Laurentian Great Lakes, other large lakes of the world, and their watersheds.
