Making waves

Erika Jensen named interim executive director

The Great Lakes Commission is excited to share that Erika Jensen was recently named to serve as our Interim Executive Director. Erika has been with the Commission for 14 years and previously oversaw the aquatic invasive species prevention and control program. In that role she supported the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and Invasive Mussel Collaborative. Erika is the first female executive director of the Commission since it was established in 1955.

“Erika is highly regarded throughout the Great Lakes community and has spent more than 14 years with the GLC, spearheading many regional initiatives and serving in several leadership roles during this time," said said GLC Chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana. "Erika has the ideal combination of experience with Great Lakes issues and stakeholders and fresh new ideas for the agency.” 

Check out this story on Erika's appointment from WDET-FM.

Thank you for attending the Commission's annual meeting 

The Commission held its 2020 Annual Meeting from November 17-19 in a virtual format for the first time ever. 

The Commission passed one resolution at the meeting, which updated its policy on invasive Asian carp. The resolution, introduced jointly by members of its Illinois and Michigan delegations, calls on the U.S. federal government to fund and advance prevention and control measures for Asian carp, including the design, engineering, and construction of a control point at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. The Commission also voted to establish an ad-hoc committee to update its policy on mercury contamination.

The Commission also re-elected Sharon M. Jackson of Indiana as chair and Todd Ambs of Wisconsin as vice chair. Chair Jackson serves as Deputy General Counsel to Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. Vice Chair Ambs serves as Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The Commission will next convene the week of May 10, 2021 for its semiannual meeting and will host the annual Great Lakes Day in early March 2021. For information about these meetings, please visit our Meetings website.

Commission and partners call on Congress to include Great Lakes priorities in WRDA reauthorization

In a letter, the GLC and organizations representing Great Lakes tribes, state legislators, municipalities, conservation organizations, labor, business, and ports urged members of Congress to include key priorities for the Great Lakes in upcoming legislation to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act.

“Federal investment in the water infrastructure of the Great Lakes Basin has greatly benefited the ecosystems and economies in our region,” the letter reads. “We appreciate both the House and Senate’s ongoing efforts to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act each Congress, which helps ensure that investments meet the evolving needs of this dynamic region… Each bill includes key priorities for the Great Lakes, and we are encouraged by Congress’ continued commitment to the economic and environmental health of the Basin.”

Read the WRDA letter.

Commission awards $1.55 million to control sediment and reduce runoff into the Great Lakes

The GLC recently announced the award of $1.55 million in grants to reduce sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants entering the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program.

Each year, the program provides competitive grants to local, state and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to install erosion and nutrient control practices in the Great Lakes basin. The program supports projects not typically funded by other federal cost-share programs, allowing it to fund innovative and unique approaches. The 2020 projects generally focus on three approaches: long-term sediment and nutrient management through engagement with the agricultural community, streambank restoration, and green infrastructure.

Read more about the the grants.

Currents

GLC premiers video highlighting restoration work at the Buffalo River Area of Concern

The GLC recently premiered a video on our work to help restore the Buffalo River Area of Concern in New York state.

As part of our coastal habitat restoration program, 13 restoration projects were implemented by local partner Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper at eight sites. Together, these projects enhanced nearly two miles of shoreline and 20 acres of habitat, bringing the river closer to being removed from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

This work also improved water quality and increased opportunities for recreation and tourism. Funding was made available by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through a partnership between the GLC and NOAA.

Watch the video.

Work begins on GLRI-supported coastal habitat restoration project in Michigan

In September, officials broke ground on the Brandenburg Park Shoreline Restoration Project in Michigan's Chesterfield Township. When the project is finished, roughly 740 linear feet of failing steel seawall will be replaced with natural shoreline, along with 1.5 acres of nearshore habitat.

We're proud to work on this project with the township, our partners at the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and NOAA, with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Learn more about the project.

Invasive Mussel Collaborative webinars 

Recent webinars hosted by the Invasive Mussel Collaborative discussed the development of invasive mussel risk models informed by watercraft inspection and boater movement data, as well as the outcomes of new zebra and quagga mussel control studies.

Watch the first webinar (boater data) or the second webinar (recent studies) on demand. 

Great Lakes Dredging Team webinar 

The Great Lakes Dredging team recently hosted a webinar about the beneficial uses of dredged material, effects of microcystin in the nearshore environment, and the effect of dredged material on soil health.

Review presentations from the webinar.

"Conservation Kick" seeking buyers and sellers 

Are you aware of a community interested in protecting their source of drinking water from excess nutrients? Or perhaps another entity interested in purchasing credits supporting local nutrient reduction efforts?

The Commission’s pilot project called Conservation Kick seeks to connect buyers and sellers to drive nutrient reduction outcomes in the Great Lakes.

Reach out to Program Manager Nicole Zacharda, nzacharda@glc.org for more information.

Break the ice

Meet Ranissah Samah, chair of the Commission's Ontario delegation 

Ranissah Samah currently serves as Senior Manager of International Relations Policy in the Province of Ontario’s Cabinet Office. In this role, she leads a team in advancing Ontario’s government-to-government relations with global partners through the provision of policy advice across a broad range of issues, and in supporting international engagement activities including trade and advocacy missions abroad and meetings with the diplomatic and consular corps based in Ontario. Ranissah is also the Ontario delegation chair to the Great Lakes Commission.

Ranissah’s previous public sector experience includes international policy, trade, and operations advisory roles for the provincial and federal governments. Her work in the private sector includes roles in finance and project management. She holds a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Ranissah grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and later made her home in Toronto. She is grateful for having lived near an ocean or lake for most of her life, and loves to swim and kayak, or otherwise spend time on or near the water.

Last drop

Events on tap

March 3: Great Lakes Day 
March 9-11: State of Lake Ontario Conference
Week of May 10: Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting
May 17-21: IAGLR21: 64th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research
May 26-27: Great Lakes Fishery Commission Annual Meeting

For more Great Lakes events, visit the Commission's Great Lakes Regional Calendar.