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As Parties to the Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement, the governments of Canada and
the United States are responsible for accurate
reporting on the state of the Great Lakes.
The State of the Lakes Ecosystem
Conference is a result of this commitment to
reporting. With the establishment of a
consistent suite of ecosystem indicators, the
health of the Great Lakes basin can be
objectively assessed. Regular reporting of a
core set of indicators will promote more
efficient and successful management as well as
creating more accessible information for
policy makers and the public.
The first two conferences in 1994 and 1996
developed a series of ad hoc indicators to
evaluate the state of various Great Lakes
ecosystem components. SOLEC 98 went
beyond the previous SOLECs and presented a
comprehensive list of ecosystem indicators for
review and discussion. This suite of
indicators objectively represents the state of
the Lakes while establishing consistent
biennial reporting.
SOLEC 2000 will begin to assess the state of
the Great Lakes using the indicators. Future
SOLECs will report on the complete suite of
indicators. SOLEC 2000 will examine the
human health issues of swimmability,
drinkability and fishability, and will explore the
development and use of ecological indices.
Steering Committee members represent a wide
variety of agencies from around the Great Lakes:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Council of Great Lakes Industries
Environment Canada
Great Lakes Commission
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Great Lakes States
Great Lakes United
International Joint Commission
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
Ontario Ministry of Environment
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Tribes/First Nations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Geological Survey
There are many other individuals and representatives
from environmental groups, academia and local
governments who have participated in the work
necessary to develop this conference.
IMPLEMENTING INDICATORS
For additional information please contact:
Office of Regional Science Advisor
Environment Canada - Ont. Region
4905 Dufferin St.
Downsview, Ontario M3H 5T4
ph: 416-739-5760
fax: 416-739-4691
e-mail: alison.bloom@ec.gc.ca
Great Lakes National Program Office
US EPA
77 West Jackson Blvd.,
Chicago, IL 60604
ph: 312-353-2087
fax:312-353-2018
e-mail: madden.molly@epa.gov
October 17, 18, & 19, 2000
Hamilton Convention Centre
Hamilton, Ontario
Hosted by:
Environment Canada
&
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
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Monday October 16, 2000
An evening reception will take place in the
Heritage Room of the Sheraton Hamilton
Hotel
Hors d'oeuvres & refreshments provided
Sponsored by Great Lakes Commission
DAY ONE - Tuesday October 1 7, 2000
Morning
PLENARY: State of the Great Lakes
8:30 Welcome/Opening Ceremonies/Native
Greetings
SOLEC Past and Future
State of the Great Lakes: assessment
using indicators for the following groupings:
* nearshore and open waters
* coastal wetlands
* nearshore terrestrial and land use
* societal
* human health
beach closures
drinking water
fish contaminants
Great Lakes Index Concept
Lunch and Guest Speaker
Afternoon
CONCURRENT SESSIONS: In-depth
Discussions About the State of the Great
Lakes. What are the indicators telling us?
Concurrent Sessions 1
Concurrent Sessions 2
5:30 Adjourn
5:30 - 7:30 Poster Session and Mixer
Morning
PLENARY: Putting Indicators to Use at the
Local Level
8:30 Recap of Day 1 & Overview of Day 2
Biodiversity Investment Area Integration
Putting Indicators to Use: case studies and
presentations by local groups
Success Stories: highlights of projects by
award receipients
Lunch
Afternoon
CONCURRENT SESSIONS: Indicator Toolbox.
Opportunity to gather more information on the case studies
(examples of issues to be discussed: easements, ecological
restoration, volunteer monitoring programs, indicators at the
local level, fundraising, how to change local governance
(zoning), how to keep public interest, CIS approach, industry
and community partnerships)
3:00 Adjourn
3:30 Fun Run/Walk and Excursions
Evening
DINNER: Sheraton Hamilton Hotel
6:00 Cash Bar Opens
7:00 SHEMO
Recognition of Success Stories
Dinner
Guest Speaker
DAY THREE - Thursday October 19, 2000
Morning
PLENARY: Lake Ecosystem Status Reports
8:30 Recap Day 2 & Overview Day 3
Lake Presentations
Lunch
Afternoon
CONCURRENT SESSIONS: Cross-cutting Great
Lakes Issues & Lake Sessions.
An opportunity to look at each lake in more detail or to
participate in special topic sessions.
PLENARY: Commencement
Conference Wrap Up
Native Closing
3:30 SOLEC 2000 Adjourns
3:30-5:30 Meeting rooms available
Please note:
Registration to take place on
Mon. Oct. 16, 6:30pm-9:00pm, or
Tues. Oct. 17, 7:30am-12noon
in the Convention Centre lobby.
For further information on SOLEC visit our web site
at
http://www.cciw.ca/solec/
http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/solec/
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