New York Sea Grant and NYSDEC’s Great Lakes watershed program are hosting a series of public workshops across New York’s Great Lakes basin to provide information on the Great Lakes Action Agenda, to discuss the proposed strategy for implementing the Agenda, and to seek input on priorities for achieving watershed health across the region. The workshops will be held in late January through early February 2015.
The interim Great Lakes Action Agenda is a guide to promote successful ecosystem-based management through existing programs and partnerships involving state and federal agencies, municipalities, academic institutions, non-profits, and other stakeholders in New York’s Great Lakes basin.
The action agenda identifies problems and actions needed to protect natural resources, environmental quality and resilient communities.
The action agenda is being released as an “interim” document, in recognition of key federal and state initiatives that are currently undergoing significant revisions and refinement, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan and the U.S./Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, among others.
Great Lakes Action Agenda goals include:
Virtually eliminate discharges of persistent toxic substances
Control sediment, nutrient and pathogen releases
Accelerate the delisting of New York’s Areas of Concern
Combat invasive species
Conserve and restore fish and wildlife
Conserve Great Lakes water supplies
Enhance community resiliency and ecosystem integrity
Promote smart growth, redevelopment and adaptive reuse
Enhance recreation and tourism opportunities
Plan for energy development
For more information, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.
source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation