Great Lakes: An Overall Strategy and Indicators for Measuring Progress Are Needed to Better Achieve Restoration Goals
GAO-03-515
Published: Apr 30, 2003. Publicly Released: May 21, 2003.
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Highlights
The five Great Lakes, which comprise the largest system of freshwater in the world, are threatened on many environmental fronts. To address the extent of progress made in restoring the Great Lakes Basin, which includes the lakes and surrounding area, GAO (1) identified the federal and state environmental programs operating in the basin and funding devoted to them, (2) evaluated the restoration strategies used and how they are coordinated, and (3) assessed overall environmental progress made in the basin restoration effort.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To improve coordination of Great Lakes activities and ensure that federal dollars are effectively spent, the Administrator, EPA should ensure that the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) fulfills its responsibility for coordinating programs within the Great Lakes Basin. |
Closed – Implemented
This recommendation was addressed through executive order 13340, May 18, 2004, to establish a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to develop a Great Lakes strategy. The strategy was completed in December 2005. (John Wanska)
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To improve coordination of Great Lakes activities and ensure that federal dollars are effectively spent, the Administrator, EPA should charge GLNPO with developing, in consultation with the governors of the Great Lakes states, federal agencies, and other organizations, an overarching strategy that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities for coordinating and prioritizing funding for projects. |
Closed – Implemented
This recommendation was addressed through executive order 13340, May 18, 2004, to establish a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to develop a Great Lakes strategy. The strategy was completed in December 2005. (John Wanska)
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To improve coordination of Great Lakes activities and ensure that federal dollars are effectively spent, the Administrator, EPA should submit a time-phased funding requirement proposal to the Congress necessary to implement the strategy. |
Closed – Implemented
This recommendation was addressed through executive order 13340, May 18, 2004, to establish a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to develop a Great Lakes strategy. The strategy was completed in December 2005. (John Wanska)
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To fulfill the need for a monitoring system called for in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and to ensure that the limited funds available are optimally spent, the Administrator, EPA should, in coordination with Canadian officials and as part of an overarching Great Lakes strategy, develop environmental indicators and a monitoring system for the Great Lakes Basin that can be used to measure overall restoration progress. |
Closed – Implemented
This recommendation was addressed through executive order 13340, May 18, 2004, to establish a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to develop a Great Lakes strategy. The strategy was completed in December 2005. (John Wanska)
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To fulfill the need for a monitoring system called for in the GLWQA and to ensure that the limited funds available are optimally spent, the Administrator, EPA should, in coordination with Canadian officials and as part of an overarching Great Lakes strategy, require that these indicators be used to evaluate, prioritize, and make funding decisions on the merits of alternative restoration projects. |
Closed – Implemented
This recommendation was addressed through executive order 13340, May 18, 2004, to establish a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to develop a Great Lakes strategy. The strategy was completed in December 2005. (John Wanska)
|
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Environmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesInternational agreementsLand managementStrategic planningWater qualityWater resources conservationLakesArmy corps of engineersExpenditure of funds