Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health

, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp 25–37 | Cite as

Ecosystem integrity in the Great Lakes Basin: an historical sketch of ideas and actions

  • Henry A. Regier
Article

Abstract

The concepts of ecosystem and integrity effectively entered the binational political arena in the Great Lakes Basin in the early 1970's. They were brought together explicitly in the statement of the purpose of the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The 1987 Protocol to that Agreement has helped to specify the practical meaning of ecosystem integrity of the Great Lakes Basin. The proceedings of a binational workshop in 1988, titled An Ecosystem Approach to the Integrity of the Great Lakes Basin in Turbulent Times, helped to clarify the conceptual meaning. An Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin was proposed in 1989 to help achieve more thorough implementation of the commitment to ecosystem integrity. The evolutionary emergence of this political concept and related practice is described in the paper.

Keywords

Great Lakes Basin ecosystem rehabilitation integrity 

List of abbreviations used in the text

CUSIS

Canada-U.S. Inter-University Seminar Series

LAA

Environmental Lakes Area

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

GLBC

Great Lakes Basin Commission

GLC

Great Lakes Commission

GLER

Great Lakes Ecosystem Rehabilitation

GLFC

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

GLSAB

Great Lakes Science Advisory Board

GLU

Great Lakes United

GLWQA

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

HASP

Heritage Area Security Plan

IBP

International Biological Program

IJC

International Joint Commission

IZAP

Inundation Zone Adaptive Plan

LAMP

Lake-wide Management Plan

LLRS

Lake Levels Reference Study

MAB

Man and the Biosphere program

NEPA

National Environmental Policy Act

PLUARG

Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group

RAP

Remedial Action Plan

SCOL

Salmonid Communities in Oligotrophic Lakes

SGLFMP

Strategic Great Lakes Fishery Management Plan

SPOF

Strategic Plan for Ontario Fisheries

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • Henry A. Regier
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute for Environmental StudiesUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada

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