Great Lakes Week: Detroit 2011
October 11-14 — Working Together, Taking Action
The Great Lakes are among the world's true natural wonders. They provide jobs, recreation and drinking water to more than 30 million people in the Great Lakes basin. Great Lakes Week represents a new partnership to improve the places around the basin where people live, work, learn and play.
The week's activities will bring representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments together with a broad coalition of public and private groups to highlight efforts to implement solutions for the lakes' most pressing problems. Great Lakes Week also gathers the annual meetings and conferences of various organizations in one place, making it one of the most wide-ranging Great Lakes summits in history.
For questions about Great Lakes Week, please contact Peter Cassell at 312-886-6234 or cassell.peter@epa.gov
Detailed agenda for Great Lakes Week events (PDF,
194K)
Overlap agenda for Great Lakes Week events October 11-14 (PDF, 180K)
Events
Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting
October 11-12
Join commissioners from the eight Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Québec in discussing Great Lakes issues of priority interest including the Great Lakes as engines of economic recovery, Great Lakes ports in the 21st Century, and lessons learned from algal blooms and dead zones in Lake Erie. Attendees will also receive updates on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, renegotiation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the proposed ecological separation of the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds to thwart the spread of Asian carp. More Information>>
International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board Public Meeting
October 11
Join the principal scientific advisors to the International Joint Commission for a public meeting focusing on issues influencing the water quality of Lake Erie. More information>>
International Joint Commission Biennial Meeting
October 11-14
Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the IJC reports on progress toward restoration and engages the public in discussions regarding fishability, swimmability and drinkability. Keynote Speaker: Former Vice President Al Gore. More information>>
Great Lakes Week Joint Session
October 12
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will give opening remarks with Canadian Minister for the Environment Peter Kent (invited) and Matthew Cullen, president & COO of Rock Ventures (invited). Immediately following, representatives from the United States and Canada will report progress being made in restoration efforts for the Great Lakes and discuss barriers, funding and future efforts. Officials from both nations will then participate in the Great Lakes Week Panel & Town Hall to hear comments, concerns and answer questions from the public. More information>>
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition Welcoming Reception
October 12
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition hosts a welcoming reception at the beautiful Detroit Institute of Art to welcome everyone to Great Lakes Week. More information>>
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition: Seventh Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference
October 12-14
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will join together on the shores of the Detroit River to reunite with friends, celebrate successes, develop new strategies and take action to achieve our Great Lakes restoration goals in 2012 and beyond. More information>>
Healing Our Waters Poster Session
October 13
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition showcases restoration projects going on across the Great Lakes basin. More information>>
Detroit Riverfront Walking Tour and Boat Cruise
October 13
Walk the beautiful Detroit Riverfront and then join friends aboard the Detroit Princess to celebrate Great Lakes Week 2011 with breathtaking views of the host city. (Separate fee and registration required.) More information>>
U.S. Areas of Concern Program Annual Meeting
October 13-14
Representatives from the 30 U.S. and binational Areas of Concern will meet to discuss developments affecting the program and opportunities to advance restoration of Areas of Concern on the Great Lakes. More information>>
Sponsored By:
How to Register
Please note that participants interested in attending overlapping sessions of Great Lakes Week conferences for which they are not registered are welcome to do so. However, participants must eat meals only at the conference for which they are registered and paid to attend. Other events throughout the week require separate registration through links on the left.
The views or opinions presented by the organizations at this event do not necessarily represent those of the federal government.
Interact with Great Lakes Week remotely
Select questions will be read and answered live during the Great Lakes Week Panel & Town Hall.
- Tweet your questions or comments to @CameronDavisEPA or @GreatLakesNow
- Use the hashtag #AskGLW in your tweets.
- Post questions to Facebook at www.facebook.com
/epagreatlakes.