Caution: These are draft documents only.
They were used for public comment purposes. Final drafts will be ready
in time for signing and will be posted in the near future.
Lakewide Management Annex
to the
Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting
the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem
BETWEEN
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA (CANADA)
AND
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF ONTARIO (ONTARIO)
WHEREAS the Governor in Council, by Order in Council No. P.C. , dated
the day of , 200 has authorized the Canada Minister(s) to execute and
deliver this Annex on behalf of Her Majesty;
WHEREAS the Lieutenant Governor in Council, by Order in Council No. O.C.
, dated the day of , 200 has authorized the Ontario Minister(s) to execute
and deliver this Annex on behalf of ;
To achieve the Canada-Ontario Agreement's (COA) vision of a healthy,
prosperous and sustainable Great Lakes Basin ecosystem it is necessary
to establish collaborative management and decision-making processes in
both Canada and the United States that address lake-specific ecological
impairments.
Although they form an interconnected system, the Great Lakes and Lake
St. Clair each have their own unique physical, biological, chemical, geographical
and surrounding land use characteristics, which are reflected in their
ecosystem management challenges.
Binational federal-provincial-state collaborative management among jurisdictions
is the means by which lakewide challenges are addressed. The ultimate
goal is to "restore the chemical, physical and biological integrity
of the Great Lakes ecosystem", or more specifically, to address a
variety of ecological and human use impairments caused by stresses such
as harmful pollutants, habitat loss, nutrient loadings and nuisance invasive
species.
The management programs for each of the lakes are in different stages
of development, but they generally share the same methodology.
Human health risks transcend all the lakes and are addressed in the Harmful
Pollutants Annex.
Canada and Ontario have identified three goals for the next five years,
which demonstrate progress towards establishing collaborative management
and decision-making processes on planning and decision-making in both
Canada and the United States that address lake-specific ecological impairments.
They are:
Clearly understanding the environmental problems and causes of ecological
impairment;
Reaching consensus on and having broad-based support for direction
and priority actions for environmental restoration, protection and conservation;
and,
Making progress on habitat restoration/protection and reducing
the impact of harmful pollutants with a lake-by-lake focus.
Canada and Ontario will address lake-specific ecosystem
quality and beneficial use impairments by achieving:
Result 1
Reductions in the release of the most harmful pollutants on a lake-by-lake
basis.
Canada and Ontario will:
Implement actions called for in the binational Lakewide Management
Plans (LaMPs) for Lakes Superior, Ontario and Erie;
Identify point and non-point sources of pollution to each lake;
Identify sites outside Areas of Concern (AOCs) that have contaminated
sediments that act as sources of harmful pollutants and develop sediment
management strategies;
Develop methods and provide support for watershed management
Provide financial assistance for the adoption of environmentally sound
farm management practices;
Conduct specific watershed investigations focussed on identifying
sources of LaMP critical pollutants in Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, St.
Clair and Superior;
Lead the development of binational Lakewide Management Plans for Lakes
Superior, Erie and Ontario and develop initiatives for Lakes Huron and
St. Clair; and,
Promote achievement of Binational Toxics Strategy targets.
Canada will:
Undertake education and public outreach campaigns to engage local
communities/ municipalities in reducing emissions of contaminants to
air.
Ontario will:
Use regulatory and voluntary measures to reduce the use, discharge
or emission of LaMP critical pollutants by key facilities in each lake;
and,
Develop a nutrient management policy framework and a monitoring program
to control land application of sewage biosolids, septage and pulp and
paper biosolids.
Result 2
Rehabilitated, conserved and protected fish and wildlife habitats.
Canada and Ontario will:
Advance implementation efforts related to fish and wildlife habitats
identified in Lakewide Management Plans;
Develop and implement habitat restoration, protection and conservation
strategies for Lakes Ontario, Erie, St. Clair, and Huron, and implement
Lake Superior's habitat strategy;
Implement measures to address erosion and pesticide use in priority
watersheds;
Use conservation easements and other tools to secure ecologically
significant lands and areas requiring protection;
Implement the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Conservation Action Plan;
Monitor water quantity changes in the Great Lakes to determine their
ecological impact;
Develop technologies to rehabilitate habitat and remediate sediment;
and,
Begin to establish a Great Lakes protected areas network.
Canada will:
Expand capability and develop new collaborative arrangements to protect
fish habitat; and,
Work towards identifying and designating National Marine Conservation
Areas along with other stakeholders in the Great Lakes.
Ontario will:
Incorporate lake objectives for fish and wildlife beneficial uses
into other initiatives such as Great Lakes Heritage Coast and Fisheries
Plans.
Result 3
Reduced entry and spread of non-native invasive species.
Canada and Ontario will:
Research the impacts of non-native invasive species;
Implement the Sea Lamprey Control Program; and
Research alternative technologies to lampricide;
Canada will:
Research new methods for treating ballast water residues; and,
Develop a Canada/U.S. harmonized regulation for the management of
ballast water.
Ontario will:
Develop educational materials aimed at reducing the risk of spreading
non-native invasive species.
Sharing Responsibility
Canada and Ontario will foster a culture of shared responsibility
by achieving:
Result 4
Reduced human health risk from contaminants in the Great Lakes.
Canada and Ontario will:
Develop and deliver education and outreach materials to communicate
to the public, especially high-risk populations, methods of minimizing
exposure to harmful pollutants.
Canada will:
Establish and facilitate the work for a Public Health Network in the
Great Lakes basin.
Result 5
Collaboration between government, organizations and basin residents.
Canada and Ontario will:
Provide technical support to improve stormwater management and nutrient
management;
Provide funding and consultation opportunities to enhance the implementation
of LaMPs;
Produce outreach materials and use technology transfer tools to encourage
environmental citizenship initiatives such as rehabilitating fish and
wildlife habitats, establishing protected areas networks, and, pollution
prevention;
Develop and implement pollution prevention plans and performance-based
agreements with industry and municipalities;
Provide technical support to the Ontario agricultural and rural community
to implement sustainable farm practices; and,
Strengthen binational collaboration for implementing cooperative programs
and other measures that facilitate meeting the desired outcomes of the
GLWQA.
Enhancing Knowledge
Canada and Ontario will ensure that essential knowledge
is available to make informed decisions in each lake by achieving:
Result 6
Improved scientific understanding of the fate and effects of harmful
pollutants and the causes of ecological impairments for each lake.
Canada and Ontario will:
Provide financial assistance for research by academia.
Canada will:
Research the sources of contamination including contaminated sediments;
Develop scientifically defensible indicators for measuring progress;
Develop methods to classify habitats and evaluate their quality;
Research the sources, fate, effects and response of the ecosystem
to contaminants including in-use pesticides;
Research the effects of endocrine disrupting substances on environmental
health; and
Research the effects of pesticides on biodiversity in agricultural
and forestry systems.
Ontario will:
Undertake and encourage research in support of LaMP information needs.
including food web modeling, habitat supply analysis, understanding
the impacts of non-native invasive species and watershed ecosystems.
Result 7
Coordinated and integrated monitoring for scientific interpretative reporting,
decision-making and reporting on progress under COA.
Canada and Ontario will:
Participate in the LaMP working groups to develop and implement a
monitoring and reporting strategy that enables lakewide federal and
provincial working groups to report on progress and determine the effectiveness
of related management and partner actions.
Canada will:
Lead the development of binational monitoring plans for Lakes Ontario,
Erie, Superior and Huron;
Monitor ambient environmental quality in open waters and connecting
channels including Lake St. Clair;
Monitor precipitation for contaminants and conventional pollutants
at selected locations;
Monitor the health of coastal wetlands;
Monitor trends in contaminants in selected wildlife populations (e.g.
Herring Gull Monitoring Program); and,
Monitor contaminant trends in the Great Lakes' fish.
Ontario will:
Provide technical support for binational monitoring on Lakes Ontario,
Erie and Superior;
Monitor water and sediment quality nearshore areas, connecting channels
and tributaries;
Monitor contaminants in nearshore biota; and,
Ensure monitoring of point source air emissions and water discharges.
Monitor population status of fish and wildlife;
Monitor the impact and status of non-native invasive species; and,
This Annex will remain in effect for five years, after which time it
may be considered for renegotiation and/or renewal by Canada and Ontario.
Renegotiation, renewal or amendments to this Annex will include public
consultation, in accordance with the Canada-Ontario Agreement. Upon mutual
agreement, the Parties may amend this Annex at any time.
Effective implementation and management of this Annex will ensure progress
and consistency in decision making, monitoring, communications and reporting,
as well as clarity in government leadership pursuant to this Annex.
To manage the delivery of the results and commitments under this Annex,
the Parties will establish an AOC/Lakewide Annex Subcommittee. The Subcommittee
will report to, and receive direction from, the COA Management Committee.
The Subcommittee will be co-chaired by a director-level representative
of the Government of Ontario and a director-level representative of the
Government of Canada. It will be comprised of representatives of those
departments and ministries of the Governments of Canada and Ontario responsible
for the delivery of commitments and the achievement of the Annex Goals.
Canada and Ontario will provide resources for the operation of the AOC/Lakewide
Annex Subcommittee jointly and equally.
The AOC/Lakewide Annex Subcommittee will:
Develop and coordinate implementation of a multi-year Work Plan within
12 months of this Annex coming into effect. The work-plan will be submitted
to the COA Management Committee for review and approval. The Work Plan
will describe the activities and deliverables of each contributing agency
in relation to the specific results and commitments articulated within
the Annex. In preparing COA Work Plans, every effort will be made to
maximize the integration of activities of contributing departments and
ministries in order to ensure a coordinated and cooperative approach;
Annually, by June 1, submit the multi-year Work Plan and prepare Progress
Reports for review and approval by the COA Management Committee; and,
Establish issue teams, as needed, (e.g., sediment, habitat, non point
source) that serve the AOCs or Lakewide needs. These issue teams will
report to the AOC/Lakewide Management Committee.
V Definitions
Beneficial Use
The ability of living organisms to use the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem
without adverse consequence (includes the 14 uses identified in Annex
2 of the GLWQA).
Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Conservation Action Plan
The Great Lakes Wetlands Conservation Action Plan (GLWCAP) was established
to protect and rehabilitate coastal wetlands in the lower Great Lakes.
The Action Plan is a collaborative plan among federal and provincial governments
and non-governmental organizations.
Habitat Strategy
A strategy to assure the long-term sustainability of habitat necessary
to support Great Lakes fish communities as well as healthy aquatic ecosystems
overall.
Party
means either the Government of Canada or the Government of Ontario.
Sea Lamprey Control Program
Sea lampreys are a parasitic non-native invasive species that has had
an enormous negative impact on the Great Lakes fishery. Integrated sea
lamprey management includes lampricide control, construction of barriers
in streams to deny sea lampreys' entry, and an experimental program to
reduce spawning success by releasing sterilized male sea lampreys.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Annex has been executed on the _______ day of
_______, 2001.
