1. From Policy to Action in the
Great Lakes
Andy Buchsbaum
Andy Buchsbaum
Co‐Chair, Healing Our Waters Coalition
Great Lakes Regional Executive Director of the
G tL k R i lE ti Di t f th
National Wildlife Federation
buchsbaum@nwf.org

2. Who s in charge of the Great Lakes?
Who’s in charge of the Great Lakes?

3. Who s In Charge of the Great Lakes? Is it:
Who’s In Charge of the Great Lakes? Is it:
• International Joint Commission
l
• Great Lakes Commission
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
• St. Lawrence Seaway Authority
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Great Lakes States
• Great Lakes Tribes
G L k T ib
• President Obama
• U.S. Congress
U S Congress

4. What law governs the Great Lakes? Is it:
What law governs the Great Lakes? Is it:
• Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
• Boundary Waters Treaty
• International Joint Commission references
• U.S. Clean Water Act
• U.S. Great Lakes Critical Programs Act
• Great Lakes Water Resources Compact
• U.S EPA, Coast Guard Regulations on invasive species
• State laws on fish management
• President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

5. Foundation for progress: focus
F d ti f f
and unity
and unity
Illustrations:
Ill t ti
Great Lakes Water Resources Compact
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and funding

9. Agreement: Great Lakes Water
Resources Compact
• T d t il d
Two detailed
agreements
• M
Manages
groundwater
and surface
and surface
water together
• Based on
Based on
ecosystem
protection,
protection
water efficiency

10. The Compact becomes law
The Compact becomes law
• In each Canadian
province
• In each U.S. state
In each U.S. state
• Ratified by U.S.
Congress in 2008
Congress in 2008
• Working with states
to implement it
to implement it

11. Second example: Great Lakes
restoration
Great Lakes
problems:
Toxic contamination
Nutrient pollution
g
Sewage waste
Habitat destruction
Invasive species
p

12. The Healing Our
Waters Coalition
W C li i
• 110 Organizations
110 Organizations
• Supported by a 5‐
year, $5 million
year, $5 million
grant from
philanthropist Peter
Wege
• 5 full time staff
• Annual conferences
in Washington, D.C.
and Great Lakes
dG tL k
region

13. The Strategy:
The Strategy:
• Unify the science
• Unify the cleanup plans
• Enlist the support from all stakeholders especially
Enlist the support from all stakeholders, especially
business
• Unif the message
Unify the message
• Unify the request
• Focus on key decisionmakers: presidential candidates

14. Unify the Science
•200+ scientists
endorsing
•Commissioned by
the H li Our
th Healing O
Waters Coalition
•Politicians, media
regularly quoting
•Cited in federal
legislation, federal
register
i t

15. Unify the
Cleanup Plans
p
•Federal, state, tribal,
city, ENGO process
•Business, agriculture
participation
•Over 1,500
contributors
•Published by U.S.
EPA
•$20 billion plan

16. Enlist Business
Support
•Study by the Brookings
Institution i
I tit ti in 2006
•Commissioned by business,
municipalities,
municipalities HOW Coalition
•Authored by world-class
economists and policy experts
p y p
•Result: $26 billion investment
yields $80-100 billion in
economic activity and growth
•Promoted by regional
Chambers of Commerce

17. Unify the message
• Extensive public
Extensive public
opinion research by
HOW
• Branding and
marketing campaign
marketing campaign
• Over 1,000 news clips
in a year; millions of
in a year; millions of
impressions
• Message now used by
Message now used by
President, Congress,
business

18. Key Decisionmakers
Key Decisionmakers
Chief of
Staff
Rahm
Emanuel
EPA Great Lakes Director Cam
President Obama Davis

19. Results: Unprecedented
Results: Unprecedented
• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• Passed: $475 Million for Great Lakes
Passed: $475 Million for Great Lakes
restoration for 2010
• P
Passed: $2 Billion plus for sewer upgrades for
d $2 Billi l f d f
2010
• Part of $5 billion commitment to the Great
Lakes

20. Lessons we learned
Lessons we learned
• Prioritize the most important actions
• Unify around those actions: science,
Unify around those actions: science,
stakeholders, message
• Id if h
Identify the most important decisionmakers
i d ii k
• Understand and use incentives to persuade
p
those decisionmakers
• D l
Develop a stable, well‐financed coalition
t bl ll fi d liti
• Never give up!

21. Thank you!! Questions?
Thank you!! Questions?
Andy Buchsbaum
buchsbaum@nwf.org