DNR Director Kyle Hupfer: Great Lakes resources must be managed prudently while protecting Indiana’s vital interests.
The Council of Great Lakes Governors announced a 60-day public comment period for draft agreements on the responsible management of water resources in the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Basin. The revised drafts agreements, called the Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements, include a ban on diversions of water with limited exceptions, and a requirement for the states and provinces to conduct joint review of water withdrawal proposals that result in large scale consumptive uses or proposed exceptions to the ban on diversions. In addition, the draft agreements require a commitment to reduce demand for water and improve efficient use of water through conservation by current and future water users.
Director Kyle Hupfer asks Hoosiers for feedback, input at public meetings to develop final state recommendations to Governor Daniels.
The revised draft agreements are the result of efforts by Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania as well as the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec launched in 2001. The agreements are not final and do not yet reflect a consensus.
The draft agreements will be open to public comment until August 30, 2005. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will hold public meetings in Lake County, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis (Date, Time and Locations to be announced). At the end of the public comment and review period, the Governors’ and Premiers’ staffs will review the comments and attempt to reach consensus on the agreements.
Governor Daniels has asked Kyle Hupfer, Director of the Department of Natural Resources, to summarize all correspondence and all comments made at the public meetings to aid the Administration in its review of the draft documents. Please feel free to print out the revised draft agreements from this website. By attending a public meeting, sending an e-mail to give us your comments.
For the complete text of the revised drafts, additional background information about the Council of Great Lakes Governors and information on the work that led up to the creation of these drafts, visit www.cglg.org. Comments on the revised drafts can also be sent to Annex2001@cglg.org Written comments can be sent by mail to:
Kyle Hupfer
Department of Natural Resources
Executive Office
204 W. Washington Street, Room W256
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2739
David Naftzger
Council of Great Lakes Governors
35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1850
Chicago, IL 60601
Reporter’s contact: Kim Brant, DNR, 317.232.4003
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
The Council of Great Lakes Governors announced a 60-day public comment period for draft agreements on the responsible management of water resources in the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Basin. The revised drafts agreements, called the Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements, include a ban on diversions of water with limited exceptions, and a requirement for the states and provinces to conduct joint review of water withdrawal proposals that result in large scale consumptive uses or proposed exceptions to the ban on diversions. In addition, the draft agreements require a commitment to reduce demand for water and improve efficient use of water through conservation by current and future water users.