Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) 2004

Preface

Lakewide Management Plans

One of the most significant environmental agreements in the history of the Great Lakes was put in place with the signing of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 (GLWQA), between the United States and Canada. This historic Agreement committed the U.S. and Canada (the Parties) to address the water quality issues of the Great Lakes in a coordinated, joint fashion. The purpose of the Agreement was to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem” (IJC 1993).

In the revised GLWQA of 1978, as amended by Protocol signed November 18, 1987, the Parties agreed to develop and implement, in consultation with State and Provincial Governments, Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) for open lake waters and Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) for Areas of Concern (AOCs). The LaMPs are intended to identify the critical pollutants that affect the beneficial uses of the lakes and to develop strategies, recommendations, and policy options to restore these beneficial uses. Moreover, the Specific Objectives Supplement to Annex 1 of the GLWQA requires the development of Ecosystem Objectives for the Lakes as the state of knowledge permits. Annex 2 further indicates that the RAPs and LaMPs “shall embody a systematic and comprehensive ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting beneficial uses....they are to serve as an important step toward virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances...”.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement specifies that the LaMPs are to be completed in four stages. These stages are: 1) when problem definition has been completed; 2) when the schedule of load reductions has been determined; 3) when remedial measures are selected; and 4) when monitoring indicates that the contribution of the critical pollutants to impairment of beneficial uses has been eliminated. These stage descriptions suggest that the LaMPs are to focus solely on the impact of critical pollutants to the Lakes. However, the group of government agencies designing the LaMPs felt it was also necessary to address other equally important issues in the Lake basins. Therefore, the LaMPs go beyond the requirement of a LaMP for critical pollutants, and use an ecosystem approach, integrating environmental protection and natural resource management.

The Lake Superior LaMP is unique because of an additional agreement, announced in 1991, between the federal governments, states and province surrounding Lake Superior. Called the Binational Program to Restore and Protect the Lake Superior Basin, the program established a Zero Discharge Demonstration Program and a broader ecosystem approach. The Zero Discharge Demonstration was created in response to citizen and International Joint Commission recommendations to establish Lake Superior as a pilot for zero discharge. Annex 12 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement notes that “the philosophy adopted for control of inputs of persistent toxic substances shall be zero discharge.”

The LaMP process has proven to be a resource intensive effort and has taken much longer than expected. In the interest of advancing the rehabilitation of the Great Lakes, and getting more information out to the public in a timely manner, the Binational Executive Committee (BEC) passed a resolution in 1999 to accelerate the LaMP effort. By accelerate, it was meant that there should be an emphasis on taking action and adopting a streamlined LaMP review and approval process. The LaMPs should treat problem identification, selection of remedial and regulatory measures, and implementation as a concurrent, integrated process rather than a sequential one. In the Lake Superior LaMP, Stages 1 and 2 were completed before the BEC decision and Stage 3 was integrated into LaMP 2000 as the critical chemicals chapter.

Consistent with the BEC resolution, the LaMP contains appropriate funded and proposed (non­funded) actions for restoration and protection to bring about actual improvement in the ecosystem. Actions include commitments by the Parties, governments and regulatory programs, as well as suggested voluntary actions that could be taken by non-governmental partners. LaMP 2002 reported on the success of those actions, and identified challenges remaining to achieve established goals and ecosystem objectives.

In the Lake Superior LaMP, Stages 1 and 2 were completed before the BEC decision and Stage 3 was integrated into LaMP 2000 as the critical chemicals chapter.

Furthermore, BEC suggested that the LaMPs be based on the current body of knowledge and state what remedial actions can be implemented now. It was recommended that a LaMP be produced for each Lake by April 2000, with updates every two years thereafter.

The concept of adaptive management is being applied to the LaMP process. An iterative approach is being taken with periodic refining based upon the lessons learned, successes, new information, and public input generated. The LaMP will adjust over time to address the most pertinent issues facing the Lake ecosystem.

Some parts of LaMP 2004 identify data gaps and next steps for LaMP 2006. LaMP 2004 is presented in a loose-leaf format with tabbed sections that can be inserted into a three-ringed binder. This format allows for easy updates, additions of new material, and removal of outdated information. The table which follows is a guide to updating your LaMP 2000 with the LaMP 2004 updates.
 

Executive Summary

Background
One of the most significant environmental agreements in the history of the Great Lakes was put in place with the signing of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 (GLWQA), between the United States and Canada. This historic Agreement committed the U.S. and Canada (the Parties) to address the water quality issues of the Great Lakes in a coordinated, joint fashion. The purpose of the Agreement was to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem” (IJC 1993). The 1987 amendment to the GLWQA required the development of Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) which “shall embody a systematic and comprehensive ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting beneficial uses...they are to serve as an important step toward virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances...” This document represents the current LaMP for Lake Superior.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement specifies that the LaMPs are to be completed in four stages. However, under a streamlined LaMP review and approval process, the LaMPs now treat problem identification, selection of remedial and regulatory measures, and implementation as a concurrent, integrated process rather than a sequential or staged one. In the Lake Superior LaMP, Stages 1 and 2 for critical chemicals were completed before the decision was made to integrate. Stage 3 was merged into LaMP 2000 as the critical chemicals chapter. To date, no other LaMP has a load reduction schedule for critical pollutants as required by the Agreement.

In addition, the LaMPs go beyond the requirement of a LaMP for critical pollutants and use an ecosystem approach, which integrates environmental protection and natural resource management. LaMP progress is now reported every two years. Adaptive management is used to allow the process to change as needed by building upon successes, accepting new information and drawing from public involvement and input. The LaMP therefore, can be adjusted over time to respond to the most pertinent issues facing the lake ecosystem. Additional details on this can be found in Chapter 1.
The Lake Superior LaMP is unique because of an additional agreement between the federal governments, states and province surrounding Lake Superior. Announced in 1991, the agreement, called the “Binational Program to Restore and Protect the Lake Superior Basin,” established a Zero Discharge Demonstration Program and a broader ecosystem approach.

The LaMP/Lake Superior Binational Program contains appropriate funded and proposed (non­funded) actions for restoration and protection to bring about actual improvement in the ecosystem. Actions include commitments by the Parties, governments and regulatory programs, as well as suggested voluntary actions that could be taken by non-governmental partners. LaMP 2000 identified these actions in six ecosystem themes: critical pollutants, aquatic communities, terrestrial wildlife communities, habitat, human health and developing sustainability. A LaMP update in 2002 reported on the success of those actions, and identified challenges remaining to achieve established goals and ecosystem objectives.

LaMP 2004
LaMP 2004 builds on the LaMP 2000 document; it incorporates all the LaMP 2000 chapters unless the chapters have been updated or rewritten. For example, the Critical Pollutants chapter remains the same, although a progress report detailing accomplishments and progress from 2002 to 2004 is included. Where the chapters remain the same as in LaMP 2000, a progress report presents an accomplishment summary of the 1) actions completed or underway to improve the lake, 2) challenges, and 3) next steps or changes to ongoing management actions.

Chapter 9, “Developing Sustainability,” has been revised to incorporate public input. A new ecosystem chapter, consolidating and updating information contained in chapters 6, 7, 8 and 10 of LaMP 2000, will be finalized in 2004 and incorporated into LaMP 2006. Chapter 4 (Critical Pollutants) similarly will be revised for LaMP 2006.

LaMP 2004 identifies data gaps and next steps for LaMP 2006. LaMP 2004 is available in CD­ROM format, and is designed to be printed in a loose-leaf format with general tabbed sections that can be inserted into a three-ringed binder. This format allows for easy updates, additions of new material and removal of outdated information.

A detailed guide to changes and instructions on how to update the LaMP 2000 document is contained in the Preface.

This Lakewide Management Plan Report 2004 is not intended to be extensively circulated to the public; the agencies plan to produce a separate document to inform the public on Binational Program activities. Citizens of the basin, as partners and stakeholders in the Binational Program, are strongly encouraged to become actively involved. The Lake Superior Binational Public Forum can be reached at 1-888-301-LAKE (1-888-301-5253).

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