resources

The mission of Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) is to sustain, restore and protect fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Great Lakes basin by leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and focusing partners and resources toward key ecological issues. Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the program receives funding and other support from ArcelorMittal, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Ohio Coastal Atlas (OCA) Map Viewer displays geospatial information about Lake Erie and its watershed to support coastal decision-makers, land management professionals, engineers, educators, interest groups, and the general public. Many of the data layers are also highlighted in the Ohio Coastal Atlas Second Edition.

The Michigan DNR Managed Public Land Strategy establishes a framework for the continued conservation, use and management of public lands to provide an enhanced quality of life for Michigan residents, create jobs and protect the essence of Michigan's woods, waters, wildlife and other natural and cultural assets. The Strategy builds on the strengths of Michigan's public land ownership: diversity of landscapes, quality of resources and opportunities, dispersed locations throughout the state, and use that supports local economies.

Michigan's Wildlife Action Plan is a partner-developed strategic framework to cooperatively conserve wildlife and their habitats. The 2015 revised plan focuses on priority habitats, and uses rare and common wildlife as measures of progress towards achieving the plan's goals. The partner-identified priorities link with existing programs and plans such as the Michigan Waterfowl Legacy, the Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation Strategy, the Kirtland's Warbler Recovery Plan and the Pheasant Restoration Initiative.

The DNR uses Management Plans to define a long-range planning and management strategy for State Park and Recreation Areas that reflects the DNR and Park and Recreation Division's mission statements. Management planning expands the concept of a master plan by putting greater emphasis on natural and cultural resources, educational opportunities, and operating decisions at each location.

The 2020 Ohio Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan (LEPR) is intended to identify the strategic direction and the near term actions of the State of Ohio related to Lake Erie and its watershed. The 2020 LEPR sets forth actions by the State to meet the challenges and opportunities for improving and maintaining the environmental, economic, and recreational qualities of Ohio’s Great Lake.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its federal partners are developing Action Plan III, which will outline priorities and goals for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action (GLRI) for fiscal years 2020-2024.

The Governments of Canada and the United States are pleased to release the 2019 State of the Great Lakes Highlights Report, which provides an overview of the status and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Overall, Great Lakes water quality is assessed as “fair and unchanging.” While progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes has occurred, including the reduction of toxic chemicals, challenges cited in the report include invasive species and excess nutrients that contribute to toxic and nuisance algae. 

As large-scale restoration plans for degraded aquatic habitats evolve, it is essential that multiorganizational collaborations have a common vision to achieve consensus on restoration goals. Development of restoration targets and postrestoration monitoring strategies can be focused using a viability analysis framework that supports an adaptive management process.  Resource managers in the corridor can use these results to identify knowledge gaps, research and restoration priorities, and to assess progress towards meeting restoration goals.