Minnesota

In the Great Lakes region, recreational boating presents a particularly significant management challenge for efforts aimed at limiting the spread and impacts of aquatic invasive species (AIS). The adoption of legislative policy with a regulatory component (including mandatory boat inspections) has been especially strong in western US. Here, we present a review of the current WID laws and regulations for all eight Great Lakes states to see how each state’s program compares to the recommended authorities set forth in the Model. Our review uses the framework developed by Sea Grant Law Center.

The Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species convened a Risk Assessment Ad Hoc Committee in 2016, with a charge to improve regional species and pathway risk assessment coordination, and to develop a scope of work for the development of a risk assessment clearinghouse. This clearinghouse includes summaries of risk assessments conducted throughout the Great Lakes region to improve access to risk assessment information and provide at-a-glance information about different risk assessment methodologies. 

The purpose of this state program is to curb the spread and minimize harmful effects of nonnative species that can:

1. cause displacement of, or otherwise threaten, native species in their natural communities; or
2. threaten natural resources or their use in the state. 

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 first Action Plan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative identified goals, objectives, measurable ecological targets, and specific actions for five focus areas for work in the Great Lakes. The Action Plan was used by federal agencies in the development of the federal budget for Great Lakes restoration in fiscal years 2011-2014. As such, it served as guidance for collaborative restoration work with participants to advance restoration. The Action Plan also helped advance the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with Canada.

This risk assessment report was conducted to define the priority pathways through which aquatic plant species may move throughout the Great Lakes region and identify gaps in knowledge, management, compliance and law enforcement, and education for these pathways. The results of this risk assessment are intended to guide future activities that may reduce the risk of introduction of aquatic plants into waterways across the Great Lakes region.

The Research Coordination Committee of the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species analyzed Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project information to identify trends and gaps in funding for aquatic invasive species projects.

Aquatic invasive species are moved into and throughout the Great Lakes basin through a variety of pathways. The Research Coordination Committee of the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species analyzed Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project information to identify trends and gaps in funding for a subset of regionally-prioritized pathways.

Management of established invasive species is imperative to restoring the health of Great Lakes ecosystems. In order to guide research towards the riskiest species, the Research Coordination Committee of the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species analyzed Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to identify trends and gaps in funding for species-specific projects.

The Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative is developing an adaptive management strategy called the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF). This framework will change the way Phragmites is managed throughout the Great Lakes basin and lead to approaches that maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of Phragmites management.

The purpose of the Great Lakes Hydrilla Collaborative (Collaborative) is to facilitate cooperation and the transfer of knowledge about this highly invasive aquatic plant amongst stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes. The Collaborative will connect the stakeholder community, share advances in science and management, and serve as the primary online resource center for hydrilla-related information.