Revisiting the Prescription: Identifying a Conceptual Framework for Approaches to Restoring and Protecting the Great Lakes

Dates: June 27-29, 2018

Leads: Michael Murray, National Wildlife Federation; David Allan, University of Michigan;
John Bratton, LimnoTech; Jan Ciborowski, University of Windsor; Lucinda Johnson, University of Minnesota-Duluth; Alan Steinman, Grand Valley State University; Craig Stow, NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

GLERL Research Program: Integrated Physical and Ecological Modeling and Forecasting

Goals: The overall goal of the summit is to identify one or more conceptual frameworks relating current anthropogenic stresses to changes in the lakes, in particular in light of potential management interventions to reduce the stresses.

Objectives are to:

1. Consider and select criteria (e.g. architecture, spatial scale, stresses addressed, mechanistic details, complexity) useful in identifying one or more conceptual frameworks addressing Great Lakes stresses.

2. Using selected criteria, identify one or more conceptual frameworks addressing Great Lakes stresses useful in restoration and protection planning.

3. Identify information gaps (e.g., related to research, monitoring) relevant to the framework(s) selected needed to fill to allow for improved restoration and protection planning using the preferred conceptual frameworks.

Twenty four natural and social scientists across diverse disciplines, program managers, and policy practitioners (including Steering Committee members) will meet to explore these issues. An expert assessment process (including with facilitated breakout groups, using the nominal group method) will be used to build consensus within groups, drawing on the wide range of disciplinary expertise available. Given the limited time available at the summit, discussions will focus around several conceptual frameworks identified or developed ahead of the summit.

Products:

A white paper was produced summarizing discussions and decisions at the summit. A peer-reviewed paper will be developed based on pre-summit work, summit discussions and decisions, and subsequent synthesis. We believe the products will be useful to researchers, agency program managers, intergovernmental agencies such as the International Joint Commission and Great Lakes Commission, as well as NGOs and private sector entities involved in Great Lakes restoration and protection.

 

NWF Summit Participants

  • Jon Allan, Michigan Office of the Great Lakes
  • Dave Allan, University of Michigan
  • Rich Batiuk, U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office
  • Stephen Brandt, Oregon State University
  • John Bratton, LimnoTech
  • David Bunnell, USGS Great Lakes Science Center
  • Jan Ciborowski, University of Windsor
  • Timothy Davis, Bowling Green State University
  • Erin Dreelin, Michigan State University
  • Mark Fisher, Council of the Great Lakes Region
  • Nicholas Georgiadis, Puget Sound Institute
  • Tian Guo, University of Michigan, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research
  • Lucinda Johnson, University of Minnesota – Duluth
  • Val Klump, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Michael Murray, National Wildlife Federation
  • Catherine Riseng, University of Michigan
  • Christina Semeniuk, University of Windsor – GLIER
  • Mike Shriberg, National Wildlife Federation
  • Al Steinman, Grand Valley State University – AWRI
  • Craig Stow, NOAA GLERL
  • Donald Uzarski, Central Michigan University
  • Lizhu Wang, International Joint Commission
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