Response to Recommendations
Communication of Scientific Information
9. Governments actively participate in the work of the Communications Task Force under the Council of Great Lakes Research Managers.
The Government of Canada strongly supports the need for timely and useful scientific information being made available to policy makers so that informed decisions can be made regarding Great Lakes issues. In fact, communication of science is one of our government's priorities. Canada, together with our United States colleagues, has held a series of biennial State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences (SOLEC) since 1994. SOLEC was established by the Governments of Canada and the United States in partial fulfillment of their obligations to report progress under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. One of the key objectives of SOLEC is to inform and influence decision makers in all sectors of society. These decision makers are invited to hear presentations by pre-eminent researchers on a variety of topics regarding the health and future of the Great Lakes ecosystem, and to participate in subsequent discussions on these topics. SOLEC has proven to be enormously successful in disseminating important Great Lakes information in easily understood reports and INTERNET postings. In the years between SOLEC, State of the Great Lakes reports are prepared and widely distributed. In addition, both the United States and Canada are firmly committed to the timely release of information via the INTERNET and other outlets. Since SOLEC is held, in part, to provide the IJC with information on which to assess progress under the Agreement, it is important to maintain strong ties with the IJC.
One of the important outlets for State of the Great Lakes information is the proposed Communications Task Force (CTF) under the IJC's Council of Great Lakes Research Managers (CGLRM). This concept has evolved into the Great Lakes Communicators' Network, with representatives from several agencies that are members of the CGLRM, as well as other expert communicators, and the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR). The first meeting of the Network was convened in March 1999. This was followed up with a session at IAGLR's annual conference in May 1999 and will continue with a session at the Milwaukee IJC Biennial Forum.
The Network's mandate is to explain the work of the researchers of their agency to the general public and elected officials/decision-makers, and convey the findings and importance of research and science in effective management of the Great Lake Basin Ecosystem. This work would include, but would not be limited to, results from SOLEC. The Network seeks to explain research needs, priorities, and capabilities, and to involve these audiences in the process to identify the needs and set priorities.
Some of the important duties of the Network are to: include the Great Lakes education community so that research results can be taken into the schools of the region; make use of the latest technology to disseminate information, while continuing to use traditional means to reach all audiences; and involve the private sector and the media.
Canada fully endorses, and will actively promote the involvement of agencies on the Council of Great Lakes Research Managers and the Great Lakes Communicators Network.
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