|
The IJC's Advisory Boards: Monitoring Progress The Agreement created two primary advisory boards to the Commission. The Great Lakes Water Quality Board (WQB), comprised of U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial and regional governmental officials, is the IJC's principal advisor for all Agreement programs and provides advice to the IJC on a broad spectrum of Great Lakes environmental and water quality issues. The second, the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, is the principal scientific advisor to the IJC and the WQB and has members from the academic, governmental and industrial research community. It provides advice on scientific research and development to identify, evaluate and resolve current and emerging issues related to Great Lakes water quality. The Commission also established the Council of Great Lakes Research Managers, which brings the top research program managers together to discuss research findings, coordinate research and monitoring, and determine research needs to achieve the Agreement's goals. In addition, the International Air Quality Advisory Board, comprised of academic and governmental researchers and managers, advises the Commission on transboundary air quality issues between the two countries, including those that affect Great Lakes water quality. The Agreement also created the Great Lakes Regional Office (GLRO) in Windsor, Ontario, to assist the Commission and its Agreement boards. The Canadian and U.S. staff in this office provides administrative support and technical assistance to the various Great Lakes advisory boards. Additionally, the GLRO provides a public information service for the programs and public hearings undertaken by the Commission. |