Practical Steps to Implement an Ecosystem Approach
in Great Lakes Management
Table 13
A checklist of process actions to implement an ecosystem approach at
the practical, working level of environmental and resource management.
PROCESS ACTIONS
- Adopt watershed/bioregion as primary unit for management
Yes/No
Comments -
- Develop partnership agreement or other mechanism for cooperative,
multi-stakeholder management and ensure commitment of leaders
Yes/No
Comments -
- Identify and empower an "umbrella" watershed organization for
coordination
Yes/No
Comments -
- Develop long-term vision (e.g. > 20 yr), goals, and quantitative
targets for "desired future state" of ecosystem
Yes/No
Comments -
- Reach agreement on a set of principles to guide multi-stakeholder,
decision-making process
Yes/No
Comments -
- Ensure all planning processes in watershed acknowledge vision,
goals, quantitative targets, and principles
Yes/No
Comments -
- Establish geographical information system (GIS) and decision
support system capability in watershed organization
Yes/No
Comments -
- Compile data and information for input into GIS and ensure strong
commitment to research and monitoring to understand ecosystem and fill
knowledge and data gaps
Yes/No
Comments -
- Set priorities that target major causes of ecosystem health risks,
evaluate remedial and preventive options, implement preferred actions,
and monitor effectiveness in an iterative fashion (i.e. adaptive management)
Yes/No
Comments -
- Ensure full costs and benefits (i.e. economic, societal, environmental)
are assessed for each project in watershed
Yes/No
Comments -
- Consolidate capital budgets and pool resources, as necessary, to
move high priority projects forward
Yes/No
Comments -
- Create the framework and conditions for private sector involvement
and capitalize on its enterprise, initiative, creativity, and capability
for investment
Yes/No
Comments -
- Utilize market forces and economic incentives to achieve ecosystem
objectives
Yes/No
Comments -
- Commit to public state-of-the-environment and economy reporting every
2-5 years to measure and celebrate ecosystem progress, and to measure
stakeholder satisfaction
Yes/No
Comments -
- Ensure commitment to broad-based, ecosystem education and human
resource development throughout process
Yes/No
Comments -
URL: www.ijc.org/rel/boards/wqb/tab1300.html