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.

• 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