Approved April 7, 2005

MINUTES
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE MEETING
Ottawa, Ontario
February 15-16, 2005

The International Joint Commission met in Executive Session at the Canadian Section office in Ottawa, Ontario on February 15 -16, 2005, with Chair Herb Gray in the chair.

APPROVAL OF THE EXECUTIVE AGENDA

1. The Commission approved the agenda as reflected by these Minutes.

APPOINTMENTS

2. The Commission approved the appointment of Joseph P. Koncelik from the State of Ohio to the U.S. Section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board.

BRING-FORWARD SYSTEM

3. The Commission approved reminder letters to:
   
   
   1. the Department of Foreign Affairs concerning the Great Lakes Observing System, and
      
      
   2. State Department and Foreign Affairs concerning the St Mary Milk Rivers Basin should no reply have been received by mid-March.
      
      

GLRO DIRECTOR'S REPORT

4. The Commission agreed that staff should draft a one page memorandum indicating the major steps the Commission should follow in bringing Commission advice to the governments for the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

2005 BIENNIAL MEETING ON GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY

5. The Commission:
   
   
   1. approved a moderator, panelists and alternates for the plenary session on the Role of the IJC,
      
      
   2. received a status report on sponsorship and agreed that a list of potential sponsors would be submitted for approval,
      
      
   3. confirmed a moderator and speakers for the governments' panel,
      
      
   4. received a status report on Thursday night's reception hosted by the Mayor of Kingston and the Economic Development Corporation,
      
      
   5. agreed that Commissioners would indicate to the Secretaries their choices for attending the workshops and breakout sessions,
      
      
   6. agreed to delete the term "review" in the logo prepared for the publicity materials, and
      
      
   7. approved the publicity summaries for the Workshops with minor edits.

GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT (GLWQA) REVIEW

6. The Commission received updates on
   
   
   1. the work of GLWQA Boards/Council on the Review of the GLWQA and Priorities prior to their meeting with Commissioners that day, and
      
      
   2. the proposed consultation Reference from governments.

SPILLS REPORT

7. The Commission received a staff update on the Spills Report and agreed the report should focus on the Great Lakes connecting channels and provide context of the whole Great Lakes basin, as well as alerting governments to the implications of lack of data and data compatibility.

LAKEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLANS (LaMPs)

8. The Commission received a staff update on the review of the 2004 Lake Ontario LaMP and agreed that staff should meet with governments to clarify certain matters and report back to the Commission by the April semi-annual meeting.

HEALTH PROFESSIONNALS TASK FORCE (HPTF)

9. The Commission approved the HPTF workplan and budget until November 2005 with the cost to be shared by each Section.

WATERSHED BOARDS REFERENCE

10. The Commission reviewed the draft Second Progress Report to governments and agreed that staff should rework the report and provide to Commissioners Blaney, Olson and Brooks who will edit and finalize the text and then send to all Commissioners for review and approval.

MISSISQUOI BAY REFERENCE

11. The Commission approved the draft report with edits as well as plans for pre-briefings and a press conference in the Missisquoi Bay area in late March.

INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY

12. The Commission approved the draft annotated outline of the report to governments with the addition of the original Commission conclusion that the existing situation in which some regulated facilities are not subject to comprehensive safety inspections and oversight by governments is unsatisfactory.

ST. MARY-MILK RIVERS

13. The Commission received an update on the work of the Administrative Measures Task Force and agreed that the Task Force should present the Commission with recommended options, and the consequences of those options, rather than recommendations as indicated in the current Directive to the Task Force.

GRAND COULEE DAM

14. The Commission discussed a response to the April 2003 request from the Canadian Columbia River Inter-tribal Fisheries Commission (CCRIFC) and approved steps I and II of the proposed process, including the draft letter to the CCRIFC specifying the IJC wishes a response in 60 days, as well as informal consultations with governments on the IJC's jurisdiction.

INTERNATIONAL LAKE ONTARIO ST. LAWRENCE RIVER STUDY BOARD

15. The Commission received an update on the study and approved the request for a Peer Review to be conducted jointly by the Royal Society of Canada and the U.S. National Research Council with finalization of costs, schedule and specific project scope to be determined in the course of finalizing the terms of the review.

GEORGIAN BAY ASSOCIATION: BAIRD REPORT

16. The Commission reviewed the reply from the IJC's Great Lakes Control Boards on the Baird Report entitled "Regime Change and Erosion in the St. Clair River and Impacts on Lake Michigan-Huron Lake Levels" and approved forwarding the Control Board's letter to governments, as well as staff attendance as observers at a March 30 workshop being organized to discuss the Report.

OTHER BUSINESS

1. St. Croix Mapping Project
   Commissioners agreed that the Commission should clearly indicate the resources it will commit to the project if there is a sufficient level of non-IJC resource commitment to supplement the Commission's potential contribution, with IJC withdrawal of potential resources for the current fiscal year should there be no non-IJC resources identified by date certain (April or May to be determined).
   
   
2. Mapping the Entire Border
   The Commission agreed to invite the U.S. and Canadian mapping agencies to the April semi-annual meeting to brief the Commission on their activities and discuss mapping possibilities along the border.
   
   
3. 4^th World Water Forum, Mexico, March 2006
   The Commission noted the letter request for IJC participation in the 4th World Water Forum from the Mexican Ambassador to Canada and agreed to explore participation with governments.