Approved: June 4, 2003

MINUTES
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE MEETING
Washington, DC
April 7, 2003 and April 9, 2003

The International Joint Commission met in executive session at the U.S. Section office in Washington, DC, April 7, 2003 and April 9, 2003, with Chair Dennis Schornack in the chair.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

1. The Commission approved the agenda, noting those items that had already been dealt with on the April 4, 2003 conference call and added the following items under Other Business:
   1. Appointments to the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study Board
   2. IJC Seal and Associated Devices
   3. Dead Sea
   4. AOC Special Report
   5. IJC Report on Public Comments on US-Canada Air Agreement Progress Report
   6. International Red River Board
   7. Annual Report
   8. Letters to Governors and Premiers, Congressmen and MP's

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

2. The Commission noted the approval of the minutes of the February 11-13, 2003 Executive Meeting held in Ottawa, Ontario, and the March 6, 2003 Executive Meeting held in Washington, DC, as approved via teleconference on April 4, 2003.

APPOINTMENTS

3. The Commission:
   1. noted the approval of the appointment of Dr. Leon M. Carl as a member of the U.S. Section to the Council of Great Lakes Research Managers for a three-year term, as approved via teleconference on April 4, 2003.

2003 BIENNIAL FORUM

4. The Commission:
   1. approved the overall schedule, except on Saturday (Start at 9 am, Restoration Plans from 9 am to noon. Then, WQB, SAB, CGLRM, and IAQAB will make short presentations after lunch at start of Town Hall Discussion);
   2. approved list of organizations to be invited to Saturday Plenary (Environment Canada, EPA, Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes United, Northeast-Midwest Institute, Council of Great Lakes Governors, Great Lakes Mayors) and tasked staff to consult with CGLI to determine if it has a restoration plan and if so, to invite the Council;
   3. agreed that speakers will be asked to submit presentations to staff by September 1 for inclusion in a CD;
   4. agreed that the Scientist of the Biennium will present the Keynote Address on Saturday at the Award Luncheon;
   5. agreed to use the Natural History Museum for the reception.

INDICATORS

5. The Commission:
   Physical Integrity Indicators
   1. noted the disapproval of the proposed action regarding the Physical Integrity Indicators workshop, as disapproved via teleconference on April 4, 2003;
      Great Lakes Summit
   2. noted that it agreed via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to discuss what can be done to assist with moving the SOLEC process forward at the Meeting with Governments during the Semiannual meeting;
   3. noted that it directed staff via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to resubmit a proposal for an indicators workshop involving federal, state, provincial, and local officials.

PRIORITY PROCESS - GLWQA

6. The Commission noted that it agreed via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to revise the priority process to move toward a June or July decision on priorities and obtain comment at the Biennial Meeting and through the IJC website.

EMERGING ISSUES - GLWQA

7. The Commission:
   1. noted that it agreed via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to publication of papers that could include Commissioner observations from the Johnson Foundation Wingspread Emerging Issues Workshop held February 5-7, 2003 in Racine, Wisconsin;
   2. noted that it requested via teleconference on April 4, 2003, a list of all papers to be published, copies of the papers, and review of the Wingspread synthesis prior to peer review;
   3. noted that it requested via teleconference on April 4, 2003, a background paper on the role of the Johnson Foundation in Wingspread.

AREAS OF CONCERN (AOC) SPECIAL REPORT

8. The Commission:
   1. approved the release plan and agreed that the hard copy of the AOC report must be available prior to release;
   2. agreed to conduct a telephone news conference on May 1, 2003, while Commissioners are in Chicago for the Water Uses Briefing, with each Commissioner making brief remarks and local media in attendance.

GREAT LAKES REGIONAL OFFICE (GLRO) DIRECTOR'S REPORT

9. The Commission noted the Director's report, as discussed via teleconference on April 4, 2003.

HEALTH SYMPOSIUM

10. The Commission:
    1. noted that it directed staff via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to provide a glossary of terms to be used in the symposium to Commissioners, prior to the meeting;
    2. noted that it directed staff via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to include in the symposium, as possible, discussion of health impacts and changes that have occurred over the past decades to indicate what may have been health benefits of clean-up programs and discussion of predictive tools now in place to improve forecasts of smog alerts;
    3. noted that it agreed via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to discuss the need for a special report at the end of the symposium;
    4. noted that it approved via teleconference on April 4, 2003, the budget for the symposium.

WATER USES REPORT

11. The Commission:
    1. approved the general plan for the meeting with governments scheduled for April 30, 2003 and the Commissioner meeting scheduled for May 1, 2003 in Chicago and directed staff to provide a detailed agenda and a workbook for Commissioners;
    2. agreed to accept the invitation of the Canadian Consul-General for a reception scheduled for April 30, 2003 in Chicago.

CANADA-U.S. AIR QUALITY AGREEMENT

12. The Commission:
    1. approved the transmittal to governments of the synthesis in the booklet form with a clear disclaimer that the views in the synthesis are not those of the IJC;
    2. agreed that all comments be placed on the IJC website and transmitted to the governments as an attachment to the booklet;
    3. directed staff to include the full name and organization of all commentors in the booklet;
    4. directed staff to review comments to ensure that they do not appear to reflect an IJC position;
    5. directed staff to provide copies of the synthesis to all individuals and organizations that provided comments.

WORLD WATER COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP

13. The Commission deferred action on IJC membership in the World Water Council pending further observation of World Water Council activities.

WATERSHED BOARD REFERENCE

14. The Commission:
    1. agreed that lead Commissioners will explore on-site, options for watershed boards in the St. Croix and Red River basins and that the leads will develop criteria for establishment of boards (Commissioners Olson, Brooks, Blaney, and Gourd);
    2. agreed to change the name of the proposed organization from International Watershed Boards to International Basin Councils.

OTHER BUSINESS

15. The Commission:
    Free Trade Agreement in the America's Agreement (FTAA)
    1. noted that it agreed via teleconference on April 4, 2003, to discuss the FTAA at the Meeting with Governments during the Semiannual meeting;
       Water Supply Conditions Along the Border
    2. received a report from staff on the current water conditions along the border;
       Oral Report on AIS Fact Finding Mission to Australia and New Zealand
    3. received a report from Chair Schornack and John Nevin on the status of AIS activities in New Zealand and Australia;
       Proposed Agreement with the National Archives of Canada
    4. noted the records management agreement between the Canadian Section of the Commission and the Canadian National Archives and directed staff to screen documents for security concerns prior to movement to the Canadian National Archives;
       Appointment
    5. approved the appointment of Anjuna Langevin to the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study Board's Public Interest Advisory Group;
    6. approved the appointment of Professor Daniel P. Loucks as Acting U.S. Co-Chair of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study Board during the temporary assignment of Eugene Stakhiv in Iraq to support the U.S. government;
       IJC Seal and Associated Devices
    7. agreed to use the new IJC seal and preparation of associated devices and confirmed that the new seal would replace the existing IJC logo;
    8. approved design for IJC flag and directed staff to prepare plan for phase-out of existing logo;
       Dead Sea
    9. reviewed the request for IJC consultation on developing binational arrangements for management of the Dead Sea and agreed to discuss at the next Executive meeting, after additional staff review;
       AOC Special Report
    10. approved media advisory and press release for the AOC Special Report;
        IJC Report on Public Comments on US-Canada Air Agreement Progress Report
    11. agreed that submission of the report to governments would be accompanied by a press release announcing that the report had been submitted and that it would be available on the IJC website; and would emphasize that the views in the report are not those of the IJC but that they reflect comments received by the IJC;
        International Red River Board
    12. approved letter from Commissioners to the Canadian Prime Minister and the Manitoba Premier congratulating them on the funding of the Winnipeg floodway expansion;
        Annual Report
    13. approved the annual report for publication, subject to editorial revisions and approval of French text;
        Letters to Governors, Premiers, Congressmen, and MP's
    14. approved the proposed letters for signature.

INTERNATIONAL ST. CROIX RIVER BOARD

16. The Commission reviewed the staff briefing note dated March 25, 2003 from Lisa Bourget, Rudy Koop, and Joel Fisher and appointed Commissioners Gourd and Olson as an ad-hoc committee to investigate how the IJC might participate in the 2004 celebration of the first visit of Champlain to the St. Croix.

INTERNATIONAL RED RIVER BOARD

17. The Commission reviewed the staff briefing note dated March 21, 2003 from Lisa Bourget and Ted Bailey and directed staff to prepare a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister and Manitoba Premier congratulating them for the recent announcement of the federal-provincial funding of the Winnipeg Floodway and urging support of a binational comprehensive plan for flood mitigation.

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