ODNR Director Mary Mertz Elected Chair of the Great Lakes Commission
Mertz will lead the binational group that protects the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support.
Published: Thursday, October 12, 2023 10:00 am
By: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
COLUMBUS, Ohio — During its annual meeting in Oregon, Ohio, the Great Lakes Commission elected Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz to serve as the organization’s chair.
“We have made protecting Lake Erie a priority in Ohio through Governor Mike DeWine’s groundbreaking H2Ohio initiative,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “I am so honored to earn the commission’s trust in leading them as we continue on our mission to maintain the beauty and usefulness of all our Great Lakes.”
ODNR Director Mary Mertz (center right) elected chair of the Great Lakes Commission.
Courtesy: Great Lakes Commission
Mertz is the first Ohio leader to be named chair of the Great Lakes Commission since Sam Speck served in the position from 2002-2004. Speck, former ODNR director, passed away in March.
The Great Lakes Commission is a binational government agency that includes leaders from state and local agencies in the U.S. and Canada. The group was established in 1955 with the task of protecting the economies and ecosystems of the Great Lakes. The GLC recommends policies and practices to “balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone.”
ODNR Director Mary Mertz
The commission’s annual meeting was held this month at the Maumee State Park Lodge and Conference Center. The GLC passed resolutions calling for reform of U.S Army Corps of Engineers project partnership agreements and increased funding for dredging of small harbors in the Great Lakes basin.
ODNR also offered a presentation about the H2Ohio initiative to the GLC to explain how multiple state agencies in Ohio—ODNR, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and Ohio EPA—work together to improve the water quality of Lake Erie.
ODNR’s Conservation Teen Advisory Council (ConTAC) also presented their work on Great Lakes issues during the annual meeting.
The GLC will next convene in Washington, D.C. for its semiannual meeting and Great Lakes Day in March 2024.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
tags: Great Lakes, Industry News, Lake Erie, ODNR, Ohio
