2001 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Using this chapter

This chapter addresses three questions.

What is the state of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin? We present three different perspectives: historical, science-based, and international. (State of the Basin)

What role does the federal government play in protecting and preserving this key ecosystem, and how is it performing in that role? We examined issues affecting water, agriculture, fisheries, species and spaces at risk, the ecosystem initiatives, and the International Joint Commission. We begin our detailed audit reports on each subject with an overview of the issues, the federal role and mandate, what we audited, what we found, and what we recommend. (Our Audits)

How can the federal government do better and advance the sustainable development of the basin for generations to come? We summarize our key observations and conclusions and discuss their implications. (Overall Conclusions)

In addition to this detailed report, a separate Summary Report is available.