IJC Commissioners tour Lake of the WoodsThe International Joint Commission will submit recommendations to Canada and the United States on December 17, 2011.  The Commissions report will be released publically during the first week of January, 2012.  We expect the IJC to recommend establishment of an International Watershed Board with comprehensive pollution authorities for Lake of the Woods. It will then be up to our Governments to act together to make it happen.

A huge "Thank You" to all our supporters who came out to support us at the six IJC hearings on future bi-national management of the Lake of the Woods watershed. The hearings were all well attended in Fort Frances, International Falls, Cook, Baudette, Rainy River First Nations and especially in Kenora. It was standing room only at the hearing in Kenora on August 20th. You sent a strong message to our governments when hundreds of you showed up to let them know that Lake of the Woods matters and deserves an international effort to protect it.

We’ve accomplished a lot over the past seven years with the generous backing of time, knowledge and money from lake families, other Foundations, and corporations.

There is still much to be done to keep the IJC and our governments focused on implementing a permanent bi-national management solution through the International Joint Commission. We are optimistic of success and need your support to continue these efforts.

Please sign up to show your support at our website www.lowwsf.com and consider donating to the Foundation to help us continue being the champion and voice for Lake of the Woods.

The International Joint Commission will hold public hearings August 15-20 on the final report of its International Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed Task Force.  The Task Force Report to the IJC makes recommendations on how the United States and Canada could work together to better manage water quality, water quantity, and related issues in the international Lake of the Woods and Rainy River watershed.

Our Foundation will be appearing at these hearings and making submissions aimed at improving upon the recommendations contained in the Task Force report.

It is the position of our Foundation that the Task Force Recommendations are a good starting point for building an international watershed framework for the future but by no means do they go far enough. Read our full response here  LOWWSF Submission To IJC Hearings

In summary:

• They provide a launching point for further defining an effective watershed governance model for our basin. 
• We strongly support the Task Force recommendation to create a new IJC International Watershed Initiative Board with pollution authorities for Lake of the Woods. 
• However, this needs to be developed further to define a cohesive and unified governance model for our basin. Effectively we need and orchestra leader and this should be the proposed new International Watershed Board.
• More can and should be done to simplify, unify and integrate existing structures and mechanisms into a cohesive and unitary coordination framework for water management. 

The Foundation will be appearing at these hearings to make submissions to improve upon the recommendations in the Task Force Report. 

The Task Force Report and recommendations for the future of Lake of the Woods can be dowloaded here. 

Please attend and make your voices know -- this is your "one in a hundred years" chance to be heard and make sure that the IJC gets it right for the next 100 years!

The IJC Commissioners will hold hearings at the following dates and locations: