Over the last several years, turnover in elected and appointed officials has complicated the picture. The Michigan House lost 68 percent of its members in 1998 and 34 percent in 2004 due to term limits, and many state environmental protection agencies have lost key personnel to retirement and budget cuts.

With Joyce Foundation funding, Delta Institute has developed a crash course, called Great Lakes Basic Training, to provide state officials with a solid background on Great Lakes environmental concerns and challenge them to think creatively about solutions. Five interactive modules cover the physical, biological and economic importance of the Great Lakes system; key historic problems and current environmental issues; treaties, agreements and compacts that govern protection efforts; institutional players active in the region, from tribal organizations to the International Joint Commission; and emerging policy opportunities.

Delta has delivered the one-day course to state agency personnel in each of the eight Great Lakes states and is now working on a shorter, executive version for decision-makers in the region and in Washington, D.C.

Another workshop under development focuses on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Management Compact. The Council of Great Lakes Governors is working to enact the compact in all eight Great Lakes legislatures and obtain the consent of the U.S. Congress as quickly as possible. To support this objective, Delta will expand the audience for its training from state officials to local governments, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, industry and business, and legislative staff in Washington, D.C.