Legal opinions commissioned by the states have said that making water conservation and environmental protection the basis of the region's water use law would dramatically strengthen the area's ability to defend against future export and diversion proposals.  Otherwise, international trade and domestic constitutional law might limit what state and provincial governments can do to prevent such proposals.

Among dozens of bullet points in eleven categories, the groups recommend that state and provincial governments:

• Focus on conserving water and reducing wasteful water use in the Great Lakes basin.  The United States and Canada have twice the per-capita water use of Europe.  The lack of strong water conservation efforts in the area provides a very bad example and dramatically weakens any case the region might make to domestic or international trade courts that export and diversion proposals are harmful and unjustified.

• Place a ban on transfers of water between the watersheds of the individual Great Lakes.

• Place a moratorium on new or increased water uses in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin, including export and diversion proposals, until a comprehensive environmental protection strategy for Great Lakes water uses has been developed and implemented.

• Protect and restore the Great Lakes water system, not just fend off additional harm.

• Involve the public in developing and implementing the new protection strategy and making water use decisions based on it -- including allowing citizens to formally challenge water use decisions.

• Continuously gather information on the connection between the water system and the life it supports and put it into a water information base that is available and useful to lay citizens.

• Guarantee every individual's access to water for the basic human needs: drinking, cooking, and bathing.

"Time is slipping away," declared Reg Gilbert, senior coordinator for Great Lakes United.  "A golden opportunity to prevent export and diversion of Great Lakes water to the rest of the United States and the world is being squandered.  The governors and premiers need to reach an agreement and start to work."

"The best way to protect Great Lakes water is to assure that we use it sensibly and conserve it," said Tim Eder, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office.  "That's what our agenda calls for and what the governors and premiers must do to ensure that our waters are pure, plentiful and free enough to meet the needs of both people and wildlife."

Noted Canadian Environmental Law Association coordinator Sarah Miller, "After the failed 1998 Nova Group export proposal, the state, provincial and federal governments promised action.  But almost three years later they have still done nothing.  Our water use agenda shows the governors, premiers, and federal governments what they need to do."

"No other Great Lakes issue impassions citizens and voters more than the prospect of Great Lakes water being drained away," said Cameron Davis, executive director of the Lake Michigan Federation. "With demand for fresh surface water increasing around the country and the world, we need to practice the water conservation measures we preach."

Said Marc Hudon of Stratégies St-Laurent, "It is imperative that Québec and the shoreline communities of the St. Lawrence River play a strong role in protecting Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River water levels."