Sustainable Development

Council of Great Lakes Governor’s Priority:
“Adopt sustainable use practices that protect environmental resources and may enhance the recreational and commercial value of our Great Lakes.”

People love to be on or near the water. This love has translated itself into rapidly escalating land values for water front property for both new development and redevelopment projects, plus conflicting land use pressures for the available land. Given this trend how do we incorporate the concept of sustainable development practices into current activities? Sustainability can be defined in many ways – a common definition is “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

Sustainable development cuts across many areas in our lives such as how we use and develop land, our agricultural and forestry practices, our transportation mechanisms, how our industries make products, how we use water, and the ways we enjoy our natural resources. All of these areas are part of the efforts by the Council of Great Lakes Governors on sustainable development.

See the following links for more information on sustainable development.

• DRAFT Wisconsin Great Lakes Strategy
• Great Lakes Regional Collaboration - Sustainable Development Strategy Team
• Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry
• Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Remediation and Redevelopment
• Wisconsin DNR Cooperative Environmental Assistance
• Wisconsin Department of Commerce