The Great Lakes governors and premiers have announced their intent to develop a new water management regime for the Great Lakes basin that will withstand legal challenge and protect the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. As new water management policies are developed, the National Wildlife Federation will work closely with other conservation organizations to develop policy recommendations and positions, provide scientific and legal support to nonprofit organizations active on the issue, and lead education and outreach efforts aimed at a variety of audiences with interest in the issue.

Based in Toronto, Environmental Defence is a national environmental organization with a demonstrated commitment to protecting the Great Lakes. With previous Mott support, Environmental Defence worked in Ontario to improve Great Lakes water quality by increasing public engagement and influencing relevant policies. With this grant, Mott will support the full breadth of the organization's Great Lakes efforts, including both water quality and water management initiatives. Specifically, Environmental Defence will work with regional partners to inform the development and implementation of the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; strengthen Ontario's water policies, in part through research and analyses; and build public support for Great Lakes issues. The organization will also take measures to strengthen its own internal operations.

Climate change is affecting the Great Lakes region making it necessary for regional resource managers to integrate this new reality into their plans and projects. There is a consequent need for consolidated information and case studies about how this can be done most effectively. EcoAdapt, a national organization dedicated to building the field of climate change adaptation, will address this need by surveying natural resource managers in the Great Lakes basin. The goal of the survey will be to identify and document model approaches to site-based freshwater conservation activities in the face of climate change. The results of the survey will be documented and disseminated through a variety of means, most notably by using the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange, a web site developed by EcoAdapt for the purpose of sharing climate adaptation knowledge.