Dear Friends of the Great Lakes: Each year, pursuant to Public Act 128 of 1985, Michigan's Governor releases an annual report on the State of the Great Lakes. The Office of the Great Lakes assists the Governor in preparing the State of the Great Lakes Report, as a status of progress made toward restoring and protecting the Great Lakes ecosystem. The 2010 Annual Report focuses on on-the-ground efforts to protect and restore the four lakes that border Michigan: Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Funding from the new federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other programs, such as the Michigan Coastal Management Program, are enabling Michigan to make tremendous advancement toward implementation of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy and the MI-Great Lakes Plan. Over $80 million has been awarded to-date under the 2010 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for more than 140 projects across the state. In her 2004 Special Message to the Legislature on Water, the Governor laid out a broad agenda and called for the Legislature to work with the Administration on a bipartisan basis in reclaiming Michigan's historic role as protector of the Great Lakes and our water resources. The Annual report demonstrates that great strides have been made in finding bipartisan agreement with support from businesses, environmental, and conservation groups. These efforts include development and implementation of new water withdrawal laws, aggressively working to prevent new introductions of invasive species such as the Asian carp, and building strong partnerships and collaborations through development and implementation of regional and state strategies for protection and restoration efforts. The 2010 State of the Great Lakes Annual Report is prepared by the Office of the Great Lakes. To download a PDF of the State of the Great Lakes 2010 Report, visit www.michigan.gov/dnregreatlakes. Ken DeBeaussaert, Director Office of the Great Lakes Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment PO Box 30473 Lansing, MI 48909 finnelle@michigan.gov 517-241-7927