Executive Order 11345—Establishment of the Great Lakes Basin Commission

WHEREAS the Water Resources Planning Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act, 79 Stat. 244, 42 U.S.C. 1962 et seq.) authorizes the President to declare the establishment of a river basin water and related land resources commission when a request for such a commission is addressed in writing to the Water Resources Council (hereinafter referred to as the Council) by the Governor of a State within which all or part of the basin or basins concerned are located and when such a request is concurred in by the Council and by not less than one-half of the States within which portions of the basin or basins concerned are located; and WHEREAS the Council, by resolution adopted March 7, 1966, concurred in the requests of the Governors of the States of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, which have been concurred in by the Governors of Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania; and did itself request that the President declare the establishment of the Great Lakes Basin Commission under the provisions of section 201 of the Act; and WHEREAS the requests of the Governors of the States of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the resolution of the Council of March 7, 1966, together with written concurrences by the Governors of the States of Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania, satisfy the formal requirements of section 201 of the Act; and WHEREAS it appears that it would be in the public interest and in keeping with the intent of Congress to declare the establishment of such a Commission: Now, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 201 of the Act, and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1. Great Lakes Basin Commission. It is hereby declared that the Great Lakes Basin Commission is established under the provisions of Title II of the Act. SEC. 2. Jurisdiction of Commission. It is hereby determined that the jurisdiction of the Great Lakes Basin Commission referred to in section 1 of this order (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) shall extend to those portions of the eight Great Lakes States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin that are drained by the St. Lawrence River system, including the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and tributaries to the St. Lawrence River which reach that river within the United States, in accordance with the requests of the Governors of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, concurred in by the Governors of Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania, and in accordance with the resolutions of the Council. SEC. 3. Membership of the Commission. It is hereby determined that, in accordance with section 202 of the Act, the Commission shall consist of the following: (1) a Chairman to be appointed by the President, (2) one member from each of the following Federal departments and agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of the Army, Department of Commerce, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, and the Federal Power Commission, such member to be appointed by the head of each department or independent agency he represents, (3) one member from each of the following States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and (4) one member from each interstate agency created by an interstate compact to which the consent of Congress has been given and whose jurisdiction extends to the waters of the area specified in section 2. SEC. 4. Functions to be performed. The Commission and its Chairman, members, and employees are hereby authorized to perform and exercise, with respect to the jurisdiction specified in section 2 of this order, the functions, powers, and duties of such a Commission and of such Chairman, members, and employees, respectively, as set out in Title II of the Act. SEC. 5. International coordination. The Chairman of the Commission is hereby authorized and directed to refer to the Council any matters under consideration by the Commission which relate to the areas of interest or jurisdiction of the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The Council shall consult on these matters as appropriate with the Department of State and with the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission through their United States Sections for the purpose of enhancing international coordination. SEC. 6. Reporting to the President. The Chairman of the Commission shall report to the President through the Council. LYNDON B. JOHNSON The White House April 20, 1967