Great Lakes Compact and Agreement Presentation By Peter Johnson

Recorded on Monday, April 6, 2026. 

As the world’s largest surface freshwater system, the Great Lakes require coordinated stewardship between the United States and Canada, including their states, provinces, and regional partners. This talk will focus on such binational efforts to protect the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin, including through the Great Lakes Compact and companion Great Lakes Agreement ratified by the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes Region. Mr. Johnson will explore the negotiations and policy development behind the binational agreements, the challenges of implementation, and how they are being applied today and in the future.

Peter Johnson, JD, serves as the Deputy Director of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers. The organization unites eight U.S. Governors and two Canadian Premiers to grow the region’s $9.3 trillion (US) economy and protect its world-class environment. Mr. Johnson helped facilitate the negotiation and served as the primary draftsman of the Great Lakes Compact and the companion Agreement.

Sponsored by the MSU Canadian Studies Center in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and MSU Water Alliance.