Populations of native plant and animal species are on the decline and the health of both wildlife and people is threatened by an increase in the number and quantity of toxic chemicals in fish.2. [...] Water levels in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Su- perior are well below normal, and Superior has surpassed the record low set in 1926.12,13 While year-to-year water levels in the Great Lakes are the result of a delicate balance between inflows and outflows to rivers, evaporation to the air, and withdrawals for various human uses, we are ignoring this balance, forgetting that the Lakes are relics of t [...] Increase and Sustain Funding Detailed estimates of the costs required to carry out the actions needed to restore and protect the Great Lakes and St. [...] Programs and plans must follow these three principles as they relate to public engagement: Increase transparency The public needs to have access in a timely manner to all information pertaining to the health of the Great Lakes and efforts to restore and protect the ecosystem. [...] The survival of these species and the maintenance of biodiversity depend directly on the health of the Great Lakes.