What's New
Great Lakes iron ore shipments riding high in 2010
KARE - Minneapolis, MN (7/21)
2010 has seen a remarkable turnaround in iron ore shipments from the depths of 2009.
Experts: More freighter traffic signal of rebound
The Times Herald (7/21)
Freighter traffic in the Great Lakes region -- including the St. Clair River -- is increasing and might signal an economic rebound, officials are saying.
COMMENTARY: Commissioner's view: Industry at heart of Northland
Duluth News Tribune (7/21)
I write in praise of industry, which has been and which remains the economic engine that makes great America and the Northland. Yet, despite its importance, industry is too often overlooked and underappreciated.
Lighthouses for sale; U.S. Coast Guard says they're not needed
Detroit Free Press (7/12)
The public may get a chance to buy a Michigan lighthouse if no organization steps forward to preserve three that the U.S. Coast Guard no longer needs: the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse; the Middle Island Lighthouse, across Thunder Bay from Alpena, and the South Haven South Pierhead Lighthouse.
Fed grant supports GVSU/U-M wind study
Grand Haven Tribune (7/2)
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1.4 million grant to Grand Valley State University's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center for an assessment project to collect offshore wind and related research data.
Funds OK�d to build two lake research vessels
The Toledo Blade (6/26)
Congress has agreed to fund construction of two large Great Lakes research vessels for the U.S. Geological Survey�s Great Lakes Science Center at a combined cost of $8.2 million, one of which is to be permanently stationed at the Lake Erie Biological Station the USGS operates in Ohio.
Overview
The binational Great Lakes region is North America's industrial
heartland, and also supports a multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation
and tourism industry, a strong maritime transportation system, and a
diverse and extensive agricultural base. The primary economic activities
in the region today are agriculture, industrial manufacturing, steel
production, shipping, commercial and sport fisheries, and recreation and
tourism.
General Resources
A Changing Great Lakes Economy: Economic and Environmental Linkages
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Great Lakes Commission
This paper, prepared for the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference 1994, presents the economic and environmental linkages of the Great Lakes.
Advancing North America's High Performance Heartland
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Outlines how the council's projects relate to high performance.
Assessing the Midwest Economy
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
This comprehensive study is a compilation of more than two dozen papers focusing on various subjects, including industry trends, the agricultural and urban sectors, global markets, taxes and regulation, the labor force, and education and technology.
North America's High Performance Heartland
Council of Great Lakes Governors
This report, released in May 1994, articulates the governors' belief that a high-performance economy is the pathway to strong world-class businesses and a sustainable environment.
Northeast-Midwest State Economic Profiles
Northeast-Midwest Institute
The site provides a one-stop source for current, unique economic and demographic data on the Midwest.
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System
U.S. SLSDC and Canadian SLSMC
This joint, binational site of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation offers comprehensive data on water levels and wind speeds; shipping and navigation regulations and official forms; and links to every organization, port and government agency involved with the Great Lakes Seaway System.
The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region
The Brookings Institution
Released in October 2006, this report examines the economic challenges facing the Great Lakes region, and calls for a new federal-state compact to help the region reassert its global economic leadership.
Publications
Chicago Fed Letter
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
A monthly newsletter featuring an essay on economic policy issues of regional or national interest, including a regional economic index.
Economic Perspectives
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
A bimonthly journal of in-depth articles largely reporting on the bank's economic research in the financial, business, agricultural and international sectors.