October 22 2025 Great Lakes Public Trust Day

WHEREAS, Michigan’s boundaries include over 38,000 square miles of Great Lakes surface area and submerged lands, making up more than one-third of the state’s total area—larger than the land area of 11 states in the nation; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan has over 3,200 miles of Great Lakes coastline, and those coasts contain unique habitats such as beaches, dunes, wetlands, and cliffs that provide significant recreational opportunities and other benefits to the people of Michigan; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan has the largest area of Great Lakes surface water and submerged lands of any Great Lakes State, underscoring its unique responsibility as a steward of these waters; and,

WHEREAS, the Great Lakes are home to numerous Indigenous nations who have nurtured and protected these waters for thousands of years; and,

WHEREAS, the Anishinaabek and the First Nations, the original people of the Great Lakes region, hold deep spiritual and cultural connections to the water, viewing it as a living entity deserving of respect and care, with traditions and teachings that guide their stewardship; and,

WHEREAS, the waters of the Great Lakes are a precious natural endowment crucial to the health and well-being of the ecology of the Great Lakes and the people of the state, and are protected by the State of Michigan on behalf of its residents; and,

WHEREAS, Great Lakes submerged lands contain significant historical, ecological, geological, and cultural features that are sensitive and require protection in the interest of the people of Michigan; and

WHEREAS, the State of Michigan has a responsibility as the steward of the longest freshwater coastline in the world to ensure the protection of the coast; and,

WHEREAS, by virtue of the public trust doctrine, both the open waters of the Great Lakes and Great Lakes submerged lands are held in trust by the State of Michigan for the benefit of the people of Michigan, and the state recognizes and honors the established treaty rights of the Anishinaabek to hunt, fish, and gather in their ceded territory; and,

WHEREAS, the public trust doctrine confers an obligation on the State of Michigan, as trustee, to protect public ownership of these open waters and submerged lands, ensuring their protection for public uses such as swimming, boating, fishing, and other recreational purposes; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan’s Great Lakes waters and submerged lands remain open for responsible public use, enjoyment, and appreciation, reinforcing the importance of their continued stewardship and protection;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 22, 2025, as Great Lakes Public Trust Day in Michigan.