The Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI) is a not-for-profit organization and land trust. Its mission is to work across state boundaries to improve and enhance the Wolf Lake watershed. AWLI’s purpose is to pursue three primary goals as developed in its strategic plan of 2003 and updated in 2006. Its three main goals are to:

• Resolve bi-state concerns affecting the Wolf Lake watershed by convening bi-state meetings of government agencies and officials, business and industry, and local educational, civic and environmental groups and individuals. It has done this by:
  
  a. Sponsoring the Bi-State Gatherings of Wolf Lake in 2000-2001 in which some 130 organizations participated and developed a vision for Wolf Lake during seven bi-monthly meetings
  
  b. Sponsoring the Wolf Lake Vision Implementation Committee monthly meetings from March 2002 through January 2005. These meetings focused on project actions and created the Bi-State Council of Wolf Lake Stewards, the Reciprocal Fish Licensing Committee, the Activities Guide and Calendar for Wolf Lake and surrounds and research into late 20th Century projects at Wolf Lake
  
  c. Sponsoring periodic bi-state Community Meetings on Wolf Lake, which have dealt with updates on Calumet Containers, creation of a bi-state watershed plan for Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas, pollution of Wolf Lake by Wolf Lake Terminals, and update of residents and users of the lake on research and other studies and conferences and other meetings, and
  
  d. Creating the Wolf Lake Vision Implementation Task Force to more effectively pursue the Wolf Lake Vision, including a bi-state management plan for the Wolf Lake watershed.
  
  
  
• Promote Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas. It has done this by:
  
  a. Sponsoring wetlands and winter festivals since 2001 planned by the WWW.COMmittee, an annual fair planned and organized by the Active Living Faire committee, and an art exhibit as part of its Greening of the Arts Tour, Reception and Show
  
  b. Conducting tours of the Wolf Lake area and surrounding natural areas for community and school groups and the media in addition to those given at the festivals, and
  
  c. Creating and updating the Self-Escorted Tour of the Wolf Lake Watershed, creating and maintaining a Web site at www.wolflakeinitiative.org,
  
  d. Co-Sponsoring Calumet Revisited monthly forum at Calumet College of St. Joseph
  
  
  
• Advocate for improvements to Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas. It has done this by:
  
  a. Creating the Wolf Lake Endowment Fund in 2001 that will fund research at Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas
  
  b. Promoting stewardship among young and old alike through events listed above and through outreach programs during Earth Day weekend and throughout the year
  
  c. Creating outreach programs and supportive funding that improve and enhance the Wolf Lake watershed as an outdoor educational laboratory
  
  d. Strengthening AWLI as an organization through workshops, seminars and retreats
  
  e. Developing efforts that will sustain AWLI as an organization and fulfill its mission, and
  
  f. Alerting neighbors and users of the watershed to polluters by educational picketing, taking legal action, and pursuing other outreach efforts.