GLIN==> Region Unites for Congressional Action on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in President’s Budget

Council of Great Lakes Industries – Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities
Initiative – Great Lakes Commission – Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes
Coalition
 
Region Unites for Congressional Action on Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative in President’s Budget
 
Great Lakes Senators, Representatives Key to Lake Restoration, Economic
Recovery
 
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (May 14, 2009)—Local, state, industry and conservation
leaders called for the U.S. Congress to act to fund a new Great Lakes
restoration and economic recovery initiative, unveiled last week with
President Obama’s budget. 
 
“This is a precedent-setting restoration initiative from the president
that will give the Great Lakes the medicine they need,” said Healing Our
Waters-Great Lakes Coalition co-chairman Andy Buchsbaum. “Now, we need
Congress to fund it.”
 
In announcing his budget last week, President Obama released details of
a $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to address some of the
most urgent threats to the Great Lakes, including:
• $146 million to clean up toxic substances and Areas of Concern.
• $60 million to prevent or remove aquatic invasive species. 
• $97 million to improve near-shore health and pollution prevention.
• $105 million for habitat and wildlife protection and restoration.
• $65 million to evaluate and monitor progress.
 
“This new federal support will match the substantial funding that state
and local governments are already investing in the Great Lakes,” said
Great Lakes Commission Board Member Sean Logan, director of the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources. “Protecting and restoring the Great
Lakes requires a strong partnership with the federal government. Ohio
and our fellow Great Lakes states urge Congress to provide the requested
funding.”
 
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in priorities that track
closely with a comprehensive clean-up strategy that has won the
endorsement of the eight-state region’s mayors, governors, businesses,
industry and environmental leaders—in part because of the growing
awareness of the economic benefit of restoring the Lakes.
 
“Great Lakes restoration is good for the ecosystem and is good for the
economy,” said George Kuper, president, Council of Great Lakes
Industries. “We are counting on our region’s Congressional delegation to
persuade Congress that this is the right time to do the right thing and
support the $475 million appropriation for Great Lakes restoration and
economic recovery.”
 
The Brookings Institution found that every dollar invested in
implementing the region’s comprehensive Great Lakes restoration strategy
will lead to nearly a two dollar return in long-term economic benefit
for the region.
 
“Our message to Congress is simple,” said Dave Ullrich, executive
director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “Local
governments have a strategy and are willing and able to get to work to
restore the Great Lakes, safeguard public health, and create jobs. It’s
time for Congress to move forward and act.”
 
Great Lakes senators and representatives can play an important role in
helping fund the initiative in the annual Congressional appropriations
process. 
 
Appropriators from eight Great Lakes states include U.S. Senators Herb
Kohl (D-Wis.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), and
George Voinovich (R-Ohio).
 
U.S. representatives include David Obey (D-Wis.), Marcy Kaptur
(D-Ohio), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), John Murtha
(D-Pa.), Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jesse Jackson
(D-Ill.), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), Betty
McCollum (D-Minn.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Mark Kirk
(R-Ill.) and Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio).
 
“The promise of accelerated Great Lakes restoration and economic
recovery as outlined in the new restoration initiative depends on action
by Congress,” said Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition co-chairman
Andy Buchsbaum. “The path forward is clear: Congressional action will
benefit the millions of people who depend on this national resource for
their jobs, drinking water and way of life, while delay will make the
problems worse and the solutions more costly.”
 
For more information, visit: http://www.healthylakes.org/ 
 
For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2009
 
Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition,
734-887-7109, lubetkin at nwf.org 
Andy Buchsbaum, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 734-717-3665
Chad Lord, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 202-454-3385
Tim Eder, Great Lakes Commission, 734-604-7281
George Kuper, Council of Great Lakes Industries, 734-663-0086
Dave Ullrich, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative,
312-201-4516
 
 
Jordan Lubetkin
Senior Regional Communications Manager
National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes Office
213 West Liberty, Suite 200 | Ann Arbor, MI 48104
 
Phone: 734-887-7109 | Fax: 734-887-7199 | Cell: 734-904-1589
 
NWF's mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our
children's future. www.nwf.org/news/ 
 
Working to restore the Great Lakes by offering solutions to sewage
contamination, invasive species and other threats. www.healthylakes.org
( http://www.healthylakes.org/ )
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