GLIN==> Great Lakes Restoration Initiative clears congressional conference committee

For immediate release: Oct. 28, 2009 

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative clears congressional conference committee

Great Lakes Commission calls for congressional and presidential approval 
 <http://www.glc.org/announce/09/10glri.html>
http://www.glc.org/announce/09/10glri.html 

Ann Arbor, Mich. –  One of the most ambitious environmental restoration
efforts ever proposed for the Great Lakes appears imminent following the
emergence from a House-Senate conference committee of legislation providing
$475 million for a comprehensive Great Lakes restoration and protection
initiative.

“We call on the House and Senate to approve, and the President to sign into
law, the conference committee report. Our region is well prepared and ready
to get to work cleaning up polluted hot spots and restoring recreational
opportunities that are vital to local economies,” said Great Lakes
Commission Chairman Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was proposed by President
Barack Obama in his 2010 budget to focus on the most critical environmental
concerns facing the Great Lakes, including invasive species, toxic
sediments, nonpoint source pollutants and wildlife habitat loss. Following
passage by the House at the $475 million funding level sought by President
Obama, the measure was approved by the Senate at $400 million. A conference
committee announced agreement yesterday on $475 million to support the first
year of the Initiative.

The legislation now goes back to both houses of Congress for final approval
and then to the President to be signed into law.

“This is truly a watershed moment,” said Quinn. “By fully funding the
Initiative in 2010, the congressional conference committee is reinforcing
the broad regional support for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration as well
as the national recognition of the Great Lakes as the country’s most
valuable freshwater resource.” 

Leadership from the Great Lakes governors led to creation of the blueprint
for restoring the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. Governors and state agency
officials, mayors, tribes, industry and non-government organizations all
came together to create the blueprint in 2005, which now will receive
critical funding for implementation from Congress.

The Great Lakes Commission assisted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. EPA) in convening outreach meetings in July and August in all eight
Great Lakes states. The meetings helped prepare the region for the upcoming
call for proposals and provided input to the federal agencies on how the
GLRI could best be implemented. The sessions involved more than 1,000
participants and generated some 250 written comments on such issues as the
role of the states, how priorities will be established, and maximizing
administrative efficiency and accountability.

“This is unquestionably a great accomplishment for all who worked hard to
make it happen. But there is little time for self-congratulation,” said
Commission Vice Chair Todd Ambs, administrator of the Wisconsin Dept. of
Natural Resources Division of Water. “Our region now assumes a
responsibility to use these dollars wisely and ensure a maximum return on
the federal investment.”

A Multi-Year Action Plan for the GLRI, prepared by the U.S. EPA, guides how
the funding will be allocated and how progress will be monitored. According
to the Action Plan, the Initiative “will use outcome-oriented performance
goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track
progress in addressing them.” While U.S. EPA will lead the overall effort,
it will enter into agreements to transfer more than half of the funding to
other federal agencies. The $475 million budget includes some $250 million
to be awarded through grants and project agreements to states, cities,
tribes and nongovernmental groups. 

The initiative’s implementation will be guided by the Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration Strategy, completed in 2005 by 16 federal agencies, the
states, cities, regional organizations, environmental groups, and business
and industry. The Collaboration enjoyed strong leadership from the region’s
governors, who identified the core restoration priorities on which the
strategy was based. 

“We have the plan and now the resources. The talking phase is behind us,”
said Great Lakes Commission Executive Director Tim Eder. “It’s time to put
boots on the ground and get to work.”

Contact: Tim Eder
Office: 734-971-9135
Cell: 734-604-7281
Email:  <mailto:teder at glc.org> teder at glc.org 

Contact: Matt Doss
Office: 734-971-9135
Cell: 734-474-1985
Email:  <mailto:mdoss at glc.org> mdoss at glc.org 




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The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Gov. Patrick Quinn (Ill.), is an
interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and
dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high
quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents.
The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state legislators, and
agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for
Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration of
Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving
U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies
and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann
Arbor, Michigan. 

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