strong funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)

THE NORTHEAST-MIDWEST SENATE COALITION
GREAT LAKES TASK FORCE
March 26, 2015
The Honorable Lisa Murkowski
Chairman
Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies Appropriations
131 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Tom Udall
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies Appropriations
125 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall:
As Senators of the Great Lakes delegation, we ask for your continued support of the
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies fiscal year
2016 (FY2016) appropriations bill. As the source of drinking water for 30 million Americans,
maintaining the health of the Great Lakes through robust support for this program is critical for
the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their livelihood.
We urge the Committee to approve robust funding for the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI).
The GLRI is a multi-agency initiative that focuses on the most pressing challenges to the
lakes, including toxic contamination, run-off pollution, and invasive species. Projects are focused
on solving regional challenges and achieving measurable results. With support from the GLRI,
four U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern sites have been delisted from the binational list of toxic
hotspots across the Great Lakes. Continued support for the GLRI is needed to address the most
critical health risks identified in the GLRI Action Plan, including reducing nutrient runoff that
contributes to harmful/nuisance algal blooms, preventing and controlling invasive species, and
restoring habitat to protect native species.
As national treasures, constituting 95% of the nation’s surface freshwater and supporting
more than 1.5 million jobs, the Great Lakes are the economic and ecological core of the
region. Contributing to more than $62 billion in annual wages, the Great Lakes also support a
world-class fishery, containing over 200 globally unique species of animals and plants.
The work conducted by the GLRI is paramount to ensuring the long-term health and prosperity
of the Great Lakes’ region and our nation as a whole. We appreciate the Subcommittee’s past
FY 2013
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Letter, p. 2
support for this important program and ask for that support to continue in FY2016. If you have
any questions, please contact Jon VanderPlas with Sen. Kirk’s office (202-224-0350) or Aaron
Suntag with Senator Stabenow (202-224-0839).
Sincerely,
Page 2
March 2015 Great Lakes Senators Letter to the Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee