Letter to Lisa Murkowski and Tom Udall, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies - Baldwin, Bipartisan Colleagues Request Full FY2021 Funding for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Letter

Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall:

As the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies considers FY2021 appropriations requests, we are requesting no less than $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). We are pleased that the Administration agreed to bipartisan requests from Congress to include at least $320 million in its FY2021 budget request for this important program, which supplies drinking water to millions of people and contributes billions of dollars to the economy each year.

In December 2016, Congress reauthorized GLRI as part of the Waster Infrastructure Improvements for the Nations Act (P.L. 114-322) for five years through FY2021 at $300 million. With your help, Congress has consistently fully funded GLRI since its inception in 2010. Most recently, Congress provided $320 million for GLRI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-94).

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the largest investment in the Great Lakes' health, ecosystem, and water quality. Since its inception in 2010, $2.7 billion has been used to fund over 5,300 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. The program has leveraged up to 35% of federal funding with nonfederal dollars from a wide range of partners, including nonprofit organizations, states, communities, educational institutions, and private companies. In targeting Areas of Concern, the program has successfully addressed problems that directly impact public health and safety including beach closings, restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, dredging restrictions, and problems with drinking water taste, odor and consumption. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for 40 million people, contributes billions in tourism each year, and support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the region.

We appreciate your past support of the GLRI and look forward to working with you to ensure that the program remains fully funded. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,