Senate infrastructure bill paves the way for increased fish and wildlife conservation in Great Lakes
COLUMBUS, Ohio. (August 9, 2021) – The just passed bipartisan Senate infrastructure bill would add $1 billion to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) over the next five years. This will provide a significant investment to the program for its efforts to clean up toxic hotspots in the Great Lakes, protect the region from invasive species, reduce nonpoint source pollution, and restore fish and wildlife habitat. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) was a lead sponsor of the Senate infrastructure package.
Matt Misicka, Executive Director for the Ohio Conservation Federation, issued the following on-the-record statement in response:
“This news of additional funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in Senator Portman’s infrastructure package is outstanding. The hundreds of GLRI-funded projects in Ohio since 2010 have helped combat invasive carp, restore critical riparian habitat, fight harmful algal blooms, and clean up toxic waste sites from Ashtabula to Toledo, all to the benefit of our people, our outdoor heritage, and our Lake Erie-based economy. This restoration funding opens the door for more significant improvements for communities in the Lake Erie basin, which ultimately benefits the entire state of Ohio. We greatly appreciate Senator Portman’s leadership.”
