In The News

A fund aimed at protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species and promoting habitat restoration is getting $20 million more from Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.

The funding, for fiscal year 2020, will be used to clean up and restore so-called "areas of concern," foster invasive species prevention and keep trash out of the waterways to protect fish habitat, officials said. The increase bumps annual funding for the initiative up from $300 million.

"Eliminating water pollution and boosting restoration of the Great Lakes is a priority for me," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. "With this additional $20 million, we will be able to target many harder-to-solve challenge areas like invasive species and high nutrient loads."

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative coordinates federal agency resources to restore and protect the waterways. Every year, Congress allocates program funding to EPA, which transfers a significant portion of the initiative funds to other federal agencies.

The funds are used to implement projects that address the most important Great Lakes priorities, according to EPA officials.

"The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has established an effective record of protecting, preserving and strengthening the Great Lakes for future generations," said U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who is the co-chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force.

"This announcement will build on that success by enhancing efforts to clean up legacy pollution, prevent the spread of invasive species and restore critical habitats in west Michigan and communities across the Great Lakes Basin."

This article was originally published by the Detroit News on April 9th, 2020.