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Weekly Column: Protecting the Great Lakes for Today and Tomorrow

Washington, February 13, 2025
 For millions of Americans, the Great Lakes serve as a vital source of economic activity, recreation, and drinking water. For those of us in Michigan, the Great Lakes are also a way of life.

 Last month, my fellow co-chairs of the Great Lakes Task Force and I introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill would reauthorize the GLRI, which is set to expire at the end of 2026, through 2031. Not only would this legislation reauthorize the program, but it would also expand funding from $475 million to $500 million annually.

 It is vitally important we continue to foster a proactive approach to conservation so that local communities and stakeholders can maximize their efforts to strengthen both the ecology and the economy of the Great Lakes region. Studies from both Grand Valley State University and the University of Michigan show how the economic health of the Great Lakes is directly tied to their ecological well-being. In fact, according to the University of Michigan, for every $1 invested in the Great Lakes through the GLRI, $3.35 of economic output is produced.

 The GLRI is a worthy program that has funded more than 8,000 projects that are either underway or have already been completed. These projects strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, including the clean-up of legacy pollution, invasive species, and harmful algal blooms. This is why, during the last Trump Administration, I successfully lobbied President Trump while he was visiting Grand Rapids to fully fund the GLRI in his Administration’s budget. Last week, I continued my work by leading a Great Lakes Task Force letter to the Office of Management and Budget to ask the Administration to fully fund the GLRI in its FY 2026 budget at the authorized $475 million level.

 I will keep fighting to ensure the GLRI is fully funded so we can continue to strengthen the economy and the environment for future generations. If you need assistance navigating a federal agency, please contact my office in Holland at (616) 251-6741 or in Portage at (269) 569-8595.
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