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As a father and lifelong Michigan resident, I want my children to enjoy the great outdoors, like I did growing up. We must face the reality that there are a number of threats to the preservation of the Great Lakes today, like the invasion of Asian Carp - an invasive species that have devastated local ecosystems in the United States.. Our environment, tourism, fishing and regional economy depend on the health and well-being of these precious waterways – and all are in serious jeopardy if we do not take action against the Asian Carp and other invasive species. That’s why I urged the Army Corps of Engineers to complete and release the Brandon Road Lock and Dam study, because the importance of preventing Asian Carp from reaching Lake Michigan. Thankfully, on August 7, 2017, the study was released and offers a tentatively selected plan that would reduce the risk of invasive species to Great Lakes while minimizing the impacts to the waterways uses and users. You can read more about it by clicking here. I am also a co-author of H. Res. 197. This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President and Secretary of State should ensure that the Canadian Government does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin. Our entire Michigan Delegation has been active in educating officials of both the United States and Canada on the importance of this issue, and we remain steadfast in our opposition to the storage of nuclear waste on the Great Lakes. I also worked to formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at a spending level of $300 million a year. The GLRI is an ongoing effort to restore the Great Lakes to a pristine condition. This involves tasks such as keeping pollution and chemicals out of the water and revitalizing Lake Erie. It also includes provisions supporting fisheries to maintain fish populations and efforts to control invasive species such as Asian Carp and sea lamprey. The GLRI is a coordinated effort between over 60 public and private organizations and has already had a number of great success stories - as well as our bipartisan support. |
