Washington, DC – Congress celebrated sixteen years of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act last night by reauthorizing the law at $16 million-a-year for another six years, according to U.S. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Midland).
Camp, a cosponsor of the legislation, had urged House leadership to increase the funding to $20 million-a-year.
“While it is nice to match 16 years with $16 million, our Great Lakes deserve the full $20 million,” said Camp. “As we work out differences with the Senate, I will continue to push for the full $20 million. The restoration and preservation of the Great Lakes, their fish population and wildlife habitats should be a cornerstone of the nation’s environmental policy. This is the world’s largest body of fresh water and we need to treat it as such.”
The original act established goals for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service programs operated in the Great Lakes. It required the Service to undertake a number of activities specifically related to fishery resources, including: a study of fishery resources management, establishing a Great Lakes Coordination Office and regional Fishery Resources Offices; and submission of reports to Congress. In 1995, the study was completed and submitted to Congress. Titled “Great Lakes Fishery Resources Restoration Study,” it contained 32 recommendations for action.
A 1998 reauthorization of the law recognized the 32 recommendations and moved the purpose of the law from study to action. In shifting emphasis to implementation of restoration projects, the act authorized funding for activities of the Service’s Great Lakes Coordination and Fishery Resources Offices; established a committee to recommend projects for funding to the Director of the Service; and authorized funds for actual restoration projects.
The legislation approved by the House today continues the efforts achieved through the 1998 reauthorization. The bill was expanded to include regionally significant projects throughout the Great Lakes Basin and to improve the availability of project information to Congress and the public through the use of a public access web site maintained by the Department of the Interior.
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