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WHITE
HOUSE BUDGET LEAVES GREAT LAKES PROGRAMS ON “THIN ICE”
President
Bush’s proposed budget fails to turn the tide against the growing
threats of sewage pollution, invasive species and other problems compromising
the health of the Great Lakes, the Healing our Waters–Great Lakes
Coalition warned.
“The
White House budget leaves the Great Lakes
on thin ice and underscores the need for the U.S. Congress to act now
to address the serious threats to the lakes. Every day we wait the
problems get worse and the solutions more costly,” said Jeff
Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great
Lakes Coalition.
“The Great
Lakes are our Grand Canyon, our Yellowstone,
yet they remain vulnerable and face enormous conservation
challenges,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). “Congress will work to
ensure that we protect and preserve this national treasure for
generations to come.”
“At
a time when our lakes are threatened by increased sewage dumping and
mercury emissions, we should be expanding our protection efforts for
the Great Lakes, not cutting
resources for water protection,” said. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). “With
all the major presidential candidates pledging their support for the Great Lakes, I look forward to working with my
colleagues in the Congress to increase funding to keep the drinking
water for 30 million Americans clean.”
The
Bush Administration’s proposed fiscal year 2009 budget calls for $295
million for Great Lakes programs, a
reduction of $56 million, or 16 percent, from current enacted levels.
"Sadly,
this President's budget that cuts vital programs combating invasive
species and pollution, fails to address the serious problems facing
our Great Lakes," said Sen.
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). "From fishing to tourism, communities
and families across Michigan
rely on the lakes for their livelihood. Protecting our Great
Lakes is not only critical to our economy, but to the
very identity of our state and our nation. As a member of the Senate
Budget Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues to
restore this funding and develop a responsible budget that properly
invests in one of America's
greatest resources”
“The
President's budget proposal is woefully inadequate for making real
progress towards the restoration of the Great
Lakes, which not only will benefit the environment, but
also the economy,” said Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). “It is completely unacceptable that
the President, who has acknowledged that the Great
Lakes are a national treasure, would fail to provide
enough funding to ensure that restoration priorities are
implemented.”
The
Bush Administration’s budget includes more funding for an electric
barrier to keep the non-native Asian carp out of the lakes and a modest
increase for the Great Lakes Legacy Act, a program to clean up the
most polluted harbors in the region.
Programs
targeted for the sharpest cuts include those intended to prevent
sewage contamination and to battle invasive species.
For
the 2009 fiscal year, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
requested:
·
$490 million for the eight Great
Lakes states to stop sewage contamination. The White
House requested $201 million for sewage treatment in the region, a
reduction of $48 million, or 19 percent, from the current fiscal
year.
·
$21.8 million to control the invasive sea lamprey
by funding the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The White House
requested $13 million, a $3.49 million reduction, or 21 percent, from
the current fiscal year.
·
$10 million to restore fish and wildlife habitat
by funding the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Act. The
White House requested no funding for the program, down from $940,000
in the current fiscal year.
The
proposed funding cuts come as recent studies indicate that restoring
the Great Lakes have tremendous
economic benefits. The Brookings Institution found that a $26 billion
investment in the Great Lakes would
yield at least $80 billion in economic benefit and activity in the
region.
“The
White House budget fails to reap the benefits that investing in the
Great Lakes will bring,” said Cameron Davis, president and CEO of the
Alliance for the Great
Lakes, and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great
Lakes Coalition. “Congress’ investment in resuscitating the Great Lakes is an investment in the regional
economy, job creation, and quality of life for millions of workers.”
“We
must do everything we can to protect the Great Lakes, including the
treasured national parks that preserve the unique environment and
wildlife of the region,” said Chad Lord, director of
the National Parks Conservation Association Great Lakes Program.
“Congress needs to act now to provide the funding necessary to
protect these American treasures.”
In
2005 the Bush Administration launched a task force of federal, state,
local and tribal officials that was entrusted with diagnosing the
problems plaguing the Great Lakes and developing a plan to aid them.
The result of that effort, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
Strategy, offers solutions to improve sewage treatment capacity, stop
invasive species, clean-up toxic pollutants and restore fish and
wildlife habitat.
President
Bush, however, has refused to use his leadership to advance that
plan.
“The
leading presidential candidates have signed a pledge to restore the Great Lakes, and we expect those candidates to
keep their promises,” said Skelding. “But we cannot wait until 2009.
Congress must seize the day now and stand up for the millions of
people who depend on the Great Lakes
for their jobs and way of life.”
For
more information, visit www.healthylakes.org
FARM
BILL DEBATE
Thousands of farmers are
restoring imperiled wildlife habitat and wetlands around our Great Lakes with the assistance of conservation
programs authorized by the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act, more commonly known as the Farm Bill. The hard work of these
local stewards is critical to protecting the Great
Lakes, but their success is at risk unless programs are
fully funded and expanded under the next Farm Bill. Programs such as the Conservation
Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and Grassland Reserve
Programs are in jeopardy. Many
more families want to participate in Farm Bill conservation programs
than can be accommodated because of insufficient federal funding.
Congress must fully fund and expand the Farm Bill conservation
programs.
The debate on the Farm Bill is currently
in conference committee where the House and the Senate will sort out
the differences between their versions of the bill. Contact your Member
of Congress urging them to ensure that key conservation
provisions are maintained and improved in the 2007 Farm Bill.
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