Bill Text: MI HR0125 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to memorialize the United States Congress to appropriate $475 million for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 31-7)
Status: (Passed) 2009-12-19 - Adopted [HR0125 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HR0125-Introduced.html
Reps. Bennett, Gonzales, Byrnes, Kandrevas, Neumann, Hammel, Proos, Booher, Horn, Spade, Womack, Polidori, Roy Schmidt, Tlaib, Bettie Scott, McDowell, Dean, Meadows, Bauer, Terry Brown, Constan, Donigan, Geiss, Lahti, LeBlanc, Lemmons, Liss, Mayes, Meltzer, Scripps, Sheltrown, Smith, Switalski, Valentine, Hansen, Leland, Marleau and Rocca offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 125.
A resolution to memorialize the United States Congress to appropriate $475 million for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Whereas, The Great Lakes contain more than 18 percent of the world's, and more than 90 percent of North America's, fresh surface water and provide drinking water to more than 9 million Michigan residents; and
Whereas, Michigan and its economy are defined by the Great Lakes and depend on its abundance of freshwater for manufacturing, tourism, fishing, public water supplies, agriculture, and numerous other uses. The Great Lakes provide Michigan with 823,000 jobs that represent nearly 25 percent of Michigan's payroll; and
Whereas, The health of the Great Lakes is jeopardized by threats such as toxic contamination, wetlands degradation, sewage overflows, and invasive species. Inaction or delay in confronting these threats will make the problems worse and the solutions more costly; and
Whereas, Regional and state restoration plans are ready for implementation to address these threats. The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration proposed a multi-year strategy of implementable solutions to restore and protect the Great Lakes and to overcome the hurdles facing them. The Michigan Great Lakes Plan provides a framework for protecting, restoring, and sustaining Michigan's Great Lakes; and
Whereas, There is bipartisan support for dedicating $475 million in federal money to initiate a multi-year effort to protect and restore our Great Lakes, consistent with the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy's recommendations. The proposed Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will fund on-the-ground work to cleanup toxic hotspots, restore habitat, and combat invasive species; and
Whereas, A substantial investment in the Great Lakes system's health will create jobs and improve Michigan's quality of life. In 2008, Michigan Sea Grant determined that a $25 billion investment in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy would create $7 billion to $13 billion in short-term economic gains for Michigan from increases in tourism, the fishing industry, and recreational activity, reduced costs to municipalities, and increased property values in coastal areas; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize Congress to appropriate the $475 million called for in President Obama's FY 2010 budget for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that will provide the economic investment and revitalization that the Great Lakes need; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
