Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
All About the GLRI
What is it?
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is a voluntary program started in 2010 that funds efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes Basin, which includes the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands of the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. GLRI investments are directed by an Action Plan, which is updated every four years (read more in the next section below).
What are the goals?
Fish safe to eat
Water safe for recreation
Safe source of drinking water
All Areas of Concern delisted
Harmful/nuisance algal blooms eliminated
No new self-sustaining invasive species
Existing invasive species controlled
Native habitat protected and restored to sustain native species
What are Areas of Concern?
Areas of Concerns are toxic hotspots and some of the most polluted areas in the region, as per the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Of the 43 AOCs, 26 are in the U.S., 12 are in Canada, and 5 are shared by both countries.
Each AOC has a group of community members who provide their expertise to discussions of cleanup and their time to related volunteer activities. States have different names for these groups, but they’re often called Public Advisory Councils (PACs) or Community Advisory Councils (CACs).
To achieve its goals, the GLRI has 5 focus areas:
Why does the GLRI matter?
Ecosystem protection: It maintains the health of the vast Great Lakes ecosystem, supporting numerous species.
Water safety: The GLRI ensures the lakes' water remains clean for drinking and recreation.
Economic boost: Clean Great Lakes support industries like fishing, tourism, and shipping.
Stopping invasive species: The initiative prevents harmful non-native species from spreading.
Toxin control: It helps manage pollutants and toxic substances in the region.
Sustainable farming: The GLRI promotes farming practices that reduce harmful runoff.
Collaboration: It fosters teamwork among agencies, communities, and stakeholders.
For future generations: The initiative helps keep the Great Lakes clean and vibrant for the future.
Who is involved?
Federal agencies—such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—receive money from the federal government for restoration work under the GLRI, then these agencies fund organizations to do the actual restoration work on-the-ground.
Who can get funding?
State agencies, Tribes, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local governments are eligible for GLRI funding as long as the project is location within the Great Lakes Basin.
What are the successes?
Over 7,500 restoration projects completed or underway
1.8 million farmland acres have received assistance for nutrient management actions
Over 6,700 river miles have been cleared of dams and barriers
A 2018 analysis revealed a greater than 3-to-1 return on investment
5 Areas of Concern have been delisted & 10 have completed the actions necessary for delisting
113 beneficial use impairments have been addressed (Beneficial Use Impairments are changes in the chemical, physical or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system sufficient to cause significant environmental degradation)
Nearly 480,000 acres of habitat, including 72,000 acres of coastal wetlands have been enhanced, protected, and restored
Action Plan IV
Coalition Recommendations
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was first launched in 2010 and has since provided funding for thousands of projects across the region, restoring and protecting water for people, wildlife, and communities totaling close to $5 billion.
Every four years a new Action Plan is developed, which guides the EPA and the agencies in directing where GLRI investments go. The current plan—Action Plan III—is set to expire in 2024, so the EPA is beginning to gather input for the formation of Action Plan IV, which will cover 2025-2029. Helping shape a strong Action Plan IV is a top priority for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. The Coalition has been working to gather recommendations for the upcoming plan and we are looking to get feedback on what we’ve compiled so far. The Coalition is placing a priority on two cross-cutting imperatives: climate change and equity. In other words, the power of the GLRI should be leveraged to fight the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes and to ensure no community is disproportionately impacted by risks facing the Great Lakes region. These recommendations will be given to the EPA prior to and during the public engagement sessions they will be hosting over the summer (we’ll provide more information on how to participate in these sessions once the EPA announces them).
For Action Plan IV we’ll be hosting four feedback sessions based on the GLRI’s different focus areas, but we’ll be starting off with one general information session that gets into what the Action Plan is, why it matters, and how folks can be involved. This session will be particularly helpful for folks who are less familiar with the GLRI Action Plan process or do work in less technical spaces.
Background Information
Acronyms
GLRI: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
TEK: Traditional Ecological Knowledge
SFGLAES: Superfund and Great Lakes Architecture & Engineering Services
AOC: Area of Concern
PAC: Public Advisory Council
GLMRIS: Great Lakes & Mississippi River Interbasin Study
USACE: US Army Corps of Engineers
MPOs: Metropolitan Planning Organizations
NGOs: Nongovernmental Organizations
GHG: Greenhouse gas
APIV: Action Plan IV
APIII: Action Plan III
GLWQA: Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
HUC: Hydrologic Unit Code
Note: the red text in the above document refers to our recommended edits to the Action Plan.
Note: the bolded text in the above documents refers to our recommended edits to the Action Plan.
Policy Asks
Great Lakes restoration investments are producing economic and ecological results. But serious threats remain. Congress must support Great Lakes restoration programs and fully fund these efforts in FY2025 appropriations. Great Lakes restoration investments are critical to improving community resilience and protecting water quality and community health.
We urge Congress:
Reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024 (H.R. 7257/S.3738)
Fund Great Lakes Restoration programs at no less than:
EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI): $450 million, as authorized.
USFWS’ Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration (GLFWRA): $8 million
Army Corps’ Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration (GLFER): $15 million
U.S. FWS and USGS invasive carp programs: $35 million and $15 million, respectively.
Social Indicators Report
While the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been a successful program, it can be strengthened through a greater community-based focus of investments on local conservation priorities; the agencies being held accountable to this focus; and, ultimately, all communities within the region benefitting from Great Lakes and clean water investments.
The Coalition intends to broaden the narrative of Great Lakes environmental programs beyond the traditional focus on biological and physical dimensions of the ecosystem, to also recognizing and addressing social and organizational dimensions. To catalyze this change, the Coalition seeks foundational, social science- evidence-based insights to advance its work to broaden Great Lakes restoration, community resilience, and other ecosystem-based environmental programs across a broad spectrum of governmental agencies and non-governmental entities.
With this in mind, the Coalition partnered with the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research to host a summit/workshop in May 2023: Discerning the “Bricks and Mortar” Required to Implement the Societal Components of Comprehensive Great Lakes Restoration. This workshop led to the creation of the Social Indicators Report.