Coalition and Others to Senate Appropriators Regarding Great Lakes Priorities

To: The Honorable Thad Cochran
Chairperson
Senate Committee on Appropriations
S-128 U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations
S-146A U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510

From: The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
And the undersigned environmental non-governmental organizations

Dear Chairperson Cochran and Ranking Member Leahy:

On behalf of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, we write to ask that you assure the Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bills provide funding for Great Lakes restoration priorities. We are grateful for the much-needed support the region has received. We are seeing on-the-ground results because of these investments in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. However, the Great Lakes still face many urgent problems, which is why we are concerned with the President’s proposed budget. The problems we face will only get worse and the price we pay will be much higher if the federal partnership with the region is scaled back.