Coalition and Others to Senate Appropriators Regarding Great Lakes Priorities

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

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations
S-146A 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 Mikulski:

On behalf of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, we write to ask that you assure the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations bills provide funding for Great Lakes restoration priorities. The Great Lakes region has received much-needed support, and we are seeing on-the-ground results in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. However, while pressures on the U.S. budget will not diminish, neither do the urgent problems facing the Great Lakes if we cut restoration funds. Serious problems only get worse and the price we pay will be much higher…