Coalition on New Study: Great Lakes Investments Paying off for People, Communities

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (September 24, 2018) – Federal Great Lakes restoration investments are creating jobs, increasing tourism, boosting home values, and attracting and retaining young workers in communities around the region as part of a more than 3-to-1 return on investment, according to a new report released today by economists from University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, and Duke University. Todd Ambs, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said: “It’s clear that federal investments to restore the Great Lakes are paying off for people and communities across the region. The results we’re seeing are exciting, inspiring, and powerful. We hope that the success we’ve seen to date is a catalyst for continued federal investment in a resource that more than 30 million people depend on for drinking water, because serious threats still remain. And our work is not done until every resident in the region has access to clean, affordable drinking water; fish that are non-toxic; and beaches free of contamination. We look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress to continue funding Great Lakes programs to protect our Great Lakes, drinking water, economy, and way of life.” Read the report here.