New Bill Maintains Great Lakes Commitment
New Bill Maintains Great Lakes Commitment
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Contact: Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
New Bill Maintains Great Lakes Commitment
Bipartisan legislation sets stage for accelerated progress to protect drinking water, public health, Great Lakes.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (January 9, 2025)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition supports new bipartisan federal legislation to restore and protect the Great Lakes – the source of drinking water for more than 42 million people. The legislation reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, allowing up to $500 million annually in support of restoration actions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to clean up toxic pollution, curb farm and city runoff, restore wildlife habitat, and confront invasive species.
Passage of the bill in the 119th Congress is a top priority for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.
“This bill is a winner for millions of people in the region,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We thank Rep. David Joyce and Reps. Debbie Dingell, Marcy Kaptur, and Bill Huizenga for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to tackle the serious threats to the region’s drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life. Federal investments to restore the lakes have been producing results in communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This bill sets the stage to accelerate progress in addressing challenges to our vital water resources. This bill also addresses the reality that if we scale back investments now, problems will only get worse and more expensive to solve. We look forward to working with the Great Lakes congressional delegation to pass this bipartisan bill that supports common sense solutions to protect our drinking water, public health, jobs and quality of life.”
The bill, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025, was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep David Joyce (R-Ohio) with fellow Great Lakes Taskforce co-chairs, U.S. Reps Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), and cosponsored by U.S. Reps Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), John James (R-Mich.), Mike Kelly (R-Penn.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.).
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 reauthorizes the successful federal program for five more years, from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. A similar bill to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative failed to get passed before Congress adjourned in December 2024.
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition members expressed strong support for the new legislation.
“The Alliance would like to thank Representatives Joyce and Dingell for their leadership in sponsoring bipartisan legislation to continue this important program that directly benefits the tens of millions of Americans living in the Great Lakes region. As members of the Great Lakes Task Forces, they have tirelessly advocated for the GLRI and the Alliance thanks them for their great work on this issue.”
Don Jodrey, Director of Federal Government Relations, Alliance for the Great Lakes
“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been incredibly effective at restoring and protecting the Great Lakes and the rivers that flow into them. There has been no more important a time to save our nation’s clean water resources and we urge passage of this important piece of legislation to continue the good work it has done for millions of people in the Great Lakes communities and downstream.”
Heather Taylor-Miesle, Senior Vice President of Conservation, American Rivers
“The Great Lakes are a vital resource for birds and millions of people across the region, but they continue to face big challenges. Protecting them is a massive undertaking and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been vital to Audubon’s work to restore and conserve over 10,000 acres of wetlands - habitat for vulnerable birds like the Least Tern. By passing the GLRI Act and continuing to fund this vital program we can continue to protect birds and communities.”
Marnie Urso, Senior Director, Policy, Audubon Great Lakes
“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has served as an unquestionable success for our environment, economy, and quality of life; we applaud the bipartisan effort to reauthorize this critical program. In New York State, the GLRI has helped to protect the drinking water for over four million residents, transform Buffalo’s waterfront, clean up the toxic area of concern in the Rochester Embayment, and much more. However, our work is far from done—four of NY’s toxic hot spots remain listed, invasive species wreak havoc on the ecosystem, and drinking water remains at risk. We urge Congress to pass this vital legislation and follow through on the promise to protect our Great Lakes for future generations.”
Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
“Clean Wisconsin wholeheartedly supports the passage of the GLRI Act of 2025 which represents a significant commitment to the health and vitality of the Great Lakes. For Wisconsin, the importance of the Act cannot be overstated. The Great Lakes are a vital source of drinking water for Wisconsinites and play a key role in our economy, supporting manufacturing, tourism, fishing and shipping. The restoration efforts funded by the initiative will also help protect our unique ecosystems and wildlife habitats, ensuring future generations can enjoy the natural beauty and resources of our state.”
Sara Walling, Water and Agriculture Program Director, Clean Wisconsin
"With funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Conservation Resource Alliance in Michigan is able to protect and enhance over 700 miles of rivers, 5,000 miles of tributaries, and diverse stands of forests across 4 million acres. Remarkably, since GLRI’s inception in 2009, CRA has multiplied the impact of GLRI investments by leveraging an additional $10 million of other federal, state, local and private funds to improve infrastructure and restore fish and wildlife habitat in our watersheds. With your support of the bill, we commit to protecting the aesthetic, ecological and economic value of Michigan's vital waterways and forests, ensuring a resilient Great Lakes region."
Suzie Knoll, Executive Director, Conservation Resource Alliance
“The Environmental Law & Policy Center supports this bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for fiscal years 2027-31. Protecting safe clean drinking water, healthy fisheries and enjoyable outdoor recreation for all is not a partisan issue. The Great Lakes is where we live, work and play.”
Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
"Water is life. In Toledo, Ohio we’ve felt the fear of turning on our taps and finding poison (Harmful Algal Blooms) instead of nourishment. We’ve watched children suffer from preventable illnesses, families forced to choose between bottled water and paying bills, and elders question whether the waters they grew up cherishing will ever be safe again. The Great Lakes are not just a resource—they are a promise! A promise of clean drinking water, thriving ecosystems, and a future where every child can splash in a lake without fear. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is not about policy; it’s about people! It’s about honoring that promise. To every legislator: This bill impacts the lives, hopes, and dreams of entire communities. Thank you for protecting our water, and proving that every community, no matter their zip code, deserves dignity, safety, and a future worth fighting for."
Alicia Smith, Executive Director, The Junction Coalition
"The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the most successful effort to protect and clean up our Great Lakes in U.S. history. Our Great Lakes face emerging challenges, like toxic PFAS contamination, invasive species, rapidly warming temperatures and the impacts of climate change, which makes the Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2025 more important than ever. Protecting our treasured Great Lakes, the source of drinking water for millions of people, is something all Michiganders can get behind, and we look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get this legislation signed into law.”
Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director, Michigan League of Conservation Voters
"This act is another step closer to restorative justice for communities impacted by environmental injustices across the Great Lakes Basin who bear the brunt of environmental risks through no fault of their own. The legacy of the GLRI must be the enduring health of our communities, access to living wage employment and restorative access to our common waters for everyone."
Brenda Coley, Co-Executive Director, Milwaukee Water Commons
“We are grateful for the steadfast commitment and leadership of Representative Joyce (OH-14) and the Great Lakes Task Force co-chairs with the reintroduction of the important GLRI Act of 2025. When realized, this historic investment will further accelerate progress made on efforts to protect and improve of the overall health of our Great Lake – the largest fresh water source on the planet. In doing so, we will safeguard the region’s environment and the 10 national parks within it -- from Cuyahoga Valley to Sleeping Bear Dunes -- our economy and our communities for generations to come.”
Crystal Davis, Midwest Senior Director, National Parks Conservation Association
"The reintroduction of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative bill is a critical advancement for the Great Lakes, as well as the millions of people and wildlife whose water and way of life depend upon them. We are grateful to Representative Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) for reintroducing this effort to safeguard and restore the Great Lakes. This is a pivotal moment, and we urge lawmakers to seize the opportunity to invest in these waters and the communities they support by swiftly passing the bill through the House and Senate."
Rebecca Meuninck, Executive Director, Great Lakes Regional Center, National Wildlife Federation
“Lake Erie is a treasure for all Ohioans, providing drinking water for 11 million people, including 3 million Ohioans, and supporting a thriving tourism industry that generates over $15 billion annually. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025 will continue to fund vital programs to restore and protect Lake Erie, tackling challenges like aging water infrastructure, invasive species, flooding, and toxic pollutants. By securing this critical funding, we are not only preserving Lake Erie’s natural beauty and resources but also safeguarding public health, strengthening local economies, and ensuring a vibrant future for generations to come.”
Melanie Houston, Managing Director of Water Policy, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund
“Although Pennsylvania's share of the Great Lakes Basin is relatively small, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has delivered significant benefits to the state over the past 15 years. GLRI funding has supported various projects aimed at protecting endangered species, addressing plastic pollution, and reducing polluted runoff, among other initiatives. However, these efforts and others to restore habitats, enhance resilience to extreme weather, and prevent harmful algal blooms are far from complete. We commend the Great Lakes Task Force for its bipartisan support of another five-year reauthorization.”
Jenny Tompkins, Clean Water Campaign Manager, PennFuture
“As a national network of water advocates, River Network encourages Congress to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act. GLRI funding advances essential, interconnected work to provide clean water for communities across the Great Lakes region and is a critical piece of ensuring clean water nationwide.”
Hannah Mico, Resilient Communities Manager, River Network
"For several years the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has served as a critical source of funding for invasive species management and habitat restoration in Northwest Indiana, and Save the Dunes is a proud supporter of the GLRI. This funding allows our organization to help support the Indiana Dunes National Park and other conservation partners to protect the Indiana dunes, Lake Michigan, and the surrounding natural areas for the health and vitality of the environment, and the people who live, work, and recreate in Northwest Indiana."
Harshini Ratnayaka, Advocacy Program Manager, Save the Dunes
“The Great Lakes are not just a regional treasure—they are a national asset, providing drinking water for over 40 million people, supporting diverse ecosystems, and driving billions of dollars in economic activity. Being good stewards of these vital waters means doing everything we can to insulate them from a growing list of challenges like pollution, invasive species, and a rapidly changing climate. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been a cornerstone of collective efforts to protect and restore this critical resource, funding essential programs that combat harmful algal blooms, clean up contaminated coastlines, and protect aquatic species and spaces. By working together, we have made incredible progress in this region, and we cannot risk losing that momentum. We urge our nation’s leaders to pass this important bill to fully fund the GLRI, and in doing so, invest in clean water, healthy communities, and sustainable, blue futures.”
Brian Gill, Senior Director, Government Affairs & Policy, Shedd Aquarium
"The Great Lakes Region, once an industrial powerhouse, became tarnished with a legacy of toxic pollutants found in water, soil, sediment and the wildlife and people who live nearby. The GLRI has provided critical funding to turn the page on this harmful legacy through thousands of restoration projects, but more work is needed to continue restoring the health of the region's land and water. The GLRI Act of 2025 serves to assure the continuation of this vital funding source, driving the change toward recovery and prosperity.”
Elayne Coleman, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Michigan
"The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been instrumental in advancing watershed protection efforts across Northern Michigan. At Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, GLRI funding has supported projects across our service area that reduce nutrient pollution, restore critical wetlands and high-quality rivers, and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and our area partners in restoration, Huron Pines, Conservation Resource Alliance and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, count on the support from GLRI to achieve our work to maintain and restore vital waters for cultural, recreational and environmental priorities. These projects not only improve water quality but also protect habitats essential to the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Reauthorizing GLRI ensures we can continue this vital work to safeguard the Great Lakes and our freshwater resources for generations to come."
Heather Huffstutler, Executive Director, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
“The introduction of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 marks an exciting and crucial step toward safeguarding one of our nation’s most vital resources. The $500 million authorization will focus on critical restoration and protection efforts for the Great Lakes, which supply 20% of the world’s freshwater. Clean, healthy lakes directly impact water systems, supporting affordability by reducing the costs associated with water treatment and infrastructure challenges. This investment is a win for our environment, our communities, and the future of clean, affordable water access for all who rely on the Great Lakes.”
Monica Lewis-Patrick, President & CEO, We the People of Detroit
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 180 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on social media @HealthyLakes.
