Letter to Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Moran, Members of the House Great Lakes Task Force
Letter
Dear Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Moran,
As members of the House Great Lakes Task Force who support a strong, healthy and productive Great Lakes region, we respectfully request that you provide $300 million in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the Fiscal Year 2013 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill. The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades and works to protect, restore, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem.
The Great Lakes are a unique and invaluable national treasure that produce immeasurable benefits for the region and nation overall. The lakes hold 95 percent of our nation's supply of fresh water, provide drinking water for 30 million Americans, and produce substantial economic benefits for the region. It is estimated that 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages each year. The region is also responsible for approximately 27 percent of our nation's gross domestic product (GDP) and 24 percent of U.S. exports annually.
Yet, in recent years, the lakes have struggled with invasive species, nonpoint source pollution, toxic chemical contamination and a declining ecosystem that threatens public health, recreational and tourism industries and overall economic growth. Restoring the Great Lakes is a critical component of our nation's strategy to grow our economy while promoting environmental responsibility.
We urge you to support this sensible and productive investment in the economic and environmental health of the eight-state Great Lakes region.
Sincerely,
John D. Dingell
Member of Congress
Steven C. LaTourette
Member of Congress
Louise M. Slaughter
Member of Congress
Sander M. Levin
Member of Congress
Mike Quigley
Member of Congress
Keith Ellison
Member of Congress
Thomas E. Petri
Member of Congress
Janice D. Schakowsky
Member of Congress
Danny K. Davis
Member of Congress
Marcia L. Fudge
Member of Congress
Betty Sutton
Member of Congress
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
Member of Congress
Tammy Baldwin
Member of Congress
Timothy H. Bishop
Member of Congress
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress
Daniel Lipinski
Member of Congress
Carolyn McCarthy
Member of Congress
Timothy J. Walz
Member of Congress
Gwen Moore
Member of Congress
Robert J. Dold
Member of Congress
Jerrold Nadler
Member of Congress
Dale E. Kildee
Member of Congress
Steve Israel
Member of Congress
Reid J. Ribble
Member of Congress
Brian Higgins
Member of Congress
Tim Ryan
Member of Congress
Hansen Clarke
Member of Congress
John Conyers, Jr.
Member of Congress
Gary C. Peters
Member of Congress
Charles B. Rangel
Member of Congress
Luis V. Gutierrez
Member of Congress
William L. Owens
Member of Congress
Paul Tonko
Member of Congress
Carolyn B. Maloney
Member of Congress
Joe Donnelly
Member of Congress
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