Restoring Great Lakes is a priority

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Updated: January 23, 2012 2:32AM

After the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative received $475 million in federal funding in 2010, that figure was reduced to $300 million in 2011, a victim of the federal budget process.

We urge Congress to restore the funding to $475 million, now that the 2012 budget process is well under way.

Yet, it will be difficult to increase the funding to the 2010 level as pressure mounts to further reduce the federal budget. Although there is a desire to reduce or eliminate funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, it should be noted that the threats to the lakes aren’t going away.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative helped start the meaningful flow of federal money to the lakes when Barack Obama assumed the presidency.

And, while there is pressure to reduce the funding, it isn’t difficult to make a case for increased federal dollars for the Great Lakes — Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario.

Congress shouldn’t shortchange the Great Lakes, a chain that contains more than 90 percent of the nation’s surface fresh water.

The Great Lakes provide a shipping highway that is vital to Northwest Indiana in terms of the export of products grown and produced in the Midwest, as well as the arrival of goods from abroad. It has a marked impact on the economy of Northwest Indiana.

Yet, there are other reasons to continue the restoration effort, according to the Restoration Initiative, They include:

† The Great Lakes supply the drinking water for 30 million people.

† People, communities, business and industry rely on the lakes for drinking water, business and recreation.

† More than 1.5 million U.S. jobs are connected to the lakes. They generate $62 billion in annual wages.

Restoration activities provide a solid return on investment. According to economists at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., a
$10 million restoration project will result in $66 million in economic benefit over the next 10 years.

Most important for this area is the restoration work being done along the lakefront. That enhances wildlife, outdoor recreation and quality of life.

The lakes are a resource that can’t be ignored.