Michigan Senate Bill SCR0006

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/2/23
• Refer: 3/7/23

Caption

A concurrent resolution to urge the United States Congress to allocate $425 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

Impact

The resolution highlights previous investments made through the GLRI, noting that over $3 billion has been allocated to nearly 6,800 projects since 2010, which has led to meaningful environmental enhancements, such as cleaning toxic pollution and restoring fish and wildlife habitats. It presents the GLRI as a smart investment, showing a positive return on investment; specifically, it cites a study indicating that for every dollar invested by the federal government, $3.35 in economic activity is generated, particularly benefiting older industrial cities like Detroit.

Summary

SCR0006 is a concurrent resolution that urges the United States Congress to allocate $425 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The resolution emphasizes the critical role that the Great Lakes play not only as a vast source of freshwater but also in supporting the economy and lifestyle of residents in Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes region. It explains that these lakes hold a significant portion of the United States' surface freshwater, providing drinking water for over 30 million individuals and directly supporting approximately 1.3 million jobs, contributing $82 billion in wages.

Contention

Despite its positive framing, SCR0006 identifies ongoing challenges facing the Great Lakes, such as toxic algal blooms, invasive species, and contaminated sediments, which threaten water quality and recreational opportunities. It criticizes the current federal allocation of $368 million for Fiscal Year 2023 as insufficient, pointing out that this amount is below the authorized $400 million for the GLRI. The resolution warns that neglecting these issues through underfunding is a short-sighted strategy that risks long-term environmental and economic health for the Great Lakes region.