ANN ARBOR – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today released its 2021 federal priorities for the Great Lakes, urging the Biden administration and Congress to invest in projects and programs that will protect the lakes and accelerate the national economic recovery. The priorities are being shared in advance of Great Lakes Day, an annual event that brings together regional leaders and members of Congress who play a critical role in shaping Great Lakes policies. This year’s Great Lakes Day Congressional Reception will be held virtually on Wednesday, March 3. The reception is hosted jointly by the GLC and the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

“With nearly one-third of U.S. and Canadian economies centered in the Great Lakes basin, revitalizing the Great Lakes must continue to be a top federal priority as we recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sharon M. Jackson, chair of the GLC and Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana. “The Great Lakes Commission is proud to present these priorities and ready to work with our federal, state and local partners to protect the lakes and promote economic growth.”

In FY 2022, the GLC urges Congress and the Biden administration to: invest in water infrastructure to protect drinking water and rebuild failing wastewater systems; support efforts to ensure the regional economy and environment are resilient to climate change; strengthen the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River navigation system to keep waterways open to commerce; fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; support efforts to stop the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species; promote agricultural and other conservation initiatives that help prevent harmful algal blooms; and invest in binational efforts to track progress toward regional goals.

The GLC will meet with members of Congress and the federal government throughout the week to share these priorities. The GLC has organized Great Lakes Day annually for decades as a mechanism for states, members of Congress and the federal government to communicate and work together to address Great Lakes issues. The event is typically held in Washington, D.C. For more information on the GLC and its work, visit www.glc.org.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Sharon M. Jackson, Deputy General Counsel for Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.