ANN ARBOR, MI – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today released its 2023 federal priorities, urging the Biden administration and Congress to invest in projects and programs that will foster a more resilient Great Lakes region, increase economic opportunity, and equitably improve the health of important ecosystems throughout the Great Lakes basin. 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. Great Lakes Day will be held in-person in Washington, D.C. for the first time since March 2020.

“The Great Lakes Commission is grateful that our federal partners understand the incredible importance of the Great Lakes to our nation,” said GLC Chair Todd L. Ambs of Wisconsin. “We look forward to meeting once again in D.C. to celebrate the lakes and call for ongoing investment to strengthen the economic and environmental health of the basin.”

In FY 2024, the GLC urges Congress and the Biden administration to: fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; comprehensively address the causes of harmful algal blooms; strengthen the Great Lakes Navigation System; build a resilient Great Lakes basin; protect against invasive species; ensure equitable access to clean and safe water; and support integrated binational science and data collection. The GLC also encourages Congress to enact a new, five-year Farm Bill that builds upon policies that promote agricultural growth, sustainability, resilience, and conservation; and provide dedicated, sustainable funding to the GLC to enhance regional collaboration between the states and the federal government.

The GLC will meet with members of Congress and the federal government throughout the week to discuss these priorities. The GLC organizes Great Lakes Day annually to bring together the states, members of Congress and the federal government to raise awareness of Great Lakes issues. For more information on the GLC and its work, visit www.glc.org.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), 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.