ANN ARBOR, MI – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) applauds action by the U.S. Congress to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, which funds the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2023. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation before the end of the year.

The final appropriations package funds programs critical to the Great Lakes region, including $368 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, $3 million to continue the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, $2.3 billion for operation and maintenance of the maritime navigation system, $212 million for port infrastructure projects, and $2.76 billion for water infrastructure through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. It also includes $3 million for the GLC to enhance regional collaboration between the states and the federal government. This is the first time the GLC has received a direct appropriation from the federal government.

“Congress is investing in important programs to advance our goals of a healthy and thriving Great Lakes region,” said Erika Jensen, executive director of the GLC. “The GLC appreciates the Great Lakes congressional delegation for funding these important programs. We look forward to utilizing the new funding for the GLC to expand state-federal collaboration, enhance regional coordination, and accelerate progress on priorities related to restoration, navigation, and resiliency.”

The GLC advocates on behalf of the Great Lakes states and provinces for policies and investments that improve the ecosystems, economies, and communities of the Great Lakes basin. Along with its regional partners, the GLC has been on the forefront of efforts to include Great Lakes programs in legislative activities.

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.