Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Reauthorization Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his incredible support, and I thank my Republican colleague for his kind words and how we work together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan legislation, which I am leading with my other colleagues, Congressman Darin LaHood, Congressman Paul Tonko, and Congressman David Joyce, supports fish and wildlife conservation efforts in the Great Lakes.

Since 1998, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act has provided critical resources for coordinating conservation efforts across the Great Lakes ecosystem. This longstanding bipartisan backing underscores the efficacy of the proven conservation mechanisms in this legislation, including collaborative, private-public partnerships that maximize the impact of Federal funding to make landscape-level improvements to our fish and wildlife habitats.

A recently released report on the program by the Department of the Interior, found that as a result of the fish and wildlife grant program authorized by the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, that significant progress has been made in addressing the six Great Lakes' restoration goals specified in the legislation.

This includes control of sea lamprey populations across the Great Lakes, progress on the restoration of lake trout in Lake Huron leading to reducing stocking targets, and other species recovery efforts vital to sustaining the very unique ecosystem of the Great Lakes Basin.

However, continued work is required to protect the Great Lakes for future generations given the environmental pressures that this region faces.

To this end, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act would authorize funding for the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act for 5 years, from fiscal years 2022 through 2027, at the current funding levels.

This legislation has broad bipartisan support, as well as the backing of a variety of groups dedicated to safeguarding the Great Lakes, including Ducks Unlimited and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

These Great Lakes are 90 percent of the freshwater in the United States. We must protect them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation, which will ensure our Great Lakes are protected for many generations to come.

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