DeWine Bill to Continue Fish and Wildlife Restoration in Great Lakes Passes Committee

DEWINE BILL TO CONTINUE FISH AND WILDLIFE RESTORATION IN GREAT LAKES PASSES COMMITTEE

U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today announced his bill, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 will now be considered by the full Senate. The bill would reauthorize the measure first passed in 1990 and would continue providing needed resources to restore native fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed the bill by a voice vote, and it now goes to the full Senate for consideration. U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) is a cosponsor of the bill and a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

"By reauthorizing the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, we are providing even more resources and new tools to move restoration in the right direction and are encouraging coordination between federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental groups to preserve and protect the Great Lakes," said Senator DeWine. "The Great Lakes are threatened by pollution, habitat loss, and the continued introduction of invasive species which negatively impact the natural food chain and habitat. With this cooperative effort, we can work to make sure future generations will be able to enjoy this unique natural resource. "

"Reauthorization of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act is long overdue," said Senator Voinovich. "The legislation complements the goals of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration by allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to build strong partnerships focused on the restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure this legislation is considered by the full Senate."

This measure was first enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1998 to coordinate the management, protection, and restoration of fish and wildlife resources with the Great Lakes Basin. Senator DeWine's bill would reauthorize the grant program with an increase in funding authority from $4.5 million to $12 million, ensure that both fish and wildlife are included throughout the bill and that the Act is consistent with the goals of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The bill authorizes a total of $20 million in spending and will leverage non-federal dollars. The grants would be authorized up to $20 million. In addition, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would provide an annual report to states and tribes on which grants they awarded, priorities proposed for funding in the Service budget, and actions taken in support of Great Lakes Regional Collaboration.

A new authority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would created in this legislation to address regional issues.. The bill authorizes up to $6 million each year for the Service to take on projects, based on recommendation by states and tribes, for the regional benefit of fish and wildlife.

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy recommends this reauthorization effort.

The Great Lakes harbor a wide variety of fish and wildlife. More than 140 fish species and 500 species of migratory birds are found in the Basin. The Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world's surface freshwater, cover more than 94,000 square miles, and drain more than twice as much land. Over 30 of the Basin's biological communities - and more than 100 species - are globally rare or found only in the Great Lakes Basin.

Senator DeWine has a long history of working to protect and restore the Great Lakes, including cosponsoring the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act, to increase efforts to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to ensure a rapid response when potentially damaging species invasions occur. He sponsored the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act a long-term initiative which provides grants to make improvements in the Great Lakes Watershed and the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Implementation Act. In 2002, he sponsored the Great Lakes Legacy Act, a program that recently provided $25 million for cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Ashtabula.

http://dewine.senate.gov/