The Canwest News Service reports today that, “Environmentalists and academic researchers on both sides of the border are applauding an Obama administration initiative that will see an added $475 million pumped into Great Lakes restoration and cleanup — the largest-ever single investment of its kind.”
“The proposal, once it is approved in Washington later this month, will nearly double the $550 million spent annually in the U.S. on federal Great Lakes programs.”
“Preservation of the lakes has become critical in many ways linked to human survival, such as safe drinking water, improving the ecosystem and bolstering the economy via tourism and fisheries, (Robert Burns of the Friends of the Detroit River non-profit group) said.”
“The added funds will make a huge difference in efforts to preserve fish and wildlife habitat, restore wetlands, fight invasive species and clean up toxins within the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes, experts say.”
“With more than 90 per cent of the lakes’ original wetlands lost over the past century because of urbanization, experts such as Burns have determined about $20 billion overall is needed to restore the Great Lakes to where they should be in terms of safe environmental quality for wildlife and people.”
“The influx of money into restoring the Great Lakes will also level the playing field with Canadian government efforts over the last decade — widely recognized as providing far more cash for research and restoration projects.”
The full article is at http://www.canada.com/technology/spend+additional+million+Great+Lakes/1964593/story.html.