[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 73 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE GREAT LAKES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COMMITTEE 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation that 
will move our Nation forward with increased environmental protection 
and restoration of the Great Lakes--the Great Lakes Protection and 
Restoration Committee Act.
  The Great Lakes are a national treasure that we need to protect and 
restore. They contain 95 percent of our nation's surface freshwater, 
provide drinking water to millions of people and form the backbone for 
billions of dollars in shipping, trade, fishing and recreation. 
Progress has been made in improving environmental conditions in the 
Great Lakes Basin, but the lakes continue to face many threats, 
including pollution from contaminated sediments, stormwater and 
agricultural runoff, the introduction of invasive species, wetlands and 
coastal habitat loss, and pollutants washed into the lakes from the 
atmosphere.
  While several federal, state, provincial and local programs have been 
developed to address these problems, these strategies are not well 
coordinated. According to an April 2003 GAO Report, ``no one 
overarching strategy or plan unifies these strategies in the pursuit of 
a common goal. . . An overarching strategy for the basin is needed to 
establish restoration goals, outline how restoration will occur, 
identify the resources needed to achieve restoration, assign 
accountability for restoration, and provide a mechanism for measuring 
progress for achieving goals.''
  This week, President Bush signed an Executive Order that establishes 
a task force to improve the coordination of federal agency efforts and 
to reach out to state, local, and private partners to develop 
consistent policies and strategies for Great Lakes restoration. I 
strongly support the action taken by President Bush, EPA Administrator 
Leavitt, and Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Connaughton 
because it will help bring collaboration among the broad collection of 
existing resources and programs in the region.

  Next we need comprehensive legislation to continue to move us 
forward. The Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee Act will 
provide a path forward by bringing together all of the stakeholders in 
the basin, led by the Great Lakes State governors with the aid of 
relevant federal agency officials, tribal representatives, scientific 
experts and environmental and industry stakeholders. The Committee 
created by the legislation will develop a specific and comprehensive 
strategy for the purpose of protecting, preserving and restoring the 
Great Lakes.
  Specifically, the task force will:
  Assess accomplishments from current programs over the past 10 years;
  Analyze the prospects for achieving restoration goals under current 
programs and authorities for the next 10 years;
  Prioritize restoration goals identified by the Great Lakes governors;
  Develop specific, measurable benchmarks for achieving those goals;
  Recommend legislative options for obtaining such additional authority 
and funding as are necessary to achieve those goals;
  Suggest methods to improve coordination among the existing federal, 
state, provincial, local, and non-governmental programs operating in 
the Great Lakes; and
  Report to Congress and the President in one year on its findings and 
recommendations.
  My goal is that the task force will develop a comprehensive, 
strategic protection and restoration program to bring together and 
coordinate the plethora of smaller programs that we have in place now.
  This serious and measured approach mirrors the steps taken in other 
large ecosystem restoration projects such as the Everglades and 
Chesapeake Bay. Due to the complexity of those restoration initiatives, 
which cross over many jurisdictional lines, environmental challenges 
and scientific disciplines, it was essential to have an overall 
strategic plan in place to guide activities and funding decisions over 
long periods of time. The Great Lakes Basin is significantly larger and 
the environmental challenges substantially more complex than in those 
ecosystems. We need an overarching strategy in place to accomplish our 
vision to protect and restore the lakes.
  A lack of adequate funding is certainly an impediment to successful 
cleanup efforts, but improved program coordination and operation under 
a comprehensive strategic plan is an essential first step. The Great 
Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee Act will move Great Lakes 
restoration forward to help protect and clean up this global treasure. 
I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

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