Senator Stabenow Delivers Keynote Address at Central Michigan University’s Institute for Great Lakes Research Symposium

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, kicked off Central Michigan University's Institute for Great Lake Research Symposium. The symposium highlighted Senator Stabenow's support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which funds critical Great Lakes research being conducted by universities like Central Michigan University.

"The Great Lakes are part of our Michigan way of life. And they sustain our entire continent, providing 84 percent of North America's surface freshwater," Stabenow said in her speech. "We depend on the Great Lakes for more than just drinking water: Thousands upon thousands of jobs are linked to the Great Lakes."

Senator Stabenow championed the effort to pass the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is a multi-year plan to restore and preserve the Great Lakes by eliminating toxins, combating invasive species, restoring habitats, and promoting the general health of the Lakes. The Initiative is fully funded by Sen. Stabenow's Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act, which gives communities the tools they need to combat invasive species, protect wildlife habitats and improve water quality in the Great Lakes. Just last month, she introduced the Defending Our Great Lakes Act, which will help stop the spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes.