Senators Stabenow, Levin Announce Nearly $8 Million for Great Lakes Habitat Restoration

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, vice chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and Carl Levin, chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, today announced support for the Great Lakes Commission to lead a regional partnership focusing on habitat restoration in the Lakes. The partnership, comprised of the Great Lakes Commission and state and local agencies, will receive $7,885,553 through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"The Great Lakes are critical to Michigan's economy and our way of life," said Stabenow. "This funding will support regional partnerships that will help strengthen and restore our Lakes and protect them for generations to come."

"This grant is tremendous news for all of us who care about our Great Lakes," said Levin. "We've already made great progress in cleaning up toxic hot spots and restoring habitat throughout the Great Lakes, and this grant will help ensure that vital work can continue."

This support will help continue work already underway through the U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern program and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Sens. Stabenow and Levin led 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.