Most of us who live in the Great Lakes region know how much energy, time and money has been put into trying to restore the purity of the waters, protecting the variety of fish species and the removal of invasive critters that have entered this magnificent waterway since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the connecting canals with the Mississippi River system. It is an ongoing battle and requires the cooperation of the individual states bordering the Great Lakes, the Canadian government and the US government.
Last year, President Obama pledged to extend the paultry sum of something like $123 million to protect 20% of the planet's fresh water supply. We are still waiting and waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers to finish it's year long study of how best to stop the Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan from the Chicago Rive. The introduction of this species into the Great Lakes system would be devestating, and rather than take the precaution of closing the canals leading into Lake Michigan - we are faced with the big stall. The Republican House is showing little concern with the problem and will probably attempt to cut most or all of the Obama pledged funding for restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.
They are much more concerned about the Pentagon's endorsement of NASCAR, the War on the Reproductive Rights of Women, attacking the collective bargaining rights of unions, etc. Here is an interesting opinion piece by Dana Millbank. Please email or call you Congress Critter expressing your concerns about saving the greatest expanse of freshwater on Earth and it's delicate ecosystem.
Updated by moose67 at Sat Feb 19, 2011, 01:08:01 PM
Actually, President Obama originally pledged $350 million to help the Great Lakes, but his most recent budget pretty much cuts that in half.