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Dear Mr. Davis:
Congratulations on your recent appointment by President Obama to lead the federal government’s Great Lakes restoration effort. I look forward to working with you on this vital endeavor.
One of the key priorities of the Michigan Delegation this year is to win funding for the President’s $475 million request for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. On June 26, the House of Representatives approved the annual Interior/EPA funding bill and included the full $475 million requested. I am hopeful that the Senate will follow suit and fully fund this inter-agency initiate to restore the Great Lakes.
As you make preparations to implement the Great Lakes restoration effort, I would ask that you not forget Lake St. Clair. I know that you are very familiar with Lake St. Clair from your work as President of the Great Lakes Alliance. Despite many hard-won environmental gains in recent years, Lake St. Clair continues to be affected by beach closures, invasive species, habitat loss and other problems that compromise the environmental quality and economic value of the resource.
Section 426 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 directed the Corps of Engineers to create a comprehensive management plan for Lake St. Clair. The plan was completed in 2005 and contained more than 100 recommendations to protect this resource. As the Corps’ Management Plan underscored, “managing and protecting Lake St. Clair is a shared endeavor among federal, state and local agencies.... The plan can only be successful if all three levels of government are fully engaged.” Section 3089 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 authorized restoration projects that are consistent with the Management Plan.
Lake St. Clair is a vital part of the Great Lakes system and a national treasure that we need to protect. I hope that some of the recommendations contained in the Lake St. Clair Management Plan can be funded through the new Great Lakes interagency program.
I greatly appreciate your consideration of this request.
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