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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today joined Ducks Unlimited and local conservation leaders at the Washtenaw Food Hub to tour a wetland restoration project and call for the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. 

Dingell, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2016 in July with Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10) and Darin LaHood (IL-18) to reauthorize and improve the program and support fish and wildlife and their habitats throughout the Great Lakes basin. The program encourages conservation projects like the one at the Washtenaw Food Hub, which has restored 96 acres of formerly heavily-farmed land back to a natural state. 

“Michigan has some of the most beautiful natural resources in the world, and preserving and protecting them for the next generation to enjoy is an obligation we all share,” said Dingell. “Today we saw what can happen when public and private groups come together to preserve and restore wildlife habitat, which also supports economic development, creates jobs and benefits our environment. That’s why the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act is so important. The Great Lakes represent 20% of the world’s freshwater supply and support a $7 billion fishery. We simply can’t afford not to reauthorize this program and protect our resources and the wildlife that call it home.”

“The Washtenaw Food Hub is a terrific example of how the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act addresses conservation needs here in Michigan,” said Gildo Tori, director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Region. “Our conservation project here will not only help waterfowl and wildlife, but also help a small business meet its sustainability goals.”

In addition to Tori, Dingell was joined on the tour by Kim Bayer of the Washtenaw Food Hub; Jason Hill, manager of conservation programs at Ducks Unlimited; and Marc Gaden of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2016 authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide assistance to local groups for cooperative conservation, restoration, and management of fish and wildlife and their habitats. It also makes it easier for local groups to come up with matching funds, which means more conservation and restoration projects throughout Michigan that improve water quality, protect species habitat, and improve access for outdoor recreation. For more information about the bill, please click here.

Since 1998, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act has provided more than $24.4 million dollars in federal funding to 157 research and restoration projects. Since these projects require a 25% local match, this equals more than $36 million worth of benefits to Great Lakes fish, wildlife and the habitats they depend on. The program was last reauthorized in 2006.