Environmental Groups Applaud NYS Senate for Urging Congress to Approve $475 Million for Great Lakes

ALBANY, NY (04/28/2009)(readMedia)-- In an effort to secure the economic investment necessary to create jobs and restore the Great Lakes, a resolution (J-1604) introduced by Senator Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo) was passed today urging Congress to appropriate the $475 million called for in President Barack Obama's budget for Great Lakes restoration. The resolution was introduced on Great Lakes Day in the New York State Capital, an annual event that brings advocates to Albany from across the state to educate decision-makers about the critical role of the Great Lakes in New York's economy, particularly in the Great Lakes Basin. Senator Thompson sponsored this year's event.

"The Great Lakes serve a fundamental purpose in Western New York and we need to restore and protect them," stated Senator Thompson.

President Obama's 2010 budget proposal included $475 million to initiate a multi-year effort to protect and restore the Great Lakes, consistent with the 2005 Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to fully fund on-the-ground work to cleanup toxic hotspots, restore habitat, reduce runoff and sewage discharges, and combat invasive species.

The health of Lakes Erie and Ontario, which provide drinking water to more than three million New York residents, as well as that of the St. Lawrence River are jeopardized by threats such as toxic contamination, wetlands degradation, sewage overflows and invasive species. Advocates say that inaction or delay in confronting these threats will make the problems worse and the solutions more costly.

"Environmental Advocates of New York applauds Senator Thompson for leading the State Legislature in calling on Congress to approve the most significant investment in Great Lakes restoration to date," said Katherine Nadeau, Water & Natural Resources Program Associate, Environmental Advocates of New York. "Funding restoration for lakes Erie and Ontario today will not only saves money in the long run, but reports by the Brookings Institution have shown that New York's communities will see a 2-1 return on every dollar we invest. That's not just good environmental protection, that's good fiscal policy."

"It is important to understand that the Great Lakes play a critical role in the New York State economy. More than 80 percent of New York's fresh surface water, over 700 miles of shoreline, and 40 percent of New York's lands expanding over 25 counties are contained in the drainage basins of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence River. Critical issues range from beach closures from noxious algae to balancing the effect of water levels on marinas and wetlands. Funding to support restoration of the Great Lakes has been lacking in the past and this effort is a critical step forward as we seek to protect, restore and maintain this irreplaceable resource," says Greg Boyer, Director of the Great lakes Research Consortium in Syracuse New York. "From serving as our drinking water source to providing world-renowned recreational opportunities, the health of the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes is directly tied to the health of our local communities," said Jennifer J. Caddick, Save The River's Executive Director. "We applaud the New York State Legislature for sending a strong message to Washington in support of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River restoration programs."

"This is a historic opportunity to reinvigorate our nation's necessary stewardship role in protecting and restore our global treasure," said Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We applaud the NYS Legislature for championing renewed federal investment for our Great Lakes," Glance concluded.

"President Obama has proposed a major reinvestment the Great Lakes that lays the foundation for long-term economic gains for New York through job creation and a restored Great Lakes ecosystem, and we applaud Senator Thompson for building strong support in Congress for this proposal," said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York. "As the state has made investments in these same resources through the Environmental Protection Fund, it's time for the federal government to do the same and we strongly urge our Congressional Delegation to be strong supporters of this proposal."

"The Nature Conservancy applauds Senator Thompson and his colleagues in the Legislature for calling for federal funding to protect the Great Lakes," said James Howe, Executive Director of the Central Western New York Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. "The Great Lakes are an invaluable natural resource for New York - rich in biodiversity and critical for our economy. We need federal support for programs to eliminate invasive species, protect and restore habitat, and restore natural flows to the lakes and their tributaries. Through these programs we can manage the Great Lakes so that we achieve both economic and environmental prosperity."

A 2007 Brookings Institution report found that a $26 billion investment in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy would create $50 billion in economic gains for the region, with a net gain of at least $24 billion from increases in tourism, the fishing industry, recreational activity and home values.

A substantial investment in the Great Lakes system's health will create jobs and improve New Yorkers' quality of life. The Great Lakes contain more than 18 percent of the world's fresh surface water, and more than 90 percent of North America's fresh surface water. Along with the St. Lawrence River, the lakes provide New Yorkers with places to swim, play, camp and fish, supply clean and low-cost hydropower, provide economic investment from the state's tourism industry, and provide natural habitat for wildlife.

Groups in Albany for Great Lakes Day included Audubon New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, Great Lakes Research Consortium, National Wildlife Federation and Save the River, among others.

-30-