A bill strengthening the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which President Donald Trump once threatened to cut funding for, is now heading to his desk for his signature.
Ohio Senator Rob Portman announced the passage of the bill on Sunday evening on Twitter.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act reauthorizes and expands funding for the Great Lakes, according to a joint statement from Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters who were also instrumental in passing the bill along with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.
They say the bill will increase the authorization level from $300 million to $375 in 2022 and will increase funding by $25 million a year until 2026.
The GLRI was launched in 2010 in order to protect and restore the lakes, the largest system of fresh water in the world.
The GLRI lists among its long-term goals: making fish safe to eat, water safe to drink, harmful algal blooms eliminated, keeping new invasive species out, and protecting native habitat and species.
In 2019 President Trump proposed cutting funding for the GLRI by 90% before making an about-face on the issue.
