On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for 300-million dollars in next year’s budget.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was left out of President Trumps’ proposed budget earlier this year.
Republican Congressman John Moolenaar from Midland helped create the legislation.
“People realized what a vital treasure it is for our country. And as there’s a greater understanding of the threats faced by the Great Lakes whether it's asian carp or other invasive species, there's a need for the federal government to be active in protecting our Great Lakes.”
Moolenaar said the funding is important to securing Michigan’s economy and environment.
“This funding goes to help keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes, funds a lot of the excellent research done by the Michigan universities to protect our Great Lakes, and it's a great step forward. There were a lot of concerns at the beginning of this that the funding may be eliminated.”
The bill now heads to the senate for approval, where Moolenaar says he’s very confident it will pass.