The House Appropriations Committee last (Tues) night threw out President Trump’s proposal to get rid of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and added an extra $10.4 million to the fund to help keep Asian carp from invading the lakes.
The committee voted 30-21 to fully fund the Great Lakes program at $300 million for 2018. The fund pays for a host of environmental cleanup and restoration projects around the lakes, including the ongoing Braddock Bay restoration in Greece. The Trump Administration wanted to zero out the funding, along with Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound restoration funds.
Republican and Democratic Representatives from along the Great Lakes coast voted to keep funding at the same level as previous years.