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Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The President's 2010 Budget requested $475 million in EPA's budget for a new Environmental Protection Agency-led, interagency Great Lakes restoration initiative, to target the most significant problems in the region, including invasive aquatic species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment. Following passage by the House and Senate, the President signed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 exit EPA into law on October 30, 2009, providing the requested $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

This initiative will use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing them. EPA and its Federal partners will coordinate State, tribal, local, and industry actions to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes.

The Initiative builds upon 5 years of work of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force (IATF) and stakeholders, guided by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy exit EPA. The IATF includes 16 cabinet and agency organizations, including: EPA, State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, HUD, Transportation, Homeland Security, Army, CEQ, and Health and Human Services.

To jump-start the Initiative, the IATF has developed a Plan (PDF) (18pp, 103KB) for the proposed $475 million budget, including over $250 million in grants and project agreements and jump-starting achievement of long term goals: safely eating the fish and swimming at our beaches, assuring safe drinking water, and providing a healthy ecosystem for fish and wildlife. A companion Agency Actions (PDF) (26pp, 97KB) document describes what proposed accomplishments for each Agency pursuant to the Initiative. A summary of FY 2010 proposed programs and projects (28pp, 516KB) is also available. The Initiative is proposed to Congress as part of EPA's 2010 Congressional Justification (PDF) (319pp, 1.9MB)

In the summer of 2009, Agencies initiated processes for one or more Requests for Proposals for competitive grants advancing the Initiative, in order that some grants may be issued as early as December, 2009.

Throughout the summer of 2009, the Interagency Task Force worked to develop a Great Lakes Restoration Plan for FY 2011 and beyond. Public input was sought in developing the draft plan (PDF) (24pp, 100 Kb) through a series of stakeholder meetings held in July and August 2009 in various Great Lakes locations. In addition, stakeholders were invited to submit comments by mail and via a comment form on the Internet. A summary of the comments received (PDF) (50pp, 442 Kb). was prepared.

Staying Informed on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
To be added to a listserv which will provide updates on funding information, including funding information about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we request that you go to to http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/maillist/index.html.

Documents of interest:

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Activities

EPA's Request for Proposals for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has not yet been announced. Information about the Request for Proposals will be posted here when an announcement is made.

Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline

Stakeholder meetings in eight Great Lakes states and webcast

Summary of Public Comments on Action Plan Outline

Interagency Funding Guide

Stakeholder meetings

Video - U.S.EPA presentation

Meeting agenda (1 p. 143 Kb, PDF, July 20, 2009)

Thank you — Cameron Davis

Action Plan Outline

Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline (100 Kb, 24 pp. PDF, July 17, 2009)

Funding Guide

Interagency Funding Guide providing one-stop-shopping for over $250 million in grants and project agreements.

Interagency Funding Guide (107Kb, 13 pp. PDF, July 18, 2009, revised August 24, 2009) /markup showing changes/

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