A conservation group says the Great Lakes need our help, and a lot more money.
Marnie Urso, Senior Policy Director for Audubon Great Lakes, spoke to WBBM via Zoom in the wake of President Joe Biden's budget announcement.
She says, "We've been asking for $400 million funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and this budget does fall short of that, $340 million. The Great Lakes and the surrounding area are really vital habitats for people and wildlife. It's a globally significant ecosystem."
Urso says the Great Lakes continue to face significant threats including coastal development, invasive species and climate change.
She also says the Great Lakes help feed the world, and keep familiar friends coming back to Chicago.
"In the Chicago area the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative directly benefits birds like the Piping Plover. A lot of folks in Chicago were really excited to see Rose and Monty come back for the last few years the first nesting pair in Chicago for quite some time. So that's due to GLRI funding."
And Urso says it's not just about helping wildlife, and the planet.
"More than one and half million jobs depend on the health of the Great Lakes and a recent study found that for every dollar invested through the GLRI it produces three dollars and thirty five cents in economic activity," Urso said.
"So it's a really really sound investment. Also the President's budget prioritized things like a Civilian Conservation Corps, literally creating jobs that are creating a more sustainable and healthy future for all of us. So it definitely is a win-win proposition," she continued.
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