Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Candice Miller (R-MI) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) on Wednesday would support fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes region.
The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, H.R. 5765, would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to partner with states and agencies to draft and implement proposals to conserve, manage and restore fish and wildlife populations.
Miller said that protecting and preserving the Great Lakes has been one of her principal advocacies throughout her congressional tenure.
“For those of us who grew up along the shores of the Great Lakes, we understand that they are more than just a recreational joy, they are a way of life – the way we put food on the table and pay the mortgage,” Miller said. “Supporting billions of dollars of recreational and commercial industries each year, as well as 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water supply, the vitality of our Great Lakes is critical to the vivacity of our region and the world. The reauthorization and update of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act will continue to provide the resources the Fish and Wildlife Service needs to protect our precious Great Lakes.”
The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which went into effect in 1998 and was last reauthorized in 2006, provides federal funding to 148 research and restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin.
“As a father who regularly enjoys the outdoors with my three sons, I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleagues, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Congresswoman Candice Miller,” LaHood said. “Reauthorizing and updating the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act will increase economic opportunities for our fishermen and improve conservation efforts. As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I look forward to continuing to be a champion in Congress for the proper maintenance of our Great Lakes.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) added that in addition to supporting wildlife, the legislation would support state economies and hundreds of thousands of jobs.