releases: https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/key-portman-priorities-protect-great-lakes-national-parks-be-signed-law
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/key-portman-priorities-protect-great-lakes-national-parks-be-signed-law | Key Portman Priorities to Protect Great Lakes & National Parks to be Signed Into Law | 2019-12-19 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Republican | House | OH | Rob Portman | P000449 | www.portman.senate.gov | legacy | Key Portman Priorities to Protect Great Lakes & National Parks to be Signed Into Law December 19, 2019 | Press Releases WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) praised the passage of the finalFY 2020 funding bill that includes funding for several of his key priorities to protect the Great Lakes and National Parks: theGreat Lakes Restoration Initiative(GLRI), theNational Park Service (NPS) Centennial Challenge,the Migratory Birds of the America's Act, theGreat Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act,theHarmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA), and language prohibiting the Army Corps from dumping sediment dredged from the Cuyahoga River shipping channel into Lake Erie unless the State of Ohio approves that it is environmentally safe. The bill also includes his bipartisan legislation with Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), theGreat Lakes Fishery Research Authorization (GLFRA) Act as well as his legislation with Senator Brown (D-OH) to extend the authorization for the National Aviation Heritage Area through September 30, 2022.Notably,the bill includes $320 million in funding for GLRI for FY 2020, the largest investment in the health, ecosystem, and water quality in the Great Lakes.The legislation now heads to the president's desk for signature. Portman issued the following statement: This bipartisan legislation will benefit Ohio's national parks and Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie. I'm proud that this bill includes the largest investment in funding for GLRI, a successful public-private partnership to protect the water quality and ecosystem of our Great Lakes. It also includes funding for several programs to protect fish populations, migratory birds, and other wildlife species that depend on the Great Lakes. I am also pleased that it extends the authorization for the National Aviation Heritage Area and includes funding for my bipartisan NPS Centennial Challenge program to ensure our national parks receive the resources they need in order to preserve our nation's treasures for generations to come. I will continue to work to deliver results for Ohio and I look forward to the president signing this measure into law. NOTE: Here's how the final bipartisanFY 2020 funding bill benefits the Great Lakes and National Parks: $320 Million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:Portman hasled efforts to ensure the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a results-driven program, has the resources it needsto addressthe most serious issuesthatthreatenthe ecological and economic wellbeing of theGreat Lakesbasin, including invasive species, pollution, and toxic contamination. Portman has steadfastly opposedattempts by the Obama administration to cut funding for GLRI and the Trump administration's attempts to eliminate it altogether. This $320 million is the largest investment in the Great Lakes' health, ecosystem, and water quality, and has already helped combat harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and pollution in the Great Lakes.Most recently, Portman introduced new reauthorization legislation, theGreat Lakes Restoration Initiative Actof 2019, whichwill ramp up funding to $375 million in FY 2022and then increase funding by $25 million per year until it hits $475 million inFY 2026. Funding for the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA):Portman worked to successfully reauthorize the HABHRCA program through FY2023, which has served as the federal government's research and response toolkit for harmful algal blooms. Senator Portman previously worked to include freshwater bodies, such as Lake Erie, as part of the program. The final bipartisan FY 2020 bill includes funding for HABHRCA through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). $4.9 Million for Migratory Birds:Portman'sMigratory Birds of the Americas Actprovides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) the resources it needs to protect the migratory bird populations that make Lake Erie one of the nation's premier birdwatching destinations.Birding contributes more than $20 million to Ohio's tourism industry and attracts visitors from across the world each year. The bill will help sustain populations of migratory birds that face threats to their health and habitats. $1.68 Million for Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act:Portman's bipartisanGreat Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Actprovides critical resources to conserve and restore fish and wildlife populations in the Great Lakes. The legislation, which was signed into law in 2016 as part of theWIIN Act, reauthorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) program to partner with other federal agencies, states, and tribes to develop and execute proposals for the restoration of fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes basin. Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization (GLFRA) Act: Portman's bipartisan GLFRA Act enables the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to continue to conduct research to help support the over $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fishery industries. It does so by authorizing the Great Lakes Science Center which helps sustain Great Lakes fisheries and reduce threats such as invasive species. Protecting Lake Erie from Dredged Materials:Portman's bipartisan language prohibits the Army Corps of Engineers from dumping material dredged from the Cuyahoga River shipping channel into Lake Erie without the approval from the State of Ohio that it is environmentally safe. $15 Million for the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial Challenge:Portman, a lifelong outdoorsman and a frequent visitor to Ohio's national parks, has long been a leader in the U.S. Senate in effortsto protect our national parks. He is the author of theNational Park Service CentennialAct, legislation signed into law in 2016 that authorizes the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund and the Second Century Endowment Fund, two public-private partnerships that are providing additional funding to help preserve our national parks for generations to come. Extending Funding for Dayton's National Aviation Heritage Area: Senator Portman's legislation with Senator Brown was included in the final FY 2020 bill to reauthorize funding for the National Aviation Heritage Area (NAHA) through September 30, 2022. NAHA spans eight counties throughout western Ohio and has more than two million visitors annually, generating $35 million in economic impact and supporting 1,500 jobs in the region. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |