The federal government's ongoing effort to revitalize the ecosystem of the Great Lakes region is being pushed forward in a new, five-year action plan to protect water quality, control invasive species and restore habitats.

During a meeting in Chicago of the intercity Great Lakes Mayors association this week, Gina McCarthy, administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency introduced the new strategy as "the steps we need to take to get us closer to the day when all Great Lakes fish will be safe to eat, all beaches will be safe for swimmers and harmful algal blooms will not threaten our drinking water supplies ... during the next five years, federal agencies will continue to use Great Lakes Restoration Initiative resources to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward long term goals," a news release said.

President Obama's 2010 budget provided a total $475 million for the new inter-agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which was envisioned to target the most significant problems in the region, including invasive aquatic species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Website.

The EPA confirms for the 2014 funding cycle, it's received 70 project requests adding up to a total $70 million.

The GLRI Action Plan summarizes the actions federal agencies plan to implement during Fiscal Years 2015 through 2019 using GLRI funding, the release explained, and will "build on" restoration and protection work already carried out under the first Action Plan, focusing on:

  • Cleaning up Great Lakes Areas of Concern;
  • Preventing and controlling invasive species;
  • Reducing nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful and nuisance algal blooms; and
  • Restoring habitat to protect native species.

"The new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan lays out the steps we need to take to get us closer to the day when all Great Lakes fish will be safe to eat, all beaches will be safe for swimmers and harmful algal blooms will not threaten our drinking water supplies," said McCarthy. "During the next five years, federal agencies will continue to use Great Lakes Restoration Initiative resources to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward long term goals."

Said Anne Castle, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science: "Our Great Lakes plans and projects involve pollution prevention and cleanup of the most adversely affected areas, increasing understanding and management of invasive species, and a first-ever comprehensive assessment of the entire 530,000 acres of Great Lakes coastal wetlands habitat."

The Great Lakes, she said, "are a key economic driver and Interior is committed to help restore healthy watersheds in the region."