NEWS

Maturen: Proposed Great Lakes funding cut 'devastating'

Jennifer Bowman
Battle Creek Enquirer
Rep. Dave Maturen, R-Vicksburg, at a FireKeepers Casino Hotel event in 2016.

Rep. Dave Maturen has come out against President Donald Trump's proposed elimination of federal funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, saying the cuts would devastate the watershed "and have negative effects that stretch far beyond Michigan."

"The Great Lakes are a valuable resource that make up 84 percent of the fresh surface water in North America, but value will be lost if harmful pollutants and invasive species are allowed to spread in our waters," Maturen, R-Vicksburg, said in a statement Monday.

Maturen, whose 63rd District includes portions of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties, has signed a letter the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus will send to Trump. Maturen is on the executive committee of the group, which is made up of lawmakers from the U.S. and Canada and focuses on issues and policy about the Great Lakes.

Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $2.2 billion to protect the lakes' ecosystem, including restoring natural habitats and fighting against invasive species. It's received $300 million annually in recent years, but would be eliminated under Trump's proposed budget.

Trump also has called for an immediate $50 million cut to Great Lakes funding to help cover costs associated with building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

If the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is eliminated, Congress would be going against a commitment it made last year to give the program $300 million annually for the next five years, Maturen said.

Contact government reporter Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman. Listen to the podcast she co-hosts, The Jump Page, at soundcloud.com/enquirerpodcasting.