Protect the Great Lakes: Urge Congress to Fully Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

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Protect the Great Lakes: Urge Congress to Fully Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Why Your Voice Is Needed

Congress is currently making decisions that will determine whether funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative continues at the level needed to protect clean water, restore natural habitats, and support community‑driven conservation work. Lawmakers need to hear directly from constituents who care about the future of the Great Lakes.

Why This Matters

GLRI protects drinking water for millions of people and restores wetlands, shorelines, and habitats across the Great Lakes region.
The program reduces pollution flowing into the lakes by managing stormwater and improving land stewardship in local communities.
GLRI funding supports Openlands programs that plant and care for trees, grow urban canopy, and improve water quality in the Lake Michigan watershed.
These investments help reduce flooding, cool neighborhoods, protect waterways, and strengthen wildlife habitat corridors.
Full funding ensures proven, bipartisan solutions can continue delivering benefits for people, nature, and the regional economy.

For more information about Openlands, please visit our website.

Take Action Today

The Great Lakes are one of our most important natural resources, providing clean drinking water for tens of millions of people, habitat for wildlife, and economic benefits for communities across the region. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has been one of the most effective federal programs protecting this vital ecosystem by restoring habitat, managing invasive species, and reducing polluted runoff. As Congress decides future funding levels, it is critical that they hear that their constituents support fully funding GLRI so this proven work can continue.

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Protect the Great Lakes: Urge Congress to Fully Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Ask your member of Congress to support full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the upcoming federal appropriations process.

Subject: Support the full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)

Message:

I am writing to urge you to support full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the upcoming federal appropriations process.

GLRI has delivered real results for communities and ecosystems throughout the Great Lakes region. These investments have helped restore wetlands and shorelines, reduce polluted runoff, control invasive species, and protect access to clean drinking water that millions of people rely on. The program has also supported community‑based projects that create jobs, improve public health, and increase climate resiliency.

In Illinois, GLRI funding supports on‑the‑ground work led by organizations like Openlands, including tree planting and urban canopy programs that reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality in the Lake Michigan watershed, and strengthen neighborhoods with green infrastructure investments. These projects demonstrate how GLRI connects environmental restoration with community benefits, environmental justice, and long‑term resilience.

GLRI has a strong track record of bipartisan support because its outcomes are clear, cost‑effective, and widely supported. Continued federal investment is essential to building on this success and ensuring the Great Lakes remain clean, healthy, and accessible for future generations.

I respectfully urge you to support full funding for GLRI and to oppose any efforts to reduce or eliminate this critical program.

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Protect the Great Lakes: Urge Congress to Fully Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Why Your Voice Is Needed

Why This Matters

Take Action Today

Protect the Great Lakes: Urge Congress to Fully Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

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