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ALPENA -- Budget cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative are out of rough waters -- this year.
The President Donald Trump's 2018 budget has proposed a $300 million cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The initiative helps fund programs to combat invasive species, pollution, marine debris and more.
Trump also had proposed a $50 million cut to this year's GLRI budget.
On Sunday evening a deal was made between the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate to maintain the current amount of funds.
"I think that's great news for the Great Lakes," Huron Pines Executive Director Brad Jensen said. "We still have quite a challenge with the 2018 budget (in October). It's not that far into the future. It's great on the one hand to continue to show the impact of these programs. There's a lot of success to show."
Huron Pines is a nonprofit restoration group, which often partners with the initiative.
"The federal government is one part of a business partnership between the government, small businesses and restoration groups to protect the Great Lakes," Jensen said. "All of those different partners have made a commitment. Without (the initiative), it makes it harder to keep water clean, protect free-flowing rivers and maintain clean beaches. It is really important."
In a statement, Sen. Debbie Stabenow said she was pleased to be part of the bipartisan effort to stop the $50 million in cuts.
"The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has always received bipartisan support and is absolutely critical to supporting Michigan jobs and protecting our Great Lakes, including fishing, boating, hunting and stopping invasive species," she said. "As co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, I will continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to make sure President Trump's plan to completely eliminate Great Lakes funding next year is stopped."
In a video,Sen. Gary Peters also supported the compromises.
"As Michiganders it's in our DNR to do everything we can to protect the Great Lakes. That's why I was so disappointed to see President Trump had basically zeroed out funding for Great Lakes restoration. Something critical to keep the Great Lakes clean and vibrant for generations to come," he said.
Congressman Jack Bergman also said he supported them as well.
"I'm supporting it because I believe it addresses some of the obstacles that folks in the First District are facing," Bergman previously stated. "Among other things, it maintains full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and at my urging, directs the Army Corps of Engineers to release the Brandon Road Study and provide quarterly updates about steps being taken to prevent further spread of Asian Carp. It plusses up funding for Alzheimer's and other research through the National Institute of Health and provides an additional $650 million to address the growing opioid and heroin epidemic, on the edge of fiscal collapse. As I said, this piece of legislation moves us in the right direction, but our fiscal year 2018 budget has to include real, conservative reforms that reflect our fiscal reality."
Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.