It’s hard to imagine anything more important to the long-term vitality of Michigan than the health of the Great Lakes.

And those lakes just got a major boost after Canada promised to invest the equivalent of about $306 million in Great Lakes restoration.

That brings Canada, which touches four of the five Great Lakes, closer to parity with U.S. investment in Great Lakes efforts.

Canada had long lagged behind. While the U.S. has spent about $4 billion in Great Lakes work since President Barack Obama was in office, Canada has spent about $33 million.

We’re glad to see Canada stepping up its efforts to preserve and restore a natural resource important to both nations’ economies, health (through drinking water), and quality of life.

We call on Canada to make its Great Lakes set-aside an annual investment, as the U.S. has done, to ensure the lakes will get the care they need to remain an important part of the lives of Americans and Canadians.