Quigley, Benishek Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Fund Great Lakes Science Center
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Great Lakes Task Force and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, and Dr. Dan Benishek (MI-01) introduced the Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act of 2016, bipartisan legislation that provides the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center with the dedicated funding it needs to conduct critical research and support the $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fishery industry. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) are leading a Senate companion bill.
“Chicagoans understand the role the Great Lakes play as an economic driver for our region. In order to protect and improve this unique resource, we must support the necessary scientific advancements that help to develop new research technologies and enhance Great Lakes fishery assessments so we can better understand the health of the ecosystem,” said Rep. Quigley. “The Great Lakes Science Center is already conducting vital research, but they are limited by piecemeal funding from Congress. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act with Congressman Benishek to ensure the Great Lakes Science Center has the funding it needs to better manage the complex challenges of the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
“The Great Lakes fisheries are a key source of economic activity, and support countless jobs and a way of life here in Michigan,” said Dr. Benishek, member of the Great Lakes Task Force. “By ensuring a dedicated source of federal funding to support research activities, this bipartisan initiative will help combat issues facing the Great Lakes like invasive species and allow the sport and commercial fishing industry to remain viable and vibrant.”
“The Great Lakes are an ecological treasure, not just for Michiganders, but for Americans across the country,” said Senator Peters, member of the Great Lakes Task Force. “The Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act will increase certainty for the Great Lakes by ending piecemeal funding and putting in place a pathway for steady, long-term federal support. Giving the USGS, Great Lakes Science Center the legislative authority that it deserves will assist research efforts and aid development of advanced data collection technologies, so that we can continue to protect the diverse Great Lakes ecosystem and the regional economies it supports.”
“Our Great Lakes and waterways are part of who we are and our way of life,” said Senator Stabenow, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force. “From water quality issues to invasive species, there are so many challenges facing our lakes and fisheries, which is why funding for cutting-edge research is so important.”
Unlike coastal fisheries, no dedicated federal funding currently exists for Great Lakes fisheries research. As a result, advanced technologies are not being deployed in the Great Lakes and research into invasive species is severely lacking, despite the threat invasive species pose to the Great Lakes ecosystem and the region’s economy. The Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act would bring clear authority and dedicated funding for the Great Lakes Science Center, which is needed to bring Great Lakes fishery research into the 21st century. The bill has nine original cosponsors.
The Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act of 2016 is endorsed by: Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Council of Lake Committees, Council of Great Lakes Fishery Agencies, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fisherman’s Association, Michigan Charterboat Association, Trout Unlimited, JMS Naval Architects, Burger Boat Company, City of Rogers City, Former Mayor Beach Hall of Rogers City, Shedd Aquarium, Rotary Charities of Travers City, City of Alpena, Michigan Technological University, For Love of Water, Lake Erie Charterboat Association, Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition, and the American Sportfishing Association.
“We must protect and improve the Great Lakes fishery, and science is the foundation of that mission,” said Great Lakes Fishery Commission vice-chair David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “A healthy fishery means a healthy environment and economy. The more we know about what is going on with the fishery, the more equipped we are to protect it and manage it well. Investing in a better understanding of the ecosystem is one of the soundest decisions we, as stewards of the resource, can make. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission joins with the management community and stakeholder organizations for thanking Congressmen Mike Quigley and Dan Benishek, and Senator Gary Peters, for their commitment to the health of the Great Lakes.”
The USGS Great Lakes Science Center maintains staff and field stations in five of the eight Great Lakes States including New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin, owns and operates five large fishery research vessels, and is the only agency that conducts lake-wide fisheries science assessments on each of the five Great lakes. The federal science conducted off these five vessels plays a key role in the ecosystem assessment regime. To maintain its science leadership role in freshwater fishery population assessment and invasive species control, as well as support the essential fishery management responsibilities of the eight Great Lakes states and several US tribes, the USGS needs to modernize its capabilities, develop new data collection technologies, and enhance its assessment capabilities. To do this, the Great Lakes Science Center needs clear legislative authority and dedicated funding.
As a member of the House Great Lakes Task Force and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Rep. Quigley has been a stalwart protector of the Great Lakes and the environment at large. Since assuming his role as the only Illinois member of the House Appropriations Committee, he has pushed for increased funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and worked to secure over $600 million in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Last year, he went on a tour through the Pullman and Calumet region to highlight the positive impact environmental restoration can have on community development. He has urged his colleagues in the House to put partisanship aside and craft America’s first national energy plan to address climate change. Rep. Quigley has opposed the environmentally harmful Keystone XL pipeline and fought for increased protections against oil and gas drilling. During his Chicago Climate Tour of 2013, he visited regional environmental sites to hear from experts on the local impact of climate change and efforts to address the issue.