Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

1. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

2. Presentation Overview Today’s Topics • Significance of the Resource • The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative • FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process • Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline • Feedback and Discussion

3. Significance of the Resource

4. Significance of the Resource Natural Features • Contain 20 percent of world’s fresh surface water • Span more than 750 miles west to east, 10,000 mile coastline • Unique natural resources: sand dunes, coastal wetlands, 20,000 islands, rocky shorelines, prairies, savannas, alvars, and forests containing remarkable plant and animal communities.

5. Significance of the Resource Economic Importance • In the Great Lakes Basin: • 20% of all U.S. timberland • 20% of all U.S. manufacturing • $4.5 billion commercial/recreational fishing industry • Recreational boating: $9.4 billion & 60,000 jobs • In the eight Great Lakes States: • One-third of all U.S. registered recreational boats • Generate $18 billion/year in revenue from hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching • The Great Lakes States: • Make up the world’s third largest economy (after the U.S. and Japan) • Would be the eleventh largest country in the world

6. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

7. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Major Themes February 26, 2009 • Target most significant Great Lakes issues • Results- and action-oriented • Fully engage Great Lakes community as implementation partners • Transparency and accountability

8. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Qualifiers • Represents new resources for federal agencies with the exception of $61 million for continuation of EPA’s existing Great Lakes budget • Should not supplant existing resources • Funding not to be used for traditional water infrastructure projects otherwise covered by State Revolving Funds

9. FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process

10. FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process Coordinated Multi-Agency Plan to Achieve Goals and Objectives • Programs and actions identified for 16 federal agencies • Based on the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes

11. FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process Five Focus Areas • Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern • Invasive Species • Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution • Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration • Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships

12. Implementation Basics FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process • $475 million proposed for EPA FY 2010 Budget • EPA provides funds to other federal agencies through Interagency Agreements to address the most significant Great Lakes problems • Federal agencies fund States, Tribes, Cities, and Local Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations through Grants

13. FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process Provisional FY2010 Allocations (x1,000) Agency Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern Invasive Species Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships Totals Percentages DHS-USCG $2,850 $4,000 $6,850 1.4% DOC-NOAA $2,450 $1,000 $2,720 $15,000 $11,000 $32,170 6.8% DOD-USACE $9,996 $3,250 $14,550 $17,600 $500 $45,896 9.7% DOI-BIA $3,000 $3,000 0.6% DOI-NPS $2,800 $2,738 $1,550 $2,862 $500 $10,450 2.2% DOI-USFWS $5,400 $19,859 $32,242 $57,501 12.1% DOI-USGS $2,070 $2,338 $2,562 $3,920 $4,090 $14,980 3.2% DOS-GLFC $7,000 $7,000 1.5% DOS-IJC $300 $300 0.1% DOT-FHWA $2,500 $2,500 0.5% DOT-MARAD $3,000 $3,000 0.6% EPA $113,880 $8,280 $44,807 $18,880 $48,306 $234,153 49.3% HHS-ATSDR $5,500 $5,500 1.2% USDA-APHIS $3,000 $3,000 0.6% USDA-NRCS $1,000 $30,642 $2,000 $33,642 7.1% USDA-USFS $2,000 $4,800 $500 $7,258 $500 $15,058 3.2% Totals $146,946 $60,265 $97,331 $105,262 $65,196 $475,000 100.0% Percentages 100% 31% 13% 20% 22% 14%

14. Where Does the Money Go? FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process • Over $250M for grants, cooperative agreements, or project agreements that will be awarded by EPA or other Federal agencies to non-Federal partners • Over 40% just for grants and cooperative agreements

15. How Do Funds Get to Projects? FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process • Interagency Agreements establish terms and transfer funds • Summer 2009 process initiates coordinated Request(s) for Proposals by EPA and other Agencies • Use existing funding mechanisms • Intended Result: On-the-ground projects in FY2010

16. Status of Congressional Appropriations FY 2010 Funding Plan and Implementation Process • Full House passed at $475M • Senate Appropriations Committee provides $400M

17. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline (FY 2010 – FY 2014)

18. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Development of the Great Lakes Restoration Multi-year Action Plan Outline • EPA and Great Lakes Interagency Task Force and its Regional Working Group began development after May 2009 Budget Announcement • Based on GLRI Proposed 2010 Funding Plan and the GLRC Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes • Stakeholder input through July / August Public Meetings in each Great Lakes state and via the Internet • GLRI Goals, Objectives, and Targets intended to align with those of Great Lakes State, Tribal, and local governments

19. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Funding and Grants Cycle • Anticipatory RFPs before appropriations to hit the ground running • Most EPA grants to be issued competitively • Minimizing Match Requirements • Other agencies will use their existing cooperation and grant programs

20. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Accountability • Tracking Progress • Targets and Measures toward Restoration and Protection Goals and Objectives • Accountability System to allow systematic reporting and public access to expenditures and progress • Annual Reports starting in 2011 • Appropriate science will guide future actions

21. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Focus Areas Outline • Problem Statement • Proposed Long Term Goals • Interim Objectives • Measures of Progress • Principal Actions to Achieve Progress

22. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Problem Statement • The health of Great Lakes habitats and wildlife depends upon the protection and restoration of ecosystems: the Great Lakes, the coastline, wetlands, rivers, connecting channels, and watersheds. • Healthy Great Lakes provide clean drinking water • Fully resilient ecosystems buffer the impacts of climate change. • A multitude of threats affect the health of Great Lakes habitats and wildlife….. • Threats have resulted in impacted habitat and wildlife….

23. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Proposed Long Term Goals • Protection and restoration of Great Lakes aquatic and terrestrial habitats…… • Critical management activities protect and conserve important fish and wildlife populations. • Sound decision-making is facilitated by….. • High priority actions identified in strategic plans are implemented, lead to the achievement of plan goals, and reduce the loss of fish and wildlife and their habitats.

24. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Interim Objectives • By 2014, 3,000 miles of Great Lakes rivers and tributaries will be reopened and 500 barriers to fish passage will be removed or bypassed. • By 2014, 75,000 acres of wetlands, wetland-associated uplands, and high priority coastal, upland, and island habitats will be protected, restored, or enhanced. • By 2014, 30% of habitat-related beneficial use impairments will be delisted across 27 Areas of Concern. • Four other objectives.

25. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Measures of Progress • Miles of rivers reopened for fish passage. • Number of fish passage barriers removed or bypassed.. • Percentage of Habitat-related beneficial use impairments removed from the 27 US Areas of Concern so impaired. • Eight other measures.

26. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration Principal Actions to Achieve Progress • Improve Aquatic Ecosystem Resiliency • Maintain or Improve the Population Status of Threatened, Endangered, Rare and Migratory Species • Enhance Wetlands, Wetland-Associated Uplands, and High Priority Coastal, Upland and Island Habitats • Identify, Inventory, and Track Progress on Great Lakes Habitats, Including Coastal Wetlands Restoration • Restore Habitat Functioning in Areas of Concern

27. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Resources Available on the Web http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glri • EPA Press Release on FY2010 Budget • EPA FY2010 Budget in Brief • FY2010 Performance Plan and Congressional Justification (EPA's Proposed Budget) • FY2010 Budget Appendix for EPA • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Proposed 2010 Funding Plan • Agency Actions Pursuant to 2010 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative • 2010 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Summary of Proposed Programs and Projects • Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline • Interagency Funding Guide • Form for Providing Comments and Feedback.

28. Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline Next Steps • Comments through August 19, 2009 • In-Person at one of the Stakeholder Meetings • Online: http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glri/outreach.html • By Mail: USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office (G-17J), Attention: Anthony Kizlauskas, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604 • Draft to OMB September 1, 2009 pursuant to Federal Budget Process • Additional Opportunity to Comment in Fall, 2009 • Announce Plan following President's 2011 Budget Announcement in February, 2010

29. Feedback and Discussion Discussion / Ideas and Comments about: • 2010 Implementation • Clarity and feasibility of Goals, Objectives, Measures, and Targets in the Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline. • Whether there are any Actions, Goals, Objectives, Measures, and Targets in the Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline which are necessary for environmental progress, but that are missing. • How we can improve the implementation process.