June 6, 2024
To: Members of the Ohio House of Representatives
From: Pete Bucher, Chief of Staff, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund
Re: House Concurrent Resolution 14
Dear Honorable Representatives,
I am writing to inform you that the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund will be scoring House Concurrent Resolution 14 (HCR 14) for the purposes of our Legislative Scorecard for the 135th Ohio General Assembly. We urge a yes vote on HCR 14. To the extent that this resolution passes, the OEC Action Fund will be doing extensive public education on the content and the votes on this legislation due to the positive impacts that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has on Ohio’s environment and the health of Ohioans.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2024 is imperative to restore and protect the Great Lakes — as well as the streams, rivers and wetlands that feed them. With an investment of up to $500 million annually, this bipartisan federal legislation would reauthorize the GLRI for five more fiscal years, from 2027 through 2031.
The GLRI is an inter-agency program designed to address the most significant problems in the Great
Lakes and protects the source of 40 million people’s drinking water and 90 percent of our nation’s freshwater supply. With invasive species, toxic pollution, harmful algae blooms, beach closures, and climate change threatening the health and productivity of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes, the GLRI is increasingly critical to restoring the ecosystem that Ohio jobs, recreation, and tourism depend upon.
Thank you for your consideration of supporting this crucial bill. Voting yes would help preserve the
long-term prosperity of Ohio’s environment and economy. If you have any questions, please direct them
to me at pbucher@theoec.org.
Sincerely,
Pete Bucher

Chief of Staff
OEC Action Fund