HCR 14

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

April 23, 2024
Proponent Testimony – HCR 14
House Government Oversight Committee

Chair Peterson, Vice-Chair Thomas, Ranking Member Humphrey and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of House Concurrent Resolution 14 (HCR 14). My name is Melanie Houston, I serve as the Managing Director of Water Policy for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund (OEC AF).

HCR 14 urges Congress to enact the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2024. This bipartisan federal legislation would reauthorize the GLRI for five more fiscal years, from 2027 through 2031. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024 will invest up to $500 million annually to restore and protect the Great Lakes — as well as the streams, rivers and wetlands that feed them.

The bill was introduced in February in the U.S. Senate by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) and in the House by U.S. Representatives David Joyce (R-OH), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). The legislation was also co-sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Representative Max Miller (R-OH) and many others across the Great Lakes region.

The GLRI is an inter-agency program designed to address the most significant problems in the Great Lakes, and works to protect, restore, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem for future generations. The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water for 40 million people and hold 90 percent of our nation’s supply of freshwater. Ohio jobs, recreation, and tourism all depend upon a healthy and flourishing Great Lakes ecosystem. Yet invasive species, toxic pollution, harmful algae blooms, beach closures, and climate change threaten the health and productivity of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. The GLRI provides critical funding to address these problems by restoring habitat, cleaning up toxic pollution, reducing urban and farm runoff, and managing invasive species.

Thank you again for the time to testify in support of HCR 14 today. We urge you to vote yes on
this resolution. I’d be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Melanie Houston
Managing Director of Water Policy

HCR 14 Scorecard Letter to Members of the Ohio House of Representatives

HCR 14 Proponent Testimony