(October 7, 2026) – Last week, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a federal program that invests millions of dollars to clean up toxic pollution, protect water quality, and restore critical habitat for birds and other wildlife. The House and Senate will now work on creating a single final version of the legislation that both chambers can approve.
Statement from Marnie Urso, Senior Policy Director for Audubon’s Great Lakes Office:
“We applaud the U.S. Senate for taking this important step toward continued funding for restoration projects across the Great Lakes region that are creating healthier habitat for birds and communities.”
“The endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover, once on the brink of extinction, reached a record-high 99 nesting pairs this season thanks to support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And that’s just one amazing success story. More than 8,000 projects across the region have already helped to restore essential habitat, improve water quality, and recover species across the Great Lakes region—including Audubon Great Lakes’ work to restore 10,000 acres of wetland habitat for vulnerable marsh birds and people.”
“Restoring wetlands takes a dedicated team of scientists, researchers and conservationists to find the solutions that work for birds. Thanks to support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we’re working in communities across the region—in places like Ottawa Sands County Park in Ferrysburg, Michigan, and Powderhorn Lake Forest Preserve in Chicago—to create the conditions marsh birds like the American Bitterns need to thrive while supporting clean drinking water, and flood protection for communities across the region.”
“When birds have the habitat they need, they thrive, and so do people. We urge Congress to make Great Lakes Restoration Initiative reauthorization a top priority when it returns from recess.”
