Obama Proposes Steep Cut In Great Lakes Initiative

[Dinger]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100207/GPG0101/2070699/1207/gpg0101



"WASHINGTON — The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would lose more than one-third of its designated funding under President Barack Obama's 2011 budget proposal.



The president's budget would provide $300 million for the initiative — $175 million less than what Congress approved and Obama endorsed in the Interior Department spending bill for the current fiscal year. That's a 36.8 percent reduction from the original $475 million.

In his explanation of the reduction, Obama pointed out that because the program, which is being administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is new, most of the money for 2010 had not been obligated and likely won't be spent until 2011.

Obama, a former senator from Illinois, has made restoring the Great Lakes a priority and called for the $475 million funding in February 2009. The initiative focuses on five areas of concern: toxic substances; invasive species; health and pollution issues; habitat and wildlife protection; and accountability, monitoring and evaluation."




Not good folks, not good.