WHITEHALL — Whitehall mayor Steven Salter was recently invited to join Benton Harbor mayor Marcus Muhammad and Inkster mayor Byron Nolen to advocate for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in Washington, D.C.
Salter first discovered the Great Lakes Task Force, which supports the GLRI, in December when it led a presentation in Muskegon. He found it to be interesting and important, resulting in him joining it.
The main purpose of the trip was to represent one of the many communities that feeds into a Great Lake and to advocate for the renewal of the Great Lake Restoration Initiative in 2025. This initiative aids in the restoration and preservation of the Great Lakes, providing $475 million in funds annually. It is set to expire in fiscal year 2026 if not renewed, though a bipartisan proposal to renew it for five more years - and slightly bump its funding to $500 million per year - has been introduced in Congress. Local representative John Moolenaar is among many members of Congress from Great Lakes states to cosponsor the bill.
“The act is administered by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and was initially founded by the Chicago mayor (at the time, Rahm Emanuel),” Salter said. “Their goal is to preserve and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
Salter was thrilled to represent something that is very important to him, living so close to Lake Michigan, and being a part of a community directly connected to and impacted by it. During his trip, he also learned more about other organizations from other states whose large bodies of water are being affected by pollution.
“The trip consisted of a whirlwind of meetings with congressional leaders,” said Salter. “One of the most moving parts for me was having breakfast at the French ambassador's residence. It was a relatively small gathering, consisting of about 50 people.
"There’s a newer organization called the Mississippi River Cities Initiative. Their focus is primarily looking at plastic pollution in the Mississippi River system that runs through so many states and communities, and so many other rivers feed into it. It was an opportunity to talk with people who are a part of that and learn more about it. Just hearing the French ambassador speak was very thrilling.”
Salter said he is proud to be a new member of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and to help advocate for the Great Lakes region.
“This experience made me realize how important water is not only to our community, but our state, our country and the world,” Salter said. “I’m very excited to be a part of this organization. It’s made up of over 270 municipalities within the Great Lakes region that consists of members who are working together to preserve and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
