The Great Lakes states delegations represented for Surfrider Foundation's 10th Annual Coastal Recreation Hill Day, joining the 185 participants meeting online with 110 congressional offices in record turnout to advocate for legislation, policy, and funding to protect our coasts, coastal communities, and recreational experiences across the Great Lakes and nation.
Surfrider Chapter and Club leaders from Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan put in the extra effort to learn more about federal legislative and appropriations processes, legislation and funding priorities, and the members of Congress who represent them so that they could effectively make personal connections for congressional offices between needs and experiences on the ground in their state or district and Surfrider's federal policy and funding priorities. Surfrider leaders recounted enriching experiences on the water, challenging impacts from severe storms, day-to-day needs for data and services, outstanding educational and stewardship programs, and importance of protecting our robust tourism and economic sectors as well as our local communities to convey support for BEACH Act water quality monitoring grants; the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; funding of critical programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and hearing coastal communities' calls for no new offshore oil drilling in our oceans.
Great Lakes delegations met with offices representing decision-makers across the political ideological spectrum, and made new connections with offices as well as fostered established relationships. One constant across the meetings was passion and commitment for sustaining the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a regional program that has enabled Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and federally recognized Tribes to invest in restoring the region's waters after decades of environmental damage. Offices recognized and appreciated that the GLRI has made tremendous environmental progress through implementation of over 8800 projects and has resulted in economic returns of more than 3-to-1 for every dollar invested across the Great Lakes, which is why it enjoys broad bipartisan support across the region.
Federal advocacy is not a one-day event, nor is it limited to meeting directly with congressional offices. You can help put your voice behind these important priorities by participating in our online action alerts. Please click here to take action today and ask Congress to protect our coasts and ocean.
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Surfrider Foundation Ohio Delegation
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Surfrider Foundation Minnesota Delegation