WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Natural Resources Committee’s proposal for restoration and resilience projects along U.S. coasts, the Great Lakes, and waterways will create jobs, support clean drinking water, strengthen resilience to climate-fueled natural disasters, and help wildlife and people alike thrive. The National Wildlife Federation heralded Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and the committee’s investments — especially in light of the devastation of Hurricane Ida and recent climate-fueled disasters — as an essential facet of President Joe Biden and Congress’ historic infrastructure plan.
 
“The unfolding devastation from Hurricane Ida demonstrates the urgent need to prepare our coastlines and coastal communities for increasingly extreme storms. This plan to invest nearly $10 billion in our coasts, waterways, and the Great Lakes will create jobs restoring habitat for wildlife while protecting communities’ drinking water supplies, increasing climate resilience and sustaining our nation’s outdoor heritage,” said Jessie Ritter, senior director of water and coastal policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “Thank you to Chairman Grijalva, Congressman Huffman, and the committee for this tremendous contribution to the House’s budget reconciliation package.”
 
“The House Natural Resources Committee’s proposal builds off the significant investments the president and Congress championed in the bipartisan infrastructure package, including its support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,” said Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation. “Investing in the Great Lakes and coastal and estuarine habitats around the country will increase our climate resilience and provide critical wildlife habitat, protecting the way of life for coastal communities.”