Peters Helps Advance Senate Appropriations Bill, Secures Investments to Improve Water Infrastructure, Protect our Waterways and Support Michigan’s National Parks

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation would fund Michigan priorities and high-impact local projects that make key investments to strengthen water infrastructure and improve access to clean drinking water for Michiganders. The legislation also includes funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which plays a critical role in protecting and restoring Great Lakes waterways and habitats.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

"Every American has a fundamental right to clean drinking water," said Senator Peters. "In Michigan, we've seen firsthand the damage that is done when we fail to protect such a critical resource. This bipartisan legislation helps meet that challenge. It will improve water infrastructure across the state and commit key resources to protecting our Great Lakes. These have been two of my top priorities throughout my time in the Senate, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation into law."

The bill includes measures led and supported by Peters, including:

Protecting our Great Lakes, Fisheries and Environment:

Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Peters secured $371 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an increase over Fiscal Year 2024. The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes' health, ecosystem, and water quality. Since the program's inception in 2010, $4 billion has been used to fund over 8,000 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. During his time in the Senate, Peters has championed the GLRI, and earlier this year led the effort to introduce the Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2024, which would reauthorize the program and increase its annual funding levels.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The bill provides $9.29 billion in essential funding for EPA's critical responsibilities to protect our environment and public health. The bill provides increases across all EPA programs-including for clean water, clean air, and other programs -and keeps biologists, chemists, researchers, engineers, and other specialists on the job.

Forest Service: The bill provides $6.45 billion for the Forest Service, excluding additional funding for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve. Of this amount, $4.02 billion is provided for the Forest Service's non-wildland fire management responsibilities and will sustain current staffing levels. The Forest Service will use these funds to improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates $900 million for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states provided through the LWCF under the Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and providing farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.

Funding for the Fish Hatchery Operations Program: The bill includes more than $83 million for national fish hatchery operations, a significant increase over Fiscal Year 2024 totals. Funding is provided to fish-producing Tribes in support of associated hatching, rearing, and stocking programs. Through this program, Tribal fish hatchery facilities are provided with base funding for aquaculture and enable cost share/in-kind cooperative work with neighboring Tribes, federal agencies, and state fishery managers. This type of fish production helps achieve mandated fish recovery efforts and supports Michigan's commercial and recreational fishing andtourism industries, and larger ecosystem.

Supporting Federal Wildland Firefighters: As catastrophic wildfires grow in size and frequency, it is essential that support for-and investments in-the federal firefighting workforce keep pace. The bill includes language establishing a permanent pay fix and job series for federal wildland firefighters and provides full funding to meet these obligations-and prevent a devastating pay cut for the federal firefighting workforce. The bill also creates a $4 million health and wellness program for federal wildland firefighters to provide support to combat the real danger of injury and fatigue, which is another consequence of year-round catastrophic wildfire. It also directs the agencies to prioritize improvements to fire facilities and to spend at least $8 million on firefighter housing.

Wildfire Suppression: The bill fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.145 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.75 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund provides the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior an assured amount of funding to be used when major fire activity requires expenditures exceeding regular base suppression operations funding. This funding level-in addition to carryover balances-will meet projected needs for 2025 wildfires.

Strengthening Michigan's Water Infrastructure

Freud & Conners Creek Pump Station Rehabilitation: The bill includes $1 million for the Great Lakes Water Authority to be used to make improvements to both the Freud and Conner Creek pump stations in Wayne County. Both pump stations have been in use for more than 70 years and are in need of critical repairs.

City of Cheboygan Sewer Infiltration & Inflow Reduction Plan: The $1 million Peters secured for the City of Cheboygan to reduce infiltration and inflow of storm drainage into the City's sanitary sewer system in order to reduce discharge of sewage into the Cheboygan River and Lake Huron.

Charter Township of Royal Oak Drinking Water System Improvements: The bill includes $1 million for the Charter Township of Royal Oak to make improvements to its water system. Specifically, funding will be used to replace key water mains at the end of their useful life and build an emergency connection to a neighboring community to provide adequate fire flows to the Township's only commercial area.

Grand Blanc Water Main Modernization Project: The bill includes $1.2 million for the City of Grand Blanc to modernize the water mains throughout the city and improve water reliability to residents, businesses, visitors, and schools.

Macomb County for Sediment Control for Urban Watersheds: The bill includes a $1 million provision for the Macomb County Public Works. The funding would be used to establish a trash capture and sediment control system to reduce the volume of microplastics and other debris entering Lake St. Clair.

City of Fennville Well Replacement: Peters secured $350,000 in the bill for the City of Fennville, which would be used to replace a contaminated well to restore water capacity and quality for the Fennville Area Water System.

Oakwood District Intercommunity Relief Sewer Modification: Peters secured $2 million for the Great Lakes Water Authority to make modifications to Detroit's Oakwood Pump Station. Specifically, the project seeks to design and construct isolation of the downstream portion of the Northwest Interceptor from the Water Resources Recovery Facility (WRRF) and divert flow to the Oakwood Pump Station.

Mattawan Concord Water Tower Improvements: The bill includes $400,000 for the Village of Mattawan to remove the lead-based paint from the interior and exterior of the Concord Water Tower tank and repaint with epoxy paint.

Caseville Water System Improvements: Peters secured $497,000 in funding for the City of Caseville that would be used to improve the quality and reliability of water services to the communities of Caseville, Caseville Township, and the Village of Pigeon.

Investments in Clean Drinking Water

Pellston Airport PFAS Source Remediation Project: Peters secured $775,000 for Emmet County to be used for remediation of contaminated soil at the Pellston Regional Airport to eliminate ongoing leaching of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Redford Charter Township Lead Service Lines Investigation and Replacement: Peters secured $1 million in the bill for Redford Charter Township. The funding would be used to identify and replace lead pipes currently in use.

City of Taylor Lead Line Replacement: Peters secured $250,000 for the City of Taylor to research, identify and replace lead lines in the City of Taylor.

Fenton Township Safe Drinking Water Project: The bill includes $433,000 for the Charter Township of Fenton, which would be used to connect Fenton Township, the City of Linden, and Mundy Township to the Genesee County public water distribution system for potable water.

Pontiac Drinking Water System Improvements: The bill includes $1 million for Oakland County, which would be used to improve drinking water quality and reliability for Pontiac residents.

Bolstering Lead Abatement Programs: Peters helped secure funding for critical programs that provide funding to support communities seeking to clean up lead contaminated waste sites and minimize exposure in surrounding areas. The bill includes $28 million for the Lead Testing in Schools Program; $22 million for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program; and $15 million for STAG Grants for Lead.

Supporting Establishment of Drinking Water Standards for PFAS: Peters helped secure language in the bill that encourages the Environmental Protection Agency to establish National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for all PFAS substances.?Researchers and scientists have underscored the serious risks of PFAS contamination to both human health and our environment, and Peters' provision would help protect communities against its harmful impacts.

Development of Water Observation Systems: The bill includes $29.5 million in funding set aside for the development of Next Generation Water Observing Systems, as well as language specifically encouraging the U.S. Geological Survey to work with research institutions to support the project. Heavy rains have been increasing across Michigan, which lead to increased runoff and erosion. Rain events can also have dramatic impacts on pollution, damage to infrastructure and coastal lands, and impacts to stream and lake conditions, including fisheries. This project can help to inform how these more frequent and heavier rain events impact our streams, rivers, and lakes, to help prepare for future events.

Protecting and Preserving Public Lands and Cultural Resources

Funding for the National Park Service: The bill includes nearly $3 billion to support National Park Service operations. This funding will allow NPS to more effectively manage its 400 national parks, monuments, historical sites and other recreational areas that encompass nearly 84 million acres of land across the United States. Michigan is proud to be home to five National Parks, which draw more than 2.5 million visitors to the state annually.

Supporting the National Heritage Areas Program: Peters helped secure more than $30 million in funding for the NPS' Heritage Partnership Program. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) across the country commemorate, conserve, and promote important natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources, delivering recreational and educational opportunities to visitors, residents, and entire regions. NHAs are key for economic development in their communities. Michigan's MotorCities NHA alone creates an economic impact every year of nearly $490 million including?5,343 jobs and?$40 million in tax revenues.

Promoting Access to our National Parks for All: The bill includes language authored by Peters that supports the NPS' continued efforts to make its facilities, trails, and outdoor recreation programs accessible for visitors with disabilities. This includes expanding partnerships with external organizations to ensure adaptive recreation equipment is available for visitors, providing an opportunity for more visitors to explore designated trails and access new areas of the outdoors for adaptive hiking, hunting, birding, kayaking, golfing, and other activities on snow, sand, water, uneven terrain, and more. Additional language secured by Peters supports accessibility projects at freshwater National Lakeshores such as Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks, both of which are managed by the NPS.

Preservation of Detroit's Historic Freer House: The bill includes $550,000 in funding for Wayne State University to be used for preservation of the historic Charles Lang Freer House, which is an important part of Detroit's cultural heritage.

Protecting Tribal Nations:

Tribal Programs: In total, the bill provides $12.65 billion for Tribal programs across the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, an increase of $1.774 billion above fiscal year 2024.

Indian Health Service (IHS): The bill provides $8.5 billion in total resources for IHS-an increase of $1.5 billion over fiscal year 2024-to maintain critically important health care services and maintain current staffing for doctors, nurses, and health services staff.

Supporting Tribal Self-Governance and Essential Services: The bill provides an increase of $64.5 million for a total of $1.963 billion in funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs' operations of Indian programs. This funds essential government services in critical areas like roads and infrastructure, housing improvement, natural resources protection, Tribal courts, economic development, and social services. This funding is essential for Tribal governments exercising self-determination and crucial to upholding the federal government's trust responsibility.

Tribal Sovereignty Payments: The bill fully funds Tribal Sovereignty Payments, which consist of contract support costs and 105(l) lease payments, including the increased contract support costs associated with third-party billing for the Indian Health Service as a result of the June 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Becerra vs. San Carlos Apache Tribe. These are required payments that provide funding for Tribes' administrative overhead costs for self-governance under the Indian Self-Determination Education and Assistance Act.

Funding for the Rights Protection Implementation Program: The bill includes $49.9 million for the Rights Protection Implementation Program, which seeks to ensure compliance with federal court orders by assisting in implementing effective Tribal self-regulatory and co-management systems. This funding is critical for Michigan Tribes that are part of either the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority or Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, both which work to implement relevant court orders and carry out co-management responsibilities.

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