Rep. Stevens Votes for Bipartisan Bill to Protect Great Lakes Communities from Climate Crisis

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) voted for H.R. 729, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act, a package of bipartisan bills that protects vulnerable coastal and Great Lakes communities impacted by the climate crisis.

The bill creates programs to support Tribal, State, and local community projects that protect, restore, and preserve coastal zones and working waterfronts; helps communities prepare for and respond to climate change; and uses data to address coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes management. H.R. 729 also protects American commercial and recreational fisheries and the communities that depend on them by authorizing programs that preserve fish habitats and research Great Lakes fisheries management.

“Jobs, recreation, and tourism in Michigan and the entire region depend upon a healthy and flourishing Great Lakes ecosystem,” said Congresswoman Stevens. “Coastal communities in Michigan and around the country are especially vulnerable to severe weather events, chronic flooding, and coastal erosion as the climate crisis worsens. The Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act will help coastal communities plan and prosper for a resilient future while preserving natural habitats and biodiversity.”

Rep. Stevens also supported an amendment to the legislation that would require climate change adaptation plans to include strategies to address invasive species. In July, Rep. Stevens joined the Michigan delegation for a bipartisan tour of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is completing a project to halt the spread of invasive Asian carp before they reach the Great Lakes.

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