The CEO for the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation says he's optimistic the draft budget being proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump for the American Environment Protection Agency will be adjusted significantly before it's presented to the U.S. Congress on March 13.
Under the draft budget, EPA funding would be cut about 97%, and funding cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is of particular concern for Canadian interests. The initiative would see a 90% funding reduction, which would cut $300-million to down to$10-million.
CEO Matt Hoy says a huge number of Canadians depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, business and commercial and recreational fishing to name a few. But he says even more Americans depend on the Great Lakes and over the years they've done a great job of protecting them.
Hoy says he's hoping the environmental groups that have worked so hard in the past to preserve the Great Lakes will have some influence on the final budget.
