ESA Position » Letters from the President:

May 18, 2006

The Honorable Mike DeWine
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator DeWine:

The Ecological Society of America would like to commend you for your leadership in introducing S. 2545, the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act, and making the Great Lakes’ ecological health a priority for the nation.

We are delighted to see the inclusion of reauthorization of funding and resources for scientific research and monitoring of the Great Lakes ecosystems. As the recent Great Lakes Regional Collaboration recommendations highlighted, myriad challenges confront the Great Lakes ecosystems. Continued investment in our nation’s knowledge of ecosystem science is necessary to sustain the many services the Great Lakes provide the nation, including fresh water, fisheries, and recreational revenues.

Furthermore, we applaud the inclusion of reauthorization of the National Invasive Species Act, currently the nation’s most comprehensive invasive species legislation. Reauthorization of NISA, coupled with implementation of S. 2545’s habitat and restoration programs, would be major steps toward managing invasive species and other threats to the Great Lakes.

Thank you for taking the lead on this important issue. We look forward to giving support to this legislation, and to its companion House bill, H.R. 5100, in the coming months, and working with you to make progress in understanding and protecting the Great Lakes ecosystems. Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Nancy B. Grimm
President