(February 23, 2026) The Great Lakes form the largest fresh surface water system on Earth, providing habitat for millions of birds and drinking water for 40 million people. Congress continued its bipartisan commitment to protecting this globally significant ecosystem by passing a package of spending bills that will fund parts of the government through September 30. This package includes $369 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative—a $1 million increase for the program that is the largest source of federal funding to protect the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is an indispensable source of funding for Audubon and our partners for restoring and conserving more than 10,000 acres of wetland habitat for vulnerable marsh birds, like the Least Bittern and Pied-billed Grebe. Over the past three decades, Great Lakes populations of breeding marsh birds have declined significantly, but restoration of the habitats they need across the Great Lakes region is helping to bring them back.

One shining example is our historic wetlands restoration project at Powderhorn Lake Forest Preserve on Chicago’s Southeast Side.  With more than $1 million in GLRI support, Audubon Great Lakes, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Great Lakes Commission, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reconnected two lakes to restore marsh habitat, reduce flooding in nearby communities, and improve water quality. The multi-year effort demonstrates how ecological restoration and community resilience go hand-in-hand.

Across the region, GLRI is funding our work with partners and local communities at places including:  

• Hatcher Park and Marshalltown Marsh in the Calumet region of Indiana 

• Allouez Bay in the St. Louis River Estuary region of Wisconsin 

• Cat Island in the Green Bay Region of Wisconsin 

• Lakeview Wildlife Management Area in Eastern Lake Ontario, New York 

• Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area in Saginaw Bay, Michigan 

These are just the projects that Audubon is directly involved in. Since its creation, the GLRI has directed billions of dollars to Great Lakes restoration, supporting more than 7,000 restoration projects that improve water quality, restore wetlands, strengthen coastal resilience and protect bird and wildlife habitat. Continued and increased funding will ensure that this progress remains strong, resulting in cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and more resilient Great Lakes communities. 

We’re grateful to Congress for working together to find a path forward to secure funding this year, but our work is far from over. The GLRI program is set to expire at the end of 2026. We urge Congress to continue working together to reauthorize and expand funding for this critical program by passing the GLRI Reauthorization Act. Doing so will help to safeguard decades of progress and ensure the Great Lakes continue to thrive for both the birds and the people that depend on them.