§1962d–22 Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration

Summary

Requires the Secretary to create, within 1 year after December 11, 2000, a plan for Army Corps of Engineers work to help restore and manage Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystems. The plan must use existing Great Lakes plans when possible and be developed with the Joint Strategic Plan signatories and other interested parties. Before any project design or building, the Secretary must do a reconnaissance study to find ways to restore the lakes and decide if a project should go forward. The Secretary must then plan, design, build, and evaluate projects, working with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and federal, state, and local agencies. Projects can include recreation features, but federal spending on those cannot exceed 10 percent of the federal ecosystem restoration costs. The Secretary may make cooperative agreements with the Great Lakes Commission or similar state-focused agencies. Work under this law must not change completion dates of other authorized Great Lakes projects. The federal government pays 65 percent of the plan and project costs (except reconnaissance). Non-federal partners can get credit for land and can provide up to 100 percent of their share as services or materials. Operation and maintenance is a non-federal duty. Non-federal partners may include private and nonprofit groups. Key defined terms (one line each): Great Lake — the five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron including St. Clair, Erie, Ontario) and the St. Lawrence River to the 45th parallel, plus connecting waters; Great Lakes Commission — the interstate commission created by the Great Lakes Basin Compact; Great Lakes Fishery Commission — the federal commission named in title 16; Great Lakes State — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin.