About the GLRI

The Great Lakes provide significant environmental, economic, and social value to the region and nation. Part of the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world and home to thousands of plant and animal species, the Great Lakes contain 95 percent of our country’s surface fresh water supply and are a primary economic driver in the region.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. NOAA is pleased to be one of a dozen federal agencies collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Initiative, which began in FY2010. Work is guided by the GLRI Action Plan III, which is updated from the original Action Plan and covers Fiscal Years 2020 through 2024. The Action Plan calls for aggressive efforts to address the most significant problems facing the Great Lakes. These urgent issues have been divided into five focus areas:

  • Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
  • Invasive Species
  • Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution
  • Habitats and Species
  • Foundations for Future Restoration Actions

GLRI Action Plan

GLRI Action Plan III summarizes the actions that federal agencies plan to implement during FY20-24. These actions will build on restoration and protection work carried out under the first GLRI Action Plan, with a major focus on cleaning up Great Lakes Areas of Concern; preventing/controlling invasive species; reducing nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful/nuisance algal blooms; and restoring habitat to protect native species.

GLRI Partner Agencies

Environmental Protection Agency
Council on Environmental Quality
Department of Agriculture
  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
  U.S. Forest Service
  Natural Resources Conservation Service
Department of Commerce
  National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Department of Defense
  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Health & Human Services
  Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry
Department of Homeland Security
  U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
  Bureau of Indian Affairs
  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  U.S. Geological Survey
  National Park Service
Department of State
Department of Transportation
  Federal Highway Administration
  Maritime Administration

Contact

For additional information on NOAA’s GLRI work, contact:

Rebecca Held Knoche
Email: Rebecca.Knoche@noaa.gov
Mobile office: (540) 271-3940