Funding for Waterways on the Chopping Block in Trump's Budget Proposal

President Trump proposed a $54 billion increase to the defense budget for fiscal year 2018 and he’s going to make up the difference with drastic cuts to domestic programs, particularly those run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Programs to protect and restore the nation’s waterways are proposed to be cut completely or to such an extent agency staff say they’ll be nothing left. The Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, and Gulf of Mexico directly touch the daily lives of an estimated 59 million people, nearly 20 percent of all Americans.

The Great Lakes are the largest system of freshwater in the world. They border 8 different U.S. states and the region holds 10 percent of the U.S. population. Thirty percent of the entire population of Canada also lives in the watershed. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was founded in 2010 to work in concert with state and Canadian efforts to restore and protect this resource. President Trump’s budget proposes the current annual funding of $300 million be slashed to $0. The Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, including Republican Reps. Bill Huizenga (MI), Sean Duffy (WI) and David Joyce (OH), has called on the administration to maintain the current level of funding. A coalition of mayors from the region in both the U.S. and Canada have also pleaded with the administration to reconsider the cuts.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is the largest estuary in North America. It includes waterways in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and the District of Columbia. The combined population of the region is approximately 18 million. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) is proposed to be cut from $73 million annually to $0. Seventeen members of Congress from Bay states urged Trump to maintain the CPB’s funding so as not to "threaten a ‘significant economic engine’ for the entire region".

Despite only bordering a single state -- Washington -- the Puget Sound region comprises 4.3 million people, including 15 native tribes, and is an "estuary of national significance". The Trump budget also proposes a 93% decrease to Puget Sound clean-up, from $28 million to $2 million. Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Denny Heck (D-WA) made a statement March 3 opposing the proposal, Kilmer stating that he would “use his position on the House Appropriations Committee to fight the proposal”.

The future of the Gulf of Mexico will be affected by proposed cuts of $1.5 billion to the Dept. of Commerce, which constitutes a 16 percent decrease for the agency as a whole. That in turn impacts NOAA, so research, pollution abatement, endangered species protection, as well as hurricane and tornado tracking and other programs could all be up for severe reductions. The Gulf borders five U.S. states and the region has a population of 6.5 million.

Trump’s proposed budget came to Congress March 16th to begin the negotiation process. Fiscal year 2018 begins on October 1st.

Should Congress approve these cuts to environmental programs? Take action now to tell your representatives what you think!

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-- Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: U.S. Gov’t / Public Domain)