United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Ohio over the weekend. She was here to tout President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure law.
Haaland said the infrastructure law will help communities get the resources they need to build resilience against the effects of climate change and to protect natural resources.
For example, she says funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative preserves places like the Ottawa Wildlife Refuge in Oak Harbor– which is a vital habitat for migrating birds.
“We’re committed to protecting these species and today we discussed ongoing efforts to restore, enhance and reconnect these coastal wetland habitats,” she said.
The wildlife refuge announced it will be using some of the funds to partner with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to reconnect nine hundred acres of refuge land to Lake Erie. The refuge received more than ten million dollars in total from the infrastructure law.
In general, Haaland spoke about the value of the national parks system and the Great Lakes. She said some of the infrastructure funds will go toward improving access to those areas, especially for young people.
“We need to make sure that outdoor spaces are available and close-by for kids because there is no better way to inspire a child to go into this kind of work than to make sure they are out in nature,” she said.
More information about the Bipartisan Infrastructure law and where the funding is going can be found here.
