PHOTOS: Senator Peters Stops in Traverse City and Sault Ste. Marie on Day 2 of Annual Motorcycle Tour

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) visited the FishPash construction project in downtown Traverse City today during his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan. Peters then rode to Sault Ste. Marie to visit the Soo Locks and discuss the ongoing construction of a critical new lock system. Peters – an avid and longtime motorcycle rider – was joined by guest riders on his tour. Peters made stops in Kalamazoo and Wyoming yesterday and will ride to Sanford tomorrow. Peters will ride about 800 miles across the state on this year’s tour.

In Traverse City, Peters highlighted how the FishPass project will support Great Lakes ecology and fisheries. FishPash serves as the capstone of the nearly 20-year project that has brought together federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to restore more than 100 miles of the Boardman (Ottaway) River. The project will replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam and reconnect the Boardman (Ottaway) River to Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. Once completed, FishPash will have the ability to sort and selectively pass desirable fish through the dam while blocking harmful invasive species, such as sea lamprey, from traveling up the river. The project will also support local restaurant and recreation businesses by supporting recreational opportunities on the river. Peters helped secure $6.4 million in federal funding for FishPass through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

“This project is a reflection of the passion and commitment that Michiganders have for protecting our Great Lakes and their waterways,” said Senator Peters. “The Great Lakes aren’t just a feature of our state, they are in our DNA, and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative plays a vital role in ensuring they remain healthy and vibrant for future generations. It’s among my top priorities to make sure the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative continues to have the resources it needs to support critical projects like FishPash.”

“We are grateful to be surrounded by freshwater in Traverse City, and this community has always worked to be a good steward of these treasured resources,” said Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe. “I want to thank Senator Peters for helping to secure funding for FishPass, which will help protect our waterways and bring new opportunities for research and education to downtown Traverse City.”

“FishPash is the final step that will help us achieve our goal of reconnecting the waters of Grand Traverse Bay to the more than 100 miles of river that lie above it,” said Carl Platz, Great Lakes Program Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “I want to thank Senator Peters for working alongside the Army Corps to help us get to this point, and I look forward to officially seeing FishPash come online.”

“Dams stop dangerous invasive species in their tracks but they also deny beneficial species access to rivers,” said Marc Gaden, Executive Secretary of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.  "Innovative solutions like FishPash will help us 'smarten up' dams by sorting good species from bad and allowing desirable fish back into our rivers.  This project is of utmost importance to Great Lakes and stream ecosystems, and we are thankful to have a partner like Senator Peters who helped us secure the resources needed to get this project started.”

“FishPass provides us with an opportunity to protect our natural resources and enable native fish to travel back into our Tribal lands once again,” said Sandra Witherspoon, Chairwoman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. “We thank Senator Peters for supporting this project, which will help our preserve our Tribal cultures and traditions for future generations.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has provided roughly $4 billion to fund more than 8,000 projects throughout the Great Lakes Basin to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. Since 2010, the GLRI has provided over $1.4 billion to fund more than 3,000 projects in Michigan alone. Peters has championed the GLRI throughout his time in the Senate, including by enacting the single-largest-ever investment in the GLRI through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022. In 2019, Peters led the effort that secured the first increase in GLRI funding since the program was established a decade ago. Peters introduced legislation earlier this year to reauthorize the GLRI through 2031 and increase the program’s annual funding level.

To download photos from Peters’ Traverse City event, click HERE.

In Sault Ste. Marie, Peters highlighted the $450 million he secured as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for the ongoing Soo Locks construction project. If passed into law, the funding Peters secured in last week’s Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act should allow the Army Corps to award construction for Phase 3 (New Lock) of the Soo Locks project, putting it on a path towards timely completion. The new lock would improve efficiency of operations, supporting economic growth across Michigan and the country and ensuring our national security by strengthening critical supply chains. Peters was joined by Don Gerrie, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, and LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Locks Operations Manager.

“The Soo Locks are not only important to Sault Ste. Marie’s economy, they are central to our identity as a community,” said Don Gerrie, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. “It is crucial that the Soo Locks remain operational in the Saint Mary’s River, and Senator Peters has been a key partner in our efforts to get this new lock built.”

“The Soo Locks are a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers No-Fail mission, the Poe Lock is noted as being one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in the nation with 88% of the nation’s iron ore being restricted to the Poe Lock due to vessel size,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Locks Operations Manager. “The New Lock project will provide much needed resiliency, essential for the Nation’s Manufacturing Supply Chain, Economy, and National Security.”

“Nearly 500,000 visitors travel to Sault Ste. Marie to see ships pass through the Soo Locks each year, helping to support the local businesses that keep our economy strong,” said Linda Hoath, Executive Director of the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I want to thank Senator Peters for his work to secure the funding needed for this project, and I look forward to welcoming visitors to Sault Ste. Marie to see the new lock once completed.”

The Soo Locks are vital to both Michigan’s and our nation’s economy. The Soo Locks allow ships carrying essential cargo – such as iron ore pellets used to make steel for autos, construction and appliances – to travel between Lake Superior ports and those in the lower Great Lakes. Reports have indicated that if the existing 55-year-old Poe Lock were to suffer a long closure for any reason, it could lead to a national recession. The new lock system will be the same size as the Poe Lock, the only lock capable of handling the largest vessels that travel through the Great Lakes.

Last week’s funding announcement builds on a $257.4 million federal investment Peters helped secure in Fiscal Year 2024 to support ongoing construction of the new lock. Peters has long fought to fund upgrades for the Soo Locks. In January 2022, Peters joined with U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) to secure $479 million for modernizing the Soo Locks through the bipartisan infrastructure law. In December 2022, they helped pass the bipartisan Water Resources and Development Act as part of the annual national defense bill, including needed funding flexibility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep building a new lock at the Soo on schedule.

To download photos from Peters’ Sault Ste. Marie event, click HERE.

###