Senators Peters, Stabenow Applaud $1.1 Million Investment to Combat Invasive Species in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Great Lakes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and Gary Peters, member of the Great Lakes Task Force, today applauded the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative announcement to allocate $1,152,384 to help the Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council and the Alger Conservation District control and combat invasive species that could harm our land, water, and wildlife habitat. This funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“Fighting invasive species is a major part of the effort to restore the Great Lakes and improve wildlife habitats throughout the Upper Peninsula,” said Stabenow. "Today’s announcement further underscores the importance of partnerships like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which invests in the health of our Great Lakes and waterways.”

“Keeping invasive plant species out of the Great Lakes is critical for the ecological health of the Upper Peninsula's shorelines and waterways,” said Senator Peters. “I am glad the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is targeting these investments to focus on community outreach and developing long-term strategies to combat these infestations that threaten this vital resource.”

The Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council and Alger Conservation District are two of five groups chosen in Michigan to receive a total of more than $2.5 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative awards to combat invasive species. The Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council will receive $964,922 to fight invasive plant species along 800 acres of coastal shoreline and wetlands in the Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior watersheds. Alger Conservation District will get $187,462 to control invasive species on 130 acres of land in the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior basins.

Sens. Stabenow and Peters have been strong advocates for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is a multi-year plan to restore and preserve the Great Lakes by eliminating toxins, combating invasive species, restoring habitats, and promoting the general health of the Lakes. Just last week, Sen. Stabenow introduced and Sen. Peters co-sponsored the Defending Our Great Lakes Act, which would give federal agencies broad authority to take immediate actions to stop the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species.

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