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ANN ARBOR, Mich. —  With full funding and approvals secured and , the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project — the most effective solution to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp is set to move forward. The White House and Congress should build on this assurance by strengthening investments in invasive carp initiatives and broader efforts to address invasive species throughout U.S. waters.

“Invasive carp are a clear and present danger to the wildlife, water, and way of life of Great Lakes communities. We are encouraged by the federal government's signal of renewed commitment to complete the Brandon Road Project and broader efforts to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes,” said Marc Smith, Great Lakes policy director for the National Wildlife Federation. "Brandon Road Lock and Dam is the single most effective way we can keep invasive carp out of the Lakes, safeguarding billions in fishing and boating industries, as well as vital habitat for countless wildlife and communities."

Invasive carp, which have already devastated waterways in the Mississippi River basin, pose an existential threat to the habitat and economic health of the Great Lakes, specifically the region's $5.1 billion commercial and sport fishing industry and its $16 billion recreational boating industry. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified building additional structural measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, near Joliet, Ill., as the most feasible way to prevent the upstream migration of invasive carp.

The National Wildlife Federation and its affiliate partners, state leaders including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes region have long advocated for the project, emphasizing that prevention is far cheaper and more effective than managing an established invasion. The White House’s action brings the region one step closer to keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.