Senators Stabenow, Peters Applaud $1.1 Million for Michigan Technological University to Combat Invasive Species in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, today applauded the announcement of a $1.1 million grant to help Michigan Technological University control and combat invasive species in the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. This funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“The Great Lakes are part of who we are and our way of life,” said Senator Stabenow, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force. “This funding will help fight invasive species and restore hundreds of acres of shoreline and wetlands in the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. 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.”

“The Great Lakes are part of our way of life in Michigan, driving economic growth and providing safe drinking water for over 40 million people,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Great Lakes Task Force. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is essential to ensuring the Great Lakes are protected for generations to come. I applaud today’s announcement, which will support efforts by Michigan Technological University to prevent the spread of harmful invasive species and preserve the Great Lakes as a precious resource.”

The funding provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has provided for environmental stewardship of our nation's most critical freshwater resource that was not possible through any other mechanism,” said Guy A. Meadows, Director of the Great Lakes Research Center at the Michigan Technological University. “Michigan Technological University has been dedicated to working closely with our federal partners in GLRI efforts across the Great Lakes basin.  These most recent awards will continue our joint efforts in Great Lakes stewardship and provide a wealth of new science and technology to bear on our freshwater resource.”

Michigan Technological University will receive $648,799 to fight invasive plant species along 310 acres of coastal shoreline and wetlands in the Saginaw Bay region of Lake Huron. The university will also receive $470,407 to control invasive species on 20 acres of land in the Les Cheneaux Islands of Lake Huron.

Senators 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.

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