Michigan lawmakers propose bill aimed at protecting Great Lakes from invasive species

Asian carp

Michigan lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday designed to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, such Asian carp, that are threatening the region's $7 billion recreational fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries, David Shepardson reports for The Detroit News.

"The Defending Our Great Lakes Act would give federal agencies 'broad authority to take immediate actions to stop the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species,' according to the bill's sponsors," Shepardson writes. “This legislation will also require key agencies to work with regional stakeholders to institute long-term measures to stop the spread of invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.”

The proposal "would give the Army Corps of Engineers authority to take short-term and long-term actions to prevent the spread of invasive species at a key point near the western end of the Chicago Area Waterway System—the Brandon Road Lock and Dam," Shepardson writes.