State Rep. Greg Alexander today highlighted an announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that will shore up the Great Lakes’ defenses against invasive species – an issue he has prioritized during the current legislative term.

Alexander was part of a letter sent last month by the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus to Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and other officials expressing a need for action on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. The project will build an ecosystem protection mechanism that prevents upstream movement of invasive carp and other aquatic species through a layered system of structural and non-structural control measures. It is named for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois, which has been identified as a critical point to stop invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

Today, Whitmer announced that the state has signed an agreement with the U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers and the state of Illinois to cosponsor the project’s construction and implementation. According to information from the governor, the agreement unlocks $274 million in federal funding and $114 million in state funding for the first of three phases of a $1.15 billion total project.

“Each day that went by without this project starting meant our Great Lakes, which support hundreds of thousands of jobs and provide for billions of dollars in wages every year, were at risk from invasive species,” said Alexander, of Carsonville. “Now work can be done to establish a permanent solution that will protect people’s livelihoods, our communities along the lakeshore, and our state’s economy. This is a big win for Michigan and resources that are both precious and unique to our state. I look forward to seeing this project’s completion, and I will continue to fight for residents and job providers across the Thumb who depend on our Great Lakes and have expressed concern about this pressing issue.”

Alexander serves on a House Appropriations Subcommittee devoted to Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Resources. He represents portions of Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties, as well as all of Huron County, in the Michigan House.