Sun Times News: Walberg Bill Would Strengthen Response to Aquatic Invasive Species

More than 180 nonnative species are present in the Great Lakes, where aquatic invaders threaten fisheries, recreation and waterways across the region.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg is highlighting a bipartisan proposal intended to strengthen the nation’s response to those threats as part of a broader push to protect the Great Lakes.

Walberg, R-Mich., included the Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Prevention Act in a July 27 statement marking the end of Lake Appreciation Month.

“As Michiganders, we all understand the vital role the Great Lakes play in our livelihood and way of life,” Walberg said.

Walberg introduced the bill in May with U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries reviewed it during a July 21 hearing.

The measure would update a 1990 federal law governing the prevention, detection and control of aquatic invasive species. It calls for updated national and regional management plans and closer cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribal governments and regional organizations.

It would also expand monitoring of high-risk waterways and develop a coordinated strategy for inspecting and cleaning boats that can carry invasive organisms between lakes and rivers.

State and local governments, universities, tribal governments and qualifying nonprofit organizations could compete for grants after a new infestation is confirmed. The money could be used to determine how far a species has spread, contain or eradicate it and track whether the response is working.

The bill would authorize $5 million a year for rapid-response grants, $10 million a year for technology development and $20 million a year for state management programs from fiscal years 2026 through 2031. Congress would still have to appropriate the money.

Dr. Marc Gaden, executive secretary of the Ann Arbor-based Great Lakes Fishery Commission, testified in support of the measure. He said the Great Lakes fishery is worth more than $5.3 billion a year.

Gaden pointed to the Sea Lamprey Control Program as an example of how sustained cooperation, research and new technology can limit damage. Sea lamprey populations have been reduced by about 90% in most of the Great Lakes, according to his testimony.

His exchange with Walberg also touched on preparing response plans before infestations occur, sharing new control methods and identifying especially vulnerable ecosystems.

The measure is separate from the Save Great Lakes Fish Act, introduced in November 2025 by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., with Walberg as an original co-sponsor. That bill would authorize $500 million over 10 years for efforts targeting invasive mussels.

Dingell also recently joined four other members of Congress in asking the Environmental Protection Agency to require ballast-water treatment systems on existing Great Lakes cargo vessels. The lawmakers said exempting older vessels could leave the lakes vulnerable to additional invasive species.