Trump Pushes Forward on Carp Deterrent for Great Lakes; Whitmer, Pritzker respond

MILWAUKEE, Wis (Civic Media) – President Donald Trump has endorsed a major infrastructure project aimed at stopping invasive Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan, following months of uncertainty over federal funding that led Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to pause the effort.

The Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet, would install multiple deterrents at a dam to block the carp, which threaten native fish populations and the Great Lakes’ ecosystem. Asian carp, which can exceed 100 pounds, have spread rapidly since being introduced in the south decades ago, outcompeting native species for food and space.

Pritzker delayed the project in February, citing concerns that the Trump administration would not provide the federal share of funding amid broader cuts to federal spending. The White House responded last week with a statement emphasizing support for the project and urging Illinois to “cease further delay in cooperating with this effort, for the sake of its own citizens and economy and for the sake of all of the Great Lakes States”.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Trump’s action a “huge win” for the region and said she was “grateful to the president for his commitment.” Whitmer added, “This game-changing project will protect the Great Lakes from invasive species of carp. These fish, if allowed to enter the lakes, would destroy the ecosystem below the water and devastate our economy above it”.

Pritzker said Trump’s statement provided the “certainty required” to move forward.