Why It Matters: From lunker lake trout to hefty smallmouth bass, the Great Lakes are a national treasure for America’s anglers. However, numerous water quality impairments and the persistent threat of invasive species require reoccurring investments to ensure that successful restoration efforts that begun in 2010 continue to enhance the lakes fisheries today and into the future. Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Vice Chair Senator Gary Peters and CSC Member Senator Todd Young are championing the effort to do just that.
Highlights:
- Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an effort supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), has united federal agencies, states, tribes and nongovernmental partners in a strategic, measurable effort to solve problems for the health and productivity of the Great Lakes.
- 528 would reauthorize and increase funding for the GLRI, a highly successful program for which Great Lakes anglers reap the rewards.
Last week, CSC Vice Chair Senator Gary Peters and CSC Member Senator Todd Young introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 (S. 528), a bill to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This program was established by Congress in 2010 and has since made significant strides in protecting and enhancing recreational fisheries by restoring Great Lakes water quality, mitigating harmful algal blooms, and managing and preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species.
Through spring of 2024, some examples of accomplishments of the GLRI include:
- Opened more than 6,000 river-miles for fish passage.
- Restored or enhanced more than 460,000 acres of habitat, including over 65,000 acres of coastal wetlands.
- Accelerated restoration of Great Lakes commercial and recreational fisheries annually valued at greater than $7 billion.
- Implemented invasive species control activities on more than 200,000 acres.
- Kept self-sustaining populations of silver, bighead, and black carp out of the Great Lakes
- Reduced more than 2 million pounds of phosphorus loading in priority watershed which contributes to harmful algal blooms.
- Annually captures more than 375 million gallons of untreated urban runoff.
GLRI is a partnership between federal, state, tribal and non-governmental entities that strategically address the highest priority threats to the Great Lakes and its tributaries. The benefits of the program are evident in the exceptional fishing opportunities in the region, often showcased through televised fishing tournament events. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation looks forward to working with the bill sponsors and members of the CSC to see that it is enacted, and the Great Lakes remain a popular fishing destination for anglers across the U.S. and the world.
