President Trump today issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce, and the Army, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, to determine and expeditiously implement the most effective mechanisms, barriers, and other measures to prevent the migration and expansion of invasive carp in the Great Lakes Basin and surrounding region, including through deadline-oriented investments of taxpayer dollars to support the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.
As to the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, in addition to directing the State of Illinois and applicable localities to acquire necessary land by July 1, 2025 and grant necessary permits and approvals within 30 days of their becoming ripe for consideration and streamlining related permitting and environmental reviews, the Memorandum directs federal agency heads to streamline any permitting and environmental reviews and issue any necessary permits or approvals as quickly as possible.
Additionally, the EPA Administrator is directed to prioritize support for infrastructure to remove invasive carp from the Upper Illinois Waterway near Lake Michigan and for maintenance on existing infrastructure to block invasive carp from the Great Lakes Basin, and the NOAA Administrator and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Director are directed to prioritize support for research and management regarding the prevention, removal, and management of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes, including invasive carp. The NOAA Administrator is also directed to priorities this objective through the Great Lakes Aquatic Nuisance Species Information System and NOAA’s research and information-sharing work related to the growth and spread of aquatic invasive species.
