AFS Supports FY27 Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

March 16, 2026

Dear Chair Murkowski, Ranking Member Merkley, Chairman Simpson, and Ranking Member Pingree,

On behalf of the undersigned sportfishing and conservation organizations, representing millions of anglers, boaters and recreational fishing and boating businesses across the Great Lakes region and nationwide, we write to express our strong support for a $500 million appropriation in Fiscal Year 2027 for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

Since 2010, GLRI has been the cornerstone federal program restoring and protecting the Great Lakes. GLRI has funded thousands of projects improving fisheries, restoring fish habitat and enhancing water quality across the region, supporting the Great Lakes’ $5.1 billion recreational fishery and tens of thousands of jobs. Robust appropriations are needed to sustain GLRI’s essential restoration work, and to continue mitigating the impacts of aquatic invasive species, harmful algal blooms and habitat degradation.

From sea lamprey to quagga mussels, aquatic invasive species (AIS) have severely impacted fisheries across the Great Lakes, in turn affecting the region’s recreational fishing economy. GLRI-funded projects have facilitated the recovery of key gamefish stocks, including lake trout, walleye and steelhead. For example, the highly successful Great Lakes Sea Lamprey Control Program has reduced populations of these invasive species by 90-95% from their peak.

Habitat loss and fragmentation have also degraded many Great Lakes fisheries, limiting spawning and nursery habitat for key gamefish. Through partnerships with states, tribes, and local conservation organizations, GLRI-funded habitat restoration projects have restored wetlands, rehabilitated coastal habitats, and reconnected rivers by removing obsolete dams and improving fish passage. These efforts have reopened almost 9,000 miles of tributaries and improved critical spawning habitat for species such as salmon, steelhead, walleye, and smallmouth bass. Continued support for GLRI habitat restoration will help rebuild resilient fisheries, expand angling opportunities, and sustain the recreational fishing economy that depends on healthy aquatic ecosystems.

For over 15 years, investments made through the GLRI have restored fish habitat, managed invasive species and created new angling opportunities across the region. A $500 million appropriation in FY27 will ensure these waters – and the fisheries and small businesses that depend on them – remain productive for generations to come.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration.

Sincerely,

American Fisheries Society

American Sportfishing Association

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

National Marine Manufacturers Association

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership