Early Monday morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a notice officially declaring this Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week.
About 70% of this century's extinctions of native aquatic species have been thought to be due to invasive species. Not only are these invasive species harmful to the environment, but they are harmful to the economy, as well. It is estimated that damage caused by invasive species can reach up to $ 138 billion per year, creating risk for rangelands, food and animal health, forests and suburbs and many other ecosystems.
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“Michigan’s economy, our jobs and public health all depends on preserving the Great Lakes,” Whitmer said. “When species are introduced that are not native to our environment, they have a high potential to harm human health and our natural, agricultural resources. Preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species greatly benefits our state. When we work towards stopping these invasive species, we can protect our Great Lakes while reducing the costly methods we must use to control and manage them.”
The Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week, which started Sunday and runs to Sunday, July 7, kicks off with the sixth annual AIS Landing Blitz, a statewide event held at hundreds of water access sites throughout the week. With the help of local volunteers with agencies such as the departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy boaters will be given advice on how to prevent the spread of harmful species and an overview on the recently updated laws. For the first time, the AIS Landing Blitz will now include events in each of the Great Lakes states and even Canadian provinces.
In the Great Lakes basin there are over 180 non-indigenous aquatic species forcing out many native species. Michigan alone has over 11,000 inland lakes with over 36,000 miles of rivers and streams. With invasive species seeping into these bodies, water quality becomes at risk as the intruding species often affect bank stability and the volume and pollution levels in the runoff waters.
“Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week reminds us that we all have a responsibility to guard our waters against this ever-present threat,” said Michigan DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “Over the next week, volunteers will be at boat launches around the state helping people to clean, drain and dry their boats, trailers and gear. This is one of the best ways to prevent spreading harmful invaders. Let’s all do our part to protect Michigan’s lakes, rivers and streams.”