Ann Arbor, Mich. — Organizations across the region will come together to educate the public about aquatic invasive species (AIS) during the fifth annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, to be held June 30-July 9, 2023. Volunteers will demonstrate to boaters and others how to prevent the spread of AIS, how to identify AIS, and how to report AIS, which are recognized as one of the most significant threats to the ecological and economic health of the Great Lakes. This annual event is coordinated through an international partnership of federal, state, and provincial agencies and Indigenous Nations with the support of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and other organizations.

“The GLC is proud to be a partner supporting the Great Lakes states and provinces in combating the threat of invasive species,” said GLC Chair Todd Ambs of Wisconsin. “It is important that we help engage the public in how they can take action to prevent the spread of invasive species that can harm the lakes and rivers they enjoy so much.”

Hundreds of organizations will engage directly with the public at boat launches and other water access points during the two week period. For the second year in a row, the GLC is awarding more than $85,000 in grants to to bolster that engagement. This funding will be used by grantees to host local landing blitz events, expanding the overall reach of the initiative and supporting strategic education and outreach targeted to the recreational activities that can contribute to AIS introduction and spread in the region.

This year twelve grants have been awarded:

Overall funding for the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through a grant agreement between the Great Lakes Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information on the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, including educational materials, location, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.glc.org/blitz.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.