The St. Croix River Basin plan is the first interstate plan to be funded and represents the work of a multi-agency interstate and tribal task force. Agencies to receive funding include the Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, Office of the Great Lakes Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species, such as the zebra mussel, ruffe, and round goby, are not native to an area and cause, or have the potential to cause, significant damage to native fishes, fish communities and aquatic habitat. At least 4,000 nonindigenous plants and 2,300 nonindigenous animals are now established in the United States. Biologists consider nonindigenous species invasions second only to habitat destruction as a cause of species decline and endangerment.
Nonindigenous species have a variety of impacts on human activities and the environment.
Some choke waterways used for navigation and recreation while others clog intake pipes. Billions of dollars will be spent to control these invaders in the Great Lakes and Midwest in the next 10 years. It allowed us to develop a 'road map' on how we wanted to address the many issues involved in aquatic nuisance species control,' said Environmental Specialist Mark Coscarelli of the Office of Great Lakes, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.