With $25 million allotted in the government spending bill for the war on Asian carp and $45 million aiming to halt the movement of invasive species, the south is looking forward to a renewed effort in taking back our waterways.
Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White tells the News Edge he was glad to hear about the funding Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell secured in the new government spending bill.
White highlights the $45 million going to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seldom talked about. It will pay for more barriers and other important measures to prevent the movement of Asian carp. He says the bill was written to bring money specifically back to area waterways.
White has asked McConnell to focus funding specifically on commercial fishermen.
The decision for how the money is distributed is ultimately up to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
White adds the Asian carp problem has diminished within the last five years, thanks to the hard work of commercial fishermen.
He says the carp are driving away fish and tourists from local waters.
White says he is following the money locally and in other states to see how it’s spent and if it’s utilized in the fight. He adds it’s important for taxpayers to know where the funding is going and if the measures are successful.
