LaHood talks about legislation impacting Illinois River

By Gary Scott on July 18, 2016 at 1:00pm

The Illinois River comes into focus in a new piece of legislation introduced by Jacksonville Congressman Darin LaHood.

LaHood introduced a bill to bring the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act back into the fold last week along with two Michigan representatives. It directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work with states to maintain fish and wildlife populations and their habitats in the basin.

The law hasn’t been reauthorized in nearly a decade.

LaHood tells KHQA-TV in Quincy the bipartisan legislation will have a positive impact throughout Illinois waterways, including the Illinois River. He tells the station the bill targets challenges such as Asian carp.

“The Illinois river plays a vital role in terms of feeding into Lake Michigan. So, this bill that I’ve introduced focuses a lot on invasive species. The more we can clean up the Illinois River from Asian Carp, the better that’s going to be for the Great Lakes, and the better it’s going to be for recreational areas in my district,” says LaHood.

The bill would authorize six-million dollars annually towards the effort for the next five years.