ON THE JOB FOR MICHIGAN: Local Leader Highlights Peters’ Efforts to Support FishPass Revitalization Project in Downtown Traverse City

WASHINGTON, DC – In a new “On the Job” video from U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ (MI) office, local Traverse City partner on the Fishpass revitalization project, Leah Bagdon McCallum, highlights Peters’ long-time efforts to support the project. FishPass will replace the deteriorated Union Street Dam and reconnect the Boardman/Ottaway River with Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. Once completed, FishPass will sort and selectively pass native fish while blocking harmful invasive species, such as sea lamprey. FishPass is the capstone of a 20-year project to restore more than 100 miles of the Boardman/Ottaway River, strengthening local ecosystems and fisheries. Peters secured more than 22 million dollars in federal funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for the project. The video is part of the On the Job for Michigan series, which highlights Peters’ leadership and advocacy on behalf of Michigan constituents and communities. “The team at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has always felt that Senator Peters was a really unique advocate for us,” said Leah Bagdon McCallum, local partner on the FishPass Project. “The role the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative played in restoring this watershed, it can't be understated. It wouldn't have been possible without those resources and that attention from Washington.” McCallum continued, “So his participation, his advocacy, the time he took to get involved with the project and understand it, made all the difference.” Watch the “On the Job” video here . “Making sure the Boardman/Ottaway River remains vibrant and healthy is critical to the Great Lakes, our environment, and Traverse City’s economy,” said Senator Peters, Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force. “That’s why I've been proud to support this innovative project to help preserve vital ecosystems and waterways across the region for years to come. FishPass is a tremendous example of what we can accomplish when local, state, federal, and tribal partners come together.” Peters has made protecting the Great Lakes and Michigan waterways a top priority in the Senate. In 2021, he helped secure $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) – the largest ever investment in the program – as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in order to accelerate the restoration of nine high-priority areas in Michigan whose lakes, rivers, and watersheds flow into the Great Lakes. In 2026, the Senate unanimously passed legislation championed by Peters to extend the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), authorizing $475 million in annual funding for the program through 2030. In 2018, Peters created the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of Expertise to develop best practices for effectively responding to an oil spill in freshwater environments like the Great Lakes. As Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Peters plays a key role in uniting Great Lakes Basin states to coordinate legislative initiatives, funding priorities, and oversight efforts to address the most important issues facing the Great Lakes, such as invasive species, environmental contamination, shoreline erosion, water quality, infrastructure needs, and more. ###