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Mass federal DOGE firings and cuts, including 14 key lamprey control staff, raise fears of ecological disaster in Michigan’s Great Lakes fishery.
DOGE firings threaten Great Lakes fishery and jobs
LANSING, MI – The Trump administration’s sweeping layoffs of federal workers have hit Michigan’s Great Lakes conservation efforts, jeopardizing critical sea lamprey control programs and placing the region’s multi-billion-dollar fishery at risk.
An exclusive report by Kelly House of Bridge Michigan reported that over the past week, 14 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees responsible for lamprey control were abruptly dismissed. The move is part of a larger federal downsizing effort, which has seen thousands of workers across multiple agencies lose their jobs. Among the hardest-hit agencies in Michigan are the U.S. Forest Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with at least 60 Forest Service employees and 50 EPA workers affected.
Sea lampreys pose dire threat to Great Lakes fish populations
The USGS is experimenting with synthetic pheromones that lead lampreys to areas where they can be trapped and removed…Invasive and parasitic Sea lamprey. – State of Michigan
The Michigan United Conservation Clubs point out that sea lampreys, an invasive species introduced to the Great Lakes via man-made shipping canals over a century ago, are known for their destructive impact on native fish populations. These eel-like parasites attach themselves to fish and slowly drain their bodily fluids, often killing the host in the process.
According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), which oversees lamprey control efforts in the U.S. and Canada, annual chemical treatments keep lamprey populations in check. Relaxation in sea lamprey control in 2020 and 2021 has resulted in above-target numbers, but trends are positive thanks to recent control efforts. The sudden firings, along with a hiring freeze on seasonal workers, could severely disrupt these essential treatments, leading to a sharp increase in lamprey numbers.
“Our program is now in very serious peril,” said Greg McClinchey, legislative affairs and policy director for the GLFC. “We don’t know if we’ll be able to continue our work as planned.”
Great Lakes ecosystem and economy at stake
Without immediate intervention, experts warn that 4.5 million female lampreys could survive the next breeding season, laying an estimated 450 billion eggs. Such an explosion in the lamprey population could have catastrophic consequences for the Great Lakes fishery. The fishing industry in the Great Lakes is worth over $7 billion and generates between $393 million and $1.47 billion in annual economic value. This includes commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries.
“This isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s an economic one,” said Warner Vanderheuel, a battalion chief firefighter and union representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees. “These job cuts don’t just affect conservation efforts, and they also impact Michigan’s fishing industry and all the businesses that depend on it.”
Former workers left questioning the administration’s motives
Contracted migrant labor planting Red Pine. – State of Michigan
Among those dismissed was Graham Peters, a forestry technician from Petoskey, Michigan, who worked in the Hiawatha National Forest. He described receiving an impersonal termination letter with no clear explanation.
“I’d like to ask them why,” Peters said. “And if they understand what they’re doing. Because it doesn’t seem like they realize who they’re getting rid of, and the impact it’s going to have.”
Another affected worker, Emily Anderson, a wildlife technician specializing in fish habitat improvement, was also let go. She was in the middle of preparing for a day of fieldwork when she was handed a termination letter. “It felt like we were being erased overnight,” she said.
EPA firings add to Michigan’s environmental concerns
The EPA’s Region 5 office, which oversees environmental regulations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, also faced major cuts. Nicole Cantello, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, warned that the loss of six attorneys responsible for prosecuting polluters could lead to more lenient enforcement of environmental laws.
“We lost key legal experts who hold corporations accountable,” Cantello said. “With fewer resources, we could see more pollution in Michigan’s waterways.”
Political backlash and calls for action
The layoffs have drawn intense criticism from environmental groups and lawmakers who argue that these cuts will set back decades of progress in conservation, pollution control, and ecological restoration. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has been lobbying Congress to intervene and restore funding for its operations.
While the White House defends the firings as part of a government efficiency plan, critics argue that gutting essential programs could cost taxpayers more in the long run due to environmental damage and economic losses.
Original source: Kelly House, Michigan Environment Watch. More details can be found at Bridge Michigan.
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