St. Paul —The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council on Tuesday approved a motion to fund a carp barrier on the Mississippi River. Dollars became available for the project based on the February 2024 budget forecast, which showed an additional $12.1 million in the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

Members agreed via a 9-0 vote on a motion to appropriate the $12.1 million to the Minnesota DNR, for an agreement with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for a pilot project to design, construct, operate, maintain, and evaluate a deterrent for carp at Lock and Dam 5 to protect Minnesota’s aquatic habitat on the Mississippi.

In addition, the motion states that any excess funds may be used for carp tagging, netting, and commercial capturing on the Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix rivers. An accomplishment plan must be submitted and approved by the council before the funds are released, and the appropriations are available until June 30, 2029.

Mark Holsten and Ron Schara abstained from voting as the two are a part of MN-FISH, an organization that publicly has supported the barrier.