A close up of a sea lamprey at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building in Marquette shows the razor sharp teeth it uses to bore into fish to feed on the fish's blood and fluids. The species moved into all of the Great Lakes by 1938. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE – The state budget has cut funding for the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program this year but it won’t reduce money for controlling invasive sea lampreys.

The Legislature and governor this month reduced the annual appropriation for the program from $3.6 million to $2.4 million.

The competitive grant program started in 2014 to provide funding and technical assistance to prevent, detect, eradicate and control terrestrial and aquatic invasive species, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Because sea lampreys are a common invasive species in the Great Lakes region and threaten commercial and recreational fishing, there has been concern that a state funding cut could adversely impact sea lamprey control.

Joanne Foreman, the invasive species communications coordinator in DNR, said sea lamprey control in the Great Lakes is funded through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, with money from sources that include the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Lampricide treatments are not funded through the grant program, so the state funding cut will not have a negative effect on them, Foreman said.

DNR is accepting invasive species grant proposals until Nov. 1.

The department said its annual “core funding” for cooperative invasive species management areas applications will be a priority with a maximum award of $70,000 per project. There will be a competitive review of other proposals.

The DNR administers the program in collaboration with the Departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Agriculture and Rural Development.