State Representative Dan Scripps (Leland) speaks at a rally near the Fish Ladder on the banks of the Boardman River in Traverse City on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. Nearly 200 local business leaders, outdoor enthusiasts and concerned residents joined Scripps to demand action to stop an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes, which would disrupt their delicate ecological balance and cripple Michigan's multi-billion dollar fishing, tourism and boating industries. Joining Scripps are, right, State Representatives Gary McDowell (Rudyard) and Andy Neumann (Alpena), who are also leading the online campaign.
TRAVERSE CITY – Joined by nearly 200 local business leaders, outdoor enthusiasts and concerned residents, Northern Michigan lawmakers today launched an online campaign at www.noasiancarp.com demanding that Chicago bureaucrats and the Governor of Illinois close two shipping locks to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. If the invasive species enters Lake Michigan it could destroy the native fish and plant life in waterways throughout Michigan and surrounding states, disrupt the delicate ecological balance in the Great Lakes, and cripple Michigan's multi-billion dollar fishing, tourism and boating industries. The move comes as Great Lakes governors plan to gather to discuss the Asian carp threat on Monday in Washington, D.C.
"The Great Lakes are part of our way of life, and a central part of our economy here in Northwest Michigan," said State Representative Dan Scripps (D-Leland), a member of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee." As we've seen when this invasive species came up the Mississippi river, an Asian carp invasion would significantly damage our tourism and fishing industries and the local businesses that rely on them. We need to immediately block these fish from entering Lake Michigan and protect these jobs."
Local organizations represented at the rally, which was held near the Fish Ladder on the banks of the Boardman River, include the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce, the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Grand Traverse Area Sport Fishing Association, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Adams Chapter of Michigan Trout Unlimited.
"The one thing we can't afford is more government inaction," said State Representative Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard). "There is an imminent threat on our doorstep, and we need to do everything we can to protect the jobs and dollars that are on the line. I will not stand by while these Chicago bureaucrats sit on their hands and ignore this issue."
Scripps, McDowell and State Representative Andy Neumann (D-Alpena) launched an aggressive online effort by sending a virtual postcard of a boat filled with Asian carp to Chicago and invited people from around the Great Lakes region to join their fight by e-mailing "boatloads of carp" to Chicago bureaucrats like Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Executive Director Dick Lanyon and the Governor of Illinois, who are stalling action to protect Great Lakes.
Residents in the Great Lakes region can weigh in on the issue and send their own virtual "boatloads of carp" to the Illinois governor and Chicago politicians at www.noasiancarp.com.
"We are calling on people from across the Great Lakes region who may be affected by an Asian carp invasion to join us in demanding action now," Neumann said. "Summits can be useful, but we can't afford all talk and no action from the Chicago politicians who are standing in the way of protecting the Great Lakes. Let's make sure these jobs and businesses are protected right now, then let's find a way to keep them out for good."
An Asian carp invasion would wreak havoc on businesses along Michigan waterways and devastate the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishing and $9 billion boating industries and threaten the hundreds of thousands of jobs associated with them, along with those in the vital tourism industry.
Responding to a request from Great Lakes governors, the White House announced that they will hold a summit to discuss the Asian carp threat on Monday, Feb. 8. The emergency summit will be attended by high-ranking administration officials, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied Michigan's request to close the two Chicago-area shipping locks, a move that would block Asian carp from entering waterways that lead directly into Lake Michigan. Just hours after the decision, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the latest water sample taken in December from Lake Michigan contained Asian carp DNA – information that could have affected the court's decision. Illinois was the only state to oppose closing the locks to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp.