GLIN==> Obama Administration Releases Carp Action Plan

Alliance for the Great Lakes – Great Lakes United – Healing Our
Waters-Great Lakes Coalition – Natural Resources Defense Council –
National Wildlife Federation
 
Obama Administration Releases Carp Action Plan
 
CHICAGO (February 9)—Emerging from a White House Summit with governors
from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin to address the Asian carp crisis,
the Obama Administration on Monday released a strategy for protecting
the Great Lakes from the non-native fish—DNA evidence of which has
already been detected in Lake Michigan. 
 
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle called for
the summit to address the urgent threat the voracious fish pose to the
region’s $7 billion fishery and the multi-year effort to restore the
Lakes—a potential economic boon to the region that is estimated to bring
$2 in benefit for every $1 investment, according to the Brookings
Institution.
 
The plan was released on the eve of today’s Congressional hearing on
the invasive Asian carp in the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s
Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment.
 
View the 2 PM EST hearing at:
http://transportation.house.gov/singlepages/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=852

 
The document released by the federal government will be the subject of
a public meeting Friday, February 12, in Chicago. On that day,
conservation groups will hold a telephone briefing at 11 AM Eastern on
the federal government’s plan.
 
Journalists Dial: 1-800-791-2345
Code: 18074 
 
Reacting to the Obama Administration’s announcement, the Alliance for
the Great Lakes, Great Lakes United, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes
Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife
Federation released the following statement:
 
“We are glad that the Obama Administration agreed to meet with the
region’s governors so that the nation can move forward to solve the
urgent threat posed by the Asian carp. We also support the role that the
EPA is playing to coordinate a unified response by the federal
government.
 
“We are concerned that the document released by the government still
does not articulate a clear plan, based on the best available scientific
information, which will actually work.  The plan is hard to evaluate
because it contains fuzzy timelines and lacks triggers for specific
actions.
 
“Actions in the next year are dependent on the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and other agencies to deploy now and meet critical deadlines.
This plan falls short of providing that clarity.
 
“At the end of the day, the administration’s plan needs to accomplish
one thing: keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes until a permanent
solution to the crisis is in place.
 
“If the Obama Administration takes actions now that prevent the carp
from entering the Great Lakes—buying much-needed time to implement the
long-term solution of separating the Mississippi and Great Lakes
watersheds—then it will have succeeded.
 
“Failure to stop the Asian carp will be devastating to the environment
and the economy, which is why we will continue to urge state and federal
authorities to do everything in their power to protect the largest
source of freshwater in the world from this urgent threat.”
 
For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2010
 
Contact:
Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes, 773-590-6494
Jennifer Nalbone, Great Lakes United 716-213-0408
Chad Lord, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 202-454-3385
Jordan Lubetkin, National Wildlife Federation, 734-887-7109
Josh Mogerman, NRDC, 312-651-7909 (office) or 773-531-5359 (mobile)
 
 
Jordan Lubetkin - Senior Regional Communications Manager
National Wildlife Federation
Great Lakes Regional Center
213 W. Liberty St., Suite 200
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1398
www.nwf.org/greatlakes 
www.healthylakes.org ( http://www.healthylakes.org/ )

Phone: (734) 887-7109 
Cell: (734) 904-1589

Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.
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