January 30: On Feb. 6, Kaptur to Host Asian Carp Meeting with White House Director in Huron, OH
Asian carp is an invasive species that could pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes fisheries, which are estimated to generate up to $7 billion annually for our region. The Western Basin of Lake Erie is especially vulnerable to invasive species because it is shallow, warm, and home to spawning grounds. "We have seen the destruction these carp have wrought on the Mississippi River system," said Kaptur. "We must do everything we can to prevent them from spreading into the Great Lakes."
Goss is also the chair of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), whose members will also be on hand to address public concerns about Asian carp. "I have asked members of the ACRCC to update the public on the steps they are taking to safeguard our most important natural resource, the Great Lakes," Kaptur said. The event will also provide the public with an opportunity to offer feedback on ACRCC efforts.
"As a member of both the House Appropriations and Budget Committees, I have led efforts to sustain critical funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the Great Lakes Asian Carp Control program," said Kaptur. "The Appropriations Committee has provided the region with unprecedented resources for the protection of the Great Lakes."
"I also led the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to authorize a permanent physical separation of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, complete construction of the Asian Carp Dispersal Barrier in Chicago, and fund an accelerated study of physical separation," Kaptur said.
Monday, February 6, 2012
WHO: Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the White House Council on Environmental Quality Asian Carp Director John Goss, and members of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee
WHAT: Public forum on Asian carp
WHEN: Noon, Monday, February 6, 2012 (Media availability from 11:30 a.m. to Noon)
WHERE: BGSU-Firelands Campus, Cedar Point Center, One University Drive, Huron, OH 44839