Issue Position: Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act

Issue Position

Asian carp pose a serious threat to our Great Lakes and our economy - threatening our $7 billion recreational fishing industry and $16 billion recreational boating industry, both of which create thousands of jobs in Michigan. Asian carp have been discovered in the Chicago waterways and their discovery so close to Lake Michigan should serve as a wake-up call to government agencies and the public who enjoy our Great Lakes about the urgency of this situation. That is why Senator Debbie Stabenow worked with senators and representatives from neighboring Great Lakes states on passing legislation requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to quickly create a plan that will permanently prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River Basin.

On July 6, 2012, Senator Stabenow's bill was signed into law, giving the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers 18 months to conduct a study that will determine how to maintain commerce, enhance water quality, and permanently protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp and other dangerous invasive species. While Congress waits for the release of this report, Senator Stabenow has continued to call on the Army Corps to deliver its completed report on time so that Congress can quickly take action on a plan that will protect the Great Lakes.

Senator Stabenow has consistently supported bipartisan measures to further prevent the introduction of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. In the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA), which passed the Senate, she pushed for a measure that would ensure emergency funds are available if government agencies need to take swift action against the spread of Asian carp. She also supported amendments to keep Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan by closing Upper Minnesota's St. Anthony Falls lock within a year and to direct a multiagency effort to slow the spread of Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins. All of these measures were included in the Senate-passed WRDA bill and received broad, bipartisan support.

Since Asian carp were found near Lake Michigan, Senator Stabenow has made funding methods to combat the spread of Asian carp a major priority. Whether she is fighting for the construction of electric barriers in Chicago or requesting studies on the reliability of prevention testing, she continue to be a leader in stopping the spread of Asian carp and protecting our Great Lakes.

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