Letter to Donald J. Trump, President of the United States - Release First Draft of Brandon Road Report

Letter

Dear President Trump:

This letter is intended to address an urgent concern relative to the Great Lakes region.

As you know, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) first announced the Brandon Road Lock and Dam evaluation in April 2015 as part of the ongoing Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin Study. This evaluation is intended to determine the possibility of establishing preventative measures against an invasion of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes.

The Corps initially announced that a draft of the Brandon Road report would be released on February 28, 2017. Just before midnight on February 27, however, the Corps announced they will delay this release until further notice.

The importance of protecting our vulnerable Great Lakes freshwater system from this voracious invasive species cannot be overstated. The release of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam evaluation is an essential next step in a process initiated to safeguard the economic viability of our region's $7 billion sport fishing market, $16 billion boating industry, and $18 billion hunting and wildlife observation market. Asian Carp's introduction into this system would have serious economic consequences for these and related industries across the entire Great Lakes region.

There is a consensus that the threat is real, and unfortunately, efforts to solve the problem are now mired in bureaucratic inaction. Further delay only increases the likelihood that this threat becomes a full scale, irreversible inundation of this highly destructive invasive species.

We respectfully request your personal assistance in directing the Corps to immediately engage with local and state governments, as well as fisheries and other interested groups, to implement a long-term solution for keeping Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes and reverse the decision to suspend the formulation of such plans.

The proposed infrastructure developments at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam is intended to prevent the immediate upstream transfer of Asian Carp, preserving our ecology and saving billions of dollars. United in this bipartisan cause, as representatives from Great Lakes States, we are committed to the defense against the Asian Carp invasion and the preservation of this precious natural resource.

Thank you for your timely review and thoughtful consideration, we look forward to a swift response.