Granholm Urges White House Action on Asian Carp

Press Release

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today called for the White House to immediately establish a summit with the Great Lakes Governors to discuss the growing Asian Carp threat. The letter, jointly signed with Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, was in response to today's Supreme Court decision to deny a preliminary injunction sought by Michigan and other Great Lakes states calling for the emergency closure of the locks in the Chicago Shipping Canal to stop the spread of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes.

"Asian Carp threaten the well-being of our Great Lakes, and ultimately, the well-being of Michigan," said Granholm. "It is disappointing that the Supreme Court declined to aid in our fight against these aquatic invaders, so we now ask the White House to work with us in finding a solution before it is too late."

Carp DNA samples have recently been found above the electrical barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, providing new evidence that the Asian Carp are continuing to move closer to Lake Michigan. Invasive species have already had a significant impact on the economies of the Great Lakes states, and Governor Granholm warned that the introduction of Asian Carp into the already fragile ecosystem would be devastating.

The Granholm administration has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes including: directing the state Attorney General to explore all legal actions available to protect the Great Lakes from the imminent threat, prohibiting the possession of live Asian Carp, providing direct financial support for the electrical barrier in 2004, and urging additional protections be put in place to block carp from entering the Great Lakes.

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