The Great Lakes Task Force has begun circulating the attached letter to the Great Lakes Congressional delegation for sign on. The letter calls on the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, the EPA and the US Fish & Wildlife Service to take immediate action to keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

This is one of the strongest letters to emerge from the Task Force in years. It calls, specifically for:

• Implementing the recommendations of the Asian Carp Rapid Response Project.
• Closing the O’Brien and Chicago Locks if there is reasonable likelihood that Asian carp are above the barrier.
• Continuing the use of piscicides as a rapid response measure.
• Creating a possible permanent hydrological separation between the Great Lakes and the Canal.
• Increasing the voltage of the electric dispersal barrier to prevent Asian carp of any size from crossing the barrier.
• Take action to prevent carp from bypassing the barrier if the Des Plaines River floods.

Please put a call into your congressional offices and urge your member and Senators to sign onto the Task Force letter. The deadline for sign on to the letter is Thursday December 17th.

Click here to read the full letter.

Offices may contact Joy Mulinex in Senator Levin's office to sign onto the letter. You may reach your member of Congress through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121

For more information about the threat of the Asian carp visit www.glu.org/asiancarp

What is the Great Lakes Task Force?

The GLTF is a bipartisan working group consisting of federal Representatives and Senators from across the Great Lakes region. They work together to promote economic and environmental policies and programs in DC.