G.R.U.B.

Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup Meeting Ypsilanti

As some of you may have seen in the forums, under Outdoor News, I have been following along pretty closely to the developments in the battle to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes water system. As my commitment to the members of our site and my personal commitment to the great state of Michigan, I have made it my obligation to educate myself and others to the best of my ability in order to protect this, ?Outdoor Mecca? that I call home.

This day, it was important to me, to make sure that the GRUBs were represented and be able to report back from the front lines on this very critical subject. I left out work a little early to ensure I would get a good spot to hear from the A.C.R.R.W. (Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup) and what they have to say. Many questions were racing through my head in anticipation of arriving at the convention; how will they be spending the multi millions in stimulus money allocated to this project? Will there be protest? Who will show up to represent Michigan and our concerns? As I pulled in to the parking at the Marriot it appeared full with a couple of news trucks, but no protesters or pickup trucks. Further inside, I?m greeted by some ladies at a long table and asked if I would like to make a comment inside the meeting and what my affiliation is. They took my name to submit comments, invited me to take some literature and said I may step inside. So I pick up my 39 pg. draft of, ?Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework?, put out by A.C.R.R.W. and a couple pamphlets on, ?how to clean my boat? and ?Fish consumption? a guide to eating your catch. Once inside I am immediately thinking something is awry here. Lots of folks dressed up in uniforms and suits, I have no problem finding a seat, there is definitely no one here that looks like they frequent any of the outdoor club meetings I go to, approximately 400 in the crowd?WEIRD!

The A.C.R.R.W. takes the stage and spent about an hour explaining the roles of the E.P.A., Illinois DNR, US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Fish & Wildlife Service in relation to what they each are doing to prevent the fish invasion and a show and tell of their studies and the evolution of the problems at hand. It seemed to me it was a lot of, ?we are working on it, but don?t have any solid answers.? Later during the technical questions portion of the conference the folks in the A.C.R.R.W. showed their true colors by lack of evidence to answer questions and admitting that everything is in the early works and they are still trying to figure out the best solution to the problem. Early works? They have known about the migration of this fish and the damage it has done elsewhere for decades. Not to mention all the other invasive species(Gobies, Zebra Mussels, Plants etc.) that they have failed to stop from crossing over between these two fresh water basins (Mississippi & Great Lakes) via the water ways that are in question of being closed. Bottom line is the group that has been assigned by the White House Council of Environmental Quality has no answers, has not explored all of their avenues to get answers and are questioning if there is enough evidence of a threat to close shipping canals while they get some answers. With that said I will tell you what I think the real question is. What?s more important to this group; the immediate jobs and commerce that will be lost in the Chicago area or the slightly longer term effects of this problem on a 7 billion dollar per year Michigan fishing industry plus our tourism, retail and boating jobs that would be lost? Oh yeah, did I mention the threat of destroying an Eco-system? Seems like a no brainer to me, but when you factor in that these agencies are funded and appointed by the White House and the last thing they want right now is egg on their face over any more job losses, I see a problem. Combine that with the peculiar decision to hold the conference in Ypsilanti Michigan on a Wednesday at 3:00 pm and fill the place with 90% Chicago Illinois tour boat captains, shipping workers and politicians and we have real problems.

If you think for one second that you are being represented by your elected officials, sporting organizations or others for the state of Michigan side, you are sadly mistaken. The next portion of the conference was opened up for comments from politicians followed by technical questions from whoever wished to speak. A statement was read from Carl Levin that asked to shut the canals. Congressman Dingle addressed the board in person and commended them on doing something finally, but demanded they close the canals until real solutions could be put in to place. Senator Stabenow and the Mayor of Grand Rapids also addressed the board with very similar messages. I wonder where Mike Cox was. The next half of the conference was dominated by the Chicago side lining up around the room to have their concerns heard. Their arguments were real and supported with evidence or lack thereof on the part of the A.C.R.R.W.?s part. Where were the people of Michigan that should have been there flipping out over how it?s going to affect us and how we will not stand for it? Where was our support from our neighbors in the Great Lake region? Thank you Sierra Club and The MUCC for sending representation and telling it like it is! I?m not saying we have no supporters, but we are so far outnumbered in this fight that it?s pathetic. To organize at this point of the game may be too late but it?s time to get involved and try any way possible. Our lakes and wildlife and jobs depend on it. A woman from Wisconsin stood up and spoke of a different invasive species that has had very negative effects on a beach where she resides. It wasn?t another story of invasive species pollute our Great Lakes that had my ear as much as one thing she pointed out that really hit home. She said,? while everyone sits hear arguing over the right and wrong ways to handle the situation the fish are swimming?. We don?t have the answers and we all need to work together, including Illinois and Michigan to find the answers. We all have too much to lose. Until there is a solution however, we must take every precaution to stop the transferring of these species to our greatest resources. GET INVOLVED AND CLOSE THE CANALS!!

February 17, 2010 was a sad day for Michigan and its Great Lakes. Worse yet, I fear there will be many more sad days to come for anyone that enjoys our fishing, boating or tourism resources throughout the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes and their native species of fish and wildlife are in dire straits of being overrun by invasive species of fish, plants and disease that are infiltrating the lakes through numerous river and canal systems connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River Basin. We are now relying on a bunch of politically motivated agencies, which have been appointed to fix a problem that they have known about for decades and have yet to correct. Worst of all, is that Michigan, who in my opinion stands to lose the most, is so poorly represented in comparison with the city of Chicago. With the shipping and the tour boat industry, the Illinois commerce and jobs will be the biggest influence on how these agencies address the problems at hand. That said, the Great Lakes and the future of the tourism, retail, fishing and boating industries are in grave danger.

If you would like more information, you can find the Control Strategy Framework Document at  http://www.asiancarp.org/regionalcoordination/

Make sure you follow me on the forums for more information on this subject.

Thank you!

Kojak