Bill Text: MI HCR0033 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: A concurrent resolution to urge immediate actions to prevent the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and the development of long-term strategies to address this problem.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 61-31)
Status: (Passed) 2009-12-18 - Senate Substitute S-1 Concurred In [HCR0033 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HCR0033-Engrossed.html
Reps. Warren, Agema, Angerer, Barnett, Bauer, Bledsoe, Booher, Lisa Brown, Terry Brown, Byrnes, Byrum, Calley, Clemente, Constan, Corriveau, Crawford, Daley, Dean, DeShazor, Donigan, Ebli, Elsenheimer, Espinoza, Geiss, Gonzales, Gregory, Griffin, Haase, Haines, Hammel, Hansen, Haugh, Haveman, Hildenbrand, Horn, Huckleberry, Johnson, Rick Jones, Robert Jones, Kandrevas, Kennedy, Knollenberg, Kowall, Kurtz, Lahti, LeBlanc, Leland, Lindberg, Lipton, Liss, Lori, Marleau, Mayes, McDowell, Meadows, Meekhof, Melton, Miller, Moore, Nathan, Neumann, Opsommer, Pavlov, Pearce, Proos, Roberts, Rocca, Rogers, Roy Schmidt, Wayne Schmidt, Schuitmaker, Scripps, Segal, Slavens, Slezak, Smith, Spade, Stanley, Switalski, Tlaib, Valentine and Womack offered the following concurrent resolution:
House Concurrent Resolution No. 33.
A concurrent resolution to urge the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate actions to prevent the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and to develop long-term strategies to address this problem.
Whereas, Michigan has been a leader in the fight to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes. Michigan was the first state to require ocean-going ships to kill invasive species in ballast water before it is discharged in state waters. It successfully defended in federal court a state's right to protect its waters, opening the door to state ballast water regulations throughout the Great Lakes region; and
Whereas, Asian carp are on the verge of invading the Great Lakes. Asian carp have been detected within eight miles of Lake Michigan and are already past the electrical barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal designed to stop them; and
Whereas, If allowed to enter the Great Lakes, Asian carp could become a dominant species in the lakes, further disrupting the ecological balance and threatening fishing and boating on the lakes. Asian carp are voracious feeders that would push out native fish and wildlife. Furthermore, silver carp, one of the two Asian carp species, can jump up to 10 feet out of the water when startled by boats, leading to well-documented injuries to boaters hit by fish weighing up to 70 pounds; and
Whereas, Immediate and decisive action is required to protect the $7 billion Great Lake commercial and recreational fishery and the $9 billion Great Lakes recreational boating industry. The Asian carp threat is imminent, and the time for half-hearted efforts and investigations has passed. Without a quick and strong response, such as the closure of navigation locks, the efforts of Michigan, the other Great Lakes states, and the federal government will be wasted, and a national treasure will be irrevocably changed; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we urge the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate actions to prevent the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and to develop long-term strategies to address this problem; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, the Division Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, and the District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Chicago District.
