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Protecting our Great Lakes from Asian Carp

The migration of Asian carp from the Mississippi River toward Lake Michigan is one of the most serious invasive species threats facing the Great Lakes today. Asian carp have left a trail of destruction in their wake, harming the ecosystems, the economy, and the experience of recreational and commercial boaters along the Mississippi river system.  We cannot allow them to establish self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes. 

As CEQ's Asian Carp Director, I chair the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), a group of Federal, state and local officials working collaboratively to combat Asian carp. I also oversee the Obama Administration's comprehensive Asian carp control strategy, an unprecedented, multi-million dollar effort to address an invasive species proactively, instead of responding after the damage has already been done. 

As a fisherman from the Great Lakes state of Indiana, the impact and gravity of the destruction that Asian carp can inflict hits close to home for me. I recognize the potential destruction to a fisherman's livelihood if Asian carp push out our native fish species, and I know firsthand the fear these large fish cause when they fly through the air, threatening to damage our boats and harm the people on them.

The 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework

Last week, we released our 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, outlining a series of new projects to build on the successes of our 2010 Framework.  The plan includes 45 initiatives that focus on physical barricades to close off pathways into the Great Lakes and prevent carp from moving around during floods, as well as measures to target and remove any Asian carp that are in waterways near our Great Lakes.  We are also developing biological controls, such as Asian-carp specific poisons and sonic barriers, that could repel or create reproductive interference to slow the proliferation of these fish.  You can read more about the framework at www.asiancarp.org.

We currently have a unique opportunity to prevent Asian carp from developing self sustaining populations and possibly inflicting untold damage on the ecosystem, economy and recreational resources of the Great Lakes.  I am committed to ensuring that our Great Lakes and the interests of the people who depend on them are protected from the devastating effects of this invasive species.

John Goss is the Asian Carp Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Deputies Building on Great Momentum for Our Oceans

Ed. Note: Shere Abbott and Mike Boots are Co-Chairs of the Deputies Committee of the National Ocean Council.  The Deputy Committee is charged with executing the National Ocean Policy objectives and includes 25 senior-level officials from Federal agencies, departments, and White House Offices identified in the Final Recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force.

This week, the National Ocean Council deputies met to move forward the implementation of the National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and Great Lakes.  Building on the energy and enthusiasm from our initial meeting in September, and the Principals meeting in November, the deputies reviewed the final elements of the governance structure and the next steps to produce the action plans.

The deputies considered nominees for the Governance Coordinating Committee, worked to establish two Interagency Policy Committees, and solidified the connection with the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel.  

The Final Recommendations identified priority objectives for the National Ocean Policy. The Interagency Policy Committees will develop strategic actions plans to put these policy objectives into practice.  To ensure a comprehensive and transparent process, public involvement will be integral to shaping the direction of these action plans.  We will announce the first public comment period on our website soon, and we will provide several other opportunities to engage with us as these plans develop.

We are also on track to implement comprehensive, integrated coastal and marine spatial planning and management in the United States.  We are currently planning a national workshop for next Spring, and reviewing guidance on the composition of the Regional Planning Bodies that will lead the regional efforts. 

The President is committed to ensuring the health and productivity of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of all Americans. The Deputies Committee continues to work to make that goal a reality.

Shere Abbott is Associate Director for Environment at the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Mike Boots is Associate Director for Land and Water Ecosystems at the Council on Environmental Quality