[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SUPPORTING GREAT LAKES WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 29, 2012

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this week in Washington is Great Lakes Week. 
It could not come at a more important time.
  Last Thursday, the Administration released the 2012 Asian Carp 
Control Strategy Framework, which is important in establishing the 
fight to protect our Great Lakes against invasive Asian carp that 
threaten our $7 billion fishing industry. No lake is more important 
than Lake Erie--The largest fishery on the Great Lakes.
   We should be thankful that President Obama is elevating Asian carp 
as a priority. I encourage him to do more to stop the carp from 
migrating into our precious ecosystem.
   Last month, another important study was released, outlining a 
necessary path forward to separate our Great Lakes from the Mississippi 
watershed. This is the only real solution for stopping the enemy at the 
gate.
   For the same reason, I am a cosponsor of the Stop Asian Carp Act, 
which calls for that barrier to be built now, not delayed for over a 
decade. Too much is at risk.
   I represent the largest portion of costal Ohio along Lake Erie--
which contains more native fish than all the other Lakes combined. We 
must protect this valuable ecological treasure, and the local multi-
billion dollar economy it supports. This involves the lake itself, the 
maritime industry, coastal tourism, recreation, wildlife refuges, 
energy protection, industrial plants and so much more.
   These endowments extend far beyond Asian carp. This year, lakeside 
communities again are grappling with an expanding algal bloom that can 
be poisonous if ingested, creates biological dead-zones, and just plain 
stinks.
   Residents stay inside to avoid the putrid smell, charter boat 
captains suffer as fishing declines, and hotels and restaurants in 
popular vacation spots sit empty as travelers take their recreational 
dollars elsewhere.
   Under the Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership, I have brought 
together researchers, non-profits, and local-residents to work with 
federal agencies including the EPA, Department of Agriculture, and Army 
Corps of Engineers to address this huge challenge.
   Under President Obama, many of these efforts were integrated into a 
new program called the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is 
proving effective at addressing the enormous needs facing our Great 
Lakes.
   Through the GLRI, specific areas of concern like the Cuyahoga, 
Maumee, and Black Rivers are receiving much needed federal dollars to 
improve these watersheds.
   After years of work to develop the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, 
the GLRI is helping expand their efforts in wetland habitat restoration 
and enhancement.
   In the Black River, we are removing steel mill slag and restoring 
habitat for native fish species.
   This fall in Sandusky, we dedicated a new research vessel for Lake 
Erie--The ``USS Muskie.''
   And, the University of Toledo is undertaking a study to assess the 
benefits provided by a newly created wetlands to prevent agricultural 
runoff that can produce algal blooms and increase nearshore health 
concerns, such as e coli and other bacteria.
   I, along with a broad range of costal stakeholders, continue to work 
closely with the agency officials to ensure that the most fragile Great 
Lakes ecosystem--Lake Erie--receives funding levels in line with the 
great need.
   And, it is essential that our Great Lakes delegation work with my 
colleagues in Congress to ensure that we continue sufficient funding to 
the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
   America has done so much to help certain areas like the Everglades 
and expanses of Alaska that few Americans will ever get to enjoy. More 
than one quarter of our country lives in a Great Lakes state and 
depends on healthy lakes for water, farming, business and pleasure.
   During this Great Lakes Week, and throughout the upcoming months in 
which we will determine our spending priorities, I urge my colleagues, 
especially those in our region who have not already gotten on board, to 
support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other programs to 
protect these national and global treasures for today and tomorrow.

                          ____________________