Action Deadline:  TUESDAY JUNE 29TH, 10 AM

Bighead carp captured in Lake Calumet, 6/23/10 (IDNR)

Bighead carp captured in Lake Calumet on 6/22/10 (IDNR)

Members of the House and Senate are circulating a letter among their colleagues asking them to sign on. The letter is to President Obama and urges him to immediately strengthen the barrier and implement all other measures necessary to stop Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes. It also asks that the Administration expedite its study to develop an aggressive strategy for permanent hydrologic separation of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins. These steps are necessary if we are to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan and prevent countless other invasions between the two basins. This issue is particularly urgent given the recent discovery of a live Asian carp near Lake Michigan.

Please take a moment to contact Senators Durbin (202-224-2152) and Burris (202-224-2854) and your Representative (look up here) and urge them to sign onto this letter.

The deadline to sign on is Tuesday, June 29 at noon. Congressional members can contact the following staff to sign on: Katie Murtha (Rep. Dingell), Ben Gielow (Rep. Ehlers), Alice Yates (Sen. Levin), or Lauri Hettinger (Sen. Voinovich).

The following members have already signed on: Reps. Dingell (MI), Slaughter (NY), and Ehlers (MI), and Sens. Levin (MI) and Voinovich (OH).