The migration of Asian carp up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to the doorsteps of the Great Lakes has raised public awareness about one of the biggest threats to the lakes: invasive species. Click here to read a recent story written for the publication Stateline Midwest examining the possible future direction of state and federal policy to combat the introduction and spread of non-native species. In the story, there is a table detailing the permitting systems in place in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin for ballast water discharges.
Ohio political leaders are hoping a mix of incentives gets the state's offshore wind industry off the ground - and wind turbines up and running in the waters of Lake Erie.
A Wisconsin town's plan to divert Great Lakes water has got the attention of lawmakers on the other side of Lake Michigan. Within the last month, four different resolutions have been introduced in Michigan urging the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council "to scrutinize carefully the proposed diversion at Waukesha."
More federal dollars are already flowing to this region as a result of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And bipartisan legislation introduced this March in the U.S. Congress would further this commitment to restoring and protecting the ecosystem, while also giving states a formal advisory role in the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making process.
Over a six-week period between February and March, using nets and electro-fishing gear, a team of 25 biologists scoured the Chicago Waterway System for Asian carp. None was found.
Great Lakes Legislative Caucus-CSG Midwest701 E. 22nd Street, Suite 110 - Lombard, IL 60148-5095
Tim Anderson - tanderson@csg.org Mike McCabe - mmccabe@csg.org Phone - 630/925-1922