Congress Approves Asian Carp Barrier Funding

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service catch an Asian carp. This invasive species can grow up to four feet long, and the U.S. House and Senate have agreed to supply funds to try to keep them out of the Great Lakes. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildife Service)

The U.S. House and Senate recently passed a bill that will help keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the federal government will contribute nearly two and a half million dollars to help repel the fish:

Transcript

The U.S. House and Senate recently passed a bill that will help keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium Celeste Headlee reports, the federal government will contribute nearly two and a half million dollars to help repel the fish:


Asian carp are huge, often growing to be four feet long and weighing 80 pounds. They are also extremely prolific and voracious. Most Asian carp consume up to 40 percent of their body weight every day. There is currently an electric fish barrier strung across the bottom of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes. The barrier creates an underwater field of electricity that repels the carp.


Andy Buchsbaum is the director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Office. He says the current barrier is temporary and due to fail next year.


“Today the Great Lakes really dodged a bullet. Right now, the carp are poised 20 miles away from the failing barrier, which is just downstream from Lake Michigan. And if that barrier fails, then essentially the Great Lakes as we know them are over.”


The U.S. House and Senate passed a bill that will supply 75 percent of the funds for building a new barrier. The Great Lakes governors have agreed to supply the rest of the money. President Bush has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk. Buchsbaum says the new barrier can be completed within 60 to 90 days.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Epa to Regulate Airplane De-Icing Fluid?

The Environmental Protection Agency says it might impose new restrictions on airports. Officials with the EPA say de-icing chemicals used on planes and taxiways can contaminate surface water. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:

Transcript

The Environmental Protection Agency says it might impose new restrictions on airports.
Officials with the EPA say de-icing chemicals used on planes and taxiways can
contaminate surface water. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee
reports:


Many airlines spray ethylene glycol on planes to melt ice and frost. The EPA says that
chemical can endanger wildlife when it enters nearby water bodies. The agency
estimates that 21 million gallons of de-icing fluid are discharged from airports every year.


The EPA plans to study de-icing chemicals to determine whether any restrictions are
necessary. Claudio Ternieden of the American Association of Airport Executives
acknowledges de-icing chemicals may have an environmental impact, but says the issue
is not as simple as it seems.


“I think it’s important to remember, this is a safety-based industry and what we’re trying
to do is make sure folks are flying safely. That’s the primary goal of our industry.”


Many airports already use strict treatment or recycling programs for de-icing fluid. Last
winter, the Detroit Metro Airport recycled about 850 thousand gallons of the fluid, more
than any other airport in the world.


The EPA predicts it will complete its study of de-icing chemicals in three years.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Environmentalists Cheered by Dam Removals

60 dams are scheduled for removal this year across the country. 40 of them are currently located in the eight Great Lakes states. Environmentalists say the removal of these dams will improve water quality and help restore fisheries. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:

Transcript

60 dams are scheduled for removal this year across the country, 40 of them
are currently located in the eight Great Lakes states. Environmentalists
say the removal of these dams will improve water quality and help restore fisheries.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:


A survey by the environmental group American Rivers shows
that more than 145 dams have been removed nationwide since 1999. Serena
McClain is a conservation associate for American Rivers. She says there are
two good reasons why these dams are coming down. First, there’s a growing
concern for the ecological health of rivers and streams. But there is also
an economic benefit to removing some dams.


“It’s an infrastructure that requires constant maintenance and improvement. And a lot of
these dams, too… they’ve outlived their purpose. When they were first built, a lot of them
powered old grist mills, but now they’re just sitting there, kind of rotting away.”


McClain says migratory species like salmon and trout are negatively impacted by dams,
and new evidence shows even fish that don’t travel as far benefit when the structures are
pulled down. About 65 percent of the dams scheduled for removal this year are located
in the eight Great Lakes states.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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New Home Video Fuels Cougar Debate

For decades, wildlife agencies in several Midwestern states have denied there are wild mountain lions in the region. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the debate is heating up again following the release of a recent video:

Transcript

For decades, wildlife agencies in several Midwestern states have denied there are wild mountain lions in the region. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the debate is heating up again following the release of a recent video:


Carol Stokes regularly videotapes deer and other animals as they emerge from the
trees near her southern Michigan home. But in April, Stokes filmed two large, sandy colored cats picking through a cornfield.


(sound of video: “Are they dogs or coyotes? They look like lions…”)


Pat Rusz is with the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. He says the cats are cougars and his organization has gotten thousands of reports from people who’ve spotted mountain lions in Michigan.


“This is not a mysterious, ghostlike animal, as sometimes is written about it. The things leave tracks, they leave other signs that are highly visible and in some cases they walk right out in front of people. The problem is, is that when one sees a cougar or sees a track, one is simply not believed.”


The debate over mountain lions has raged for years in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Wildlife agencies in those states say people who’ve spotted cougars have probably seen a large dog or a house cat.


Todd Hogrefe is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He says residents may release a pet cougar into the wild from time to time, but the DNR is really waiting to see the carcass of a cougar before they’ll draw any conclusions.


“We don’t dispute that there may be cougars in the state of Michigan, but the question is whether or not those cougars represent a viable, reproducing population. And at this time, the DNR doesn’t feel as though there is strong enough evidence to make that conclusion.”


Wildlife agencies from neighboring states also say they’re waiting for more definitive evidence. The Michigan DNR has sent Carol Stokes’ video to 14 independent cougar experts for analysis.


The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy says state officials should end the debate and start implementing policies to protect this endangered species.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Gl States Speak Up on Ballast Water Lawsuit

A lawsuit brought by several environmental groups in California seeks to increase protection against invasive species. The groups hope to force the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate ballast water discharge. Now, officials from the eight Great Lakes states are writing-in to support these groups in their lawsuit. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:

Transcript

A lawsuit brought by several environmental groups in California seeks
to increase protection against invasive species by forcing the
Environmental Protection Agency to regulate ballast water discharge.
Now, officials from the eight Great Lakes states are writing in to
support these groups in their lawsuit. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:


Researchers say ballast water from oceangoing ships is one of the
primary methods by which invasive species enter the Great Lakes.
State Attorney General Mike Cox wrote the amicus brief for Michigan.
He says under current EPA rules any ship that claims it doesn’t have
ballast can, in fact, issue discharge into the water.


“Now we know that right now and on any given day, about 85 to 90
percent of these ships claim that they don’t have any ballast on board.
That’s a claim that stretches credulity, quite simply because all ships
need ballast if they don’t have cargo.”


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that it
costs 45 million dollars a year just to control zebra mussels and sea
lampreys in the Great Lakes. Cox and the seven other Great Lakes
Attorneys General say the EPA must do more to protect the waters from
invasive species. The AGs have filed eight separate amicus briefs
supporting the case against the government. For the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

Feds Get an Earful on Mercury Proposal

The Environmental Protection Agency will soon make a decision about how quickly power plants must reduce mercury emissions. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:

Transcript

The Environmental Protection Agency will soon make a decision about how quickly power plants must reduce mercury emissions. The Great Lake Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:


Mercury poisoning is related to numerous chronic ailments, including severe kidney damage. In January of this year, the Bush administration issued a proposal to lower mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 54% within 14 years.


Kate Madigan with the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan says Bush’s proposal is not strong enough.


“The current mercury proposal would allow 6-7 times more mercury into the nation’s air and for at least a decade longer than the Clean Air Act would allow if faithfully implemented.”


The public comment period on the proposed regulation ended on June 28th. The EPA says more than 600,000 Americans sent in letters over the past six months. That’s nearly three times as many comments as the agency has received on any other issue. New mercury emissions regulations will be issued by December of this year.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Anglers to Profit From Whitefish Study

Great Lakes fishermen can collect five dollars for every tagged whitefish they catch. Biologists are collecting data for two studies on whitefish. If they prove the fish are in danger… that could reduce the number of animals fisherman can reel in. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:

Transcript

Great Lakes fishermen can collect five dollars for every tagged whitefish they catch. Biologists are collecting data for two studies on whitefish. If they prove the fish are in danger – that could reduce the number of animals fisherman can reel in. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports:


Fish biologist Mark Ebener says zebra mussels in the Great Lakes have caused a severe reduction in the primary food source for whitefish – a tiny crustacean known as diporeia. He says many of the whitefish he’s seen have been emaciated.


The first study will determine the distribution of the fish throughout the Great Lakes Basin. The second will study the natural mortality rate of whitefish and how it affects the Total Allowable Catch, or TAC, for commercial fishermen.


“One of the things we need to really quantify well is the natural mortality rate because it also has a big effect on your estimates of TACs, and we’re sure that their natural mortality rate has changed since zebra mussels came into the lakes and diporeia abundance declined.”


The two studies will continue until 2006. Fishermen who catch tagged fish can collect a five-dollar reward for calling in the tag number. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

Comments Sought on Navigation Study

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Canadian Department of Transportation are studying the navigational system in the Great Lakes and along the Saint Lawrence River. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the groups are holding public hearings on the issue this summer:

Transcript

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Canadian Department of
Transportation are studying the navigational system in the Great Lakes and along the
Saint Lawrence River. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports,
the groups are holding public hearings on the issue this summer:


The study will evaluate current conditions in the Great Lakes and determine what is
required to maintain the navigational routes at the existing size and capacity.


Tim Eder is the director of Water Resources for National Wildlife
Federation. He says any plans for Great Lakes navigation must address current problems
of invasive species and habitat destruction, not make them worse. Eder says only a
handful of ships come in from foreign ports on a daily basis…


“But each ship brings with it the risk of another invasive species and right now, our
fishery in the Great Lakes region is teetering on the brink of collapse because of zebra
mussels, because of sea lampreys, because of Asian carp that are knocking on the door
trying to get into the Great Lakes… most of which, not all, but most of which come in the
ballast tanks of ships from foreign ports.”


The public hearings are being held at various locations through July 14th.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Pollutants Feminizing Male Snapping Turtles

Canadian researchers say male snapping turtles in the Great Lakes and the Detroit River have developed sexual abnormalities. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the abnormalities could prevent the animals from reproducing:

Transcript

Canadian researchers say male snapping turtles in the Great Lakes
and the Detroit River have developed sexual abnormalities. As the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, the abnormalities could
prevent the animals from reproducing:


Researchers with the Canadian Wildlife Service say male snapping
turtles with abnormally small genitalia have been found in waters near
Detroit. The turtles are also producing a protein that is normally found
only in females.


Scientists tested the water where the turtles lived and more than 50
chemicals that can affect hormone systems in wildlife were discovered.
Biologist Chip Weseloh says no sexual abnormalities were found in
turtles from less polluted areas. He says this means the pollutants in the
Great Lakes might actually be affecting the animals’ genders.


“It indicates that there’s been a feminization of some kind and to
some extent in the turtles themselves. So instead of being pure males,
they’re showing characteristics of females.”


Weseloh says this condition is not yet interfering with the turtles’
ability to reproduce, but that could become a problem in the future. The
Canadian Wildlife Service plans to continue testing, but scientists have not
yet determined which pollutants are responsible or where they may be coming
from.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.

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Goose Herding a Growing Industry

  • Giant Canada Geese, Belle Isle, Detroit. (Photo by Celeste Headlee)

In just thirty years, the Giant Canada Goose has gone from near extinction to a now-thriving population. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of geese gather on golf courses and in state parks, often causing problems for their human neighbors. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Celeste Headlee reports, some property owners have found a unique solution to the problem:

Transcript

In just thirty years, the Giant Canada Goose has gone from near
extinction to a now thriving population. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of geese
gather on golf courses and in state parks, often causing problems for
their human neighbors. As the Great Lake Radio Consortium’s Celeste
Headlee reports, some property owners have found a unique solution to the
problem:


A year ago, dozens of families flocked to Pier Park in the Detroit suburb
of
Grosse Pointe Woods for an annual Easter egg hunt. Children rushed
onto the
grass with their brightly colored baskets and then stopped abruptly when
they found themselves surrounded by Giant Canada geese and their
droppings.


Park manager Michelle Balke says local residents decided
the geese had to go.


“They left droppings everywhere. You couldn’t walk on the grass. They’re
aggressive. If kids start going up to them, they start hissing back and it
got really annoying. They were everywhere.”


It hasn’t always been like that. The Giant Canada goose was so rare 30
years ago that many scientists thought it was extinct. But a few of the
large birds were spotted in the 1960s. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources began
an aggressive recovery program and there are now three and a half million Canada geese in the
U.S.


Conservation agencies say the birds cause hundreds of thousands of
dollars in damage every year because of accumulated droppings, overgrazing,
attacks against people and threats to aircraft.


(sound of geese)


Tom Schneider is the curator of birds at the Detroit Zoo. He trades
glares with a large male bird that has taken up residence on a lawn at the zoo. The
big black and grey goose honks at Schneider, warning him to stay away
from his chosen territory. Schneider says one aggressive bird can be a bit of
a problem, but a large crowd of them is unacceptable.


“People tend to like them until they get to be a certain number where they
become a nuisance, and when they become a nuisance, they don’t want
any geese. So, you might have a lake that has five pairs on there and that’s
great, but if you have 50 pairs of geese on there, it’s not so good
anymore.”


Schneider is a member of the Canada Goose Coalition. The group
includes representatives from the government, hunters, scientists and animal
welfare organizations. The coalition deals with the large population of Canada
Geese in the Great Lakes region. Schneider says one of the problems
with the birds is that they eat grass. Most birds don’t.


“The problem is they don’t have very efficient digestive systems. So they
have to eat a lot of food to get their nutrients, so as a result they
produce a lot of fecal material.”


Schneider says property owners have struggled to deal with large
groups of geese and the droppings they leave behind. One adult goose produces
about a pound and a half of droppings every day. When there are a hundred
birds on a piece of property… well… you can imagine. But the birds are federally
protected. So there’s not a lot that you can do.


(sound of geese)


But…one guy got an idea and called Barbara Ray. Ray had for years
been training border collies to drive sheep when she got a call from a man
looking for a dog to herd birds.


“I had a golf course superintendent who just had an idea about trying to
use these dogs to herd the geese… not chase them because the dog
needed to be under control. We certainly can’t have a dog that catches the geese
and shreds them like other breeds would be prone to do. But one that is
simply jazzed by staring down and moving birds in a specific direction.”


Ray says it was easy for the dogs to learn how to drive geese and one
dog can cover several hundred acres. She says border collies naturally
intimidate prey without barking or attacking, so they’re perfect for this
kind of work.


“What they’re using is a ‘let’s make my day’ kind of approach where the
stock believes if they don’t move as the dog quietly approaches, staring at
them in this intimidating fashion, that they’re probably going to follow up and
do something more demonstrative.”


Ray has built a business around training goose dogs and has so far
sold more than 500 of the dogs. One of those border collies ended up at Pier Park
in suburban Detroit. Manager Michelle Balke says it’s been a year since
the dog, Kate, arrived and there is no longer a problem with geese at the
park.


“She had just gotten rid of them, whether they sense her being here or
what, but they just stopped coming around. They were going next door, they
were hanging out on Lakeshore Road out there, but they just weren’t coming
into the park.”


(ambient sound of geese fade in)


Tom Schneider says goose dogs are an effective, humane way to deal
with Canada geese on private property, but it’s not a permanent solution to
the problem of overpopulation.


“The problem with that program… in many ways, it shifts those problem
geese to a different location, so maybe they may no longer be a problem on
this golf course but now they’re a problem on that golf course. While that
does provide some remedy for the people in those situations, it doesn’t really
solve the bigger, overall picture.”


Schneider has led a goose management program for over a decade at
the Detroit Zoo that involves destroying eggs. That program has cut the
number of geese on zoo grounds from between 500 and a thousand to 50.


This year, Schneider’s team will travel to other places to destroy eggs
and encourage thousands of geese to move on. But you have to have a
permit to do that which is not that easy to do. Schneider thinks goose dogs might
be the best alternative for private landowners.


(ambient sound out)


Goose dogs have become so popular that more than a dozen
companies around the U.S. now train and sell border collies to chase the Giant Canada
Goose.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Celeste Headlee.


(goose sound out)