Public Hearing on Double Crested Cormorant Damage

[BobTidmore]

Date: 7/28/2008

Time: 12:00 PM

Meeting: Public Hearing

Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources

Chair: Representative Joel Sheltrown

All bills referred to this committee

Location: Peaine Township Hall 36825 Kings Highway Beaver Island, MI 49782


Agenda: Hearing on Double Crested Cormorant Damage and Depredation

Here is your chance to tell our elected officials about this issue.

[Chamber of Commerce]

7-14-2008 Resolved

"By a unanimous vote the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors strongly believes that the effort to reduce the number of Double Crested Cormorants in the Beaver Archipelago must be continued."

We will speak at the meeting.

It is best to bring prepared written remarks, short and to the point.

[JFPowers]

Cormorants in the Beaver Island archipelago remove 90,000 pounds of fish per day from our waters. This has affected all of our fisheries. This summer large flocks of cormorants have been observed feeding in the near shore waters to Beaver Island almost every day. This is our opportunity to inform the following State Representatives of the importance of continuing and expanding the Cormorant Control Efforts in the Beaver Islands:

Rep. Terry Brown
Rep. Darwin Booher
Rep. Tom Casperson
Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer
Rep. Ted Hammon
Rep. Joel Sheltrown
Rep. Howard Walker

Please come and make your voice heard,
Thank you,
Jeffrey Powers DVM, President, Beaver Island

[BobTidmore]

Thanks to all those who attended the meeting.

Frank Solle forwarded this to me:

LAWMAKER QUESTIONS DNR CORMORANT KILL-RATE
July 29, 2008

State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer is asking two state agencies to review and explain a watered-down cormorant management initiative that severely lessens the environmental protection measures supported by local officials.

Elsenheimer today sent letters to Rebecca Humphries, Department of Natural Resources director, and Steven Chester, Department of Environmental Quality director, after learning DNR staff in Lansing revised the 90-percent cormorant kill rate recommended by the department's northern Michigan staff to just 10 percent. Cormorants are migratory birds that dive over 100 feet for fish. They have been known to eat close to one pound of fish per day. Some experts believe that one of the largest collection of these birds in the northern hemisphere are located in the Beaver Island Archipelago.

"Northern Michigan residents and businesses have been dealing with the cormorant issue for years and they deserve to know the basis for this decision made hundreds of miles away in Lansing," said Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin. "Experience on the ground and hearings point to the necessity of a management program that will yield real results and relief from the cormorants."

Included in the letter to the department heads are aerial photographs of two islands, Hat and Pismire, that have been decimated by cormorant scat.

"I think the waste issue should be of interest to the Department of Environmental Quality," Elsenheimer said. "If the contaminants left by cormorants were instead the result of a commercial enterprise or private individual, the DEQ would have all kinds of oversight and environmental standards those entities would be required to follow.

"I appreciate that the DNR and DEQ have been working on cormorant management. All parties must continue to work together for the best interests of northern Michigan, but our efforts must have measurable results to end this environmental and recreational risk to our precious natural resources."

[Chamber of Commerce]

WELL DONE Wildlife Club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin and the others got the message loud and clear. All six and the Chair clearly agree Cormorants need to be reduced far more than they have been to date.



MDNR & MDEQ Cormorants.pdf

[Chamber of Commerce]

Thanks for getting the letter up Jeff. My putter skills poor.

Kevin is working hard on this project. His Chief of Staff called yesterday to report that staffers for many other Reps were requesting info photos etc.

Jeff Powers just provided Kevin with info about the much higher reduction effort going on in WI.

The "elected ones" are paying attention.