FreeByrd
12-21-2001, 12:10 PM
Opportunity for input to cormorant population management policy changes.
Long post but worth reading and commenting if cormorants are an issue on the lake(s) you fish.
Steve
******************************************
Office of Public Affairs
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
202/208 5634 Fax: 202/219 2428
December 18, 2001 Chris Tollefson 202-208-5634
SERVICE ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETINGS ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ON DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT MANAGEMENT
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the dates, times and locations of a series of 10 public meetings that will be held in January and February across the nation to gather comments on and discuss a recently released draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for double-crested cormorants. The Service also announced a six week extension of the public comment period on the draft EIS, changing the deadline for public comments to February 28, 2002.
The draft EIS analyzes various options for managing rapidly growing cormorant populations in order to reduce conflicts with recreational fishing, commercial aquaculture, and other birds and natural resources.
"We encourage the public to attend these meetings or to comment on the draft environmental impact statement in writing. Public input is vital as we craft a management strategy that ensures healthy cormorant populations while reducing conflicts with humans," said Tom Melius, the Service's assistant director for migratory birds and state programs.
Cormorants have been federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act since 1972, a period when their populations had dropped precipitously due to use of the pesticide DDT, killings by humans and the overall declining health of many ecosystems, especially that of the Great Lakes. Today, the population is at historic highs, due in large part to the presence of ample food in their summer and winter ranges, federal and state protection, and reduced contaminant levels.
Between 1970 and 1991, in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada the number of double-crested cormorant nests increased from 89 to 38,000, with an average annual increase of 29 percent. By 1997, the Great Lakes population had reached approximately 93,000 pairs. The total population of double-crested cormorants in the U.S. and Canada has most recently been estimated at approximately 2 million birds.
The population resurgence of double-crested cormorants has led to increasing concern about the birds' impact on commercial and recreational fishery resources. The draft EIS evaluates six management alternatives, including such options as continuing or expanding current management practices, implementing only non-lethal management techniques, issuing a new Depredation Order to address public resource conflicts (the Service's proposed alternative), reducing cormorant populations at a regional level, and establishing frameworks for a cormorant hunting season.
- 2 -
The Service's proposed action would establish a new Depredation Order authorizing State, Tribal, and Federal land management agencies to implement a double-crested cormorant management program, while maintaining Federal oversight of populations via reporting and monitoring requirements to ensure sustainable populations. Control activities carried out under this new depredation order would take place on public and private lands and waters where double-crested cormorant populations are having a negative impact on public resources such as fish, plants and other wildlife. Under this action, the 1998 Aquaculture Depredation Order would continue to allow cormorants to be taken at commercial freshwater aquaculture facilities and State-owned fish hatcheries in 13 States and would be expanded to include winter roost control by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Program in those States. A Service regulation prohibiting lethal control of cormorants under most circumstances at National Fish Hatcheries would be revoked.
Dates, locations and times of the public meetings follow:
* Green Bay, Wisconsin - Monday, January 7, 2002, 7p.m.; Ramada Plaza Hotel, 2750 Ramada Way
* Mackinaw City, Michigan - Tuesday, January 8, 2002, 7p.m.; Hamilton Inn Select,
701 S. Huron Avenue
* Washington, DC - Wednesday, January 16, 2002, 10a.m.; Main Interior Building Auditorium, 1849 C Street, NW
* Athens, Texas - Monday, February 4, 2002, 7p.m.; Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center,
5550 Flat Creek Road (Farm Road 2495)
* Jackson, Mississippi -Tuesday, February 5, 2002, 6 p.m.; Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 400 Greymont Avenue
* Little Rock, Arkansas - Wednesday, February 6, 2002, 6 p.m.; University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, 2301 S. University Avenue
* South Burlington, Vermont - Monday, February 11, 2002, 7p.m.; Clarion Hotel,
1117 Williston Road
* Watertown, New York - Tuesday, February 12, 2002, 7p.m., Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington Street
* Syracuse, New York - Wednesday, February 13, 2002, 7p.m., Sheraton University Hotel
801 University Avenue
- 3 -
* Portland, Oregon - Tuesday, February 19, 2002, 7p.m., Doubletree Hotel - Lloyd Center
1000 NE Multnomah
The Service invites the public to comment on the draft EIS at these meetings and in writing. Written comments must be received by February 28, 2002. Comments may be mailed or delivered to the Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. In addition, comments on the DEIS may be submitted via the internet to: cormorant_eis@fws.gov, or via fax at (703) 358-2272.
Requests for copies of the DEIS should be mailed to Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Copies of the DEIS can also be downloaded from the Division of Migratory Bird Management web site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/cormorant.html. For further information, call the division at (703) 358-1714.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
- FWS -
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
Long post but worth reading and commenting if cormorants are an issue on the lake(s) you fish.
Steve
******************************************
Office of Public Affairs
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
202/208 5634 Fax: 202/219 2428
December 18, 2001 Chris Tollefson 202-208-5634
SERVICE ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETINGS ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ON DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT MANAGEMENT
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the dates, times and locations of a series of 10 public meetings that will be held in January and February across the nation to gather comments on and discuss a recently released draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for double-crested cormorants. The Service also announced a six week extension of the public comment period on the draft EIS, changing the deadline for public comments to February 28, 2002.
The draft EIS analyzes various options for managing rapidly growing cormorant populations in order to reduce conflicts with recreational fishing, commercial aquaculture, and other birds and natural resources.
"We encourage the public to attend these meetings or to comment on the draft environmental impact statement in writing. Public input is vital as we craft a management strategy that ensures healthy cormorant populations while reducing conflicts with humans," said Tom Melius, the Service's assistant director for migratory birds and state programs.
Cormorants have been federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act since 1972, a period when their populations had dropped precipitously due to use of the pesticide DDT, killings by humans and the overall declining health of many ecosystems, especially that of the Great Lakes. Today, the population is at historic highs, due in large part to the presence of ample food in their summer and winter ranges, federal and state protection, and reduced contaminant levels.
Between 1970 and 1991, in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada the number of double-crested cormorant nests increased from 89 to 38,000, with an average annual increase of 29 percent. By 1997, the Great Lakes population had reached approximately 93,000 pairs. The total population of double-crested cormorants in the U.S. and Canada has most recently been estimated at approximately 2 million birds.
The population resurgence of double-crested cormorants has led to increasing concern about the birds' impact on commercial and recreational fishery resources. The draft EIS evaluates six management alternatives, including such options as continuing or expanding current management practices, implementing only non-lethal management techniques, issuing a new Depredation Order to address public resource conflicts (the Service's proposed alternative), reducing cormorant populations at a regional level, and establishing frameworks for a cormorant hunting season.
- 2 -
The Service's proposed action would establish a new Depredation Order authorizing State, Tribal, and Federal land management agencies to implement a double-crested cormorant management program, while maintaining Federal oversight of populations via reporting and monitoring requirements to ensure sustainable populations. Control activities carried out under this new depredation order would take place on public and private lands and waters where double-crested cormorant populations are having a negative impact on public resources such as fish, plants and other wildlife. Under this action, the 1998 Aquaculture Depredation Order would continue to allow cormorants to be taken at commercial freshwater aquaculture facilities and State-owned fish hatcheries in 13 States and would be expanded to include winter roost control by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Program in those States. A Service regulation prohibiting lethal control of cormorants under most circumstances at National Fish Hatcheries would be revoked.
Dates, locations and times of the public meetings follow:
* Green Bay, Wisconsin - Monday, January 7, 2002, 7p.m.; Ramada Plaza Hotel, 2750 Ramada Way
* Mackinaw City, Michigan - Tuesday, January 8, 2002, 7p.m.; Hamilton Inn Select,
701 S. Huron Avenue
* Washington, DC - Wednesday, January 16, 2002, 10a.m.; Main Interior Building Auditorium, 1849 C Street, NW
* Athens, Texas - Monday, February 4, 2002, 7p.m.; Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center,
5550 Flat Creek Road (Farm Road 2495)
* Jackson, Mississippi -Tuesday, February 5, 2002, 6 p.m.; Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 400 Greymont Avenue
* Little Rock, Arkansas - Wednesday, February 6, 2002, 6 p.m.; University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, 2301 S. University Avenue
* South Burlington, Vermont - Monday, February 11, 2002, 7p.m.; Clarion Hotel,
1117 Williston Road
* Watertown, New York - Tuesday, February 12, 2002, 7p.m., Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington Street
* Syracuse, New York - Wednesday, February 13, 2002, 7p.m., Sheraton University Hotel
801 University Avenue
- 3 -
* Portland, Oregon - Tuesday, February 19, 2002, 7p.m., Doubletree Hotel - Lloyd Center
1000 NE Multnomah
The Service invites the public to comment on the draft EIS at these meetings and in writing. Written comments must be received by February 28, 2002. Comments may be mailed or delivered to the Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. In addition, comments on the DEIS may be submitted via the internet to: cormorant_eis@fws.gov, or via fax at (703) 358-2272.
Requests for copies of the DEIS should be mailed to Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Copies of the DEIS can also be downloaded from the Division of Migratory Bird Management web site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/cormorant.html. For further information, call the division at (703) 358-1714.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
- FWS -
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov