Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/wildlife/page/11/)
By Megan Durisin
Jan. 25, 2010
LANSING, Mich. — A new bill would increase hunting opportunities by annually auctioning off five bear and elk licenses. Rep. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, the primary sponsor and vice chair of the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee, said the aim is two-fold. “We’re trying to find a way to help lower the licensing fees for those in state,” Stamas said.
The Great Lakes states are home to 155 coal-fired power plants that discharge wastewater into local lakes and streams. That wastewater can carry heavy metals and other dangerous contaminants, and has gone largely unregulated for the past 27 years. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to step in with new rules to fend off environmental concerns. Join the Great Lakes Echo for a four-day series unpacking the problems with power plant wastewater in the Great Lakes. Day 1. Great Lakes states spotty on coal limits; some water contaminants ignored. Day 2.
By Nick Mordowanec
Dec. 13, 2009
LANSING, Mich. — Ever since the emerald ash borer swept through Michigan in the summer of 2002, the state has spent tens of millions of dollars to subdue it. But the exotic beetle thought to have come to the United States through airplane or ship cargo remains rampant. Adult beetles cause minimal damage by nibbling on foliage, but the larvae feed on the inner bark of trees, disrupting nutrient and water flow.
By Mehak Bansil
Nov. 27, 2009
LANSING–Lake sturgeon, one of the oldest surviving species from prehistoric times, is making a small comeback in the Great Lakes region. “They’ve increased about a couple of percent since their lowest numbers, but at least the populations aren’t going down anymore,” said Bruce Manny, a fishery biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor. The increase is due in part to a spawning project in Black Lake, an inland lake in Cheboygan County. According to a report in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 40 percent of the lake sturgeon released into Black Lake as part of the project survived their first winter, but Manny said, there are no estimates on the actual number due to a lack of comprehensive studies.
What do cologne and Indiana’s great blue herons have in common? They both contain chemicals that are increasingly worrisome to Great Lakes officials. A list of contaminants of emerging concern includes synthetic musks and perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs. Musks are a key ingredient of perfume. PFCs have had a bevy of industrial uses including fire-fighting foams and stain-resistant Scotchgard.
Click each park to see its threats. View Great Lakes Parks in Peril in a larger map
By Haley Walker and Yang Zhang
Nov. 4, 2009
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is among U.S. national parks most vulnerable to climate change, according to a recent report. The park on the southern end of Lake Michigan faces an increase in flooding, overcrowding and air pollution and a loss of wildlife, plants and fish. Other parks in the Great Lakes region are also at risk of these effects.
By Sarah Coefield
Coefield@msu.edu
Great Lakes Echo
Sept. 23, 2009
Countless deer descend on crops in the Great Lakes region, leaving in their wake torn corn silks, leafless soybeans, devastated orchards and millions of dollars in damage. It’s a drop in the bucket for the agriculturally rich region but nonetheless painful for individual farmers. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor amount, but it can be your entire crop,” said Paul Zimmerman, the public affairs executive director for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. While damage may be little noticed on large farms, it can be devastating for small operations where deer can quickly wipe out a field of young soybeans. “Welcome to raising crops in Mother Nature,” Zimmerman said.
By Sarah Coefield
coefield@msu.edu
Great Lakes Echo
Sept. 15, 2009
A run on guns and ammo in the wake of President Barack Obama’s election last year may be a boon to Great Lakes wildlife. A federal tax on the manufacture and import of firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows is distributed to states for wildlife conservation and hunter education programs.
And those tax collections are climbing fast. Background checks for gun purchases hit record levels in November and corresponded with significant gun and ammunition sales. Gun enthusiasts say they’re stocking up because they fear interference in gun rights by the Obama administration.
(MI) Flint Journal – The Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission has not yet determined whether a managed archery hunt will be used to control the wild deer population causing habitat damage at For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum in Burton. However, potential participants will be prequalified and selected through a special testing program and lottery drawing, in order to be prepared for this fall’s hunting season should the commissioners vote to move ahead with the plan. More
(MI) The Detroit News – Nationwide, 1 million dove hunters will spend more than $1 billion on lodging, licenses and supplies. None of it will be spent in Michigan. Forty states allow dove hunting. And while Texans are the most fanatical, the dove season is a much anticipated gateway to fall hunting in many other places. More