Invasive Mussels Thrive, Native Mussels Endangered & a Restoration Update

The Delta College Q-90.1 FM Environment Report, heard Fridays at 9 a.m. as part of the award-winning Friday Edition segment.

The report for Feb. 17, 2012:

A Rayed Bean Mussel. Photo by USFWS

Rayed Bean and Snuffbox

You may have heard of invasive mussels in the Great Lakes, including the zebra mussel and quagga mussel.

You may not have heard that two native, freshwater mussels in the region are now considered endangered.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the two mussels, called the rayed bean and the snuffbox, as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Both freshwater mussels are currently found in rivers in the Eastern United States, including Michigan, as well as in Ontario, Canada.

But federal officials say there have been dramatic declines in populations of both freshwater mussels.

The rayed bean has been eliminated from 73 percent of its historical range. It was once found in 115 streams and lakes, and today is found in only 31 streams and Lake Erie.

The snuffbox has disappeared from 62 percent of the streams in which it was historically found, from 210 streams down to 79 streams.

Freshwater mussels require clean water. Their decline often signals a decline in the water quality of the streams and rivers they inhabit, officials say.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is now working on recovery plans for the two mussels, to coordinate efforts to conserve their habitat.

Another $300 Million Proposed

Funding for Great Lakes restoration would remain intact under a 2013 budget proposed by President Barack Obama.

The president’s budget contains $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That would maintain funds for the program at same level as in the 2012 fiscal year budget.

The Restoration Initiative pays for projects to address toxic contamination, polluted run-off, aquatic invasive species, and loss of habitat and wetlands.

During the last three years, the Initiative has provided more than $1 billion to restoration programs in Michigan and seven other states, according to the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

Awards to projects in the Saginaw Bay region during that time include two grants totaling more than $800,000.

Those include a land policy project by Michigan State University to implement land use planning, protection, and restoration strategies; and a sediment reduction project for the Sebewaing River Watershed, headed by the Michigan Deparment of Agriculture.

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Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes Restoration & Asian Carp Control Comments

As heard Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

Merry Christmas

1.

Michigan and other Great Lakes states are receiving a total of $300 million for environmental restoration projects under a 2012 federal budget bill passed recently by Congress.

The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is praising the bill, which is waiting to be signed into law by President Obama.

The bill would provide $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore wildlife habitat, stop invasive species and reduce polluted run-off from farms and cities, according to the coalition.

Also included in the budget is almost $1.5 billion to help communities across the U.S. address sewage overflows with low- and no-interest loans.

Of that, Michigan is to receive about $63 million.

The money for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2012 is virtually the same as in 2011.

2.

What are the best ways to keep Asian carp and other invasives out of the Great Lakes?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking public comments.

The Corps has released a paper that identifies various options for keeping aquatic invasives like the carp from entering the lakes via pathways like the Chicago Area Waterway System.

The Corps is examining controls for Asian carp and other invasives as part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study.

The identified controls range from those currently in use, such as aquatic herbicides and introduced predatory fish species,  to controls that are in research and development.

The paper says possible controls include modifying flow conditions, including plugging the man-made Chicago shipping canal that connects to Lake Michigan.

Interested members of the public are being asked to review the list contained in the paper and provide comments or further information.

To comment, see glmris.anl.gov. The deadline is Feb. 17.

— Photo by Alex Hern

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Mich Enviro Report: Ban on Hunting and Snowmobiling in Huron-Manistee & Avian Botulism

As heard Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, NPR:

1.

Comments are being taken until Dec. 21 on snowmobile and firearm use in the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

…

A proposal to ban gun hunting and snowmobiling within certain areas of the forests was prompted by a federal court decision.

The U.S. Forest Service has now developed alternatives related to snowmobile and firearm use in areas of the national forests.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs is encouraging people to attend several public meetings planned to explain the process and submit written comments.

The alternatives include no action, no snowmobiling or firearm hunting in the forest areas, and allowing firearm hunting and snowmobiling use to continue as is.

Meetings are planned for Birch Run, Oscoda, Mio and other locations.

2.

The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy is looking for help from citizen scientists.

The Bay City-based conservancy says people can help improve the Great Lakes ecosystem by reporting sightings of injured or dead birds, and algal blooms, to the federal Wildlife Health Monitoring Network.

The reports can help with research on avian botulism and protecting birds from the disease.

The reporting system was funded by a grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Injured or dead wildlife, and evidence of algal blooms, can be an indication that an area is being affected by a Botulism outbreak, which can kill waterfowl.

In recent decades, incidences of botulism in the Great Lakes have increased steadily, according to federal sources. Thousands of birds died from 1998-2001 in Lakes Huron and Erie.

— Photo by Paul Williams

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Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes Cleanup to Help Unemployed, Saginaw Bay Meeting Coming Up

As heard on Friday. Aug. 26, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1.

If you’re unemployed, you may be able to get a job cleaning up the Great Lakes.

The federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is setting aside about $6 million for federal agencies that propose restoration work in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes basin.

A key requirement for projects is that they must put at least 20 unemployed people to work, according to EPA officials.

The Saginaw River and Bay is a Great Lakes Area of Concern.

Funded projects must be aimed at advancing the goals and objectives of the initiative. That is, they must provide immediate, direct ecological benefits; be located in areas identified as federal priorities such as national lakeshores or Areas of Concern; include a detailed budget, and produce measurable results, according to EPA.

The agency plans to award funding for selected projects by the end of September. EPA will fund individual projects up to $1 million.

For more information, see www.glri.us.

2.

Speaking of Saginaw Bay, a public meeting is planned for Thursday, Sept. 1, on the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative.

The SBCI, as it’s called, was started by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality a number of years ago, partially in response to complaints about shoreline muck. The meeting is from 1-3 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Pere Marquette Depot at 100 Adams St. in downtown Bay City.

On the agenda are appearances by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and David White, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

They are due to speak on ‘Agriculture, Conservation and Great Lakes.’

Bay County officials are encouraging interested residents to attend the Sept. 1 meeting and express their support for bay improvements.

Local government officials involved with SBCI have been coordinating with interested people, businesses and other organizations in Arenac, Bay, Huron, Iosco, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties to advocate for Saginaw Bay and inform state and federal agencies on needs, priorities, and concerns for the region.

- Photo via vespar avenue.
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Mich Enviro Report: Smog, Free Trees and Wild Hogs

1.

Record-breaking temperatures have created smog problems in Michigan this week. 

Smog, or ground-level ozone, is created when chemicals from sources like vehicle exhaust react in the presence of sunlight.

Many cities in Michigan and other Great Lakes states have experienced elevated levels of ground-level ozone this week, according to Great Lakes Echo.

Such elevated levels of ozone are unhealthy for children, older adults and people who existing lung or asthma conditions.

Ozone Action Days were declared for several areas in Michigan this week, including Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Ludington.

When it’s hot outside, you should avoid driving if you can, and car pool. You also can put off mowing the lawn for a while. As well, people should avoid prolonged, strenuous work or exercise when air pollution is elevated.

Problems with ozone are due to subside this weekend, with more moderate temperature in the 70s.

You can find local air quality data and forecasts online at Michigan.gov/deq.

2.

You also can stay cool under the shade of a tree.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking funding for trees to replace those damaged by invasive species.

A juice company called Odwalla is sponsoring a Plant a Tree program across the country. Michigan is vying for up to $100,000 to plant new trees at state parks.

To help, all you have to do is vote at the Odwalla website. Every vote equals $1 for planting trees in state parks.

The address is odwalla.com/plantatree. So far this year, votes have supported the planting of more than 12,000 trees in Michigan.

Last year, state employees helped to push Michigan into the top spot for the second year in a row, capturing more than $45,000 worth of free trees.

As of Thursday (June 9), Michigan is the top spot in the country for free tree money.

3.

Federal money is available to Michigan landowners and agricultural producers in the Saginaw Bay watershed as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

According to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the funding will be available to Michigan landowners and agricultural producers through existing conservation programs. A sign-up for financial assistance runs until July 1. Up to $5.6 million is available.

Landowners can receive technical and financial assistance to implement conservation activities on their land that conserve soil, water, air and wildlife resources.

Assistance in the Saginaw Bay watershed will be targeted to address non-point source pollution and grassland bird habitat.

A four-county area in the Saginaw Bay region also will have funding available to address feral swine, or wild hogs.
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Photo via Duncan Harris

Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes grant $, Levin back on task & Don’t flush your drugs

From the Friday, April 8, Environment Report on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

1.

New funding is available for Great Lakes restoration.

Photo by Minimalist Photography / Steve Johnson

Getting a shot at it is a task for many area environmental and conservation organizations.

That’s why the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is making funding available to help local groups in the region obtain and use funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The HOW grants program will be providing $115,000 to help jump-start projects.

The HOW program has identified five focus areas in the Great Lakes.

Those areas include spots in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay.

HOW is making the grant preparation funding available with help from a group called Freshwater Future.

A Saginaw Bay Priority Area Meeting is planned for Friday, April 15 from 9 to noon at the Sage Branch Library in Bay City.

For more information, see  freshwaterfuture.org. (or this pdf meeting announcement)

2.

A federal Great Lakes task force will continue to be led by a Michigan senator.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat, will serve as co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force for the 112th Congress. The other co-chair is Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois.

According to Levin, the task force has led the way to passage of legislation to clean up contaminated sediments, fight invasive species and prevent the diversion of precious fresh water from the Great Lakes basin.

Recently, co-chair Kirk has worked with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin to crack down on raw sewage dumping into the lakes.

The Great Lakes Task Force is a group that works to enhance the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes.

Members have worked to pass programs supporting the lakes, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Levin has served as the Democratic co-chair of the task force since 1999.

3.

Don’t flush your old drugs, plan for National Take Back day.

This year’s National Take Back Initiative Drug Disposal Drive is planned for April 30th.

In Bay County, drives will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30th.

People will be able to turn in old, expired and unneeded medications at …

• the Bay County Sheriff Department
• the Bay City Police Department
• the Michigan State Police Post on Euclid Avenue
• and Delta College Department of Public Safety.

The National Take Back Initiative is aimed at properly disposing of unwanted prescription and over the counter drugs, so they don’t contaminate the water supply, or end up in the hands of people who might abuse them.

Drop offs are anonymous and people who use the program will not be questioned, according to Bay County Executive Tom Hickner.

Last year, the collection day netted 54 pounds of medicine, which was transferred to an undisclosed location and incinerated.

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Mich Enviro Report: BaySail Scholarships, Used Car Mileage & Great Lakes Benefits

As heard on Friday Edition, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

Audio Link

1.

The BaySail program is gearing up for the spring 2011 season, and offering nine fully funded scholarships.

The Appledore schooners. Via BaySailBayCity.org

The scholarships will go to fund environmental education programs for seventh grade classrooms in Bay, Saginaw and Midland counties.

The program is called Science Under Sail. It features hands-on science lessons aboard two Appledore schooners operated by BaySail, a nonprofit located in Bay City.

Scholarship applications are being taken through March 25th.

The trips will be paid for by the Dow Corning Donor Advised Fund.

Interested teachers need to submit a short scholarship application and a letter of support from a school administrator.

The Science Under Sail program focuses on water quality and ecosystem health. Students aboard the schooners analyze water, sediment and plankton samples that they collect while the ships are underway.

You can find out more information on the program online at baysailbaycity.org.

2.

Car shoppers and car dealers, take note.

If you’re shopping for, or selling a used car, you need to know about an EPA program for window stickers.

Usually, fuel economy stickers only appear on new cars or trucks.

But the EPA is now offering fuel information for used vehicles, in a window sticker format.

The fuel economy ratings for older cars go back to 1984.

The EPA is encouraging car dealers to use the new labels.

The fuel economy numbers are for older model vehicles, but the EPA has applied updates to the numbers based on a new estimating method from 2008.

You find the used car fuel economy labels online at fueleconomy. gov.

3.

There’s a new study out on the economic benefits of restoring the Great Lakes in Michigan.

The bottom line: The benefits far exceed the costs.

The study, done by economists at Grand Valley State University, looked at a $10 million federal project to restore the shoreline of Muskegon Lake.

They concluded that $10 million spent to restore fish and wildlife habitat along several miles of the lake increased the collective value of nearby homes by $12 million.

That same $10 million investment also upped the lake’s recreational value by $2.5 million.

Added together, that’s $15 million of value for $10 million. Not a bad investment, the economists say.

The cost-benefit analysis also doesn’t include other positives, like jobs created by restoration projects.

Funding for Great Lakes restoration is due to drop this year. A total of $475 million was provided last year, under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This year’s funding could drop to $225 million. The measure is still being debated in Congress.

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Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes Restoration, Wireless Parks & a Tidy Lighthouse

As heard on Delta Q-90.1 FM, Feb. 18, 2011 …

1.

Michigan’s Ag Director says broadband Internet service could help bring more visitors to state parks.

But the head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment says expanding wireless service to more state parks would be too expensive.

According to Capital News Service, Michigan was the first state to add wireless Internet service, for a fee, at  eight of its 97 state parks in 2004. That pilot program included East Tawas. Internet access is still available at those parks, for a cost of $8 a day.

But there wasn’t much interest, since nearby coffee shops and other businesses often offer free Internet access and many people can surf the Internet for free with their smartphones.

The latest proposal would make the Internet free at some state parks. But it’s not clear if that will happen.

2.

Speaking of Tawas,  the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment is looking for  lighthouse keepers.

The keepers can stay up to two weeks at the Tawas Point Lighthouse, located in Tawas State Park. The keepers are responsible for greeting guests, leading tours, working in the museum’s gift shop and doing some light maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

The lighthouse was recently renovated, and staying in the keeper’s quarters costs $250 per person, per week. The quarters include two bedrooms, a kitchen and a single bathroom.

The program is available to single folks and couples from March 4 through Dec. 23.

The Tawas Point Lighthouse has been in operation since 1876.

3.

Funding would be cut for a Great Lakes restoration plan under a federal budget recently submitted by President Barack Obama.

The budget calls for $350 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2012. That’s $125 million less than the $475 million in the 2010 budget, and $50 million more than the amount requested for this year.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition says more funding is needed for the initiative, which aims to clean up toxic pollution, control invasive species like the Asian carp and restore habitat.

The coalition says the restoration initiative offers some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget. The money goes for efforts to protect drinking water, safeguard public health, create jobs and improve the quality of life, the coalition says. A 2007 Brookings Institution study said every dollar spent on the Great Lakes restoration generates $2 in economic activity.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lake Coalition, which represents more than 100 environmental conservation and other organizations, is pushing Congress to fund the initiative at $475 million in 2012.

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