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Global Warming: The More You Know the Less You Care

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 27, 2008 (ENS) - A new public opinion poll has found that the more people know about global warming, the less they care.

A telephone survey of 1,093 Americans by two Texas A&M University political scientists and a former colleague indicates that trend, as explained in their recent article in the peer-reviewed journal "Risk Analysis." "More informed respondents both feel less personally responsible for global warming, and also show less concern for global warming," states the article, titled "Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the

USA."

The study showed that high levels of confidence in scientists among Americans led to a decreased sense of responsibility for global warming.  The diminished concern and sense of responsibility flies in the face of awareness campaigns about climate change.

The research was conducted by Paul Kellstedt, a political science professor at Texas A&M; Arnold Vedlitz, Bob Bullock Chair in Government and Public Policy at Texas A&M�s George Bush School of Government and Public Service; and Sammy Zahran, formerly of Texas A&M and now an assistant professor of sociology at Colorado State U.

Feds Kick off Electronic Barrier Safety Campaign

Safety concern for �man overboard� in electronic field area

See �Danger� flyer and �Aerial� map of area

Barrier Warning Flyer 2008.pdf

Fish Barrier Hazard Area Map 2008.pdf

March 27, 2008 � The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard will begin a campaign April 1st to advise boaters how to safely transit over the electric fish barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, IL. A portion of the canal near the barrier system has been a Regulated Navigation Area for passage of vessels since 2005.

The Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard have expanded their safety information campaign following the findings of a draft report that indicates the effect of the barrier�s electric field on a person immersed in the electrified water could result in serious injury or death.

The Corps, in collaboration with other federal, state, county and local agencies and the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council commissioned the report to determine the potential effects of the barrier�s electric field should a person fall into the water.

�Public safety is our highest priority. Although the draft report indicates a wide array of possible impacts, it does show that serious  injury or death is possible in worst case scenarios. Therefore, we feel that it is critically important to make sure that people know how to pass through the area safely. The safest thing is to keep people out of the water entirely,� said Col. Jack Drolet, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, the office responsible for building and operating the electric barrier system.

The final report will not be available until later this spring, but officials decided to begin an expanded education and information campaign now in order to reach people before the start of the Chicago area boating season.

�Reaching out to commercial and recreational users we 

initiated a workgroup to address the hazard of a person falling in the water within the fish barrier,� said CDR Paul Mehler III, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Unit Chicago. This partnership has resulted in a campaign involving distributing informational flyers at area locks, boat launches, bait shops, and fuel docks, and working with local and national boating groups to pass the information to as many boaters as possible.

The key message is to inform boaters to use extreme caution while traveling in the Sanitary and Ship Canal between River Miles 296.1  to 296.7. This  area is bounded approximately by the power plant near the Romeo Road bridge and an aerial pipeline arch.

While traveling through the area, take the following precautions:

� Do not enter the water or place hands or feet in the water for any reason,

� Be sure to closely supervise children and pets or send them below deck if possible,

� Do not linger or attempt to moor in the area.

The Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard are working with representatives from commercial navigation, recreational boating groups, the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council, and others to find ways to enhance safety features in the barrier area. The electric barrier has been operating in the Sanitary and Ship Canal since 2002  to control  movement and expansion of introduced invasive critters including Asian carp.  The purpose of the barrier system is to stop the movement of these nasty critters between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

For more information pertaining to the fish barrier: www.lrc.usace.army.mil/safety , USACE info: Lynne Whelan, Army Corps of Engineers: (312) 846-5330, [email protected], USCG: Lt. Corey Gardner-Meeks, (630) 986-2155, [email protected]

Legislation To Remove Barriers Introduces 87,000 to Hunting

Across the country, more than 87,000 new hunters have taken to the field thanks to laws that remove barriers to youth hunting.

The new laws and regulations are the direct result of the Families Afield initiative, which was launched to help turn the tide against waning youth hunter recruitment and decreasing license sales - a key source of revenue for state wildlife agencies.  The program was spearheaded by the NWTF and its partners, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen�s Alliance. 

Together, with the support of the National Rifle Association and local sportsmen�s organizations, Families Afield is getting results.  As barriers to hunting are struck down in state capitals nationwide, a new generation is discovering America�s time-honored hunting tradition.  To date, 25 states

have passed laws as a result of Families Afield.

In addition, a new research report from Mile Creek Communications shows that many states that have introduced apprentice license programs have shown sharp increases in youth license sales, from 10 percent to 111 percent.  The apprentice license programs help new hunters learn under the watchful eye and guiding hand of licensed adult mentors.  Completion of a hunter education course is still required for a new hunter to become fully licensed.

The new programs have garnered support from not only state wildlife agencies, but also lawmakers such as Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, who expressed his support for the mentoring system.   �This is how I learned to hunt, and how my son learned to hunt, and I think most hunters agree that it is the best way to pass on the tradition,� said Gov. Freudenthal.

MI - Lake Huron Regional Fisheries Workshops April 12 & 19

Michigan Sea Grant, in partnership with fisheries agencies and stakeholder organizations, is again hosting two public information workshops offering current research and information related to the Lake Huron fishery. These workshops are open to the public, and provide valuable information for anglers, charter captains, resource professionals, and other interested stakeholders.

April 12 - Bad Axe, MI

Franklin Inn

1060 E Huron Ave

Bad Axe, MI  48763

 989-362-3449

Registration Fee: $15.00 in advance , $20.00 at the door

Map, directions, agenda and application can be viewed here:

www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/fisheries/Fishery-Workshop-Bad-Axe-08.pdf  

April 19 - Alpena, MI

F.O.E. Meeting Hall

1960 M-32 West

Alpena, MI  49707

 989-362-3449

Registration Fee: $15.00 in advance , $20.00 at the door

Map, directions, agenda and application can be viewed here:

www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/fisheries/Fishery-Workshop-Alpena-08.pdf

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for March 28, 2008

Weather Conditions

The active storm track across the southern Great Lakes basin continued this week, with a rain-snow mix falling in many locations Tuesday and again Thursday.  Temperatures remained on the cool side of average by 10 to 15 degrees in much of the region.  More rain and snow are expected for the weekend as a frontal system swings into the Great Lakes.  Temperatures are expected to climb to above normal readings early next week.  Thick ice remains in many of the connecting channels, bays and harbors on the Great Lakes.

Lake Level Conditions

Currently, Lake Superior is 7 inches higher than it was at this time last year, while Lakes Michigan-Huron and St. Clair are 7 and 4 inches, respectively, lower than last year's level.  Lake Erie is an inch lower than it was at this time last year, but Lake Ontario is an inch higher.  Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are predicted to rise 2 to 3 inches over the next month, and Lake Ontario is projected to rise 6 inches.  Lake Superior is forecasted to stay above last year's water levels through August, while the remaining lakes are forecasted to remain at or below their levels of a year ago over the next several months.  See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions

Outflows from the St. Marys and St. Clair Rivers were below

average for February.  Outflows from the Detroit, Niagara and

St. Lawrence Rivers were slightly above average last month.

Alerts

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are below chart datum and forecasted to remain below datum through June and May, respectively.  Ice buildup in the connecting channels can cause large short-term water level fluctuations.  Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Scientists Criticize News on Antarctic Ice Loss

Antarctic ice is most extensive in recorded history

Wire services March 25 distributed a story alleging that a potential calving of the Wilkins Ice Shelf is the latest sign of global warming's impact on Antarctica.

Scientists point out, however, that the vast majority of Antarctica is in a decades-long cold spell, and that the vast majority of Antarctic and the Southern Ocean are experiencing accumulating rather than receding ice. Any loss of ice from the Wilkins Ice Shelf is in defiance of the overall Antarctic trend, and is quite likely due to reasons other than global warming.

Experts contacted by The Heartland Institute point out the wire service stories are a gross misrepresentation of current and recent temperatures in Antarctica.

"In reality the Wilkins Ice Shelf and all the former shelves that collapsed are small and most near the Antarctic peninsula, which sticks well out from Antarctica into the currents and winds of the South Atlantic and lies in a tectonically active region with surface and subsurface active volcanic activity" said Joseph D'Aleo, Executive Director International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project.

D�Aleo stated "The vast continent has actually cooled since

1979. In fact, the ice is returning to Antarctica so quickly that the extent of Antarctic polar ice is running an amazing 60 % ahead of last year when it set a new record. The ice extent is already approaching its second highest level since satellite measurements began in 1979, even though we are just a few days into the Antarctic winter, and there will be six more months of expanding ice until the ice reaches its seasonal peak.

"Wilkins, like all the other ice masses that temporarily broke up, will refreeze soon. The Antarctic ice is very likely going to exceed last year's record. Yet the world is left with the false impression that Antarctica's ice sheet is starting to disappear� D�Aleo added.

"The recent news stories on Antarctic ice shelf collapse completely miss two very important facts" commented Anthony Watts Chief Meteorologist, KPAY-AM Radio, California. "First, the Antarctic Peninsula is an extension of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and populated with volcanoes both on the surface and sub-marine. Second, satellite imagery from NASA shows there to be hot spots around and within the Antarctic Peninsula where the Wilkins Ice Shelf is located. NASA computer models show one such volcanic hotspot is centered directly under the Wilkins Ice Shelf."

Lake Powell levels are rising 

Heavy snowfall in the West this winter is having a positive impact on water levels at Lake Powell, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation.

Lake Powell, the second largest manmade lake in the U.S., is located on the border of Utah and Arizona in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. By June or earlier, Castle Rock Cut, a popular shortcut on the lake, should be open for the first time in more than five years.

Lake Powell's Castle Rock Cut shortcut requires a lake

elevation of about 3,620 feet for boats to pass through. As of March 13, the estimated water surface level at Lake Powell was 3,588 feet above sea level. According to the bureau's March projections, the lake should reach an elevation of 3,634 ft by the end of June, peaking in July at 3,640 ft.

The effect of a nine-year drought in the Southwest has kept Castle Rock Cut impassable by boat since 2003. With the Castle Rock Cut open, a shorter and safer passage becomes available, saving boaters about 12 miles of travel between Wahweap Marina and popular uplake destinations such as Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

OH - Walleye movements studied in Sandusky River/Bay

Div. Wildlife biologists team with Ohio State U. researchers to tag 200 fish

COLUMBUS, OH - Staff from the Ohio DNR, in conjunction with researchers from The Ohio State U, will continue research on walleye movements during this year's spring spawning runs in Sandusky River and Bay. This marks the third year the division has researched the movements of this sportfish in the Sandusky River.

Objectives of the research are to examine movement patterns, locate additional spawning locations within the river and bay and document the amount of repeat spawning (across years) that occurs for this population. Information will be used in the future to help enhance the Sandusky River walleye spawning population, which has declined significantly in abundance over the past several decades.

During the spring of 2006, fisheries biologists implanted radio transmitters into 42 walleye during the spawning run in Sandusky Bay. Three remote data-logging stations on the bay and river collected information on the fish as they moved by. Boat and aerial tracking were also used weekly to pinpoint locations of tagged walleye during the spawning season. These transmitters will continue sending data through the 2008 spawning run.

"This pilot study proved that we could locate radio-tagged walleye in this large system, opening the door for more extensive work," said Roger Knight, Lake Erie program administrator for the division. "Ultimately, this research will provide important information for management of the Sandusky River walleye, especially about the spawning habitat that is being used by these fish."

To build on the earlier study, OSU and fisheries biologists will tag and track 200 more walleye with transmitters this year as part of a new research project. If anglers encounter walleye with transmitters protruding from their abdomen or attached along the dorsal fin, the Division of Wildlife asks that they contact the Sandusky Fisheries Research Unit at 419-625-8062 and provide information on fish size, location, transmitter number and jaw tag number (if present). Anglers are encouraged to release any transmitter-bearing fish that are caught.

Anglers may see biologists working in and around Sandusky Bay and River during the next several springs, as tracking of these walleye continues.  Additional information regarding this project, including the results from previous spring tracking, is available from the Division of Wildlife at www.ohiodnr.com .

MI - Lake Huron Regional Fisheries Workshops April 12 & 19

Michigan Sea Grant, in partnership with fisheries agencies and stakeholder organizations, is again hosting two public information workshops offering current research and information related to the Lake Huron fishery. These workshops are open to the public, and provide valuable information for anglers, charter captains, resource professionals, and other interested stakeholders.

April 12 - Bad Axe, MI

Franklin Inn

1060 E Huron Ave

Bad Axe, MI  48763

 989-362-3449

Registration Fee: $15.00 in advance , $20.00 at the door

Map, directions, agenda and application can be viewed here:

www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/fisheries/Fishery-Workshop-Bad-Axe-08.pdf  

April 19 - Alpena, MI

F.O.E. Meeting Hall

1960 M-32 West

Alpena, MI  49707

 989-362-3449

Registration Fee: $15.00 in advance , $20.00 at the door

Map, directions, agenda and application can be viewed here:

www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/fisheries/Fishery-Workshop-Alpena-08.pdf

State to deadbeat parents: No fish for you!

The State of Illinois is deploying new resources in the battle against deadbeat parents. To force deadbeats to pay up, the state is refusing to renew their hunting and fishing licenses. Under a new program, the State matches up hunting and fishing licenses against lists of fathers and mothers who are behind in their child-support payments.

So far, the program has collected about $130,000 from 90 parents who paid their late child-support payments in order to receive a hunting or fishing license. However, there is still a long way to go � Illinois continues to rank among the nation�s

worst when it comes to collecting child support payments, and deadbeat parents continue to owe more than $3 billion in back payments.

As most of us know, the way state agencies are catching these deadbeats is thru a federal law that requires all anglers and hunters to submit their Social Security #  whenever we apply for a license renewal, whether it be for fishing, hunting or trapping; thereby adding to our risk of identity theft. Thank our �leaders� in Washington for that added risk. More on this next week�

State to improve safety and recreational benefits at dam

First fishway of its kind opens at Yorkville Dam

YORKVILLE, IL - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources announced the opening of the new Denil fishway at the Yorkville Dam in Yorkville in Kendall County.

In coordination with the city of Yorkville, the DNR has undertaken a two-phase dam modification project to improve public safety at the dam and provide additional environmental and recreational benefits.  Phase 1 of the project is nearing completion and includes modification of the dam spillway to create a four-step configuration to eliminate the �roller� immediately downstream of the dam, and the construction of a Denil fish ladder adjacent to the dam�s north abutment to improve the ecological integrity of the dam site and restore fish passage at the dam. 

The Denil style fish ladder consists of a concrete chute with specialized aluminum baffles.  The unique baffles located inside the Denil dissipate energy enough to allow a variety of Fox River fish species to burst between the four segments of the fishway.  After each segment, the fish have an opportunity to rest before continuing to the next segment of the �ladder.�

The Denil fishway is the first of its kind in Illinois.  To date, no other Denil style ladders have been constructed on larger rivers for reconnection purposes.  This fishway provides native fish species in the Fox River an opportunity to move between the tail water below Yorkville Dam and the upper pool  upstream of the dam, while leaving the elevated pool intact.  This is a major step in continuing efforts to reconnect ecologically fragmented sections of the Fox River.  Opening the Denil fishway at the Yorkville dam reconnects 41 miles of the Fox River for fish migration.

The Denil fish ladder is capable of drawing water from a lower depth in the pool, reducing stagnation in the pool and providing water supply to the north shore of the river during low-flow conditions.  A 3-ft, 11-inch wide by 1-foot deep notch in the spillway crest near the north abutment also supplies additional flow to the right bank of the Fox River during low-flow conditions, and provides attraction flow to draw fish toward the downstream entrance of the Denil structure.

The IDNR plans to monitor the operation and use of the Denil fishway at the dam this spring to determine the success of the ladder and to determine whether or not similar structures should be considered at other state owned run-of-river dams in the state.

Wisconsin Sports Fest Launched

Oshkosh -- Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes are �up for grabs� in a new Wisconsin fundraising event administered by the U.S. Sportsmen�s Alliance Foundation and the Wisconsin Wildlife Conservation Fund.  Proceeds from this raffle will help protect hunting, fishing, and trapping across the state.

The 2008 Wisconsin Sports Fest is slated for August 15 -16 at the Sunnyview Exposition Center in Oshkosh.  More than 350 prizes will be given away during the two-day event.  The prize list includes eight vehicles (seven trucks and one car),  eight ATVs,  five boats with motors, dozens of hunts and other vacations, three Harley Davidson motorcycles (including a Limited Edition 105th Anniversary Dyna), over 120 guns and bows, numerous steel trailers and thousands of dollars in cash.  A complete prize list can be found at www.WiSportsFest.org.

In addition to huge raffles, live entertainment will appear on stage on both Friday and Saturday nights, headlined by Leon Russell and Poco.  Other groups appearing include Austin�s Rosie Flores, the Commander Cody Band, Blueheels and the Honky Tonk Twisters.

Outdoor personalities including Jim Zumbo � Jim Zumbo

Outdoors, Bob Walker � Sportsmen�s Outdoor Strategies, Ray Eye � Winchester Turkey Revolution and Dan Small � Outdoor Wisconsin Television will be on hand to entertain attendees.  Also appearing will be Jeff Gagnow � No Excuses TV, Paul Butski � GSM/Walker Products and Sportsmen�s Outdoor Strategies, Brian and Mark Smith � Raghorn�s Wild Adventures, Justin Gaiche � Hooked Up TV and Wisconsin turkey calling champion, Jeffrey Fredrick.

Nashville�s own Irlene Mandrell will be greeting attendees and signing autographs.

The Wisconsin Sports Fest is being held in cooperation with Deerassic Park and the National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation.  They are the architects of the Deerassic Classic, after which the Sports Fest is modeled.  That event is now in its sixth year and attracts over 30,000 attendees.  For more information about the Deerassic Classic, visit www.deerassic.com.

Wisconsin Sports Fest ticket packages and prices range from $25 to $200.  You NEED NOT be present to win.  For more information or an up to date listing of ticket agents visit www.WiSportsFest.org  or call (614) 888-4868 ext. 201.