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Beware Of The Sea

Rogue waves are real

Rumors of giant waves suddenly appearing in otherwise calm seas have persisted for years, but most scientists pooh-poohed the idea as something that happens only once in a millennium.

Those scientists were wrong; giant waves do exist. In December 2000 the European Union initiated a scientific project called Project MaxWave and assigned two satellites to look for giant waves. In one three-week period, the satellites spotted 10 of them, all more than 81 ft tall. Once dismissed as a nautical myth, freakish ocean waves that rise as tall as ten-story buildings have been accepted as a leading cause of large ship sinkings. Results from the European Space Agency's ERS satellites helped establish the widespread existence of these 'rogue' waves and are now being used to study their origins.

You were probably unaware that during the past 20 years, more than 200 super-carrier cargo ships have been lost at sea. These losses do not get the study or attention that airplane crashes get. They are usually just written off as due to "bad weather." Now scientists think that these mysterious giant waves might be a factor in some of the losses.

Sizable ships are lost on an average of two a week, according to Wolfgang Rosenthal of the GKSS Research Center in Germany, where the MaxWave project is headquartered. He said that recently two cruise ships were badly damaged in the South Atlantic by giant waves.

Mariners who survived such encounters have had remarkable

stories to tell. In February 1995 the cruiser liner Queen Elizabeth II met a 29-meter (95 ft.) high rogue wave during a hurricane in the North Atlantic that Captain Ronald Warwick described as "a great wall of water� it looked as if we were going into the White Cliffs of Dover."

And within the week between February and March 2001 two hardened tourist cruisers � the Bremen and the Caledonian Star � had their bridge windows smashed by 30-meter rogue waves in the South Atlantic, the former ship left drifting without navigation or propulsion for a period of two hours. 

Offshore platforms have also been struck. On 1 January 1995 the Draupner oil rig in the North Sea was hit by a wave whose height was measured by an onboard laser device at 26 meters, with the highest waves around it reaching 12 meters.

Objective radar evidence from this and other platforms � radar data from the North Sea's Goma oilfield recorded 466 rogue wave encounters in 12 years - helped convert previously skeptical scientists, whose statistics showed such large deviations from the surrounding sea state should occur only once every 10,000 years.

The fact that rogue waves actually take place relatively frequently had major safety and economic implications, since current ships and offshore platforms are built to withstand maximum wave heights of only 15 meters.

The Europeans are continuing their study, hoping to learn what causes these mountainous waves to arise suddenly out of a calm sea and to find out where they most often occur.

A Priceless Look at Radical Environmental Lawsuits during the 1990's

Number of radical environmental lawsuits filed where the taxpayer paid attorneys' fees: 434

Attorneys for environmental groups are not shy about asking for money. They earn $150 to $350 an hour, and sometimes they get accused of trying to gouge the government. In 1993, three judges on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington were so appalled by one Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund lawyer's flagrant over-billing that they reduced her award to zero. [Sacramento Bee, April 24, 2001] 

One lawsuit in Texas, involving an endangered salamander, netted lawyers for the Sierra Club and other plaintiffs more than $3.5 million in taxpayer funds.

"A flawed law always breeds disrespect for and manipulation

of the law," House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) said.  "And that is exactly what we have under the Endangered Species Act.  The species are not being recovered, as the law intended, and taxpayers are being robbed by radical, politically-motivated interest groups.  Congress has a responsibility to address and correct this outrage."

"Facts show that the Endangered Species Act has successfully recovered only one percent of all species on the list," Pombo continued.  "These results are terrible, especially given the massive amount of hard-earned taxpayer money that is spent on ESA programs.  We can do much better than this if we focus on science instead of politics and endangered species recovery instead of litigation."

From News from the Committee on Resource.  Ed

Potomac Snakehead Roundup draws blank
Last week's Potomac River Snakehead Roundup drew a blank., even though many believe the effort was a success.  Organizers of the roundup, 130 strong, said they wanted to increase awareness of the hazards of nonnative species in general, warning people not to release pets, live bait or food fish into the wild.

James Frye, whose Marina Operators Association of America

helped stage the event, said he believed the roundup had been a success even without any snakeheads. But he said he hoped there would be no need for another one next year. The Marina Operators Association of America and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, in partnership with state and federal agencies, hosted the 2004 Potomac River Snakehead Roundup.

Gander Mountain Grand Opening � Corsicana, TX - September 11

Gander Mountain will open its brand new 87,245 sq ft store in Corsicana, Texas this month, with the Grand Opening event scheduled for September 10-12, 2004. 

This Gander Mountain super outdoor store is like no other, not only does it carry the latest gear for fishing, hunting and camping, but it also has a large sales and service department of ATVs.  One of the most notable additions is at this facility is

an ATV outdoor test track! At the Gander Mountain's Kayak Test Pond, not only are you able to try your kayak before you buy it,

but their kayak pond also allows them the opportunity to provide casting clinics, and dog training demonstrations, along with the occasional Eskimo-roll.  There is also an in-store professional gunsmith on staff backed by a full service firearms department.  The archery shop also has shooting lanes to let you test all the latest in archery products and equipment.

'Dead Zone' Spreads Across Gulf Of Mexico

HOUSTON -- A huge "dead zone" of water so devoid of oxygen that sea life cannot live in it has spread across 5,800 sq miles of the Gulf of Mexico this summer in what has become an annual occurrence caused by pollution.  The extensive area of uninhabitable water may be contributing indirectly to an unusual spate of shark bites along the Texas coast, experts said.

A scientist at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium said last week measurements showed the dead zone extended from the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana 250 miles west to near the Texas border and was closer to shore than usual because winds and currents.  "Fish and swimming crabs escape (from the dead zone)," said Nancy Rabalais, the consortium's chief scientist for hypoxia, or low oxygen, research. "Anything else dies."

In the last 30 years, the dead zone has become an annual summer phenomenon, fed by rising use of nitrate-based

fertilizers by farmers in the Mississippi watershed.  The nitrates, carried into the gulf's warm summer waters by the river, feed algae blooms that use up oxygen and make the water uninhabitable.   The dead zone's size has varied each year depending on weather conditions, but averages about 5,000 square miles and remains in place until late September or early October.

Virtually nothing is being done to stop the flow of nitrates into the river, meaning the dead zone will reappear every year, Rabalais said.   The dead zone forces fish to seek better water, which may be a reason for the recent shark bites on Texas beaches.   Three people have been bitten by sharks along the upper Texas coast this year -- a high number for a state that has recorded only 18 shark attacks since 1980.

Terry Stelly, an ecosystem biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said increasing numbers of sharks have been found in recent years in the waters along the Texas-Louisiana border, near the edge of the dead zone.

Gun registry used for U.S. bungling study:

OTTAWA - Canada's $1-billion gun registry is being used by a U.S. project management centre for senior corporate executives as a case study in incompetence and financial mismanagement. New York-based Baseline, which conducts case studies on information technology, has published an analysis of the gun registry titled: "Canada Firearms: Armed Robbery."

The study examines how the gun registry developed from a simple $119-million system to track firearm ownership into a large, complex electronic database with a $1-billion + price tag.

"What was supposed to be a relatively modest information technology project ballooned into a massive undertaking. At last count, the program had amassed more than $1-billion in costs, and the system has become so cumbersome that an independent review board recommended that it be scrapped," Baseline said on its Web site.

The study said Canada's firearms registry project offers multiple lessons for government and corporate project leaders on the difficulties involved in undertaking such a controversial project.

From the start, the U.S. study said, Ottawa failed to develop a clear understanding of the project's scope and made a serious error in having the Justice Department manage the registry when it had never undertaken a technology initiative of this size and complexity.  The government first set up a simple database where firearms owners would register their guns, but this quickly expanded into a large, complex computer network after Ottawa changed the criteria.

The study said ongoing maintenance, development and support costs also flew out of control, rising to $688-million by 2001 and now hovering close to $750-million. "Of that amount, $250-million went to the computer systems. Support, such as call centres, accounted for $300-million. The remaining $138-million went to advertising and public outreach programs to encourage compliance."

Annual maintenance costs amounted to 55% of the operating budget, significantly higher than the industry norm of between 10% and 20%, while the anticipated revenue from the controversial program evaporated. "Those costs were to be offset by $117-million in gun-owner registration fees, leaving taxpayer with a bill of $2-million. Instead costs have soared to more than $1-billion."

The U.S. study does not draw conclusions on whether the gun registry is effective in crime prevention, although it notes police rely on the database to determine if weapons are present before entering homes.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has refused demands from the Conservative party and six provinces to scrap the gun registry, but he has capped funding for the program at $25-million a year, starting next fiscal year. The cost of the registry is currently $33-million annually, down from $48-million in 2001-02. Gun registry fees -- in the range of $18 to $25 -- will also be reduced to encourage compliance with licensing.

As of May, seven million guns have been registered out of the estimated 7.9 million in circulation. More than 12,000 licence application were revoked due to public safety concerns while two million Canadians had filed and received licences to own firearms.

Your help is needed

We need your financial help to fund the operations of the Illinois Waterway electronic barrier � to prevent Asian carp and other nasty critters from entering our lakes

A second larger, longer-life barrier is now under construction, but the cost of the design exceeds available funds by $1.8 million.

Illinois has contributed $2 million to the project, but the other Great Lakes Governors say they are not able to contribute the balance � $1.8 million. Their states do not have the money. The need for the additional $1.8 million is critical.

Contributions from any non-federal source will help. That�s where clubs, individuals and corporate America can help

Use of Contributed Funds

Funds will be held by the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council and distributed based on the direction of a board of non-agency trustees including the president of the GLSFC.

All contributions are tax deductible and will only be used to:

1)     Implement the Asian Carp Rapid Response Plan

2)     Improve or operate Barrier I

3)     Construct and operate Barrier II

Send your donations to:

GLSFC � carp fund

P.O. Box 297

Elmhurst, IL  60126

Or use our PayPal for credit card donations. 

Go to www.great-lakes.org/carp

For more information and photos go to: 

www.great-lakes.org/carp

Thanks for your help in preventing the invasion

of these harmful critters into our lakes.

Angler honored for outstanding contributions to the Great Lakes

Richard Reuss of blue Island, IL honored by Great Lakes Fishery Commission

ANN ARBOR, MI�The Great Lakes Fishery Commission presented Richard (Dick) Reuss of Blue Island, Illinois, with the Buzz Besadny Award for Fostering Great Lakes partnerships.  This top award, presented annually, recognizes Mr. Reuss� work in building and maintaining partnerships for the protection of the Great Lakes resources. Mr. Reuss, a long-serving advisor to the commission (nominated by Illinois� governor), received this honor for his efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, for his support for sea lamprey management, for his active work in strengthening the Committee of Advisors, and for his overall enthusiasm for the resource.  The award was presented during the commission�s annual meeting in June.

�Among his many contributions, Dick has been an outspoken advocate for effective invasive species measures, whether they be measures to control sea lampreys, to prevent Asian carp, or to address the ballast water vector,� said former Chicago Alderman Bernie Hansen, chairman of the commission�s U.S. section.  �Dick energetically has communicated Great Lakes needs to elected officials, to state authorities, to fishing clubs, and to the public-at-large.�

�Dick�s love for the Great Lakes and his willingness to participate in management have been tremendously beneficial to the resource,� Hansen added.  �He is always

ready to volunteer his time, to talk with others about the Great Lakes, and to get people involved in protecting the resource.  Dick has worked extremely hard and effectively over the years to keep people engaged in the Great Lakes and to direct their energies to areas where they can make a difference.  The award Dick received acknowledges his outstanding contributions to developing and maintaining the partnerships we all rely on to improve the Great Lakes.�

Hansen continued:  �Dick�s knowledge about the Great Lakes fishery runs deep and is reflected in the invaluable advice he provides as a member of the Committee of Advisors, a committee of citizens who helps guide fisheries policy in the Great Lakes region.  He has significantly aided the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in the fulfillment of its duties to protect and improve the binational fishery.  Although he represents Lake Michigan [the only Great Lake entirely within the United States], Dick appreciates the bi-national nature of Great Lakes.  He has worked particularly hard to build effective and enduring partnerships with his peers in Canada.�

Hansen concluded:  �Dick Reuss is known for being enthusiastic, passionate about the Great Lakes, consistent in his beliefs, and highly committed over the long-term.  He continues to work hard for the fishery. He remains an invaluable advisor to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and to the Great Lakes fishery management community as a whole.  The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is particularly honored to recognize Dick�s many contributions to the Great Lakes.�

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for August 6, 2004 

Current Lake Levels: 

Currently, all of the Great Lakes are higher than the levels of a year ago.  Lakes Michigan-Huron and Lake St. Clair are 10-12 inches higher than a year ago.  Lake Erie is currently 6 inches above, Lake Superior is 5 inches above, and Lake Ontario is 3 inches above last year�s levels.  Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron, however, are still below their long-time averages by 5 and 9 inches, respectively.  Presently, Lake St. Clair is 1 inch above its long-term average.   Lake Erie is 5 inches above its average level and Lake Ontario is 9 inches above average.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions: 

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is expected to be near average during the month of August.  Flows in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are expected to be below average. The Niagara and St. Lawrence River flows are projected to be above average for the month of August.

Temperature/Precipitation Outlook: 

A strong dome of high pressure will control the weather in the Great Lakes basin through the weekend. Mostly sunny skies will lead to temperatures in the 70s and 80s throughout the region.  The next chance for inclement weather will be early next week. 

Forecasted Water Levels: 

Lake Superior is expected to continue its seasonal rise over the next month, increasing by approximately 1 inch.  Lakes Michigan-Huron and St. Clair are near their seasonal peak and will drop 1 and 5 inches, respectively, over the next month.  Lakes Erie and Ontario will continue their seasonal decline, dropping 5 and 7 inches, respectively, over the next month.

Alerts:

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.

Carp Corral/Goby Roundup
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service again began searching the Illinois Waterway from the western Chicago suburbs to the La Salle-Peru area for invasive fish.   The event, scheduled for Aug. 10-13 after being postponed in June because of flooding

in the waterway, will offer biologists the opportunity to determine the relative abundance and upstream distribution of the bighead and silver carp - two invasive Asian carp species - and chart the downstream leading edge of the round goby.

United Way still boycotting Boy Scouts

Last week, yet another United Way chapter cut off funding to the Boy Scouts of America. United Way of Northwestern Michigan in Traverse City will entirely remove the Scenic Trails Boy Scouts Council from its charitable giving campaign.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the Scouts have the right to exclude homosexuals from leadership and membership, the anti-Scout backlash has been most vicious at the hands of the United Way. Over five dozen other United Way chapters around the country have excluded the Boy Scouts from fundraising efforts.

In Northwestern Michigan, fourteen counties and several thousand Boy Scouts are affected by the United Way decision to deny funding. The Scouts' application for $30,000 was rejected on the basis that the application was "not compelling." That's a simple way of saying that the Scout Oath and Law are not good enough qualifiers for financial support.

United Way of Northwestern Michigan isn't the only United Way to declare war on the Boy Scouts in recent weeks. So too have the United Way of Austin, Texas and the United Way of Central Ohio. The largest United Ways in the largest cities have all broken ties to Scouting. San Francisco was the first to exclude

the Scouts in 1992, followed by cities like Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Madison, Sacramento, Hartford, Seattle, Dallas, Tucson, Providence, Santa Fe, Miami, Portland, Maine, and Portland, Oregon.

Today, more and more, United Way is ditching the Boy Scouts, abandoning honor, utterly despising America's finest youth organization.

It's time for Americans who care about the Boy Scouts to stop giving to anti-Scout United Ways. Even if it's convenient to make contributions through your workplace or if you've always supported the United Way, discontinue giving to the United Way if it no longer gives to the Scouts. Until we stop supporting anti-Scout United Way chapters, the United Way will increasingly de-fund the Boy Scouts in cities and towns across the country.

The Boy Scouts have the First Amendment right to say who can and cannot be a part of their organization. And the United Way has the right to determine which groups it will fund, but the United Way is making poor choices. May it suffer the consequences, and may the Boy Scouts reap new rewards from Americans who believe in character and honor.

Hunting Heritage Protected in Illinois

FAIRFAX, VA -- With solid support from the National Rifle Association, Illinois has enacted the Hunting Heritage Protection Act into law, safeguarding the state�s public hunting land. The Act mandates that state public land management actions should result in no net loss of land available for hunting. It also instructs the Director of Natural Resources to submit an annual report citing the areas closed to hunting and the areas opened to compensate for the loss.

"The Hunting Heritage Protection Act ensures there will never be any less public hunting land than there is today in Illinois," said Chris W. Cox, NRA�s chief lobbyist. "NRA applauds the Legislature, especially bill sponsors Sen. John O. Jones (R-54) and Rep. William J. Grunloh (D-108), for their decisive action to protect hunters� rights.

"Anti-hunting groups have long fought to dismantle public

hunting land in a backdoor effort to eradicate America�s

sporting heritage," added Cox. "This law guarantees that the hunters of tomorrow will enjoy the traditions and learn the skills their fathers and grandfathers mastered in the woods of Illinois."

NRA has successfully worked to enact a number of pro-hunting measures this year, including establishing dove hunting in Minnesota and Michigan, and placing a "Freedom to Hunt and Fish" Amendment on the Louisiana ballot.

"Hunting is a fundamental element of conservation and a vital asset to the economy. Saving this important heritage not only benefits sportsmen and the environment, but business owners as well. This is why NRA will continue to fight for similar hunting protection and conservation laws in all fifty states," concluded Cox.

Dec announces revised angler catch limits for Fluke

Changes bring NY Into Compliance with Federal Regulations

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation last week announced the adoption of a revised emergency regulation on recreational fishing for summer flounder (fluke) needed to bring New York State into compliance with federal regulations.  Effective July 30, 2004, and for the balance of the 2004 fishing season which ends on September 6, 2004, the minimum size limit is raised one inch to 18 inches.  The possession limit remains at three fluke. This action is necessary to avoid a federally-imposed closure of New York�s recreational and commercial fluke fisheries. 

Fluke are managed through an Interstate Fishery Management Plan (IFMP) for Summer Flounder developed by   

the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)New York is a member of the ASMFC, along with the other Atlantic Coast states.  Under provisions of the IFMP, ASMFC determined that New York must adopt regulations that reduce the projected 2004 fluke harvest by 48.5 percent from the estimated 2003 harvest level. 

To prevent the negative economic impact to New York�s fisheries that a closure would trigger, DEC has adopted the new 18-inch size limit that will ensure meeting the 48.5 percent reduction and place the State in compliance with the IFMP. DEC continues to oppose the use of the annual state-specific MRFSS harvest estimates to manage fluke quotas and will pursue all available options to reform the fluke quota management process.

Non-Resident Antlerless deer applications to be accepted Aug. 16

HARRISBURG - Beginning Aug. 16, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will accept antlerless deer license applications from nonresident hunters.  Resident hunters were permitted to begin applying on Aug. 2. 

The Game Commission has developed a "Doe License Update" page on its website www.pgc.state.pa.us  to provide hunters additional information on the changes in the antlerless license application process.  The site also provides regular updates about the number of antlerless licenses available by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).  Look for it under "Quick Clicks" on the agency's homepage.

Hunters must mail their applications to the Game Commission  in the official yellow envelopes provided when they purchased their license.  The envelope contains pre-printed address labels for each of the 22 Post Office boxes established for the state's 22 WMUs.  As required by state law, county treasurers will continue to issue antlerless deer 

licenses, and, except for the "over-the-counter sales," the agency will forward applications to county treasurers.  County treasurers will receive a portion of a WMU's total antlerless license allocation based on that county's representation in the WMU.

The Game Commission will begin accepting resident and nonresident hunter applications through the mail for the first round of unsold licenses on Monday, Aug. 23; and the second round will be accepted through the mail beginning  Sept. 13.

Over-the-counter applications will not be accepted by county treasurers until Nov. 1, except in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D, where county treasurers will begin accepting over-the-counter applications on Monday, Sept. 20.

Applying for and receiving more than one antlerless license at a time is against the law and carries a $100 fine.  While individuals are permitted to mail up to three antlerless deer license applications in one envelope, the applications must be for different individuals.

Brown trout, other species killed off in two stream dumpings

Farm manure spills blamed in massive fish kills

Two major fish kills were reported in southwestern Wisconsin, and state officials say it will take years for the damaged waters to recover. The Wisconsin DNR is putting the blame in both cases on cow manure that leaked into local streams and killed thousands of fish.  DNR officials said they are shocked by the extent of the damage to a highly prized trout stream in Richland County and portions of the Pecatonica River in Lafayette County.

Officials believe that 90% or more of the brown trout - almost 700 trout in all - were wiped out along almost 12 miles of Willow Creek, and less than a mile of adjoining Smith Hollow Creek, after manure was spread on a field July 15 before a heavy rain. Also dead: smaller fish such as creek chub, sucker and sculpin, and aquatic bugs, all food sources for the trout.

The Willow is a magnet for trout fishermen, drawing anglers from around the Midwest. The DNR says it is one of the top five trout streams in southern Wisconsin.

On the Pecatonica, thousands of fish were killed on 30 miles of the river and 10 miles of a tributary, Otter Creek, after a farmhand on July 20 left a pump unattended, spewing tens of thousands of gallons of liquid manure across a field and into Otter Creek. The length of that kill is the longest in southern Wisconsin in more than 30 years, according to the DNR.

By  the weekend, the DNR had found more than 2,000 dead fish - 27 different species - on the Otter and Pecatonica. Many more are believed to have died.  DNR fisheries biologist Gene Van Dyck said it will take two to three years for the fish population to recover on the Pecatonica. Catfish, walleye and smallmouth bass are known to have been killed by the spill, the DNR said. Nine- to 12-pound walleyes were found dead. Two flatheads - 20 and 35 pounds - also were killed by the spill, the DNR said.

Van Dyck estimated it could take six to eight years for the cold-water Willow and Smith Hollow streams to return to their former splendor. He called the devastation "the most complete trout kill that I've seen during my last 36 years in southwest Wisconsin."