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Passport proposal scrapped for now

Border Rule would have affected U.S.-Canada vehicle traffic

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced last week that it is withdrawing its plan to require passports for those motoring across the northern border by 2008. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the government is "seeking alternatives" to the passport edict announced by his department and the State Department on April 5.

The original announcement that passports would be required for land crossings drew strong protests from businesses and institutions that depend on casual travel. For a family of four, passports would cost almost $300 and require months to obtain. Since at least the 1920s, all that has been needed to cross the border was a driver's license or a declaration of citizenship or residence.

Great Lakes bridge and tunnel operators said the passport mandate would virtually end spur-of-the-moment business and recreational trips between the United States and Canada.  

Bush on April 14 indicated the department's announcement surprised him and said he wanted the plan reviewed. An official notice containing the proposed rule was to have been 

published last week.   However, the rule, proposed by the Homeland Security and State departments, is still under review in the president's Office of Management and Budget.

There was no discussion about withdrawing the passport edict for those traveling from the United States to the Caribbean as of 2006 or those flying between the United States and Canada and Mexico, as of 2007.

Spokesmen for Homeland Security on Monday confirmed they are "seeking alternatives" to passports but said that was their plan all along.  Homeland Security "is not declaring that a passport will be the sole means of identification" for land border crossings, said department spokesman Jarrod Agen. "Passports will still be accepted" by border security officials, he said.

Christiana Halsey, spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection, said passports "are always the preferred document," no matter how the review turns out.  The era of terrorism begun by the attack on the World Trade Center requires stronger means of identification than a driver's license, she said.  "There always needs to be a balance between security and facility," she said, "now that there is a need to better secure this country."

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, Presumed Extinct, Rediscovered in Cache River, Arkansas

Biologists were shocked and overjoyed when an article published in the journal Science on 28 April 2005 revealed the ivory-billed woodpecker, long presumed extinct, persists in the �Big Woods� region of Arkansas. 

Before the recent sightings in the Cache and White River National Wildlife Refuge Complex between February 2004 and February 2005, the last documented ivory-billed woodpecker in continental North America was in Louisiana in 1944, some 61 years ago.

Many sightings of the spectacular bird � with its 3-foot wingspan, ivory-white bill and distinctive ebony, white and scarlet plumage � had been reported over the years. It was finally videotaped a year ago. An article confirming its  reappearance was published yesterday by the journal

Science. The news was met with hallelujahs by bird lovers � and a pledge of $10 million from the feds.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say the government spending will help save the woodpeckers' old-growth forest habitat. "The amount of habitat left in the lower Mississippi valley is not nearly what it once was," said Sam Hamilton, the Fish and Wildlife Service's southeast regional director. He added that the next step is to establish some sense of just how large a population remains. "We don't know if we have one bird or a few birds," Hamilton said.

Ivory-billed woodpeckers are huge (larger than crows; similar in size to red-shouldered hawks, which are regularly found in floodplain forest), and notoriously shy and quiet.  The Arkansas bird has apparently been seen only 15 times in more than 7,000 hours of searching by professional ornithologists.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for April 29, 2005

Current Lake Levels:

All of the Great Lakes are 4 to 12 inches above last year�s levels.   Lake Superior is near its long-term average, while Lake Michigan-Huron is 9 inches below its long-term average.  Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 2, 8, and 9 inches above their long-term averages, respectively.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions:

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

Temperature/Precipitation Outlook:

Rain is expected to move back into the region beginning on Friday night.  Precipitation is expected to persist through midweek.

Forecasted Water Levels:

Lake Superior is beginning its seasonal rise and should increase 5 inches during the next month.  Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario will continue their seasonal rises and should increase up to 3 inches during 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.

11-Year old catches winning bass

Using 10" Berkley Power worm on 17 lb Berkley line

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa � Brandon Adams, an 11-year-old angler from Florence, Texas, reeled in the largest bass of the 21st Annual Sam Rayburn McDonalds $560,000 Big Bass Splash at Lake Sam Rayburn last weekend and became the youngest winner in the event�s history.

To catch his 11-pound, 5.7-ounce largemouth bass, Adams fished with a 10-inch black and blue Berkley Power Worm on 17-pound Berkley line. After setting the hook, Adams reeled the lunker to the boat with an Abu Garcia reel.

"I was dragging a 10" black and blue Berkley Power worm

when a sudden strong tug caused me to set the hook," explained Adams. "My dad immediately dropped what he was doing when he saw how big the bass was after it jumped."

This was Brandon�s second year fishing the Big Bass Splash, winning $2,000 for an 8-pound bass he caught at the 2004 event. Brandon won a Hummer H-2 hitched to a Triton TR21XPDC/Mercury Optimax bass rig valued at $102,000 plus a $1,000 hourly McCheck from McDonalds.

Jim Sluss of Newton TX, took second place at the event with an 11-pound 5.2-ounce bass caught on an Abu Garcia reel spooled with 15 lb test Berkley Big Game mono.

BRP launches an all new Evinrude E-TEC Line-up

Johnson 40-225 hp four-stroke engines no longer available North American market

(Sarasota, Florida, April 27, 2005) � Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) announces the expansion of its Evinrude E-TEC outboard engine line-up. The 115-hp 60-degree V4 E-TEC is now joined by a 130-hp engine and, a 60-degree V6 platform will be available in 150, 175, and 200-hp. As of fall 2005, the Evinrude E-TEC line-up will go from 40 through 250 hp.

�The V4 and V6 constitute an important milestone toward completing our line-up,� said Roch Lambert, vice president, general manager, Outboard Marine Engines. �This achievement allows us to no longer offer, in the North American market, the 40 to 225-hp Johnson four-stroke engines as of 2006. We firmly believe the Evinrude E-TEC family of engines is the best in the market,� concluded Lambert.

The new compact, lightweight V4 and V6 engine platforms deliver the advanced features of all Evinrude E-TEC engines, offering excellent fuel economy and strong performance while providing cleaner emissions than four-strokes, no scheduled dealer maintenance for three years or 300-hours of use, industry-leading quality components, and unique BRP styling. The 130 and 200-hp engines feature an exclusive variable exhaust control valve that delivers more low end power and top speed performance than ever before.

Evinrude E-TEC will now be available in in-line 2-cylinder 40, 50, and 60-hp; in-line 3-cylinder 75 and 90-hp; V4 115 and 130-hp; V6, 2.5 liter, 150, 175, and 200-hp; V6, 3.3 liter, 200 HO, 225, 225 HO, and 250-hp models. As of 2006, the Johnson four-stroke line in North America will only include 2.5, 4, 6, 9.9, 15, 25 and 30-hp engines. The 2.5-hp is a new addition to the line-up and will be available in early spring 2006. The Johnson carbureted two-stroke line-up will include 3.5, 9.9, 15, 90, 115, 150, and 175-hp models.

Evinrude E-TEC won the Clean Air Excellence Award from the US EPA earlier this month in Washington DC. This is the first time ever a marine engine has received this prestigious recognition for improving air quality and a safer boating environment, confirming that Evinrude E-TEC technology produces lower exhaust emissions including lower carbon monoxide emissions than four-stroke engines and meets stringent 2006 EPA, European Union (EU), and 2008 California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star ultra-low emissions standards.

For U.S. information: Julie Johnson

Manager, Shows, Events & Public Relations

262.884.5495   [email protected]

For International information: Johanne Denault, Senior Advisor

Communications & Public Affairs   450.532.5173    [email protected]

Coming Home Again: Getting through Customs

Plan ahead to ease your laptop through customs

International travelers are often worried about being asked to pay duty when they pass their laptop computers through customs. Although many people never have problems, there are many that do, according to the Los Angeles office of the US Customs Service. Consequently, it�s best to take some precautions.

With a few hundred separate countries in the world, you can be sure that there are an equal number of separate customs regulations. Yet when it comes to assuring a customs agent that a computer is not a very recent purchase, the procedure should be largely the same the world round. We�ll use the US as our example, as in all immigration and customs matters it can be one of the more difficult countries in the world.

If you originate your trip in the US, generally no one really cares what you carry out of the country for your personal use on your trip, laptop included. But when you return, you may be asked to prove that you started your trip with the computer and didn�t purchase it while out of the country. It is ironic that one often has more trouble bringing one�s laptop home again than taking the computer into a foreign country in the first place

"You�d be surprised how many people get asked," pointed out an LA customs official.

According to the US Customs Service, there are essentially two ways to protect yourself. First, you can take along some sort of proof of purchase or ownership. "Foreign-made personal articles taken abroad are dutiable each time they are brought in to our country," the Customs Service writes, "unless you have acceptable proof of prior possession. Documents which fully describe the article, such as a bill of sale, insurance policy, jeweler�s appraisal, or receipt for purchase, may be considered reasonable proof of prior possession.

The second alternative is to register your laptop with the Customs Service prior to departure: "Items...which may be readily identified by serial number or permanently affixed markings, may be taken to the Customs office nearest you and registered before your departure."

This Certificate of Registration, accomplished with Form CF 4455, will merely contain a brief description of your computer and list appropriate serial numbers. There is no charge for the certificate, and it is good for as "long as it remains legible."

View a sample form

Form CF 4455 can be downloaded from the Web at www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/forms.htm . Unfortunately, though, there�s no way to register by phone, online, or in any way short of showing up at a Customs office in person together with your computer equipment.

The Custom�s Service�s various Web sites seem to all recommend that you present yourself at a main customs offices, mostly located downtown in major US cities. Such sites are extremely inconvenient for most people. Tracking down Customs officials at the airport from which you are about to hop on an international flight is usually more practical. But you are on your own when it comes to finding out where in each airport Customs officials may be located and during which hours they are available.

Best advice is to phone ahead.

Also, leave yourself some extra time. While the form is rather simple, you may have to queue up. And although the form is fairly routine, travelers report that officials often appear less than enthusiastic about offering the necessary stamps and signatures to validate the certificate.

Taking along the receipt for the purchase of the computer sounds like a good option, but is not always practical. First of all, it is often not you, but your company, that has purchased the computer and the receipt is safely filed away in the accounting department. Even if you have access to the receipt, you may still prefer to keep it safe for accounting purchases. You could take a photocopy, but no where does the Customs Service actually say that a photocopy is acceptable proof.

In the end, a Form CF 4455 is your only sure proof that a foreign-made computer was purchased in the US prior to departure on you trip. Sooner or later you�re going to find yourself with a long lay-over at a major US airport, so make good use of your time by tracking down the Customs office. If you never wish to be hassled, make it sooner rather than later.

Until you pick up a Form CF 4455 be sure to travel with some ammunition. A photocopy of a receipt is not sure proof, but it will help you talk your way past an inquisitive Customs Agent, as will an appropriate letter from your employer and anything else you might dream up that establishes your computer�s pre-trip purchase.

One last thing: Be sure not to forget about significant peripherals, such as a printer, that you might take along. They, too, may be questioned.

Gov. Bush Signs Florida�s New �Castle Doctrine� Self-Defense Law

Fairfax, VA � Last Tuesday Gov. Jeb Bush signed Florida�s �Castle Doctrine� (SB-436) into law.  Sponsored by Senator Durell Peaden and Representative Dennis Baxley, the bill unanimously passed the Senate and overwhelmingly passed in the House, 94-20. 

Prior to signing the National Rifle Association (NRA) supported bill, Gov. Jeb Bush stated, "It�s a good, commonsense, anti-crime issue."

The "Castle Doctrine" simply says that if a criminal breaks into your home, your occupied vehicle or your place of business, you may presume he is there to do bodily harm and you may use any force against him. It also removes the �duty to retreat� if you are attacked in any place you have a right to be.  Furthermore, this law provides protection from criminal

prosecution and civil litigation for those who defend themselves from criminal attack.

Past National Rifle Association (NRA) president and current Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida, Marion P. Hammer, stated, "Existing law is on the side of the criminal.  The new law is on the side of the law-abiding victim.�  She continued, �To suggest that you can�t defend yourself against a rapist who�s trying to drag you into an alley or against a carjacker who�s trying to drag you out of your car is nonsense.  The ability to protect yourself, your children, or your spouse is important, no matter where you are.

�I want to thank Governor Bush and the bill sponsors, Sen. Peaden and Rep. Baxley, for supporting this vital measure.  This law is about affirming that your home is your castle and, in Florida, you have a right to be absolutely safe inside its walls,� Hammer concluded.

State of Lake Ontario

The following is a report of the New York Lake Ontario State of the Lake Meetings held last month.  Our thanks to GLSFC member and Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon & Trout Association officer Doug Fuegel for supplying this information

Bill Culligan � Great Lakes Section Head at Dunkirk, opened the meeting with a welcome note and a moment of silence in memory of Hank Cosselman who passed away in Oswego on March 13th. Hank was a former president of the NYSCC. Without question, Hank�s untiring efforts will be greatly missed by all. Bill then introduced the speakers for the evening and briefly outlined various ongoing DEC fisheries management programs and fiscal applications.

Brian Lantry � USGS at Oswego, provided a detailed report with graphics that outlined forage fish trends over the past several years. As expected the annual trends are cyclic, reflecting water temperature and other variables. Recent trawls show that alewife in the eastern basin are healthy and numerous and; unexpectedly, there is a slight increase in the smelt population.

Scott Prindle � DEC Biologist at Cape Vincent, discussed the logistics and results of the 2004 fishing boat census which provides a lengthy detailed analysis of boat trips and fish harvested per trip. This information will be made available for public use. He also provided an update concerning the Lake Trout restoration effort and the value of the �slot limit�. This subject resulted in a prolonged discussion from the floor regarding DEC�s statistical graphs and opportunities to shift slot range to provide anglers with larger numbers of harvestable fish. In general the overall numbers of lake trout are down in the eastern basin.

Dan Bishop � DEC Fisheries Manager Region 7, provided updates and an analysis of studies related to salmon growth rates, steelhead stocking in the Salmon River, natural reproduction of salmon in the Salmon River, pen rearing evaluations across the State, and barge stocking at Sodus and Point Breeze. There is no doubt pen acclimation greatly enhances returns compared to other stocking methods.

Steve LaPan � Lake Ontario Unit Leader at Cape Vincent, provided an update on the Double Crested Cormorant management program, changes to the bass regulations, and the proposal to increase the minimum size limit of steelhead to 21 inches on a lake-wide basis. All three of these issues resulted in lengthy discussions from the floor.

Briefly, The DEC will continue to employ its egg oiling, non-lethal efforts to reduce the cormorant population in the eastern basin. To date these methods have been effective on Galloo Island. However, the majority of the birds have relocated to Canadian waters which are beyond our jurisdiction. A similar situation is occurring on the St Lawrence River which also includes many refuges on �off- limits� privately owned islands. DEC staff will work with these US owners to obtain permits if they opt to implement control measures.

DEC is still accepting comments concerning a plan to introduce an early �catch and release� season from December

through the current opening Saturday. To date it appears that this proposal is not being favorably received by anyone. The proposal to delay the bass season opening day one week on the St Lawrence River is also being challenged.  It should be noted that this proposition is based, in part, upon an effort to develop more consistent bass regulations between NYS and Province of Ontario. Specifically, a minimum size limit of 12 inches.

In an effort to cope with an apparent decline in the recruitment of steelhead DEC has suggested a 21 inch minimum size limit on a lake-wide basis. This offer generated several opposing opinions from the floor. Stream anglers continue to insist that the current one fish tributary limit should include the lake; and, lake fishermen think all changes should be deferred pending the performance of new studies. Eastern basin trollers generally concur that the 21 inch limit represents a more significant impact upon possession opportunities in the Niagara River and western basin. It could be assumed from the meeting that some form of management action is imminent.

Cormorant issue

I wish I could say our DEC is making big strides on the cormorant issue, but I can't and I am at a loss to really understand why the soft approach. They say they are doing all the can without inciting law suits from the antis, DOW, PETA, Animal Defence League, etc. They will continue as in the past egg oiling on Little Galloo Island and a zero nest policy on Calf, Bass, and Gull and some assistance to the Canadians. They was a lot of dismay at the foot dragging by the Canadians concerning the cormorant issue, the birds have devastated some islands in the St. Lawrence River and are raising havoc with perch and bass populations.

 We (I) did find out for the first time at our SOL meeting that concerning cormorants nesting on most river islands the hands of the DEC are tied, most of the islands are privately owned and the DEC can only advise and that can come only after the landowner requests assistance.

According to Steve LaPan the tide is turning, owners once viewed the birds and welcome visitors now they are watching as their islands and the vegetation is being destroyed. In the meantime the birds have the upper hand. I wish I knew the answer Dan but the birds are still destroying our fishery. As you probably already know the Canadians did kill about 7,000 last year at one location but not because of the fishery but because the birds were destroying an area with sensitive vegetation.

Forage Base

on the forage base last years trawls revealed some pretty good news, there is a very good year class of two year old alewives out there and a fair amount of three year olds also a fair amount of young of the year, a pleasant surprise was they came up with a pretty good number of smelt which was a total surprise, they are small but finding any was very encouraging. Over all our forage is not in too bad shape for this season and our recent winter should not have been a factor in any big mortality of either species.

Researchers to study Lake Erie�s ailing central basin

Focus of researchers will be on food chain

Dozens of scientists will take a sweeping look at Lake Erie starting next month in what is being called one of the largest research projects ever on the Great Lakes.   The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the two-year international project, led by NOAA, will focus on the lake's food chain, which starts at the microscopic level and goes up to predator fish, such as walleye, bass and burbot.

As many as 10 research ships will concentrate on the lake's central basin, an area from Huron to Erie, Pa., that has seen fluctuating levels of phosphorus and lower levels of oxygen over the last decade. Researchers will try to understand why low oxygen levels recur in the central basin and whether they affect fish and other aquatic creatures.

A number of federal, state and local government agencies in the United States and Canada, plus 15 universities, will be part of the multimillion-dollar study, called International Field Year on Lake Erie.

"The amount of data to come out of this will be staggering," said Roger Knight, who oversees the Lake Erie fisheries program for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "I don't think we will realize all that we learned for 10 years."

Researchers will measure phosphorus and other physical and biological characteristics of Lake Erie from May through October to help understand how they affect lower oxygen levels.  Phosphorus in fresh water serves as a nutrient. It washes off from yards and farm fields where it is used as a fertilizer and winds up in the lake. Phosphorus also is discharged into the lake from sewage treatment plants.

In the last decade, dissolved phosphorus levels have steadily increased. This alarmed scientists because phosphorus had been steadily dropping through the 1980s, primarily because communities had spent billions of dollars to improve discharges from sewage treatment plants.

Research over the past few years shows the leading culprits for the phosphorus change are zebra and quagga mussels, fingernail-size clams that filter microscopic organisms out of the water and expel vast amounts of phosphorus. This phosphorus is then concentrated along the shoreline and lake bottom.

The higher phosphorus levels are causing more algae to grow. Of particular concern is microcystis, a blue-green algae that is inedible and, in the right conditions, can release toxins that can affect fish and other aquatic life, Knight said.

When phosphorus is abundant, the "bad" blue-green algae out-competes the "good" green algae, which is at the base of the lake's food chain and is eaten by free-floating microscopic animals in the water, Knight said.  When the "bad" algae dies, it sinks to the bottom, rots and uses up oxygen. That was the problem in the 1960s when the lake looked like pea soup and was considered dead.

Low oxygen levels are a problem in the central basin between spring and fall in part because of its physical characteristics. The central basin is not as deep as the eastern one, which has a thick layer of oxygen on the bottom. It is not as shallow as the western basin, which receives oxygen from wind mixing.

Ladies' Fly Fishing School - May 15

Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation

The Elliott Donnelley Chapter of Trout Unlimited announces its 8th Annual Ladies Fly Fishing School on Sunday, May 15th, at the Max McGraw Wildlife Center in West Dundee, IL.

Let the Trout Unlimited Instructional Team Introduce You to the Sport of Fly Fishing!  Fee is $125.00 includes classroom & outdoor instruction, meals, parking, use of equipment and materials

  ► Learn the basics of fly casting required for most fishing

  ► A commonsense overview of today�s tackle and related fly fishing accessories

  ► The essentials for building leaders and tying the knots every angler needs to know

  ► Practical, straightforward strategies for catching & landing freshwater game fish

  ► Basic biology, from panfish to trout, what they eat, where they live, what makes up their world

Proceeds will benefit: the continuing stream conservation efforts of Trout Unlimited's Elliott Donnelley Chapter. Reeling & Healing is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fly fishing retreats, instruction and opportunities to breast cancer survivors.

Remember the date: Sunday, May 15, 2005, Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Dundee, IL. Attendance is limited.  For more info or to register, contact:  847-441-3195 [email protected]

New Conservation Police Academy Dedicated

Center an Example of Innovative, Economical Renovation

Springfield-The new Conservation Police Academy was dedicated today on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  The facility is a renovated building, which formerly housed Department of Correction Inmates.  The renovations were completed using just $6000 of state taxpayer money.

"These renovations were accomplished in the same way that a homeowner would do a project-using what we had and pinching pennies at every turn," said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Brunsvold.  "Not only did we do this inexpensively, but we certainly have a facility of which we can be proud."

The center includes a gymnasium, classroom, dormitories, lounge, and cafeteria. The building is furnished with items from state and federal surplus. Donations from the private sector, including the Illinois Conservation Foundation, have

funded improvements ranging from carpeting to bedding in the dormitories.  Portions of the facility have been used by IDNR's Illinois Conservation Police Department since last July, already saving the agency $25,000 in lodging and rental costs.

The new Conservation Police Academy will be used during training of Conservation Police Officers, as well as to house officers who are called to Springfield from other locations around Illinois for special details.  It will also be used for officers receiving continuing education.

There are 158 Conservation Police Officers in the state of Illinois.  To become an officer requires 400 hours of general police training, and twelve weeks of training in conservation law.  Conservation Officers duties include enforcing the wildlife and aquatic code, law enforcement in Illinois State Parks, and safety enforcement and training for recreational activities, including boating, hunting, and snowmobiling.

State of Lake Ontario

The following is a report of the New York Lake Ontario State of the Lake Meetings held last month.  Our thanks to GLSFC member and Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon & Trout Association officer Doug Fuegel for supplying this information

Bill Culligan � Great Lakes Section Head at Dunkirk, opened the meeting with a welcome note and a moment of silence in memory of Hank Cosselman who passed away in Oswego on March 13th. Hank was a former president of the NYSCC. Without question, Hank�s untiring efforts will be greatly missed by all. Bill then introduced the speakers for the evening and briefly outlined various ongoing DEC fisheries management programs and fiscal applications.

Brian Lantry � USGS at Oswego, provided a detailed report with graphics that outlined forage fish trends over the past several years. As expected the annual trends are cyclic, reflecting water temperature and other variables. Recent trawls show that alewife in the eastern basin are healthy and numerous and; unexpectedly, there is a slight increase in the smelt population.

Scott Prindle � DEC Biologist at Cape Vincent, discussed the logistics and results of the 2004 fishing boat census which provides a lengthy detailed analysis of boat trips and fish harvested per trip. This information will be made available for public use. He also provided an update concerning the Lake Trout restoration effort and the value of the �slot limit�. This subject resulted in a prolonged discussion from the floor regarding DEC�s statistical graphs and opportunities to shift slot range to provide anglers with larger numbers of harvestable fish. In general the overall numbers of lake trout are down in the eastern basin.

Dan Bishop � DEC Fisheries Manager Region 7, provided updates and an analysis of studies related to salmon growth rates, steelhead stocking in the Salmon River, natural reproduction of salmon in the Salmon River, pen rearing evaluations across the State, and barge stocking at Sodus and Point Breeze. There is no doubt pen acclimation greatly enhances returns compared to other stocking methods.

Steve LaPan � Lake Ontario Unit Leader at Cape Vincent, provided an update on the Double Crested Cormorant management program, changes to the bass regulations, and the proposal to increase the minimum size limit of steelhead to 21 inches on a lake-wide basis. All three of these issues resulted in lengthy discussions from the floor.

Briefly, The DEC will continue to employ its egg oiling, non-lethal efforts to reduce the cormorant population in the eastern basin. To date these methods have been effective on Galloo Island. However, the majority of the birds have relocated to Canadian waters which are beyond our jurisdiction. A similar situation is occurring on the St Lawrence River which also includes many refuges on �off- limits� privately owned islands. DEC staff will work with these US owners to obtain permits if they opt to implement control measures.

DEC is still accepting comments concerning a plan to introduce an early �catch and release� season from December

through the current opening Saturday. To date it appears that this proposal is not being favorably received by anyone. The proposal to delay the bass season opening day one week on the St Lawrence River is also being challenged.  It should be noted that this proposition is based, in part, upon an effort to develop more consistent bass regulations between NYS and Province of Ontario. Specifically, a minimum size limit of 12 inches.

In an effort to cope with an apparent decline in the recruitment of steelhead DEC has suggested a 21 inch minimum size limit on a lake-wide basis. This offer generated several opposing opinions from the floor. Stream anglers continue to insist that the current one fish tributary limit should include the lake; and, lake fishermen think all changes should be deferred pending the performance of new studies. Eastern basin trollers generally concur that the 21 inch limit represents a more significant impact upon possession opportunities in the Niagara River and western basin. It could be assumed from the meeting that some form of management action is imminent.

Cormorant issue

I wish I could say our DEC is making big strides on the cormorant issue, but I can't and I am at a loss to really understand why the soft approach. They say they are doing all the can without inciting law suits from the antis, DOW, PETA, Animal Defence League, etc. They will continue as in the past egg oiling on Little Galloo Island and a zero nest policy on Calf, Bass, and Gull and some assistance to the Canadians. They was a lot of dismay at the foot dragging by the Canadians concerning the cormorant issue, the birds have devastated some islands in the St. Lawrence River and are raising havoc with perch and bass populations.

 We (I) did find out for the first time at our SOL meeting that concerning cormorants nesting on most river islands the hands of the DEC are tied, most of the islands are privately owned and the DEC can only advise and that can come only after the landowner requests assistance.

According to Steve LaPan the tide is turning, owners once viewed the birds and welcome visitors now they are watching as their islands and the vegetation is being destroyed. In the meantime the birds have the upper hand. I wish I knew the answer Dan but the birds are still destroying our fishery. As you probably already know the Canadians did kill about 7,000 last year at one location but not because of the fishery but because the birds were destroying an area with sensitive vegetation.

Forage Base

on the forage base last years trawls revealed some pretty good news, there is a very good year class of two year old alewives out there and a fair amount of three year olds also a fair amount of young of the year, a pleasant surprise was they came up with a pretty good number of smelt which was a total surprise, they are small but finding any was very encouraging. Over all our forage is not in too bad shape for this season and our recent winter should not have been a factor in any big mortality of either species.

Fishing Guide and Charter Boat regulations introduced      

Commercial charter boats and fishing guides would have to meet uniform standards, including insurance requirements and safety certifications, in order to operate legally under a measure proposed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

Regulations for the administering of Charter Boat/Fishing Guide Permits were approved for publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking at the PFBC Spring quarterly meeting April 26.  The Commission had previously created a working group of active fishing guides and charter boat operators that was instrumental in drafting the regulations.  The PFBC will now solicit additional public input on the proposed regulations before taking a final vote on the rulemaking at a later date.

Among the provisions the regulations propose to establish is

a requirement that fishing guides and charter boat operators possess liability insurance of at least $500,000 in aggregate.  Guides and charter boat operators would also be required to possess and maintain current certifications in basic CPR and first aid.  Charter boat operators would likewise be required to obtain a Boating Safety Education Certificate in order to be permitted to operate their business.  Permits would be issued on an annual basis at a cost of $100 for resident guides and operators and $400 for non-residents.

Authorization for issuing Fishing Guide/Charter Boat Permits was given to the Commission as part of Act 150 of 2004.  The Commission deferred issuing the permits in 2005 while drafting regulations governing administration.  It is the PFBC�s intent that the final regulations be in place and permits issued beginning in 2006.

Lawsuit challenges plants' cooling system

MADISON - Environmentalists are challenging state regulators' approval of a water permit for two proposed power plants along Lake Michigan they say will kill billions of fish every year.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued the permit to We Energies in March, a step required before the company can build twin coal-fired plants in Oak Creek, south of Milwaukee that could power 615,000 homes.

A lawsuit filed Monday by the environmental watchdog group Clean Wisconsin and consumer products giant S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. of Racine asks a judge to throw out the permit for the plants' cooling system.  The two-mile-long pipeline extending into Lake Michigan would take in 2.2 billion gallons of water daily, the same amount that Chicago and 100 suburbs use in a day, then return it to the lake 15 degrees warmer.

Opponents of the project say the cooling system will kill 

billions of fish per year, sucking them into the pipe and trapping them on the structure's screens, and the warmer water discharged will disrupt aquatic ecosystems in Lake Michigan.

In granting the permit, the DNR ordered the company to perform a study by the end of the year about the cooling system's impact on fish and held open the possibility it could order changes.

The lawsuit filed in Dane County Circuit Court is the latest legal challenge to the $2.15 billion project, the largest power project in state history, by opponents who say it will damage the air and water. The state Supreme Court is considering whether state regulators followed the law in approving the project.

A lawsuit over an air emissions permit for the project also is pending. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also must issue its own water-use permit.

Commercial, sport fishermen at odds

Placement of nets is big issue

By Neil Rhines, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC �An emergency rule instituted last summer has pushed whitefish trap nets north to an area off the shores of Point Beach State Forest, north of Two Rivers. That rule expired earlier this year, however, giving whitefish quota holders like Mike LeClair and Steve Kulpa the ability to fish between Two Rivers and Manitowoc this summer.

Some sport fishermen say the nets should not be placed there in the summer, which is their prime season for catching salmon.  Commercial fishermen counter that there is plenty of lake for everyone, and they should be allowed to exercise their fishing rights on prime fishing grounds in the summer months.

Before last year, summer whitefish trap netting had not been allowed between Manitowoc and Two Rivers since the 1980s. A higher concentration of whitefish makes the area a preferred place for commercial fisherman to set their nets. Summer trap netting begins July 1 and runs until the end of August.

Pete LeClair of Susie Q Fish Market said the company didn�t fare well on the northern grounds, which is traditionally lake trout territory. DNR catch records confirm his assertion.  �We lost our (butts),� he said.

Mike Rusch, a member of the Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, and Chuck Weier, a member of the Wisconsin Federation of Great Lakes Sport Fishing Clubs, are trying to gather support and force the nets back north.   According to Rusch, thousands of sport anglers annually ply the waters between Two Rivers and Manitowoc for salmon and trout, bringing millions into the local economy annually.  Both the Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen and Wisconsin Federation of Great Lakes Sport Fishing Clubs are member clubs of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council.

The area the nets would cover � essentially east of the ports of Manitowoc and Two Rivers, between the depths of 75 and 150 feet � is the prime zone sport anglers prefer for salmon in the summer. Between six and 12 nets could be employed in that area this summer, Weier said.

Linda Daugherty, director of media relations for the Lake Michigan Carferry Service, said she also has concerns. The S.S. Badger doesn�t normally pass over the area the nets would be placed, but has used the area during upwind conditions.  �The potential for (net placement) is huge; we have 492 crossings a year,� she said.  Daugherty said the company is concerned about the possibility of catching one of the propellers in the net or lead lines, which can extend beyond 1,000 feet.    She also is concerned with the lack of lighted markers for the nets at night.

Phil Moy, fisheries and non-indigenous species specialist with University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, said the Badger has nothing to worry about, because they�ve gone over these nets before.

Other concerns expressed by Rusch and Weier include:

�Fishing equipment, including lures and downriggers (elaborate pulley systems using weights to take lures to deep water) could become entangled in the nets. Weier, a retired charter captain, he said he lost about $1,200 worth of equipment during an incident where it became entangled in the nets several years back.

�Anglers who aren�t familiar with the area, and who might get caught in the fog or drift into the nets.

People unfamiliar with the lake, however, have no business being out there, Moy said. �Lake Michigan is no place to be out there if you don�t know what you�re doing,� he said.

Related letter to Wisconsin State Senator Alan Lasee follows

Related letter to Wisconsin State Senator Alan Lasee

SENATOR ALAN LASEE

P.O. BOX 7882

MADISON, WI.  53707

Dear Senator Lasee,                                                              April 25, 2005

I and many other fishermen are very upset about the WDNR giving more of our fishing waters to the Commercial Fisherman. How much shoreline does four or five commercial fishing families need or are entitled to?

Over the years I have attended many meetings about the commercial fishing on Lake Michigan. We were assured by the DNR that there would be no more commercial operations allowed to start in Wisconsin and that they were going to keep them in areas where they were at the time. In other words not allow them to expand.

As we all know that the state of Michigan bought out they�re commercial fishing operations. We know only too well that two (2) moved over here and immediately started up here in Wisconsin. The DNR�s excuse was we had some loopholes and they got in. The loopholes are closed now of coarse. This is according to Mark Holley who has moved on to US. Fish and Wildlife now. Again we were assured that they would not allow the commercial fishing areas to expand.

The sportsman in Manitowoc/Two Rivers just narrowly avoided them expanding there. Unfortunately we didn�t have the same luck here when the DNR Board and WDNR with Mr. Bill Horns and Representative Gary Bies did not watch out for the Sport and Charter Fisherman�s best interest. Instead they gave the Commercial Fisherman another 20-25 miles of shoreline to control. From Baileys Harbor down to Whitefish Point. The DNR swears no fowl play that they went through all the normal notices. I believe them, but it is funny that nobody knew the nets were there till we were loosing fishing equipment in them early in the morning, me included.

What a shock to see nets stretched from 30 ft. of water all the way out to 250 ft. of water East to West. The nets are so close together fisherman who pay for their license too cannot even fish between them without fear of getting hung up in them. I looked out over the water to the north from Whitefish Point and there were net buoys as far as you could see. From in shallow to out deep.

I called the DNR and asked why these nets were here. They said we cut a deal with them to use less Gill Nets and more Trap nets. The Commercial Fisherman had to be laughing all the way to the bank with that one.  Every trap net has about a � mile lead, which is an 8-inch gill net that starts in shallow and goes deep out to the trap net. This is supposed to guide the fish into the trap. Salmon/Trout do not guide very well so they get caught in these leads. Hundreds and maybe thousands are killed and wasted every year at the Sport Fisherman�s expense.

When I called the DNR they also were kind enough to drop off a brochure about the dangers of getting caught in a trap net with a boat. The brochure tells how your boat can be sunk if caught in these nets. You�re supposed to shut off your engines but keep you vessel pointed into the waves. Otherwise the ropes at the top can get caught in your propeller

and wind you right down under the water. I�ve included a copy of this brochure also.

The Commercial Fisherman controls most of the shoreline with nets. We have to fish north and south, their nets go west to East. We have a few miles with out nets in front of Sturgeon Bay. Algoma to the south has commercial fishing nets and now we have them at Whitefish Point. What is next?

We want the nets moved back to Baileys Harbor line where they use to be. The Sport and Charter Fisherman want our water back. We pay the majority of the money to support the WDNR. And what do they do? It feels to me like I got stabbed in the back when I wasn�t looking. Alan if you need names on petitions to get this done we will get them. It is not fair that we pay the bills and four or five commercial fishing families reap the profits. How much water do they need?

The Sport and Charter Fishing Industry bring about 5-600 million dollars of revenue into the state of Wisconsin each year. How much do the Commercial Fisherman bring into the state? Motels, Restaurants, Gas Stations and all stores in general benefit from the Fisherman that come here. We don�t want to drive out the commercial fisherman but we don�t want to see them take over all the Lake Michigan shoreline of Wisconsin. Right now I estimate that Commercial Fishing control almost 70% of our Lake Michigan shoreline in Wisconsin.

We only have 4-5 Commercial Fishermen on the Door County Peninsula, but they control the shoreline water from Gills Rock all the way down to White Fish Point. Roughly 65-70 miles of our shoreline with the added distance to White Fish Point. We have open or (net free) water from White Fish Point to the Kewaunee boarder or about ten miles or shoreline.

There use to be a permit system that allowed the commercial fisherman to fish these waters temporarily when the Sport and Charter fisherman were not out there. This wasn�t good enough for the WDNR and commercial fisherman. In doing this they again lied and deceived the Sport Fisherman that pay for most of the bills. Who do they come to for more money all the time? The Sportsman.

We would like you to draft a bill or whatever it takes to get the commercial nets moved back up to the Baileys Harbor line. We don�t care if they have special permits to fish this area during the off-season just not during the regular fishing season for us. We would like to see this changed back to the way it was as soon as possible.

Alan, you know me. I am not going to let this go. I hope you can tell by this letter we mean to get this changed. I hope we can get the same support that we have got in the past from you.

I�ve included a list of names of whom I sent this letter to plus a map of where nets are and a copy of the brochure about the dangers of trap nets. If need be I will also get pictures of Salmon/Trout caught in the leads of the trap nets and send them to papers and magazines to visually show people how many sport fish are killed each day in these trap net leads or gill nets.

Respectfully

Capt. Fritz Peterson

Toronto welcomes Cormorants

Designates April 12 Welcome Back Home Cormorant Day

The city of Toronto recently celebrated the water bird with a Welcome back Home Cormorants Day on April 12, with the birds making Tommy Thompson Park home, as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters said Cormorants are destroying the environment in an April 11 press release.

Meanwhile The Ministry of Natural Resources has been studying Cormorants around the Great Lakes for the last four years to determine, in part, the affect the birds have on fish stocks.