| Missouri To Ban Felt in 2012
The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a
regulation change banning the use of "porous-soled waders or footwear
incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or
woven fibrous material when fishing in trout parks and other specific
trout waters. Pending public comment through the Secretary of State’s
office, the new regulation will go into effect March 1, 2012, the
opening day of catch-and-keep fishing at Missouri’s four trout
parks."
The move to ban felt in
Missouri is not a surprise as we have been reporting that the rule was
in preparation for nearly a year. The intent of the rule is to reduce
the spread of Didymo,
the invasive algae that has rapidly spread across the Eastern
US. Tim
Banek, invasive species coordinator for the Missouri Department of
Conservation, said Didymo has prompted his agency to begin developing
the regulations. Read
More
While Missouri is the latest
state to institute a felt ban, we can expect that other states and
jurisdictions will be considering felt bans as well. We will continue
to provide a comprehensive accounting of all felt ban proposals in the
US at US Felt Bans
Ballast Water
Remains a Threat
Ballast water continues to be the
biggest problem for new international aquatic invasions. New York is
set
to implement strict regulations on ballast water but the move is
strongly opposed by many. Perhaps most critically, the US House of
Representatives is quickly working on a bill that would prevent the New
York Regulations from taking effect. Read More
While
ballast water regulations are being hotly debated, the shipping
industry has weighed in with the threat that hundreds of thousands of
jobs may be at risk. Pointing at the economic advantages of not
regulating ballast water the industry group tries to make a case that
preventing invasive species is too costly. Read More
Federal Response to 9/11
Benefited Invasive Species
According to a newly released
AP report, "Dozens of foreign insects and plant diseases slipped
undetected into the United States in the years after 9/11, when
authorities were so focused on preventing another attack that they
overlooked a pest explosion that threatened the quality of the nation's
food supply.
At the time, hundreds of agricultural
scientists responsible for
stopping invasive species at the border were reassigned to
anti-terrorism duties in the newly formed Homeland Security Department
— a move that scientists say cost billions of dollars in crop damage
and eradication efforts from California vineyards to Florida citrus
groves.
The consequences come home to
consumers in the form of higher grocery
prices, substandard produce and the risk of environmental damage from
chemicals needed to combat the pests.”
Read More
Asian Carp Stories of Interest
The potential invasion of the
Great Lakes bu Asian carp remains the big story. There continues to be
action on the legal and legislative front while powers battle of their
own interests. Here are some stories of interest.
The fight to close off the potential pathway between the Great Lakes
and the Mississippi took a new turn in October when five
states asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their plea for quicker
federal action to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from
moving between the watersheds.
Read More
While
the legal fight continues, in a Purdue University Calumet
classroom
representatives of Great Lakes protection and advocacy groups
revealed preliminary concepts to protect the world's largest
surface freshwater source from Asian carp and other aquatic
invaders. Finding a cost-effective way to separate the Great
Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds to combat invasive species may
be a Herculean task. And it appears potential solutions will be a tough
sell. Read More
Not everyone is convinced that Asian carp would actually cause problems
in the Great Lakes, including some noted scientists. For a good
overview of both sides of this argument listen to this
Podcast
from Ann Arbor Science
& Skeptics. In it, Dr. Gerald Smith,
professor emeritus at the University of Michigan argues that the carp
represent far less of a threat than believed while Dr. Michael
Murray, staff scientist with the National Wildlife Federation of
Michigan presents the case that the carp are a serious ecological
threat.Listen
Here
State by State
Wyoming
- Wyoming's second boating season following passage of
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) legislation in 2010 was deemed a success
based on the numbers of boats inspected, AIS decal sales, and overall
cooperation from boaters.
Read More
Ohio
- Quagga and Zebra mussels are being cited as a likely
factor in the record algae blooms experienced on Lake Erie. NASA has
released a story with fascinating space photos that show the extent of
the problem. Read More
Hawaii
- Patrick Dougherty, a world-renowned,
award-winning artist, and approximately 150 local volunteers completed
a
giant, "Invasive Species" sculpture at the Hui No'eau Visual Arts
Center in Makawao.
Read More
Montana
- The discovery of Eurasian Milfoil on Beaver Lake west of
Whitefish is prompting the state to close the lake's boat ramp to
prevent the spread of the aquatic weed.
Read
More
Minnesota - A
new electronic gate is ready to drop its arm across the public boat
ramp on Christmas Lake, if the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources approves its use in an experiment aimed at stopping the
spread of zebra mussels
Read
More
Oregon -
The northern ringed crayfish, an aquatic invasive species,
has been discovered in the Umpqua River system in southwest Oregon.
Native to the Mississippi River, the ringed crayfish was first
documented in Oregon’s Rogue River in the early 1960s. Read
More
Michigan
- The Tourism Improving Michigan's Economy (TIME) Alliance unveiled
radio ads and a special website designed to muster public and industry
support to keep Asian Carp out of Michigan waterways.
Read
More
New York - Is
the time of the private boat launch on Lake
George over? That question is being posed as local and state officials
grapple
with stemming the march of aquatic invasive species. Read More
California
- A proposal to allow the use of aquatic pesticides at Lake
Tahoe drew mixed reactions from the South Lake Tahoe City Council.
Read More
Tropical Fish Hobbyists
Encouraged to Avoid Invasive Species
Fishchannel.com
is a leading tropical fish site that is run by one of the major
magazines. They recently had a series of three good articles that are
aimed at teaching fish keepers about the invasive species threat. The
pet trade is often highlighted as a potential source of new invasives
and it is great to see a major media company joining in the education
effort. Read Part One
- Read Part Two - Read Part Three
Potpourri
A selection of stories not
directly related to aquatic invasives.
Kudzu – the
"plant that ate the South" – has finally met a pest that's just as
voracious. Trouble is, the so-called "kudzu bug" is also fond of
another East Asian transplant that we happen to like, and that is big
money for American farmers - Soybeans. Read
More
After more than 10 years of hunting and attempting to remove
invasive populations of nutria throughout Maryland, one final push is
being made to eradicate the species locally. Over the next few years,
officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin traveling
down the Wicomico River seeking out remaining nutria populations. Read
More
A
Michigan Department of Natural Resources director’s order listing
sporting swine as an invasive species took effect on Oct. 8, making it
illegal to possess the animals in Michigan.
Read
More
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