Wisconsin legislature moves into action.

Because of request of sportsmen, Bill 486 was created. This bill reads as follows, “the management of double-crested cormorants and granting rule-making authority.

Analysis by Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to, in cooperative with federal agencies, administer a program to control and manage double-crested cormorants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of U.S. Department of Interior has issued an order that applies to many states, including Wisconsin, which authorizes states to control and manage double-crested cormorants that are causing damage to fish, plants, wildlife, and their habitats. This bill requires DNR to administer program in a manner that complies with federal order.”

The hooligans. Flying around and eating fish.

Some of effects of too many cormorants are:

 Destroying trees and vegetation.

 Pushing other birds out.

 Eating to many game fish.

Some of benefits of cormorants are:

 They are an indicator when a habitat area is healthy.

 They can help keep fish population in balance.

 They can be enjoyable to watch.

The Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation want state to take action to avoid lawlessness actions.

About Author: Kevin Doberstein enjoys wildlife and nature while hiking in Wisconsin great outdoors. He is also owner of Nature Boy Natural Images. This web site displays outdoor wildlife and nature photography. He also has Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Blog. The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation and Wildlife Blog is for promoting and protecting nature and wildlife resources in state of Wisconsin.

Some of concerns of City Council about this type of development were children and swales, mosquitoes, flooding in basements, sidewalk construction and off-street parking.

To environmentalist, it is a start of water, soil and wildlife conservation. To city dweller, it takes them out of a bug free concrete habitat into unfamiliar natural ecosystem. And to developer it is a double edge sword. One side is that they can’t fill in wetlands to sell more lots. But then on other side they reduce development costs by using natural sources instead of expensive concrete stormwater control applications.

The EPA estimates urban storm sewer discharge contributes to 13 percent of impaired rivers, 18 percent of impaired lakes, 55 percent of impaired ocean shorelines and 32 percent of impaired estuaries. With this back to natural water filtration outlook deteriorating water supply could gradually be turned around.

Sources: City of Medford Committee of Whole Meeting Minutes 5/31/05 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources web site. EPA National Water Quality Inventory: 2000 Report

About Author: Kevin Doberstein enjoys wildlife and nature while hiking in Wisconsin great outdoors. He is also owner of Nature Boy Natural Images. This web site displays outdoor wildlife and nature photography. He also has Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Blog. The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation and Wildlife Blog is for promoting and protecting nature and wildlife resources in state of Wisconsin.