2018 Report: Lake Superior Lakewide Management and Action Plan
The binational annual report on the state of Lake Superior is now available. The report concludes that the overall ecological condition of Lake Superior is good with native fish species (e.g. Lake Trout) still dominating the top of the food chain, as well as a healthy lower food web. Lake Superior also remains a source of safe, high-quality drinking water.
However, the report also noted some of the emerging challenges and stressors for the lake. These challenges include: the threat of aquatic invasive species, the impacts of climate change, reduced habitat connectivity between the tributaries and the Lake itself, and the emerging concern over microplastics.
The complete 2018 LaMP Annual Report is available here.
Information on the state of the other Great Lakes is also available.
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.
Grand Portage Environmental Job Postings
Infosuperior received the job postings listed below from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on March 22nd, 2019. More information about the Grand Portage Band is available here. Visit the Grand Portage Band website here.
Ecological Restoration Webinar – March 28th
Register Here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6929246920652893187
Thursday, March 28th, 2019, 11:00 AM to 12 NOON EDT
Interagency Ecological Restoration Quality Committee Webinar Series
About the Webinar
Upon graduation from Purdue University in 1977, Guy Meadows joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, College of Engineering, where he served as Professor of Physical Oceanography for 35 years within the departments of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. During his tenure, he served the College and University as Director of the Ocean Engineering Laboratory, Director of the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (NOAA, Joint Institute), Director of the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories and founding Academic Director of the M-STEM Academy. He joined Michigan Tech in June of 2012, to help establish the new Great Lakes Research Center as its founding director. His primary goal is to blend scientific understanding and technological advancements into environmentally sound engineering solutions for the marine environment.
Dr. Richard K. (Dick) Norton is a professor in the urban and regional planning program at the University of Michigan. Both a planner and a lawyer, he has studied state and local efforts to manage coastal shoreland areas for more than 20 years. For most of that time he has focused on shoreland management along Michigan’s Great Lakes. Collaborating extensively with colleagues like Dr. Guy Meadows, his work brings together expertise in shoreline dynamics, resource ecology, law, and land use planning. For this webinar, Dr. Norton will discuss the legal debates surrounding the public management and use of privately owned shoreland properties along the Great Lakes, and planning processes that small coastal localities can employ to effectively manage their shoreland areas, especially for hazard mitigation.
The Interagency Ecological Restoration Quality Committee hosts monthly Webinars in an effort to bring restoration practitioners from across the country together to present and discuss the innovations aimed at improving the quality of ecological restoration data. Presentations are approximately 45 minutes in length, followed by an open discussion for the remainder of the hour.
Single-Use Plastics Ban: Ontario Seeks Input
Shared Waters
Lake Superior’s waters move freely and are shared by Canadians and Americans alike; therefore, residents on Superior’s U.S. side might be interested in learning about something that is gaining considerable interest across the lake, in Canada.
“Would a ban on single-use plastics be effective in reducing plastic waste?”
In a recently released discussion paper entitled Reducing Litter and Waste in our Communities, the Ontario government asks, “Would a ban on single-use plastics be effective in reducing plastic waste?” The paper contends that 10,000 tonnes of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes each year, and notes that “cleaning up our lakes and rivers after they have been polluted is not a sustainable solution. . . . Consistent, coordinated action is needed to prevent plastic from ending up in waterways . . . .”
The Paper Broaches the Idea of Groundbreaking, Large-scale Societal Change
Participants in shoreline cleanups would probably agree, knowing that cleaning up, time after time, becomes an endless cycle, superficial at best. The government’s discussion paper says Ontario will support shoreline cleanups, but it is most noteworthy for its emphasis on prevention and taking action before plastic enters the water. The paper broaches the idea of banning single-use plastics, a groundbreaking change that would impact many aspects of society in the province.
The paper also examines a wide range of waste management approaches including the following:
- preventing and reducing litter
- making producers responsible for their waste
- diverting food and organic waste
- increasing the effectiveness of composting programs
- reducing plastic waste to landfills and waterways.
A recent province-wide phone-in program, which was run by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, featured an interview with a representative of the plastic industry and sought the opinions of Ontario residents about the ban on single-use plastics. The industry representative did not support the ban. The vast majority of callers, from across the entire province, did.
Input Welcomed
The Province of Ontario welcomes input on the discussion paper.
Other Links:
- March 10, 2019 Toronto Star Article: Ontario Considers Single-Use Plastics Ban in Waste Diversion Strategy
- EU Bans Single-Use Plastics
- “Nurdles,” small plastic beads classified as part of the microplastics spectrum have washed up on Lake Superior beaches in both Canada and USA. Read more.
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.
Film, Podcast Explore Isle Royale Wolf Situation
The voices of those both for and against human intervention
The Detroit Free Press newspaper (online version), which often covers Great Lakes issues, explores the topic of wolves and Isle Royale in a film recently posted to its site. The March 13th Free Press edition includes an award winning 37 min video by Brian Kaufman. In summer 2015 Kaufman spent several weeks on Isle Royale hiking and filming. The film was first shown to a sold-out crowd at the Detroit Film Festival in 2016, and it has won two awards.
In addition to Isle Royale National Park Superintendent Phyllis Green, several wolf and ecological experts are interviewed including John Vucetich of Houghton’s Michigan Technological University (MTU), Rolf Peterson, also of MTU, his wife Carolyn Peterson, listed as wolf and moose “research volunteer” and Marvin Robinson of the Sierra Club.
In essence, the film puts forward the voices of those people both for, and against, human intervention in the Isle Royale wolf/moose equation. On both sides, these voices are very passionate and the film is an excellent means of exploring the topic of human “interventions” in the natural world.
[A recent Infosuperior article about caribou, linked below, also has some valuable thoughts about interventions. The article notes that intervention for economic gain is often accepted, while intervention to assist rehabilitation of a specific species, or ecosystem, may be rejected.]
Podcast questions whether interventions are done for wolves, or people
A thought provoking 55 min podcast by Brad Badelt on the CBC radio program “Ideas” also takes an in-depth look at the topic of wolves and Isle Royale. Entitled “Guardians vs. Gardeners,” the audio documentary explores the philosophy behind relocating wolves to Isle Royale. The podcast details the introduction of wolves to Lake Superior’s largest island decades ago, examines a related National Geographic article and raises questions about inbreeding. The podcast also questions whether interventions are done for the wolves and the ecosystem, or for ourselves. Leading environmental thinkers and wolf experts have their say.
Four wolves were moved from Wawa, Ontario to Isle Royale this winter
The podcast and film were posted just as another Isle Royale wolf relocation was completed this winter. Four wolves were recently moved to Isle Royale and an excellent CBC article written by Gord Ellis provides an overview of this effort.
Check out the CBC article here.
The wolves are from the Wawa, Ontario area on the Canadian side of Lake Superior. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the U.S National Parks Service cooperated to move the wolves. A representative of Michipicoten First Nation, near Wawa, participated in the capture effort.
A similar effort last year relocated four Minnesota wolves to Isle Royale but only two of these wolves remain on the island. This is in addition to two other wolves (a father and daughter) which remain from an earlier, larger population. In short, four wolves were on Isle Royale before this winter’s relocation effort was carried out. The Canadian wolves double the population, which now stands at eight.
According to the CBC article, the additional wolves will increase genetic diversity and will also assist in controlling the moose population (approximately 1500 animals).
Links:
March 4, 2019 Infosuperior Article: Lake Superior’s Iconic Caribou Population: Back from the Brink?
March 15th, 2019 MPR News Story – Take Wolves Off the Endangered Species List?
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.
For Health and Habitat: Rescuing the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes Areas of Concern program has helped clean up rivers, restore wetlands, and boost economies — but there’s still a long way to go.
March 6, 2019 by Peter Essick
Restoration of the Great Lakes began unofficially in 1969, after the notoriously polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire in Cleveland, near where it empties into Lake Erie. Nearly two decades later, in 1987, the U.S. and Canada signed an agreement creating the Great Lakes Areas of Concern program, which identified 43 Great Lakes watersheds that were most in need of environmental restoration. It also created a process whereby an area can be delisted once its environmental quality has improved.
In 2010, the Obama administration launched the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which, among other things, provides funds for the Areas of Concern program so that all of the areas left in the U.S. can eventually be delisted. Last year, President Trump called for massive cuts to the GLRI, but Congress fully funded it at $300 million, in a bipartisan effort.
This bipartisan support stems from the economic benefits of environmental restoration. A study by a team of economists released last fall found that every dollar invested in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative brings more than $3 in additional economic benefits across the region. “It is no longer the economy versus the environment,” said Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, a Western New York nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring the Niagara River watershed. “You cannot have a healthy economy without a healthy environment.”
The Areas of Concern program is a large-scale environmental project carried out largely by local communities — which may account for its longevity and effectiveness. State and local officials, as well as environmental organizations and community groups, work to restore native vegetation, clean up rivers and streams, and enjoy nature in the process. There is still much work to be done, they say, but water quality in the Great Lakes region has improved significantly since the Cuyahoga River fire shocked the region into action.
These photographs were supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society.
Recovering the Wetlands
There are more than half a million acres of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes Basin, with roughly 70 percent located in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is less than half of the region’s historical wetlands expanse.
Nurturing Native Species
Close to 200 invasive and non-native species have threatened the historic ecosystem of the Great Lakes region. According to a 2018 progress report, some 135,000 aquatic and terrestrial acres have been brought under control, but far more work remains.
Balancing Power Needs
While the immense water resources of the region have been a boon for power-production infrastructure, dams and electricity generating facilities have taken their toll on the Great Lakes, robbing marshlands of nourishing flows, impacting fish stocks, and occupying shoreline ripe for recreation. Bit by bit, balance is being restored.
Remediating Pollution
Poisoned soil, polluted water, and other fallout from decades of inadequately regulated industrial activity had left vast swaths of the Great Lakes basin a veritable wasteland. But 30 years after the Areas of Concern program launched, signs of recovery are easy to spot — even along the northern Ohio river that became the poster child for Great Lakes blight a half-century ago.
National Geographic photographer Peter Essick is a specialist in environmental themes documenting human impacts of development on the natural landscape. He has photographed stories on climate change, freshwater, high-tech trash, nuclear waste, drought, and ecosystem restoration, and his images have been featured in Time magazine’s “Great Images of the 20th Century” and in “100 Best Photographs of National Geographic.”
This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.
Registration Now Open for 2019 Great Lakes Public Forum
Canada and U.S. convene for public forum as part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
Registration is now open for the 2019 Great Lakes Public Forum. Every three years, parties from both the Canadian and U.S. sides of the Great Lakes must, as part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, hold a public forum to provide updates on progress towards protecting and restoring the waters of the Great Lakes. The 2019 Great Lakes Public Forum, organized by the Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada, will be held from Monday, June 17 to Wednesday, June 19 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center hotel in Milwaukee, WI.
For More information on registration and accommodations Click Here
In 2017, the Governments of Canada and the U.S. described the overall state of the Great Lakes as “Fair and Unchanging,” based on 9 indicators and 44 sub-indicators, as reported on Binational.net. The 2019 forum will cover what is going to be prioritized in the next three years alongside what has been accomplished to date. Expect to hear about and discuss each of the 10 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Annexes:
- Areas of Concern
- Lakewide Management
- Chemicals of Mutual Concern
- Nutrients
- Discharges from Vessels
- Aquatic Invasive Species
- Habitat and Species
- Groundwater
- Climate Change Impacts
- Science
More Information will be posted to Binational.net as it becomes available
Registration ends Friday, May 31, 2019. To register now Click Here.
Links:
Infosuperior Livestream of the 2016 Great Lakes Public Forum
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.
Lake Superior’s Iconic Caribou Population: Back From the Brink?
THANK YOU FROM INFOSUPERIOR
Thank you to Gord Eason, Leo Lepiano and Christian Schroeder for information provided in this article. Gord, Leo and Christian are deeply invested in preserving the Lake Superior caribou population. All have close ties to the Wawa area and to Michipicoten Island.
CONSERVATION ACTION 2017–2018
In 2014, ice allowed wolf passage from the mainland to islands where most of Lake Superior’s caribou population is centered. The Michipicoten caribou population was decimated by the wolves; due to this alarming population drop, Michipicoten First Nation, near Wawa, Ontario, raised concerns that the Lake Superior caribou population was in imminent danger of disappearing entirely.
Ruling out the option to hunt and eliminate every wolf on Michipicoten, which was deemed too difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish, the band approached the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to take action. The band then cooperated with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to move the caribou to the Slate Islands (the Slates) and Caribou Island during winter 2017–18.
Ice cover sufficient to allow travel by wolves to the Slates is sporadic. Caribou Island is even more remote and has no wolf population. The idea behind relocating these caribou was, in effect, like taking out an insurance policy against elimination of the entire population. By placing caribou on these islands, it was hoped that populations would recover, eventually to the extent that some of the caribou could be moved back to Michipicoten and other locations.
Action began last winter when several caribou were moved from Michipicoten Island to the Slates and Caribou Island, where wolf predation would be less likely. In total, 15 animals were successfully moved by helicopter.
- Michipicoten Island is located some 13 km/8 mi. offshore in the Wawa, Ontario area
- The Slate Islands are located some 12 km/ 7 mi. offshore from Terrace Bay, Ontario
- Caribou Island is located due south of Michipicoten Island, 72 km/44 mi. north of the Michigan mainland and 60 km/37 mi. south of the Canadian mainland (not to be confused with the much smaller Caribou Island in Thunder Bay, Ontario).
Ten caribou were moved to the Slate Islands but one animal died, leaving nine animals alive; eight of these were cows (female) and one was a bull (male). At the time of transfer, there were thought to be one to four bulls still inhabiting the Slates.
Six caribou, two of which were bulls, were transferred to Caribou Island.
ONE YEAR AFTER THIS CARIBOU CONSERVATION EFFORT, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THESE ANIMALS?
The Slate Islands
All eight of the cows moved to the Slates were radio collared. Ongoing monitoring indicates that they are all alive. The status of the one bull caribou is not known as this animal was not radio collared. There is also uncertainty about the status of wolves because an ice bridge connected the Slates to the mainland for several weeks this winter, and it is not clear whether wolves have again crossed to this island group.
Caribou Island
The prevailing situation on Caribou Island is similar to that on the Slates. Radio collar monitoring of the four cows indicates that they are all alive. The two bulls are not collared and, therefore, their status is not known.
CRITICAL NEXT STEPS
Gord, Leo and Christian are very interested in conserving Lake Superior’s caribou population. To ensure the caribou population is not eliminated and to increase population size and stability, they lay out the following steps:
- Verify the status of bulls on both the Slates and Caribou Island; without male animals, they point out, populations will cease to exist in these areas (they will be “functionally extirpated”). It is also important to have more than one bull for genetic diversity (reducing breeding with half siblings or father).
- Move bulls to the Slates and Caribou Island if necessary.
- Conduct a high quality aerial survey of caribou numbers on the Canadian North Shore mainland adjacent to Lake Superior. The only source of additional Lake Superior area caribou is the mainland and such a survey will provide high confidence results for this population through actual animal sightings. (A 2015 caribou survey estimated mainland caribou numbers at over 50 animals, but confidence in this survey is low since no caribou were actually sighted, rather, results were based upon caribou “sign.”)
- If the caribou population on the North Shore of Lake Superior is critically low (<20), transport these animals in order to preserve their genetics for future restoration .
- Ensure Michipicoten Island is wolf-free, in order to receive caribou from the North Shore mainland, if necessary. Current estimates put the Michipicoten wolf population at 10 to 12 animals.
- Develop a co-management structure for long-term Lake Superior caribou conservation. This plan should be a cooperative effort among citizens, First Nations, interested municipalities, interested organizations and provincial agencies.
“WE NEED TO ASSERT THE PRIMACY OF CHOICE.”
– Leo Lepiano
Some people may question the importance of Lake Superior caribou conservation. Gord, Leo and Christian point out that a large part of the Canadian Lake Superior mainland is a protected area, from the tip of Thunder Cape in the west (Sleeping Giant Provincial Park), through the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, eastward to Pukaskwa Nation Park and on to Lake Superior Provincial Park (now with additions south of Montreal River Harbour). As such, they point out, there is minimal conflict with logging or other activities, unlike other areas of caribou habitat.
Additionally, they mention that Lake Superior used to be in the very core of continental caribou range, which included the south side of the lake and places like Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The three posit that if we cannot successfully preserve this one iconic animal population (centred on a lake shared by two very wealthy countries), there is certainly little hope of preserving other endangered plants and animals in more remote, much less affluent, parts of the world.
“THE PROCESS OF EXTINCTION IS THE ELIMINATION OF INDIVIDUAL POPULATIONS.”
– Gord Eason
Some might say ice cover extending to Lake Superior islands comes and goes, as do wolves, and that humans shouldn’t intervene in this situation. Gord, Leo and Christian respond to this by noting the massive human interventions, some on a landscape scale, undertaken for economic gain throughout Northwestern Ontario. Their position is that human intervention to help caribou is insignificant in comparison and every bit as valid as intervention for economic gain.
HOW ICE COVER IMPACTED THE SLATE ISLANDS AND MICHIPICOTEN ISLAND
Lake Superior Ice Cover
Just before this article was posted (February 27th), Lake Superior ice cover stood at about 85%. Ice cover has not been so extensive since 2014 when maximum Lake Superior ice cover stood at about 96% and ice cover extended from the Canadian shore to both the Slate Islands and to Michipicoten Island. As a result, three or four wolves crossed to Michipicoten Island. By 2017, the Michipicoten wolf population had increased to about 20 animals. A pair of wolves also crossed to the Slates, as has happened in each of the two previous decades.
The Slate Islands
The 2014 introduction of wolves to the Slate Islands meant that by 2017, all female caribou had been eliminated. Only a few male caribou remained, and without females, the caribou population was functionally extirpated. The crash in the caribou population also brought about a corresponding crash in the wolf population. In 2017–18, when action (outlined above) was taken to address the precipitous decline in Lake Superior caribou numbers, no wolves could be found on the Slates.
Michipicoten Island
On Michipicoten Island, in winter 2014, the caribou population was projected to be over 900. After wolves crossed to the island in that same year, the population was quickly reduced to only several animals, both male and female, by winter 2018. There have been no further sightings of caribou on Michipicoten Island since March 2018.
THE LONGER TERM
Gord, Leo and Christian point out that while the Lake Superior caribou population was within a hair’s breadth of being entirely eliminated during the winter of 2017–18; this should by no means mark the end of efforts aimed at caribou preservation. A life ring may have been thrown to this population but this is merely a stop-gap measure. All three maintain that vigilance and ongoing action are needed to prevent extirpation, even while concurrently developing a long-term plan and broader cooperation. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, all three maintain that success is possible.
LINKS:
- The Guardian: An Extinction a World Away in Australia – Lessons to Learn for the Lake Superior Caribou Population?
- Lake Superior Caribou Twitter Page
- Wildlife Preservation Canada
- January 17, 2018 NYTimes Article: Trapped on An Island with Wolves, the Only Way Out for these Animals was Up
- 2015 Lake Superior Binational Program / Nature Conservancy of Canada – Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Lake Superior(not specifically focused on caribou but laying out strategies for habitat and species restoration and protection
- Infosuperior on Flickr: Additional Caribou Photos
PREVIOUS INFOSUPERIOR CARIBOU ARTICLES
- November 30, 2017: Caribou, Ice and Wovles – Death Spiral?
- December 17, 2017: Caribou: Airlift from the Brink!
- April 3, 2018: “Sklift 3” – Michipicoten Bull Bags Starring Role in Caribou Sequel
- All Previous Infosuperior Caribou Articles
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.
Miigwech Josephine Mandamin: A Water Walker’s Legacy
Nokomis (Grandmother) Josephine Biidasige Mandamin, of Wiikwemkoong Unceeded Territory, dedicated her life to speaking for the Great Lakes and was an influential teacher and advocate for the Earth’s water. The impact of her conservation and advocacy work will live on for future generations.
In 2003, she began the Mother Earth Water Walkers with another Grandmother. Starting with Lake Superior, they walked the perimeter of each of the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence seaway and were joined by many along the way. The Mother Earth Water Walks inspired others, like Mary Anne Caibaiosai, to start their own water walks and spurred the Junior Water Walkers.
Nokomis Josephine Mandamin speaks at the Great Lakes Commons Gathering.
Posted on Youtube by OnTheCommons.
In 2006, Josephine Mandamin was on the committee for the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. She was a prominent leader and contributor to the Great Lakes Guardians’ Council and Chief Commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation Women’s Water Commission. In 2016 she was a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage award for her years of conservation work.
Remembered by Many
Indigenous Environmental Network: With Heavy Hearts We Mourn the Loss of Beloved Grandmother Josephine Mandamin
Ontario Native Women’s Association: The Ontario Native Women’s Association Honours the Legacy of Biidasige Josephine Mandamin
Water Docs: She Walked the Talk: Farewell to Water Warrior Grandmother Josephine Mandamin
Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs: Statement on the Passing of Grandmother Josephine Mandamin
Winnipeg Free Press: ‘Water Walker’ Remembered as Protector
Ontario Public Service Union: OPSEU mourns the passing of Grandmother Water Walker Josephine Mandamin
CBC Obituary: Josephine Mandamin, water activist who walked 17,000 km around the Great Lakes, dies at 77
Climate Disruption Session at Lakehead University
The Lakehead University Office of Sustainability is hosting a free student-friendly session about climate change on Wednesday, March 13th, from 2:00pm until 6:00pm. The event will take place on campus at The Study Coffeehouse. The goal of the session is to facilitate conversation about the anthropogenic disruption of climate processes and generate involvement in climate-change preparedness.
Research, Protest, Advocacy and a Movie
The opening elevator-pitch session will highlight research at Lakehead that focuses on climate change. From 2:00pm until 3:00pm, participants will describe their research and why it’s important, in three minutes or less. Attendees will then have the opportunity to ask questions.
In the second portion, Protest Pedagogy, learn how protest is an important educational tool and why it doesn’t deserve the negative connotation that many associate with the term.
Next, things get personal with some pointed information about how Lakehead University is contributing to climate destabilization through professors’ pension plan investments in fossil fuel stocks. A Lakehead student group, Fossil Free Lakehead, will make the case for Lakehead University to divest from fossil fuel stocks.
Later on, enjoy pizza and a screening of the critically acclaimed film Anthropocene: The Human Epoch.
Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to Infosuperior…only #LakeSuperior news.