Audubon Ohio News - May 19, 2003
- From: "SINGER, Deborah" <DSINGER@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <audubonoh-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 09:43:17 -0400
Audubon Ohio News - May 19, 2003
CONTENTS
1. Audubon Ohio Supports Bill to Guide Water Quality Sampling by =
Volunteers
2. Ohio Division of Wildlife Marks Eagle Recovery With Eaglet Banding
3. Dams: Occasionally, They Really Do Come Down
4. Audubon re: Declining Fish Stocks: We're On It
1. AUDUBON OHIO SUPPORTS BILL TO GUIDE WATER QUALITY SAMPLING BY =
VOLUNTEERS.
Audubon Ohio Executive Director Jerry Tinianow told an Ohio Senate =
Committee on May 14 that legislation passed by the House would provide =
useful guidance to groups like Audubon that use volunteers to sample =
surface water. The bill, House Bill 43, would establish regulations =
under which water samples collected by volunteers could be used by the =
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in its water quality regulatory =
programs.
Tinianow, testifying before the Senate Energy, Natural Resources and =
Environment Committee, described Audubon's long-term commitment to =
citizen science and environmental education. Citing programs at the =
Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, Tinianow told the Committee that =
"ordinary citizens, including children, are capable of participating in =
the scientific process in certain areas as full partners."
Tinianow emphasized that nature-based education improves student =
achievement across a broad range of subjects. The experience is even =
more effective, he said, when students can be assured that the data they =
are generating will play a role in improving water quality. "Under =
proper guidance," said Tinianow, "both adult and children volunteers =
have proven capable of generating useful data on water quality." =
Tinianow added that "[w]hen we give their work meaning in this fashion, =
we encourage responsibility and care."
Under the bill, water quality data gathered by volunteers can be used by =
the Ohio EPA if the data are collected under the supervision of a =
"certified data collector," and in conformity with certain regimens to =
be specified in EPA regulations. The regulations will set the =
qualifications necessary for certification as a certified data =
collector.
Tinianow told the Committee that volunteer citizen scientists contribute =
to natural resources research across a broad area of subjects. He noted =
the long history of citizen involvement in generating data about birds =
and other wildlife.
Following Tinianow's testimony, the Committee voted to approve the bill =
and send it to the full Senate for a vote. Tinianow vowed that if the =
bill is enacted into law, Audubon Ohio will be an active participant in =
assisting the Ohio EPA in developing implementing regulations.
2. OHIO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE MARKS EAGLE RECOVERY WITH EAGLET BANDING
With hundreds of visitors looking on, a team from the Ohio Department of =
Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, captured, examined and banded a =
seven-week-old eaglet near a Delaware State Park on May 16. Mark =
Shieldcastle of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory examined the bird and =
pronounced it well-developed and healthy.
The Division used the event to mark the recovery of eagles in Ohio over =
the past 30 years. In remarks preceding the event, ODNR Director Sam =
Speck noted that Ohio's eagle population had recovered from a low of =
four nesting pairs to a present population that has produce =
approximately 100 surviving birds this year. Speck said that bald =
eagles were now found in all of Ohio's major watersheds except for the =
Great Miami watershed.
Audubon Ohio was represented at the event by Executive Director Jerry =
Tinianow, Director of Habitat Conservation John Ritzenthaler, Director =
of Centers and Education Laura Busby, and Audubon Ohio Board member Sue =
Geupel. During his remarks, Director Speck singled out Audubon Ohio for =
special recognition for its efforts to protect important bird habitats =
and offer expanded environmental education opportunities to Ohioans.
The eaglet was recovered from a nest high in a tree near the southern =
dike of the Delaware Dam system. Both parents were visible throughout =
the proceedings, occasionally swooping by from perches in nearby trees. =
According to Shieldcastle, nine eaglets have previously fledged from the =
nest.
3. DAMS: OCCASIONALLY, THEY REALLY DO COME DOWN
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio has "an =
abundance" of lowhead dams on rivers across the state. These dams range =
in height from six inches to 25 feet. All such dams alter the natural =
course of the rivers on which they are located. They serve as =
significant barriers to the migration of fish, in effect trapping =
certain species in portions of the river, where they may be more =
susceptible to problems such as sudden surges of pollutants during =
storms.
Many lowhead dams contain sewer and other utility lines, and thus will =
likely be in place for many years to come. Some, however, serve no =
present purpose, and can be removed. There is often a gap, however, =
between "can be" and "actually are."
Last fall the so-called Dennison Dam was removed from the Olentangy =
River just south of the City of Delaware. According to Tim Peterkoski =
of ODNR Scenic Rivers, removal of the dam "reestablished riffle-run-pool =
habitats that were hidden below the slow-moving slack water of the =
impoundment," thereby improving fish habitat. In addition, after the =
dam was removed, a small waterfall, hidden for nearly 100 years, =
appeared at one end of the impoundment.
The City of Columbus may soon be removing another lowhead dam on the =
Olentangy. As part of a settlement with the Ohio Environmental =
Protection Agency related to the City's combined sewer system overflows, =
the City has agreed to remove a dam just south of the campus of the Ohio =
State University. The dam affects the entire run of the river through =
campus.
4. AUDUBON RE: DECLINING FISH STOCKS: WE'RE ON IT
Media throughout the world reported last week on a major new study =
documenting declines in the populations of large fish of up to 90 =
percent during the past 50 years. The study was reported in the May 15 =
issue of the journal Nature.
"From giant blue marlin to mighty bluefin tuna, and from tropical =
groupers to Antarctic cod, industrial fishing has scoured the global =
ocean. There is no blue frontier left," said lead author Ransom Myers, a =
fisheries biologist based at Dalhousie University in Canada. "Since =
1950, with the onset of industrialized fisheries, we have rapidly =
reduced the resource base to less than 10 percent-not just in some =
areas, not just for some stocks, but for entire communities of these =
large fish species from the tropics to the poles."
The National Audubon Society has been aware of declining fish stocks for =
years, and has already established a program to address the problem. =
The Society's Living Oceans Program takes a multi-pronged approach, =
relying on a combination of education, consumer action and lobbying to =
raise public awareness of the loss of fish populations and to guide =
citizens in actions they can take to help reverse the situation.
Among its many efforts, the Living Oceans Program provides extensive =
information to consumers about seafood and how their choices can =
influence predation on populations of large fish. The Program offers =
downloadable "seafood cards" that consumers to take to restaurants to =
guide menu selections.
Information on the Living Oceans Program is available on the Web at =
www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/index.html. Interested members can contact =
the program at:
WebMember=20
National Audubon Society=20
Living Oceans Program=20
550 South Bay Ave.=20
Islip, NY 11751=20
livingoceans@xxxxxxxxxxx
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