The Cost of Great Lakes Invasives, and BaySailing Events

May 31, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Friday, June 1, 2012, on Friday Edition, Environment Report, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, NPR-member station …

photo quagga mussels shoe invasive

Photo by Arthur Felig

Set Sail

BaySail has announced a series of events for the summer.
BaySail is a Bay City nonprofit that operates two Appledore schooners. The ships are used for educational and public sails on Saginaw Bay.

This summer’s public schedule includes “Legends of the Saginaw Sails,” departing from the BaySail dock in downtown Bay City’s Wenonah Park.

The sails offer a history lesson on the Saginaw River, on an Appledore schooner, sailing from the downtown out to Saginaw Bay. Some departures also feature live maritime music by the band Hoolie of Bay City.

Sails are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays in June, August and September, with lunch included.

An Appledore schooner also will be participating this summer in Tall Ships events in Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and New York.

Scholarships for secondary school students also are available for overnight voyages this summer to Nova Scotia and other destinations.

For more information, see baysailbaycity.org.

 

Invasive$ Report

A new report on aquatic invasive species quantifies their costs to businesses and consumers in the Great Lakes region.

The report, by the Anderson Economic Group, was commissioned by The Nature Conservancy.

It says the tab for businesses and consumers totals hundreds of millions (with an m) dollars per year. Those include costs for removal, maintenance and management of species like zebra and quagga mussels. Meanwhile, state and federal governments are spending millions more for efforts to control the impact and prevent the spread of invasives in the Great Lakes.

Some figures from the report include:

  • The cost of controlling zebra mussels at one water treatment facility equals about $353,000 a year. There are 381 such facilities across the basin.
  • Michigan’s cost for maintenance, control and prevention of aquatic invasive species in 2009 and 2010 totaled $3.1 million.
  • More than 100 power plants that use water from the Great Lakes also are spending a total of $130 million a year to remove invasives.

What is the largest Great Lakes industry affected by aquatic invasives? The report says tourism and recreation, which employs more than 90,000 people and generates an estimate $30.3 billion (with a b) annually in revenue.

The full report can be found online at nature.org/greatlakes

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Posted in ecotourism, invasive species, Saginaw Bay. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

Mich Enviro Report: Riverview Natural Area, DTE Efficiency & Au Sable Makes the List

May 5, 2011 — jeffkart

As heard on Q-90.1 FM, Friday Edition, Delta College, May 6, 2011:

1.

The Little Forks Conservancy is readying the Riverview Natural Area for a public opening.

The conservancy, based in Midland, recently closed on the purchase of 419 acres of natural land on the Tittabawassee River in Midland County.

The Riverview Natural Area is home to frogs, bald eagles and wildflowers, and contains mature woods and farmland.

The conservancy recently acquired the property for a total of $1.5 million. The conservancy launched a fundraising campaign back in 2008 to purchase, protect and manage the land.

Funding came from The Conservation Fund, individual donors, foundations, corporations and government sources. The conservancy’s staff and board kicked in more than $100,000.

At the beginning of this year, there was still $350,000 to be raised. The last hurdle was cleared when the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation agreed to provide the rest of the funding to complete the purchase.

The conservancy is now working to lay out trails for public use, and is offering guided visits for the public. 

A parking lot has been constructed with additional funding from the Dow Foundation. A formal dedication is planned for the fall.

2.

It pays to be energy efficient.

DTE Energy customers who participated in the company’s energy efficiency programs saved $31 million in 2010.

The utility estimates that those customers will see a lifetime savings of $520 million.

The DTE program is funded by a surcharge on bills, under energy legislation passed in Lansing in 2008.

The DTE program includes appliance recycling, in-home energy audits, low-income weatherization assistance, and rebates and discounts on energy efficient light bulbs, programmable thermostats and clothes washers.

Other highlights of 2010 participation include the recycling of almost 23,000 old refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers; and the purchase of more than 3 million, discounted compact fluorescent light bulbs

More information on DTE Energy’s energy efficiency programs is available online at YourEnergySavings.com.

3

The Au Sable River has been named to a national Waters to Watch list.

And that’s a good thing.

The 2011 list was recently unveiled by the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

It’s a collection of 10 rivers and watershed systems across the country that are due to benefit from conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition over the next year.

The group says the waters represent a snapshot of voluntary habitat conservation efforts in progress throughout the U.S. The projects, including one on the North Branch of the Au Sable, are being implemented by regional partnerships under a National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

The plan, funded in part by government agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, aims to conserve freshwater and others habitats that are essential to fish and wildlife species.

Other rivers and watershed systems on the list are located in New York, Louisiana, Alaska, Utah, Texas, Idaho and Hawaii. The Manistee River in Michigan also is listed.

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Posted in ecotourism, land conservation, water. 1 Comment »

Mich Enviro Report: Saginaw Bay Beach Closures, SBCI & Solar Farms

March 24, 2011 — jeffkart

As heard on the March 25, 2011, Friday Edition report on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

Saginaw Bay muck yuck. Via http://www.baycounty-mi.gov.

1. 

A public meeting to discuss beach closures in the Saginaw Bay area is set for March 31.

The meeting, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will be held at the Bay City State Recreation Area, located in Bangor Township.

A public beach at the state park has suffered from problems with muck, or dead algae, piling up along the shoreline.

The beach has been closed five times since 2008 due to high bacteria levels.

The March 31 meeting is sponsored by the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

The Partnership is working with Public Sector Consultants of Lansing to evaluate beach monitoring efforts throughout the Saginaw Bay watershed.

The state funded project aims to identify strategies to reduce beach closings and swimming restrictions due to microbial contamination.

2.

The Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative has been recognized for helping increase environmental awareness in the region.

The SBCI is a multi-county collaboration that was formed years ago in response to the beach muck issue.

The group, along with state and federal officials, has been working to develop a comprehensive approach to promoting environmentally sound economic development and resource restoration in the Saginaw Bay coastal area.

Earlier this year, the SBCI was recognized for its role as a sponsor of the MiGreatBay website.

The website offers details about amenities in the Saginaw Bay and River area. The information focuses on agricultural, cultural, historic and natural resources in the coastal region.

MiGreatBay was made possible with funding from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the Bay Area Community Foundation and Saginaw Bay Resource, Convention & Development.

3.

An agribusiness has gone green in Michigan’s Thumb.

Mark and Keith Gentner, have installed two 19.4-kilowatt solar power systems at their farm in Minden City, in Sanilac County.

The installation was announced by Great Lakes Bay Renewable Energy, a Bay City business.

Major funding for the installation came through rebates from the customer-funded DTE Solar Currents program, a federal tax credit, and a net metering agreement providing discounts from DTE.

The Gentners expect to save about $5,550 per year on electrical expenses by using the solar panels. Based on this, they plan to recoup their investment in about eight years.

A leader with Great Lake Bay Renewable Energy, an arm of Accent Building, says he sees area farms as a growth opportunity for the solar industry.

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Posted in beaches, ecotourism, Saginaw Bay, solar. 2 Comments »

Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes Restoration, Wireless Parks & a Tidy Lighthouse

February 18, 2011 — jeffkart

As heard on Delta Q-90.1 FM, Feb. 18, 2011 …

1.

Michigan’s Ag Director says broadband Internet service could help bring more visitors to state parks.

But the head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment says expanding wireless service to more state parks would be too expensive.

According to Capital News Service, Michigan was the first state to add wireless Internet service, for a fee, at  eight of its 97 state parks in 2004. That pilot program included East Tawas. Internet access is still available at those parks, for a cost of $8 a day.

But there wasn’t much interest, since nearby coffee shops and other businesses often offer free Internet access and many people can surf the Internet for free with their smartphones.

The latest proposal would make the Internet free at some state parks. But it’s not clear if that will happen.

2.

Speaking of Tawas,  the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment is looking for  lighthouse keepers.

The keepers can stay up to two weeks at the Tawas Point Lighthouse, located in Tawas State Park. The keepers are responsible for greeting guests, leading tours, working in the museum’s gift shop and doing some light maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

The lighthouse was recently renovated, and staying in the keeper’s quarters costs $250 per person, per week. The quarters include two bedrooms, a kitchen and a single bathroom.

The program is available to single folks and couples from March 4 through Dec. 23.

The Tawas Point Lighthouse has been in operation since 1876.

3.

Funding would be cut for a Great Lakes restoration plan under a federal budget recently submitted by President Barack Obama.

The budget calls for $350 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2012. That’s $125 million less than the $475 million in the 2010 budget, and $50 million more than the amount requested for this year.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition says more funding is needed for the initiative, which aims to clean up toxic pollution, control invasive species like the Asian carp and restore habitat.

The coalition says the restoration initiative offers some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget. The money goes for efforts to protect drinking water, safeguard public health, create jobs and improve the quality of life, the coalition says. A 2007 Brookings Institution study said every dollar spent on the Great Lakes restoration generates $2 in economic activity.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lake Coalition, which represents more than 100 environmental conservation and other organizations, is pushing Congress to fund the initiative at $475 million in 2012.

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Posted in ecotourism, GLRI. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Explore the Great Lakes, Before It’s Too Late

July 27, 2010 — jeffkart

photo lumbermans monument dunes michigan

How many times have you planned to do something, but never followed through? Think about it. “Oh, I have to go there some day.” Some day may never come if you don’t make real plans, dangit. The Great Lakes are worth exploring, for the memories, the pictures, the awe factor. Which reminds me of a recent trip to Oscoda, Michigan.

I took the family Up North last weekend to hang out with the in-laws. We do it every summer. The weather that weekend was lousy, hot as hell when it wasn’t raining. We managed to grab one great afternoon visiting Iargo Springs and Lumberman’s Monument.

If you’ve never been to either place, you should go. And not just plan to go, but actually go. Each site features a long wooden stairway that descends to the Au Sable River. It’s breathtaking in more ways than one.

And I was out of breath after going up and down the 300 steps at Iargo Springs. That’s 600 steps total. In humid Michigan. And I didn’t really want to go to Lumberman’s Monument and climb down another 280 steps. I’ve been down (and up) both stairways a couple times.

photo iargo lumbermans lookout michigan

So we went to Lumberman’s, and I didn’t take the stairs. But I did take a path to the dunes. Yep. There are sand dunes there. A short path, less than a mile, all flat, took us to the sands. The kids and I, and their cousins and parents, were treated to a spectacular, one-of-a-kind view of the Au Sable River Valley.

Glad I did it. That’s my story for today. I also could relate this to climate change, and vanishing places, but I won’t.

photo dunes michigan kids great lakes


Posted in Climate change, ecotourism. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Getting “Lost” in Hawaii (Waikiki Isn’t My Cup of Tea)

July 20, 2010 — jeffkart

So I’m finally back in the Great Lakes state after a week in Hawaii. I can’t complain. Hawaii was great. The weather is perfect (85), the humidity is (mostly) low, and there are few if any bugs to swat away. But I didn’t like Waikiki, where I stayed. The (man-made) beach and the shopping and entertainment district there is just too busy. Too many people. Too much traffic. Too much noise. Good thing I got “Lost” while I was there.

One of a few excursions my wife and I took while on the island of Oahu was a Hummer tour of the “island of Lost,” where the TV show was filmed. Most of the filming locations, including where the VW bus was rolled down the hill (see the iPhone forced perspective pic above), are located on Kualoa Ranch. Yes, I know Hummers are bad. But this one was used to its full 4×4 potential.

Here’s a sample of what we saw. The tour driver played the creepy “Lost” theme music during our ride. This is the kind of “environment” I like. Natural. Quiet. Pure Hawaii, I guess.

See some of my other observations on TreeHugger:

Huge Banyan Tree Shades Historic Hawaiian Market

and

Wearable Dirt, on a Shirt, Helped Save a Company.

Posted in beaches, ecotourism, hawaii, Lost. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Hawaii’s Version of the Asian Carp Story

July 14, 2010 — jeffkart
photo hawaii snorkel ecotourism fish

Snorkeling in Oahu.

Hawaii is a part of the United States. That’s what my AT&T rep quipped when I asked about iPhone coverage. So I’m covered here for phone and Internet access. And I’m more than covered when it comes to the problem of invasive species. If you think we have it bad in the Great Lakes with the Asian carp situation, think again. We have it easy compared to Hawaii, where invasive species threaten to blot out the eco-tourism economy like a dinosaur-scrubbing asteroid.

On the long flight here, my wife and I had to fill out an agricultural declaration form promising we wouldn’t bring in or take out plants, animals or any agricultural materials. Immediately, I was reminded of trips I’ve taken to foreign countries where similar forms had to be filled out. And I thought of my snide AT&T rep.

It turns out that Hawaii has a huge issue with invasive species, dwarfing our Asian carp problem by comparison (I suppose it depends on your perspective).

As noted by About.com:

“Despite the efforts of more than 20 state, federal, and private agencies, unwanted alien pests are entering Hawai’i at an alarming rate – about 2 million times more rapid than the natural rate. In 1993, the federal Office of Technology Assessment declared Hawaii’s alien pest species problem the worst in the nation.

“Hawaii’s evolutionary isolation from the continents, and its modern role as the commercial hub of the Pacific make these islands particularly vulnerable to destruction by alien pests. Gaps in current pest prevention systems and a lack of public awareness add further to this serious problem.”

Public awareness is right. Among tourists, and apparently some of the folks who live here. Hawaii is a beautiful place, but its isolation makes me wonder about a lot of things:

  • Why isn’t there more recycling here? I haven’t seen a recycling container since I arrived. I can’t imagine they have a lot of extra room for landfilling trash.
  • How much attention is being paid to the importance of maintaining the delicate ecology here and making sure visitors — and residents — don’t screw it up?

The wife and I went snorkeling on Tuesday. We saw dolphins and fish and one sea turtle and had a great time. But they fed hamburger buns to the fish. That’s a no-no, according to the Hawaii Ecotourism Association:

“Avoid feeding fish or other wildlife,” the HEA says in a Green Travel Tips guide.

“Feeding wildlife alters their natural behaviors and can upset the natural balance of the reef or the ocean environment.”

At least the folks aboard the boat we took out for snorkeling used a pre-installed anchor, so as not to damage the reef.

On the invasive species front, stinging Little Fire Ants from South America and birds known as Japanese White-Eyes are two poster children for the islands.

One more thing: I found out this morning that the Alliance for the Great Lakes is teaming up with musician Jack Johnson (who has a solar-powered studio in Hawaii) to raise funds to protect our freshwater seas.

The Alliance will get $1 for everyone who watches this video to the end. The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation also is matching dollar donations up to $2,500 until Oct. 15. See www.greatlakes.org/allatonce for details.

Posted in Asian carp, beaches, ecotourism, hawaii. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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