plus other stories on deer hunting and a Great Lakes Advisory Board. 

As heard July 20, 2012, on Friday Edition, 9 a.m. Eastern on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

1

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reminding beachfront property owners that federal permits are still required for shoreline maintenance.

The state of Michigan recently made changes to its permitting process for beach grooming. But a federal Army Corps process is still in place, according to spokeswoman Lynn Duerod.

On the Great Lakes, the Corps regulates sand leveling and the grooming of sand or vegetated areas between the ordinary high-water mark and the water’s edge.

A new state act allows for those activities to take place without a permit. But the federal requirements remain.

The Corps says property owners who have obtained regional permits for sand leveling and grooming of sand in nonvegetated areas in the past do not have to reapply to continue these activities.

For those without federal permits, the Corps has a “short form’ application available, which generally takes a couple of weeks for approval, according to the agency.

For more information, call the Detroit District office of the Army Corps at 313-226-2218.

Applicants may submit the permit applications to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Detroit District, Regulatory Office
(CELRE-RG)
477 Michigan Avenue, Room 603
Detroit, Michigan 48226-2550.

2

Landowners will soon have a database of hunters looking to cull deer from private property.

The Hunters Helping Landowners program was signed into law recently by Gov. Rick Snyder.

The program is modeled after another in Indiana and allows hunters to voluntarily enroll to harvest anterless deer on private property in up to two counties.

According to Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the program is meant to help landowners who have deer damage issues or disease concerns on their property.

The program is still in the works, and the database has yet to be launched.

The list will be available via the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The database is due to run until 2017, unless it’s reauthorized.

3

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is creating the federal government’s first-ever advisory board on Great Lakes issues.

The advisory board will support federal agencies with the implementation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and an updated Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, according to EPA.

The new board will provide advice and recommendations to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

EPA will consider candidates from a broad range of interests including environmental groups, businesses, agricultural groups, foundations, youth groups, academia and state, local and tribal representatives.

EPA plans to solicit nominations and establish a board of 15 people this summer.

The board will focus on issues including cleaning up toxic hot spots like the Saginaw River and Bay, combating invasive species, and protecting watersheds from polluted runoff.

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