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MUCC Policy Report for 5/30/2008This edition:
Phosphorus Reduction Legislation on the MoveNumerous legislative initiatives are on the move to reduce the negative impact that phosphorus has on our Great Lakes and its fishery.Phosphorus is considered to be a major limiting nutrient for waters in the Great Lakes basin. While it is an essential nutrient for plant growth, too much phosphorus creates algal blooms when it enters our rivers and streams. This not only ruins our rivers, lakes and beaches, but it also kills fish and water ecosystems because algal blooms essentially compete with fish and other nutrients for oxygen, creating “dead zones.” Because limiting the entry of phosphorus into our waterways is an immediate, simple way individual citizens can help to restore the Great Lakes, MUCC has made it a priority to fight for legislation to reduce the use of phosphorus in everyday products like lawn fertilizer and dishwasher detergent. During this past week, there has been exciting news relating to this priority as there has been movement on phosphorus-reducing legislation both at the state and federal level. Ban on phosphorus in dishwashing detergent awaits Michigan House floor Michigan’s Senate passed legislation (SB 152 and SB 362) on April 19, 2007 that would ban phosphates in automatic dish detergent in 2010. Last week, these bills were finally passed out of the House Great Lakes and Environment committee and now await the House floor for a vote. Thanks to everyone who called to get these bills out of committee and on to the House floor! Michigan House Committee passes legislation to restrict phosphorus in lawn fertilizer On Tuesday, May 27, 2008 the House Committee on Agriculture reported House Bill 6115 (Brown, D-Pigeon) which would restrict the use of fertilizer containing phosphorus in order to help alleviate nutrient loading in Michigan’s waters. Phosphorus levels were responsible for dead zones in Lake Erie in the 1960s, and since then scientists have learned that misapplied or over-applied lawn fertilizer is a major contributing factor to phosphorus nutrient loading in Michigan’s waterways. Legislation to reduce phosphorus loadings by the misapplication and over-application of lawn fertilizer was Priority Action 16 of MUCC’s recommendations from its report, Michigan’s Role in Great Lakes Protection and Restoration, Analysis and Recommendations. The House Agriculture Committee’s passage of House Bill 6115 is the first step in achieving this necessary and immediate positive impact on Great Lakes Restoration. Action Alert: CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES! Tell them the Great Lakes and Michigan’s waters are important to you and you want to see these bills (SB 152, SB 362 and HB 6115) PASS on the House floor! For more information on how to contact your representative, please contact April Bennett (abennett@mucc.org or 517-346-6472). Congressman Stupak introduces legislation to reduce the harmful effect algal blooms have on the Great Lakes Michigan U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) recently introduced House Resolution 6017, which would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a regional response plan to reduce algal blooms in the Great Lakes and require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban household cleaning products that contain greater than 0.5 percent phosphorus by volume. MUCC applauds Congressman Stupak on the introduction of this legislation! Senator Levin introduces legislation to limit the use of phosphorus in dishwashing detergent On May 15, 2008, U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced S. 3022, a bill that would limit the use of phosphates in automatic dishwashing detergent. This bill complements a 30 year-old federal law that prohibits the use of phosphates in laundry detergent. Senator Levin’s bill would limit the use of phosphates in automatic dish washing detergent by requiring the EPA, beginning in 2010, to ban the sale of residential dish washing detergent that has more than 0.5% phosphorous nationally. This common sense legislation would create a uniform national limit on the use of phosphates, thus helping to protect not only the Great Lakes, but all of our nation's precious water resources. A special recognition is owed to MUCC member and advocate Elden Montross for his hard work in getting this important legislation introduced! New Legislation Focuses on Protecting Dogs/Livestock from WolvesTwo bills have been introduced in the Michigan Senate that would allow lethal control of wolves in certain instances. They will be taken up for public testimony on June 4 at the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee meeting (Chair-Senator Birkholz), in Room 110, Farnum Building, (125 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933):
NRC Meeting June 5 - Geese/Deer on the AgendaNext week on June 5th, the Natural Resources Commission will take up the following issues for information only (action in July):
Reauthorization of the Farm Bill - Conservation Winners and LosersThe recently passed reauthorization of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act (Farm Bill) overall provides $4 billion in new money to the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill, while several key conservation programs saw a decline in funding. Overall, the new funding goes to encourage environmental practices by the agriculture community and reduces support for taking sensitive environmental lands out of production, especially wetlands and prairies. The Farm Bill is the largest source of federal dollars for conservation and was the focus of intense lobbying by the conservation community to protect critical program areas.The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage cap was reduced from 39.2 million acres to 32 million acres and cut $2.5 billion over the next 10 years. CRP rates were not made competitive with other rental rates, a fix sought by the conservation community. Another significant loss was changes made to the Wetland Reserve Program; the cap on number of acres that can be enrolled in the program was reduced 153,000 per year from the 250,000 per year standard in the last farm bill. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) were the big winners. CSP saw an increase in funding of $1.1 billion over five years and EQIP received a $3.4 billion increase over the next five years. The CSP is still new and the verdict is out on its impact on fisheries and wildlife until rules are promulgated. Under the bill, farmers will receive tax deductions for endangered species recovery work. In addition, the bill creates a new “Open Fields Program” to provide incentives for state governments and Indian tribes to provide public access to private land for hunting and fishing. Fifty million dollars in funding was provided for this program. The Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program was reauthorized with $100 million in funding. This program can be used to provide technical and financial assistance for rehabilitation of existing small watershed projects that may include upgrading or removing dams. Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Launches “Clean Boats Every Day”Through a new "Clean Boats Every Day" Initiative, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) has declared the 2008 boating season a summer-long celebration of sustainable recreational boating throughout the Great Lakes. Through the Initiative, Great Lakes Governors, Mayors, Members of Congress, Tribes, Federal Agencies and other partners have joined forces to promote sustainable boating practices that will protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species (AIS).Recreational boating is a hugely popular activity in the Great Lakes and a significant component of the region's economy. Nearly 4.3 million boats are registered in the eight Great Lakes states. These boaters spend nearly $16 billion on boats and boating activities in a single year. Recreational boating is also responsible for 250,000 jobs in the Great Lakes region. Recreational boaters can easily reduce the impact of their activities and help protect the Great Lakes. More information on the "Clean Boats Every Day" Initiative, including a comprehensive list of events, is available at http://www.glrc.us. Meeting Announcements:DNR Seeks Public Input on Revision of Michigan Threatened and Endangered Species ListThe Department of Natural Resources is requesting public input on proposed changes to the Michigan Threatened and Endangered Species List. In June, four public hearings will be held across Michigan to discuss the proposed changes. Individuals can also submit written comments via e-mail or U.S. mail. Of particular interest may be the proposed removal of the bald eagle and the gray wolf from the list. Both species have exceeded population recovery goals and were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered wildlife in 2007, but they are currently classified as threatened under Michigan regulations. Copies of the proposed changes to the list (SOAHR 2007-007 NR) may be accessed from the State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/orr. Written comments may be submitted to the DNR via email to endangeredspecieslist@michigan.gov or via hard copy to Endangered Species Coordinator, DNR Wildlife, P.O. Box 30444, Lansing, MI 48909-7944. To be considered during the list-revision process, written comments or e-mails must be received by 5 p.m. on July 10, 2008. Jump In and Join Us For Conservation Days 2008! Michigan United Conservation Clubs are hosting a series of unique day trips, which are hands-on experiences designed to further your understanding of current conservation issues. So come spend the day with us and take away an enhanced understanding of Michigan’s spectacular natural resources!
Wake up with Warblers
Date: June 6th, 2008 Come join us on June 6th for a day to remember! The nesting areas for the Kirtland Warbler are closed to public entry, so the best opportunity to see a Kirtland's warbler is on this guided tour. Upland sandpipers, clay-colored sparrows, Brewer's blackbirds, black-billed cuckoos, eastern bluebirds, Lincoln's and vesper sparrows can also be seen in the jack pine ecosystem in this guided tour. Please R.S.V.P. by May 30th, 2008 by contacting April (517-346-6472 or abennett@mucc.org) to guarantee your spot!
Updating our list for 2008: If you would like to receive the policy report directly to your email address (or if you wish to be removed from this email list), please contact Amy Spray at aspray@mucc.org. MUCC is committed to providing our members with up-to-date and accurate information on conservation policy issues from Lansing, Washington D.C., and around Michigan. If you enjoy MUCC’s biweekly policy action report, please consider becoming a member and support our efforts to conserve Michigan's natural resources by remembering MUCC in your contributions and planned giving.
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MUCC Policy Action Report
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