World

National

Regional

General

Illinois

Indiana

Michigan

Minnesota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

       Weekly News Archives

                         or

       New Product  Archives

Environmentalists urge action on ship ballast water

GENEVA — The shipping industry should do more to kill stowaway alien species, from jellyfish to algae, that can wreck ecosystems when flushed from ships' ballast tanks, the environmental group WWF said Feb 4.

"Ballast water, carried by ships to provide balance and stability, is loaded with thousands of marine species that can invade new environments when released in ports," WWF said, warning that alien species could be as damaging as oil spills.  "A convention is urgently needed to prevent a marine alien species disaster," the group said in a statement ahead of a U.N. International Maritime Organization conference on ballast water in London from Feb. 9-13.

WWF said the IMO conference should agree on mandatory treatment of the estimated 10 billion tons of ballast water carried round the world every year to kill off hitch-hiking marine life.

It said current guidelines for sucking up water from ports and dumping it at destinations, sometimes on the other side of the globe, afforded little protection to the environment. Survivors of voyages can thrive in new habitats, freed from predators and parasites

WWF said it cost $750 million to control the zebra mussels, brought inadvertently from Europe, that have infested 40 percent of the internal waterways of North America's Great Lakes area. North American jellyfish in the Black Sea and Asian kelp in Australia have been disastrous for fisheries in their new homes.

"Invasive species are perhaps the major environmental challenge facing the shipping industry," said Simon Cripps, director of WWF's Endangered Seas Program.

WWF said the IMO should set the strictest standards at the talks. The draft text of the convention, for instance, has alternatives for limiting the number of viable organisms in ballast water that range from one to 100 per 35 cubic feet.

"Good economic solutions for treating ballast water don't yet exist," said Andreas Tveteraas, the WWF's delegate to the talks. "Promising technologies involve combinations of filtration, ultra-violet radiation. and heating.... You could also add nutrients to ballast water to deoxygenate it," he said. Other methods include electrocution or dumping water on land.

Source: Reuters News Agency

Animal welfare groups sue to block killing of cormorants

WASHINGTON — Animal welfare groups sued the U.S. government February 6 to try to block new rules that permit the killing of double-crested cormorants, a voracious fish-eater.  The large black birds are prevalent throughout North America, with the highest U.S. concentrations in the Great Lakes area.

Cormorants pose a threat to terrestrial island resources, some threatened and endangered birds, recreational and commercial fishing and fish farming, USFWS says.  Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a rule allowing state, federal, and tribal officials in 24 states to kill the birds to prevent decimation of other resources.  The service also expanded an earlier rule, which had authorized fish farms to kill birds who threaten their business so federal officials could kill the birds at their winter roosting sites.

Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, cormorants and other birds cannot be killed unless authorized by the federal

government, which is responsible for managing their populations.

The Fund for Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida filed their suit Thursday in federal court in New York City.  "Cormorants, like many other birds, eat fish to survive, and should not be punished for doing what comes naturally," said Michael Markarian, the fund's president.

The suit claims that the agency failed to justify the new rules and contends the birds are not responsible for declining sport fish populations.

But Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who has proposed a hunting season for cormorants, disagreed.  "They should talk to people in Lake of the Woods and the Great Lakes who have had islands destroyed," Peterson said. "What these birds do is eat two to three times their weight of fish in a day. They are very deadly predators."

Net Gains for Fisheries

A revitalized FishNet, a group of conservation organizations working together on fisheries policy advocacy, is currently tackling issues ranging from sportsmen's access to public lands to nationwide habitat restoration programs.

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is taking a lead role on issues that ultimately affect sportfishing, such as funding for fish passage and hatcheries. The group is currently advocating for more funding for fish passage projects

carried out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.

FishNet also is prevailing upon Interior Secretary Gale Norton to fulfill legal requirements for fisheries management funding resulting from federal water projects such as dams. This would allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to be paid for services rendered to other agencies and prevent budget shortfalls elsewhere.

Federal boat fund up in the air, MRAA warns

With the House of Representatives proposing a 5-cent-per-gallon increase in the federal excise tax on gasoline, and the White House promising to veto any bill with a tax increase, Wallop-Breaux reauthorization looks to be in limbo. Wallop-Breaux is the federal program that channels a portion of what boaters pay in fuel excise tax back into programs that support boating.

"It is clear a tax increase in a presidential election year is a poison pill that will probably kill chances of a Wallop-Breaux reauthorization in 2004," the Marine Retailers Association of America says in its latest Washington Watch newsletter. U.S. Sen. John Breaux, D-La., has introduced S. 1804, the Sport Fishing and Recreational Boating Safety Act, also known as Wallop-Breaux. The current authorization expired Oct. 1, 2003, but Congress approved a short-term extension through Feb. 29.

Future movement of the Wallop-Breaux bill is closely tied to the impending TEA-21 act, or highway reauthorization bill.

Currently there are three separate highway funding reauthorization proposals: one for $247 billion from the Bush Administration, one for $311 billion from the Senate, and one for $375 billion in the House.

The Senate Commerce Committee already has approved its version, which includes the Breaux language approved by the American League of Anglers and Boaters. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has not yet acted.

As the Feb. 29 deadline approaches, Congress will have two options. If it appears an agreement on the highway bill is close, the program can be extended for three months in order to finish the deal and send a bill to the White House for approval.

However, if the two chambers are not close in resolving differences, MRAA says Congress likely will pass an 18-month extension, leaving the final reauthorization for the next Congress after the 2004 election.

Tribes awarded 79 Grants totaling $14 Million

Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced on Tuesday, January 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding 79 grants, totaling nearly $14 million, to help 60 federally recognized Indian tribes conserve and recover endangered, threatened and at-risk species and other wildlife on tribal lands.

The Service is awarding the grants under two new programs, the Tribal Landowner Incentive Program (TLIP0 and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. These programs are similar to cost-share programs recently developed by the department to assist states, local communities, private landowners and other partners undertake wildlife conservation projects.

Of the $14 million, the Service is providing about $4 million to federally recognized Indian tribes to help fund 23 projects under TLIP. Contributions from tribes and other partners raise the total value of these projects to $6.8 million. The grants were chosen through a competitive process to address protection, restoration and management of habitat to benefit at-risk species, including federally listed endangered or threatened species and proposed or candidate species. The maximum award under this program is $200,000 with a required minimum 25-percent match from non-federal funds.

Meanwhile, about $10 million will help fund 56 projects under TWG. Contributions from tribes and other partners increase the total value of these projects to $12.4 million. These grants are awarded to federally recognized Indian tribes to benefit fish, wildlife and their habitat including non-game species. Although matching funds are not required for these grants, they are considered to be an indicator of a tribe’s commitment. The maximum grant award under this program is $250,000.

Indians and Indian tribes have a controlling interest in more than 52 million acres of tribal trust lands and an additional 40 million acres held by Alaska native corporations.

Some grants awarded in the Great Lakes region include:

Tribal Landowner Incentive Program

Michigan

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee, MI $137,644

Study the Status and Habitat Use of Bobcat, Lynx rufus, in the Northern Counties of MI

Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Cloquet, MN $200,000

Fond du Lac Wild Rice Restoration Project - 4 Lakes

Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians, Grand Portage, MN $84,911

Wetland and Wild Rice Restoration on Grand Portage Tribal Lands, Grand Portage, MN

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass Lake, MN $133,858

Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Habitat Enhancement and Wetland Projects

Tribal Wildlife Grants 2003

Michigan

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Suttons Bay, MI $160,000

Evaluate and Enhance American Martin and Other Predatory Furbearer Populations

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga, MI $120,000

Native Fish Species Projects on the L'Anse Indian Reservation and Adjacent Waters

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee, MI $133,500

Assessment of Riparian Habitat Restoration in the Manistee River Corridor

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, Fulton, MI $249,839

Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan - 3 projects (Plan, Greenhouse & Invasive Species Control)

Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN $133,150

Moose Population Dynamics and Census Techniques Research

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN $60,920

Angler Exploitation of Select Walleye Populations in the 1854 Ceded Territory of MN

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN $42,506

Sturgeon Population Study on the upper St. Louis River

Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians, Grand Portage, MN $104,025

Continued Assessment and Rehabilitation of Native, At Risk Species in Lake Superior and Adjoining Tributaries in and around the Area of Grand Portage, MN including the Pigeon River and Bay

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians, Cass Lake, MN $209,708

Wildlife Habitat Assessment with an Emphasis on Rare and Culturally Important Species - Including Wild Rice Inventory

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake, MN $247,007

Red Lake Wildlife Habitat Preservation and Maintenance, Enhancement and Evaluation Project

Wisconsin

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Odanah, WI $147,784

Restoration of the Raymond "Snooty" Couture Fish Hatchery and Rearing Ponds

Ho-Chunk Nation, Black River Falls, WI $50,000

Monitoring and Management of Gray Wolf (Canus lupus) in the Central Forest Region of WI

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Hayward, WI $249,800

LCO Fisheries Program Development including Lake and Stream Surveys

Lac du Flambeau Band Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Lac du Flambeau, WI $120,330

Lac du Flambeau Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project on the Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes and Bear River

Menominee Indian Tribe, Keshena, WI $91,031

Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project

Menominee Indian Tribe, Keshena, WI $55,986

Timber Wolf Reintroduction

Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Bowler, WI $250,000

Stockbridge - Munsee Fish and Wildlife project

Survey Results Give High Marks to NOAA's National Weather Service

Results from a recent national survey of products issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service indicate that there is a high level of satisfaction among customers using weather information.  NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The survey was conducted by an independent research company at the request of the National Weather Service, and assessed the performance of the nation's principle weather provider among sectors that rely heavily on its products.  These sectors were aviation, emergency management, media and marine.

Questions in the survey were geared at gauging usefulness of National Weather Service products by the customers, how to improve on products, how the products are being used by various sectors and how the individual sectors perceive the effectiveness and proficiency of the National Weather Service as a whole.

On a scale of 0 to 100, emergency managers ranked the National Weather Service at 80, marine personnel scored it at 78, 77 for aviation and media satisfaction was 76.  All four of these customer segment scores are above the aggregate score of 70 for all federal agencies and also above the aggregate score of 74 for all organizations.

President Seeks more than $1.3 billion for USFWS in 2005 Budget

President Bush is requesting more than $1.3 billion -- $22.6 million more than last year for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Weekly Great Lakes Water Level Levels for February 6, 2004 

Current Lake Levels: 

Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are 8, 19, 6 and 4 inches, respectively, below their long-term average.  Lake Ontario is 9 inches above its long-term average.  Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are all above last year’s levels.  Lake Superior is at the same level as a year ago.  Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are 3, 4, 5, and 20 inches above last year’s level, respectively.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions: 

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is expected to be below average during the month of February.  Flows in the St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara, and St. Lawrence Rivers are expected to be near average in February.  

Temperature/Precipitation Outlook:

A potent winter storm is forecasted to push through the Great Lakes basin Thursday and Friday.  Heavy snow is expected in

the western basin, while sleet and freezing rain are possible to the east.  Ice cover across the upper lakes should continue to build, as temperatures will remain below freezing.

Forecasted Water Levels: 

Lakes Superior and Ontario are expected to continue their pattern of seasonal decline over the next four weeks.   Lakes St. Clair and Erie should start their normal seasonal rise over the next several weeks.  However, short-term fluctuations on Lake St. Clair could persist as long as the cold weather and ice conditions in the rivers continues.  The level of Lakes Michigan and Huron are expected to remain fairly stable over the next month. 

Alerts:

Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Great Lakes Legacy Act - Request for Projects

The USEPA - Great Lakes National Program Office has announced the availability of funding for projects that would help to implement the Great Lakes Legacy Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) is requesting proposals for projects, for up to $10,000,000, addressing contaminated sediment problems in Great Lakes Areas of Concern located wholly or partially in the U.S. AOCs as outlined in the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002.

The deadline for all Project proposals is 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, March 31, 2004.  Supplementary info: Request for Projects (RFP) is available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/glla .

The purpose of this request is to solicit ideas for projects that would help to implement the Great Lakes Legacy Act.  In order to receive funding under the Legacy Act, projects must be located in one of the 31 U.S. Great Lakes AOCs.  Top priority will be given to projects that are geared toward on-the-ground remediation (i.e., actual implementation of a remedial option) of contaminated sediments within a U.S. AOC.

Remediation projects would include, but are not limited to, remedial options such as: dredging, capping, monitored

natural recovery, treatment technologies, or a combination of remedial alternatives for contaminated sediment.

The next priority level would be given to projects that seek to move a contaminated sediment site toward remediation.  These projects could include: site characterizations, site assessments, source identification/source control, monitoring, remedial alternatives evaluations and short-term/long-term effects analyses.

Please note that the Legacy Act program is not a grants program, and that this Legacy Act RFP is a departure from GLNPO’s annual funding guidance process.  The funding guidance proposals for Great Lakes sediment grant projects are being solicited under a separate request for proposal process scheduled for release in January 2004.

The non-federal share of the cost of a project shall be at least 35% of the total project costs and 100% of cost of operation and maintenance of the project.  States, tribes, industry, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders are eligible to apply.

For more info:  Scott Cieniawski, 312-353-9184/ cieniawski.scott@epa.gov  or Marc Tuchman, 312-353-1369 tuchman.marc@epa.gov

Mississippi River Barge Traffic Down Again In 2003

Corps still wants to spend $2.3 billion to accommodate future growth

Upper Mississippi River barge traffic has declined again in 2003, continuing a fifteen-year old trend of stagnation, according to the latest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers figures released last week by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Corps data shows large, cumulative decreases in barge traffic at nearly all locks, with the most heavily utilized locks exhibiting fully a one-quarter reduction in traffic.

The Corps is now on the verge of revealing its draft recommendation regarding replacement of the existing river locks on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway with new locks designed to accommodate future growth in barge traffic. The price tag on this project is an estimated $2.3 billion, and with an even greater amount of  "environmental restoration" spending currently estimated at $5.3 billion, makes this overall $7.6 billion package the second most expensive public works project in Corps history (second only to the $8 billion Everglades Restoration).

In sharp contrast with the established history of declining

traffic, the Corps has embraced wildly optimistic traffic forecasts in their continuing attempt to justify this project. These Corps forecasts form the foundation of their new economic analyses that were recently sharply criticized this past December by a National Academies of Science panel commissioned to review the latest Corps study.

"With each passing month, the Corps forecasts veer farther and farther from reality," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch whose organization is suing the Corps over these fraudulent estimates and unreliable economic models used in the agency’s controversial $70 million study to justify lock construction. PEER also points to other economic factors such as a continuing barge industry consolidation, the near end of commercial barging on the Missouri River and new value-added uses for grain production, such as ethanol, that do not require shipment down the river to New Orleans as contributing factors that will extend the traffic slump through the next decade

"Right now, the Corps is thrashing around to find any way to justify this mega-project that passes the straight face test," Ruch added.

Ice safety tips for anglers and others

MADISON – Wisconsin’s on-again, off-again winter is spurring recreation safety officials to urge anglers to make sure they know ice conditions before they go fishing and take special precautions to avoid breaking through the ice. The same holds true for snowmobilers, skaters, all-terrain vehicle users and others venturing onto the ice this winter.

“The most important ice safety tip we tell people is that no ice is ever safe,” says Karl Brooks, a Department of Natural Resources conservation warden and snowmobile administrator. “It’s too unpredictable.”  Brooks says that some authorities provide general guidelines for how thick ice should be to support a person, a snowmobile or a car, but that such guidelines should be taken with a grain of salt.

“All of those guidelines depend on whether the ice is real solid. You can have 8 to 10 inches of ice, which some guidelines say is thick enough to support a vehicle, but if you have 10 inches of real crummy ice, you may be in trouble in you drive your car on it.”  Brooks says that ice anglers, ice skaters, snowmobilers and others who seek out ice need to consider a variety of factors when determining whether ice is solid enough for their travel and activity.

“Determining whether you go on the ice is not determined by one single factor, it’s a combination of a bunch of things,” Brooks says. “You want to have a sense of the temperatures that developed that ice. Was it formed recently or over a period of time? Ice formed over time and under very cold temperatures is generally safer.

“You want to know the body of water you’re on. Even on the same lake, one end could be warmer and less thick – are there inflows or outflows, is it a flowage or river or lake, or are there artesian wells?

“You should also look at the amount of snowpack on the ice.

Snow acts as an insulating barrier. If you’ve got cold temperatures outside and warm water underneath the ice, you can find areas of 6 to 8 inches of ice and just a few feet away, areas with 1 inch of ice or les

“Finally, take a look and see who else is out there. If no one else is out on the ice that ought to be a clue to you.”  Brooks suggests anglers contact area sports shops to ask about the ice conditions before they drive somewhere to fish.

He offers these other tips for staying safe:

♦ Do not go out alone and let people know where you are going

♦ Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a float coat to help you stay afloat and to help slow body heat loss

♦ Take extra mittens or gloves so you always have a dry pair.

♦ Wear creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.

♦ Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas

♦ Carry a couple of spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket to help pull yourself – or others – out of the water and back onto the ice if you should break through. There are commercial made spikes that are easily carried.

♦ Know if the lake has inlets, outlets or narrows that have current that can thin the ice.

♦ Look for clear ice. Clear ice is generally stronger than ice with air bubbles in it or with snow on it.

♦ Be prepared to leave your vehicle in a hurry if you drive out on the ice. Plan a hasty exit if the vehicle breaks through: leave windows open and unfasten seat belts.

♦ Don’t park vehicles in a group. Distribute the weight and periodically move vehicles to allow the ice to recover.

♦ If you do break through, use what’s available to help get back onto the ice. Once you are out, keep low on all fours, or even roll on the ice until you get to a more solid surface where you can again walk

Strictly Sail Attendees give Exhibitors cause for Optimism

Attendance,  up 5% at 2004 show sends positive vibes

CHICAGO, February 4 - - More than 19,000 people attended Strictly Sail Chicago, held January 29 to February 1 at Navy Pier, an increase of 5% compared to the 2003 event.  Exhibitors at the show were equally impressed with the quality of the attendees as they were with the quantity, and are optimistic about the sailing industry in 2004.

In its ninth year, Strictly Sail Chicago is now the largest indoor sail boat show in the country, and the only show of its kind in the Midwest.

“We have a core group of attendees from all over the Midwest that come to this show every year. Not only are they interested in finding the newest boats and accessories, but they also want to catch up with their sailing friends from around the country,” says show manager Kevin Murphy. 

"There are a lot of people upgrading from trailerable boats to boats that require slips, and that's a good sign for boating," says Roger Mellen with Northpoint Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL.  "We didn’t see that at last year’s show.  Our marina was 98 % full last year, and we're running on a pace right now to even better that."

For more information on Strictly Sail Chicago, contact Kevin Murphy at (401) 841-0900, ext. 28, or visit www.sailamerica.com .

Sail America is an independent affiliate of NMMA, representing the sailing industry - a powerful group of enthusiastic companies and individuals dedicated to promoting sailing.

SCI Hires New Executive Director

 TUCSON, Ariz., January 29, 2004  Safari Club International announced that its Board of Directors unanimously elected Thomas M. Riley to serve as its Executive Director.  Riley, Special Agent in Charge of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, Southeastern Region, will draw on more than three decades of leadership success at the nation’s largest wildlife law enforcement agency to advance SCI efforts to protect the freedom to hunt and to promote wildlife conservation worldwide.           

The decision to hire Riley was made after an exhaustive eight-month search, and Riley also will be Executive Director of the Safari Club International Foundation, a nonprofit agency sponsoring hundreds of wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian service programs each year.  The Atlanta, Georgia resident will assume his new responsibilities at SCI and SCI Foundation World Headquarters in Tucson on February 9, 2004.

Riley is very familiar with SCI and SCI Foundation operations.  He was SCI’s 2002 Conservation Officer of the Year.  He is a member of the SCI Foundation Conservation Committee and he helped establish the USFWS exhibitor booth at the annual SCI Hunter’s Convention more than a dozen years ago.   This high-traffic booth annually attracts thousands of sportsmen attending the world’s largest international hunting show by assisting hunters in obtaining hunting information and permits.

During his 31-year career with the USFWS, Riley was regularly called upon to represent the Director and Secretary of the Interior at high level meetings with foreign countries, tribal governments, federal agencies, Congress, the media and the

public.  He filled these assignments with maturity, clarity and purpose – always working to build consensus to protect national and international wildlife resources. 

Riley gave lectures on wildlife law and conservation at the University of Oregon Law School, Long Beach State University and New Mexico State University.  He also established the Cargo for Conservation program through which seized wildlife was shared with schools for conservation studies, and was instrumental in creating the US Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement forensic laboratory – now recognized as the world’s premier wildlife lab.

Prior to joining the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Riley was a middle linebacker and defensive signal coordinator for the Baltimore Colts.  His two-year professional football career started after Riley attended Rice University on athletic scholarship and graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Safari Club International is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide.  This chapter driven, nonprofit association is a tireless advocate for the world’s 45 million sportsmen and sportswomen, who, through legal hunting, annually drive more than $1.7 billion in funding to conserve all wild species.  For information, call 520-620-1220 or visit www.scifirstforhunters.org.  

Contact:

Jim Brown

520-620-1220, ext. 477

520-954-0581 (cell)

jbrown@safariclub.org

Boat Builders / Dealers Refute Brunswick Allegations of Dumping Charges

WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/29/04 — Four leading U.S. independent boat builders and four top marine dealers last week voiced their support of Yamaha Outboards in testimony at the U.S. International Trade Commission’s preliminary conference to hear comments on Brunswick Corporation’s allegations of Japanese outboard makers’ dumping activities.

Yamaha Marine Group President Phil Dyskow said he was overwhelmed by the support demonstrated by the builders and dealers who traveled to Washington in one of the worst winter storms of the year to offer their support. “There was no shortage of our OEM builder and dealer partners who offered to attend to show support for us,” said Dyskow. “ Once the word was out, my phone didn’t stop ringing with offers of support. We limited the list to four top builders and dealers due to space and time constraints.”

The four independent builders were Genmar, Godfrey Marine, Maverick and Grady White Boats

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in

the U.S. market at less than the price it charges in its own home market or below fully distributed costs and the dumping cause material injury to the domestic producers of the same product.

Irwin Jacobs, Chairman of Genmar, the largest U.S. boat builder said, "In terms of import pricing relative to pricing by domestic manufacturers, based on Genmar's volume-based discounts and purchases in the recently completed 2003 model year, our lowest priced supplier is not a Japanese engine manufacturer, but a domestic engine manufacturer."

"To the contrary and belief of Mercury, we didn't bring Yamaha in because they offered lower prices than Mercury, because in fact, they didn’t. During the time period for this investigation, the biggest discount, that is, the lowest price Genmar received from any engine supplier was a discount from Mercury." 

The marine dealers giving testimony offered the retail point of view, but had the same conclusion. Mercury’s problem isn’t pricing, but product reliability.

DNR partners with NWTF's Women in the Outdoors

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has joined the National Wild Turkey Federation’s efforts to offer women more opportunities to experience the outdoors through the NWTF’s Women in the Outdoors program.

"This agreement is a natural for both the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the National Wild Turkey Federation," said Illinois DNR Director Joel Brunsvold.  "We have worked for many years with the NWTF and its Illinois chapter officials and members on habitat enhancement, turkey releases and hunting programs.  This is another chance to partner with a great sporting organization to generate interest in and expand

hunting and outdoor recreation opportunities."

Women in the Outdoors is the NWTF’s hands-on outdoor education program for women age 14 or older. Women who attend events can learn a variety of outdoor activities such as canoeing, camping, hiking, fishing, shooting, outdoor cooking and much more.

As a partner to the Women in the Outdoors program, the Illinois DNR will continue to assist NWTF's outreach program by providing instructors for workshops and special presentations, helping publicize the events, as well as helping provide supplies and equipment for events.