Tweeters,

USACE is opening up its EIS for management of the East Sand Island (ESI) cormorants. There will be several open to the public meetings in OR/WA and you have until mid-December to comment. http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Currentprojects/CormorantEIS.aspx

A quick summary for those who don't know much about ESI cormorants.

East Sand Island currently hosts the world's largest colony of Double-crested Cormorants (DCCO) with approximately 13,000 pairs. This represents nearly 40% of the entire western North American population of DCCO. Annually DCCO in the Columbia River estuary consume 24,000,000 salmon/steelhead smolts. It has been demonstrated that DCCO consume large numbers of endangered salmonids and can consume upwards of 5% of mid-Columbia and Snake River steelhead smolts. The question is how best to address the issue of a protected bird (under the MBTA) on a island essentially created by man (from dredge material) negatively affecting endangered fish species and impeding their recovery.

Cheers,



Tyler L Hicks
PhD Student
Washington State University - Vancouver

E-mail: tyler_hicks at wsu.edu
Website: www.thingswithwings.org

"Back off man, I'm a scientist!" - Bill Murray, Ghostbusters