Accomplishments Of
The Great Lakes Basin
Ecosystem Team

2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

The Great Lakes Basin, representing the world’s largest fresh water system and the nation’s fourth largest coastline, supports the livelihood and activities of 10 percent of the U.S. and 25 percent of the Canadian populations. The environmental and economic vitality of the Great Lakes depends on the ecological state of the lakes, including fish and wildlife communities and their associated habitats. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team combines conservation efforts among Service offices in the Great Lakes Basin. View information about recent accomplishments below.  

Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Coordination Meeting - 11/10/2004
Executive Summary: Several members of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee (Jonathan Pyatskowit, Emily Zollweg, Rob Elliott, Glenn Miller, John Weisser, Dave Bryson, Jim Boase, Larry Thompson, and Henry Quinlan), with assistance from a steering committee of several partner representatives, held a second Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Coordination meeting, November 10-11, 2004 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The purpose of these meetings is to provide a forum to foster communication and exchange of information relating to the study, management, and restoration of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes basin, to address priority research and assessment needs, and to address selected emerging issues.
The focus of the 2004 meeting was to address three priority emerging issues identified by participants at the 2002 meeting: habitat classification (spawning, nursery, and juvenile), habitat restoration and enhancement, and fish passage. Several presentations on each topic were given by participants including a panel discussion that focused on sturgeon passage issues. There also were follow-up presentations on the two emerging issues covered at the 2002 meeting (use of stocking and genetic considerations to rehabilitate populations, and development of standardized assessment techniques). Facilitated small group discussions
also were convened on several topics and an evening potluck social gathering featured poster presentations that described a wide range of sturgeon work. One hundred individuals attend the meeting from 32 different entities (states, tribal/First Nation, federal, provincial, academic, private, and an NGO. Evaluation forms completed by participants were extremely positive and supportive of the meeting and indicated that attendees were very pleased with the presentations and opportunities for interpersonal interaction. This was the second of 3 such meetings that will occur under this grant. Funding for these meetings is being provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) with FWS and other agency in-kind match in the form of our time in planning and holding these meetings. Proceedings from the 2002 meeting are available now on the Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Website and the 2004 proceedings will be available in early 2005.
Offices Involved: MI: R3-Alpena FRO, MI: R3-Marquette Bio Station, NY: R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO, WI: R3-Ashland FRO, WI: R3-Genoa NFH, WI: R3-Green Bay FO, WI: R3-Green Bay FRO
Partners: Michigan DNR, Wisconsin DNR, Ontario MNR, New York DEC, Little River Band
of Ottawa Indians, and Michigan Technological University
Programs: Ecological Services * Coastal Program * FERC * Habitat Conservation * NRDA * Fisheries * Fish Hatcheries * Fishery Resources * Habitat Restoration * Management Assistance * Outreach * Sea Lamprey Control * Ecosystem Teams * Arkansas/Red Rivers Ecosystem Team * Great Lakes Ecosystem Team
States: Indiana * Michigan * Minnesota * Wisconsin

Migratory Bird Stopover Group Makes Progress at Conserving Sites Under Coastal Program Agreement - 10/26/2004
Executive Summary: The migratory bird stopver group for the Western Lake Erie to southern Lake Huron corridor met at Ducks Unlimited in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Oct. 26. This work is supported by a Great Lakes Coastal Program cooperative agreement with Ducks Unlimited as well as a number of other partners. The stopover site attributes identified in the current version of the project report were discussed at length and many excellent suggestions and comments made will be incorporated into the next draft. A schedule of next steps was established including: December 30, 2004. Revised set of attributes completed and mailed to all corresponding members. January 15, 2005. Comments on the attributes returned for final editing. February 2005. Meeting of the the 'Mapping group'. This group will combine field expertise with GIS expertise to determine needed data layers and how to apply these data layers for these purposes. March 2005. Meeting of the whole stopover group to evaluate how we propose to map stopover site attributes. Review of progress made to protect/consider stopover sites through each agency/institution (e.g., NAWCA, Consumers Energy, Wildlife Habitat Council, Erie Marsh planning process, other western Lake Erie basin efforts). Implementation of the results of this effort appears to be possible sooner than expected.
Offices Involved: R3-East Lansing FO, R3-Ottawa NWR
Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, George Gund Foundation, Michigan Joint Venture Office of the Science Advisor, Michigan DNR, Ohio Division of Wildlife, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, DTE Energy, others to be added.
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Federal Assistance * Ecosystem Teams * Migratory Birds & State Programs
States: Michigan * Ohio

Migratory Stopover Group Formed with TNC, Service and Other Partners at DU - 9/23/2003
Executive Summary: Several Service entities were represented at an inaugural meeting of the Migratory Bird Stopover Site group that met at Ducks Unlimited in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sept. 25. Bob Kavetsky and Tameka Dandridge (East Lansing Field Office) contributed information about the Coastal Program and Urban Bird Treaties. Doug Spencer (Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge) and Dan Frisk (Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge) contributed perspectives on behalf of refuges and wildlife. Rich Greenwood (EPA Liaison) picked up on the roles of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team. The group decided the geographic focus of the team will be from the eastern thumb area North of Port Huron, south and east along the Great Lakes shore to Lorain, Ohio. Ducks Unlimited, who received Coastal Program funding this year for a GIS layer will use that information in the project. Meeting results will be used after a 2 week review led by the Nature Convervancy's Dave Ewert with the ultimate goal of a partnership project to protect a stopover site. This meeting provided an on-the-gound starting point application for use of FY2003 Coastal Program-funded project entitled 'Improving Coastal Wetland Restoration and Protection through development of a Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) GIS layer'. Selection of appropriate sites will lead to an eventual partnership in site protection with TNC, DU, the Service and eventually other partners.
Offices Involved: R3-East Lansing FO, R3-Shiawassee NWR, R3-Ottawa NWR, R3-Joint Venture, R3-Great Lakes Basin EcoTeam
Partners: The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Ducks Unlimited (DU), others to be added.
Programs: Migratory Birds & State Programs * National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Federal Aid * Ecosystem Teams
States: Michigan * Ohio

Sturgeon Assessment Assistance Provided to Canadian Agencies - 6/10/2003
Executive Summary: What do you get when a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service vehicle tows a Fisheries and Oceans boat to an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources office in northern Ontario. In addition to a lot of questions and odd looks, you get a truly cooperative effort to assess spawning lake sturgeon. In 2001, the GLBET Lake Sturgeon Committee received a Great Lakes Fishery Trust grant to collect samples and describe the genetic characteristics of spawning sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes. As part of that effort, Ashland FRO contacted Canadian representatives on the Lake Superior Technical Committee to offer assistance with work in Canadian waters. In 2003, Ashland FRO provided a second year of technical assistance in the form of consultation, field personnel, and equipment to Fisheries and Oceans and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to conduct sturgeon assessments. Additional partners included the Pukaskwa National Park, and Pic River First Nation. Crews set nets in the Pic, White, Batchawana, Michipicoten, Goulais and Chippewa rivers. A total of 18 sturgeon were captured in the Pic River for a total of 33 over two years. A total of 8 sturgeon were captured in the Batchawana, 1 in the Chippewa, none in the White, 7 in the Goulais, and 1 in the Michipicoten. Biological information was collected from all sturgeon and tissue samples from most fish. Upon analysis the tissue samples will begin to provide an understanding of the genetic diversity and similarities of sturgeon populations in the rivers throughout the Great Lakes.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Ashland FRO, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO
Partners: Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Pukaskwa National Park, Pic River First Nation
Programs: Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams
States: Michigan * Minnesota * Wisconsin

Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Web Site Updated - 4/10/2003
Executive Summary: New information was added to the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Web Site (http://greatlakes.fws.gov) on April 10 to provide team accomplishments and to update information about cormorants and other issues. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team is comprised of Service offices in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem that work together and with cooperators to accomplish goals related to conserving the Great Lakes. The web master for the site is Fishery Biologist Anjanette Bowen of the Alpena Fishery Resources Office in Michigan.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO
Resource Outputs: Updates are important to maintaining the integrity of web sites. The Internet is one of the most valuable ways to provide information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team activities to the public and partners.
Partners: Partners include the US EPA - Great Lakes National Program Office and all USFWS offices participating in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team.
Programs: Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams
States: Illinois * Indiana * Michigan * Minnesota * New York * Ohio * Pennsylvania * Wisconsin

GLBET Binational Collaborative Submits Proposal for Islands Conservation - 4/1/2003
Executive Summary: The more than 30,000 islands of the Great Lakes form the world’s largest collection of freshwater islands and their biological diversity is globally significant. The islands have unique landforms, plants, animals and cultural history. Because little is known about the islands as a collection or their conservation status, well-documented threats continue to degrade these important ecosystems. These threats include development of islands and shoreline, contaminants, introduction of non-native species, over-harvest, non-sustainable recreation and increased access due to technological advances. At the December 2002 GLBET Islands subcommittee meeting in Chicago, volunteers agreed to draft a grant application for a project to create a framework for binational, long-term conservation of the Great Lakes Islands. This binational collaborative, led by Karen Vigmostad of the Northeast Midwest Institute and including representatives from USFWS, The Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy Canada and university professionals, has submitted a grant application to the USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) for the first year of a two-year, $600,000 proposal. The goal of the project is to create the foundation for a robust, enduring framework to ensure the long-term conservation of Great Lakes islands. This project will implement the island component of the Great Lakes Ecoregional Plan developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada and will contribute towards GLBET Island Subcommittee's draft strategy for protecting Great Lakes islands. The core group of the binational collaborative that will carry out this project will begin by finalizing an island assessment tool that will be used to characterize and assess the entire suite of islands. Based on this information, the best representative island areas (islands, parts of islands, and/or archipelagos) containing the ecoregional conservation targets identified in the Ecoregional Plan will be identified. Additionally, the best examples of island-specific conservation targets, such as colonial waterbirds, will also be identified. Islands areas that contain either of these two types of conservation targets will be designated Great Lakes priority island areas. Initiatives to ensure the long-term conservation of priority island areas will be identified and published. Future implementation activities, using a suite of conservation tools, will be targeted toward conservation of priority island areas and will be based on the findings of this project. The proposal builds off previous GLBET projects, including draft strategy for protection of the Great Lakes islands, the Great Lakes GIS/DSS project, and the recently funded development of the Great Lakes island ranking system. GLNPO will announce the accepted proposals this summer, and grants will be awarded for fiscal year 2004. If funded by GLNPO, this proposal is expected to begin in October 2003, and to be completed in September 2005. If not funded by GLNPO, the collaborative will seek other funding sources to develop this important conservation strategy.
Offices Involved: R3-Reynoldsburg FO, R3-Regional Director's Office
Resource Outputs: 1)State of the Islands Report- will identify conservation targets, priority islands, indicators of island health, best management practices, current and future needs, and gaps in protection. A tool to reach Great Lakes policy and decision makers to inform them about the islands, their importance, and what resources we need to adequately protect the islands. 2)Guide for private landowners on how to best manage and conserve island property, specifically shorelines, and the plant and animal species that inhabit it. 3)Guide for public land managers similar to above. 4)List of feasible pilot projects that could utilize the island conservation guides.
Partners: Northeast-Midwest Institute, Nature Conservancy Canada, The Nature Conservancy, University of Minnesota, USEPA
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Information Provided for Great Lakes Strategy 2002 - 3/6/2003
Executive Summary: Representing the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team’s Lake Sturgeon Committee, Alpena Fisheries Resource Office Assistant Project Leader Tracy Hill provided information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their Great Lakes Strategy 2002 initiative. The Lake Sturgeon Committee was asked to provide information on Great Lakes Strategy Action #56 which is to coordinate conservation efforts on lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes basin. The purpose for the report was to provide the senior managers of the U.S. Policy Committee with an initial assessment of the Lake Sturgeon Committee’s achievements at meeting the goals of the strategy. Hill provided information on the accomplishments of the Lake Sturgeon committee during fiscal year 2002.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Green Bay FRO, R3-Marquette Bio Station, R3-Ashland FRO, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO
Resource Outputs: The Service is working with states, tribes and other federal agencies to identify the biggest threats to maintaining self-sustaining, interjurisdictional lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes ecosystems. This project has allowed the Service to increase our involvement in collaborative efforts to develop fishery management plans as well as collecting and sharing information on this depleted interjurisdictional native Great Lakes species.
Partners: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, New York Department of Conservation,
Programs: Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams
States: Michigan * New York * Wisconsin

Commerical Fishermen Play Expanded Role in Monitoring Lake Sturgeon - 1/10/2003
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee received Service fiscal year 2002 flex-funding from Regions 3 and 5 to expand their lake sturgeon work to include the collection of information on sturgeon captured by commercial fishermen in the Great Lakes. Funding will provide commercial fishermen with training and equipment to gather data from lake sturgeon so that biologists may determine the number and distribution of sturgeon and their movement patterns in the Great Lakes and compile critical data on sturgeon growth and reproduction. This project is an opportunity for biologists to work cooperatively with an important stakeholder group -- commercial fishermen from four of the Great Lakes. For more information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee, contact Tracy Hill, Alpena FRO, 989-356-5102, x16
Resource Outputs: Funding provides commercial fishermen with training and equipment to gather data essential for lake sturgeon conservation.
Partners: Commercial fishermen
Programs: Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams

Lake Sturgeon Committee Increases Its Speed on the Information Superhighway - 1/10/2003
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team received Service flex-funding in fiscal year 2002 for updating and maintaining the Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Website (http://midwest.fws.gov/sturgeon). This site brings together intra- and inter-national information and research regarding lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes and serves as the primary site for disseminating lake sturgeon information. Cooperators from international, federal and state agencies, as well as universities, provided updated information on their lake sturgeon activities in the Great Lakes Basin. The activities of two new cooperators, Michigan State University and the Lake Superior State University, were added to the site during this revision. For more information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee, contact Tracy Hill, Alpena FRO, 989-356-5102, x16.
Resource Outputs: Improved Web site presence for sharing lake sturgeon information with partners.
Partners: Michigan State University; Lake Superior State University; state DNRs of Michigan, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin; government of Ontario; United States Geological Survey
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Lake Sturgeon Committee Tackleys Tributary Inventory - 1/10/2003
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee continued to make progress on a web-based lake sturgeon database and GIS map. This project will create a unified, interactive web-based GIS map and meta-database of Great Lakes lake sturgeon information that is crucial to researchers and fisheries managers. The database will enhance the existing map and database that was developed for the 2000 Great Lakes Fishery Trust Lake Sturgeon Workshop. The long-term objective of the project is to compile the available lake sturgeon data sources to help focus restoration and research activities on priority lake sturgeon waters. Project completion is anticipated in March 2003 with posting on the web by June. For more information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee, contact Tracy Hill, Alpena FRO, 989-356-5102, x16.
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Team Leads Effort to Standardize Lake Sturgeon Genetic Analysis - 1/10/2003
Executive Summary: In order to better guide lake sturgeon restoration and enhancement efforts in the Great Lakes, resource managers need a better understanding of the genetic structure among populations. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's Lake Sturgeon Committee is leading an effort to coordinate and standardize lake sturgeon genetic activities in the Great Lakes Basin. Additional funds are needed for sample collection, stock structure analysis and preparing a basin-wide management plan. The comprehensive project proposal remains a collaborative effort among natural resource agencies and geneticists. For more information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee, contact Tracy Hill, Alpena FRO, 989-356-5102, x16.
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Software Will Help Great Lakes Managers Do Their Jobs Even Better - 1/10/2003
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's Geographic Information Systems/Decision Support Systems (GIS/DSS) Committee has completed their analysis of existing GIS capabilities of the programs and field stations within Region 3 and 5 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This analysis has lead to the development of the Draft Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem GIS/DSS Implementation Strategic Plan. GIS and DSS are mechanisms that can be used to provide managers with the capability to integrate and analyze multiple data sources on a desktop computer. The GIS/DSS is a tool that helps the user answer simple questions concerning Great Lakes islands and the Great Lakes basin as a whole. The GIS/DSS facilitates decision-making for land acquisition, environmental review, management planning and provides a valuable tool for communication and outreach. Effective management of the Great Lakes resources at the ecosystem level requires considerable coordination of efforts from many groups. Geospatial data that can assist management efforts are collected on many scales ranging from small, site-specific projects to basin-wide examinations. In addition to variations in scale, data are collected in many different formats, making integration of data sets difficult. Because of the fragmented nature of the data available, management decisions are often hampered by a lack of critical information that may exist but is either not immediately available or not in a useful form. Obstacles, real and perceived, have prevented the Service from effectively engaging in GIS on a landscape level for the benefit of Great Lakes resource conservation. Since there was no entity or opportunity to develop a pathway for effectively or efficiently engaging the Service with this important technological tool, the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team formed a GIS/DSS Core Group to explore and determine how to advance the use of this important natural resource management tool to better serve our mission and work with partners. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's GIS/DSS Committee and Island Committee collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and the U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center to gather spatial and non-spatial data relating to Great Lakes islands and their watersheds. The Decision Support System was created by the environmental sciences center to guide future management and protection of islands and surrounding areas at many scales ranging from small, site-specific projects to basin-wide examinations. The GIS/DSS presently in use on the Upper Mississippi River was used as a model for the project. The tool was created using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and Environmental Systems Research Institute MapObjects LT2. The GIS/DSS will be available from the desktop of all Service field stations that manage resources within the Great Lakes Basin. Managers will be able to review Great Lakes islands within the GIS/DSS for natural resource values and threats and for their potential for acquisition by the National Wildlife Refuge System. (For further information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's GIS/DSS tool, contact Chris Castiglione, Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office, 716-691-5456, x35)
Partners: Great Lakes Commission, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center; USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Environmental Systems Research Institute.
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams

 

2002 Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Accomplishments

Service, Partners Make Strides in Great Lakes Islands Conservation - 12/13/2002
Executive Summary: Sixty representatives of two Service regions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other federal and state agencies, universities, and conservation organizations, as well as Canadian provincial and non-government organizations, gathered in Chicago, Dec. 10-12, 2002, to discuss conservation, coastal habitat restoration and GAP analysis for the thousands of islands in the Great Lakes. Accomplishments during the two-day workshop included developing a ranking and habitat classification system for the islands and developing a model for conserving the islands at the local and landscape levels. In addition, a multi-agency group, working with communications consultant Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong, came up with a framework for producing a Great Lakes Islands Conservation communications and outreach plan, and a grants subgroup formed during the workshop has already gotten to work. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's Islands Conservation Committee extends a special acknowledgement to the workshop's major funders, the Service, EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office and Environment Canada.
Offices Involved: R3-Reynoldsburg FO, R3-Seney NWR, R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Green Bay FO, R3-Horicon NWR, R3-Green Bay FRO, R5-Ohio River Islands NWR, R3-External Affairs, R3-Fisheries, R3-Ecological Services, R3-Ashland FRO, R3-Chicago FO, R3-East Lansing FO, R3-Shiawassee NWR, R5-Gulf of Maine Program, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO, R5-Montezuma NWR, R5-New York FO, R3-Great Lakes Basin EcoTeam
Resource Outputs: Framework for a model strategy for conservation of Great Lakes islands at both landscape and local levels(including draft GLBET Great Lakes Islands Survey Protocols) An island conservation ranking/prioritization system Updating, revision of SOLEC Islands Indicator, including a listing/inventory of Great Lakes Islands currently under conservation protection through inclusion in NWRs, or other means; islands known to be in need of priority conservation efforts Inventory the databases available for island conservation/concurrence on action plan for repository/access of this information Preliminary Guidelines for development of a classification system for nearshore coastal habitats of the Great Lakes and inventory of the databases available for coastal GAP anaylsis Plan to improve the utility of the Decision Support System, including demonstration of DSS, hands on opportunities provided, follow up training and utilization opportunities identified Framework for a communications campaign/plan for Great Lakes island conservation
Partners: US EPA, NPS, USGS, Department of Commerce-NOAA, Ontario Ministry of Canada, Parks Canada Agency, Wisconsin DNR, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Sea Grant Institute, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Great Lakes Water Institute, Northland College, The Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Great Lakes Commission, Lake Michigan Federation, Northeast-Midwest Institute
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * External Affairs * Ecosystem Teams
States: Illinois

First-Ever Lake Sturgeon Coordination Meeting Draws Wide Participation - 12/12/2002
Executive Summary: More than 110 biologists, managers, researchers and members of the public gathered in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Dec. 11-12, to exchange information and discuss issues important to the study, management and rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes. This first annual Great Lakes lake Sturgeon Coordination Meeting was organized by six members of the Services Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee (Rob Elliott-Green Bay FRO, Henry Quinlan-Ashland FRO, Emily Zollweg and Betsy Trometer - Lower Lakes FRO, Tracy Hill -Alpena FRO and John Weisser -Marquette Biological Station) with the assistance of representatives from Michigan DNR, New York DEC, Ontario MNR, Wisconsin DNR, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and Michigan Technological University. Attendees came from nine states and two Canadian provinces representing more than 40 natural resource agencies, organizations, and institutions working with and interested in lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes. The Service was represented by 15 biologists from Regions 3 and 5. During the first day of the meeting, participants presented 38 oral and 15 poster-display presentations detailing the status, assessment and management initiatives, and immerging issues pertaining to lake sturgeon throughout the Great Lakes. Several of these presentations dealt with focus topics of stocking as a means to restore populations, genetic characteristics of remnant Great Lakes populations, and various assessment techniques useful in determining population status of juveniles and adult sturgeon. On the second day, participants divided into nine small breakout groups to discuss the focus topics of stocking to rehabilitate populations and assessment techniques to determine status. Participants also heard from and directed questions pertaining to genetic considerations of stocking to a panel of genetics experts, as well as reviewed and discussed research and assessment needs and emerging issues important to sturgeon rehabilitation in the Great Lakes. Prior to the meeting, participants had contributed status information on existing populations as well as abstracts describing work they are conducting. This information was compiled into documents that were distributed to participants along with other informational materials in the meeting information packets. An evening chili feed and social as well as group breakfasts and lunches also provided additional opportunity for participants to interact in an unstructured format. This first meeting was very successful in providing a forum to foster communication and exchange of information relating to the study, management and restoration of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes Basin, and should increase opportunities for cooperation among traditional and non-traditional stakeholders. A proceedings report from this meeting is currently being prepared and will be distributed to attendees, to the Great Lakes Fishery Trust and to all other interested persons. Funding assistance for this and two additional meetings has been provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. For more information, contact Rob Elliott, Green Bay FRO, 920-866-1762, or any of the other steering committee members from the USFWS-GLBET Sturgeon Committee.
Offices Involved: R3-Carterville FRO, R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Green Bay FRO, R3-Marquette Bio Station, R3-Ashland FRO, R3-Genoa NFH, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO
Partners: Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Ontario Minnestry of Natural Resource, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Technological University, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,
Programs: Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams
States: Illinois * Indiana * Michigan * Minnesota * New York * Ohio * Wisconsin

Great Lakes Team Showcases Accomplishments and Commits to Action - 5/23/2002
Executive Summary: The recent meeting of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team in Ithaca, N.Y., focused on showcasing past successes and committing to action in the areas of lake sturgeon protection, geographic information system/decision support system (GIS/DSS) development and implementation, islands protection and outreach. Efforts in the lake sturgeon arena that were highlighted at the meeting included developing a web-based lake sturgeon database and associated GIS maps, updating the Great Lakes lake sturgeon web site to include more information and partners, and continuing work on a standardized genetic assessment of lake sturgeon. The GIS/DSS Core Group described its recommendations for the implementation of geo-spatial technologies to support Great Lakes Basin resource management issues and reported on efforts to partner on a conservation planning process for western Lake Erie islands led by The Nature Conservancy and a project to map sensitive habitats on Great Lakes islands using multi-spectral satellite imagery led by the USGS. Other examples of landscape-level approaches were presented at the meeting including Joint Ventures in the Great Lakes Basin, Great Lakes piping plover recovery, and a Gulf of Maine habitat analysis. These approaches provided the team with ideas and techniques that can be used in their future efforts. During the meeting, the team re-committed to its efforts on Great Lakes islands restoration—the recently published Great Lakes Strategy cites the team as taking the lead on this issue. The team’s leadership also transitioned from Jim Hudgins, Michigan Private Lands Coordinator to Rich Greenwood, USFWS-EPA Great Lakes Liaison; Tracy Hill, Assistant Project Leader at the Alpena Fishery Resources Office, was selected as team-leader elect. One of the highlights of the meeting was a field trip to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, hosted by Refuge Manager Tom Jasikoff. The refuge is located at the north end of Lake Cayuga and serves as a critical resting area for migrating waterfowl and other waterbirds. During the tour, Tom showed team members restored wetland areas that were farmed mucklands just a few years prior. Future action for the team centers around its resource priorities. Team members will continue to assess Great Lakes tributary streams for lake sturgeon and will expand their efforts to facilitate data collection by commercial fishers. The DIS/GIS Core Group will be meeting with field offices and partners to present the team’s Great Lakes Island GIS/DSS and discuss opportunities for applications. A team workshop will be held this fall funded by the Great Lakes National Program Office with hands-on training of the GIS/DSS for refuge managers, island committee members and others. In addition, final site visits and script review will be completed for a team video that highlights the Service’s work in the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Partners: United States Geological Survey, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Service, Partners Cooperate to Provide More Than $3 Million for Fish and Wildlife Conservation - 3/19/2002
Executive Summary: At least 138 projects valued at more than $3 million will be conducted through the Service Challenge Cost-Share Program (SCCSP) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) during Fiscal Year 2002 in the Great Lake-Big Rivers Region (Region). All 138 projects being carried out by the Service are in cooperation with hundreds of local, state and regional partners. The SCCSP is coordinated in the eight-state Region by the Twin Cities Regional Office. States within this Region include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Conducted by the Service since 1988, the SCCSP has successfully leveraged federal funds with nonfederal dollars and in-kind services to cost-share projects that support fish and wildlife conservation on Service, nonfederal, private and tribal lands. During FY 2002, the Regional Office is providing funds valued at almost $545,000 and partners have pledged more than $2.5 million. Total expenditures for the 138 projects are likely to exceed $3.1 million. Approximately 150 wetland acres and 1,100 upland acres will be restored. More than $103,000 of Service funds will cost-share 37 projects on Service lands enrolled in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). Additionally, the Service is providing more than $79,000 for Centennial projects on Service lands to prepare for the 100th anniversary of the NWRS during March 2003. Twenty-five projects to enhance recreational fishing opportunities on national wildlife refuges will receive Service funds amounting to almost $104,000, while ecosystem teams will carry out 15 projects with cost-share assistance of more than $95,000. Additionally, 22 projects being conducted during FY 2002 will cost-share the restoration of wetlands and other unique upland habitats, including native prairies, oak savannas, bottomland hardwoods, coastal marshes, rare fens and important riparian areas. These projects, which received $90,000 in Service funds, will restore and enhance habitats for trust species, including endangered and threatened fish and wildlife. The cooperative projects will also: purchase equipment and/or supplies for habitat projects; conduct fish and wildlife research; maintain and improve Service facilities; enhance hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, hiking, photographic and other recreational opportunities on Service lands for all visitors, including youth and physically challenged guests; sustain diverse self-guided interpretive programs; and improve environmental education and outreach. Since the SCCSP began in 1988, the program’s success has resulted from the timely generosity of partners, who have contributed funds at a 76:24 ratio. From 1988-95, partners contributed funds and in-kind services valued at $2.4 million, but since FY 1996 contributions from cooperators have amounted to approximately $13.7 million. The Service’s funding during the program’s history amounts to more than $5 million. For more information on the Service Challenge Cost-Share Program, contact Steve Kufrin, Partnership Coordinator, in the Regional Office at 612-713-5447.
Resource Outputs: In FY 2002, the Service provided $543,669 in challenge cost-share funds and the American public will receive over $2.5 million in fish, wildlife and habitat benefit.
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Law Enforcement * Ecosystem Teams * Migratory Birds & State Programs

2001 Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Accomplishments

Lake Sturgeon Database: a Work in Progress - 8/30/2001
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Lake Sturgeon Committee received FY 2001 flex funding from Regions 3 & 5 to develop a web-based lake sturgeon database and GIS map. During a March meeting, the Lake Sturgeon committee discussed the type of information to be included on the web page. Since sturgeon caviar has a high black market value, much of this debate centered on balancing the amount of information provided while limiting information that could be used by potential poachers. A draft database was developed over the spring and summer, and lake sturgeon committee members are now populating the database with information. This database will help focus restoration and research activities by natural resource agencies on priority lake sturgeon waters, as well as provide information to resource managers and the general public. The Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center in LaCrosse will be assisting the committeee with the actual web page development. Eventually, the database will be incorporated into the GLBET GIS/DSS.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Green Bay FO, R3-Green Bay FRO, R3-Ashland FRO, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO
Partners: Michigan DNR, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center, Great Lakes Fisheries Trust
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Website Updated - 7/27/2001
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Website (http://midwest.fws.gov/sturgeon) was revised and updated to include new information and more partnerships. The purpose of the site is to consolidate information from numerous federal, state, university, and international resource agencies that are conducting lake sturgeon projects in the Great Lakes Basin. There are over 26 current partners contributing information to the site. The site provides a means for educating the general public and scientific community relative to resource agency roles, responsibilities, and activities regarding this depleted native species. It has had approximately 6,900 visits per month since its initial posting in April 1999.
Offices Involved: R3-Carterville FRO, R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Green Bay FO, R3-LaCrosse FRO, R3-Green Bay FRO, R3-Marquette Bio Station, R3-Federal Aid, R3-Ashland FRO, R3-East Lansing FO, R3-Ann Arbor LE, R5-Lower Great Lakes FRO
Partners: State partners include NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Marquette, Mt. Clemens), Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Federal partners include the U.S. Geological Survey - National Biological Service (Great Lakes Sciences Center and Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center). International partners include the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario Units). University partners include Central Michigan University, Michigan Technological University, University of Michigan, and Cornell University.
Programs: Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * Law Enforcement * Ecosystem Teams

Revamped Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Website Now On-line - 6/20/2001
Executive Summary: The newly revised Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team’s (GLBET) website is up and running (http://greatlakes.fws.gov). Funded by contributions of field stations within the ecosystem, the website fills a vital role by providing one-stop shopping about the GLBET for both team members and the public. In addition to the homepage, the website includes a dozen secondary pages that further describe the team and its landscape objectives in the ecosystem. These pages include descriptions of the Great Lakes ecosystem, the GLBET’s focus issues of lake sturgeon restoration and Great Lakes islands protection, and two of the GLBET’s geographic focus areas -- Saginaw Bay and the Detroit River. The site also describes the team’s accomplishments of the past year, their future work plans, and gives information about the upcoming and past meetings. Links related to the team are provided that may be useful both to team members and the public who are searching for additional information on the Great Lakes ecosystem, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecosystem Approach, and the principles and practices of conservation biology and ecosystem management. The above represents the first phase of remodeling for the GLBET’s website. A second phase of the website will be completed later this year. The second phase will include additional pages for the other GLBET focus areas, a map of the ecosystem that will be linked to all of the field stations in the ecosystem, a link to the Accomplishment Reporting System so that website visitors can access recent accomplishments of the GLBET, and more.
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Ecosystem Team Funds Four Projects Supporting Sturgeon Restoration, Island Protection - 5/15/2001
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team recently funded four projects that support Team priorities of lake sturgeon restoration and Great Lakes Islands protection. For the past several years, field stations in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem have been donating to a team kitty to fund smaller-scale landscape-level projects in the ecosystem. This year $14,500 was received. Eight project proposals were submitted and ranked at the team’s spring meeting. Four of these proposals will be funded. The first and second ranked proposals are cost-shared by partners who are providing over 50 percent of the projects’ costs. The first proposal involves lake sturgeon data collection and monitoring by commercial fishers. The funding for this proposal will provide the lake sturgeon fishers with training and equipment to gather data that will assist biologists in determining the number and distribution of sturgeon, their movement in the Great Lakes, and critical data on growth and reproduction. This project is an opportunity for biologists to work cooperatively with an important stakeholder group -- commercial fishers from four of the Great Lakes. The second proposal funds predator control for breeding piping plover on Crane and Temperance Islands in Lake Michigan. Predation of piping plover eggs and, in particular chicks, remains a significant factor limiting the reproductive success of the species in the Great Lakes. The team’s third-ranked proposal will fund the second and final phase of the team’s website development. The purpose of the website is to provide a central clearinghouse for information on team activities and priorities — information that will be useful to team members, the interested public, and Congressional staffers. The fourth proposal is also related to information-sharing via the web; it focuses on website maintenance for the Great Lakes lake sturgeon website. This site brings together intra- and inter-national information and research regarding lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes and serves as the primary site for disseminating lake sturgeon information.
Partners in the projects include: Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority, Lake Erie commercial fishers, Lake Michigan commercial fishers, Lake Superior commercial fishers, Lake Huron commercial fishers, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services
Resource Outputs: Resource outputs of the kitty include biological data on Great Lakes lake sturgeon that will aid in management of the species. These funds will also contribute to increased survivorship of the Great Lakes piping plover through the control of their predators on Crane and Temperance Islands in Lake Michigan. Other outcomes include completion of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team's website and continuing maintenance on the Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon website.
Partners: Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority, Lake Erie commercial fishers, Lake Michigan commercial fishers, Lake Superior commercial fishers, Lake Huron commercial fishers, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Ecosystem Team Identifies Landscape-Level Goals, Funding Priorities - 4/5/2001
Executive Summary: Members of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team (GLBET)addressed several components of its lake sturgeon restoration and island protection work plans during a goal setting meeting April 3-5, 2001 in Milwaukee, Wis. The Team further outlined and made recommendations for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) rehabilitation plan for lake sturgeon restoration in the Great Lakes. The document was requested in part by the Service’s partners in the Basin and will identify the Service’s unique responsibilities in regard to lake sturgeon. The team also coordinated volunteers for this year’s field work towards lake sturgeon restoration priorities. Progress was made towards the team’s Great Lakes islands priority as well. A status report on the Geographic Information System and Decision Support System pilot project for Great Lakes islands was given. Further work on this task will be accomplished at a committee meeting in early May. The team also examined its other objectives under the Great Lakes Islands priority. From this discussion, a scoping document for the Great Lakes islands work will be developed. A draft of the Geographic Information System/ Decision Support System Strategic Plan for the ecosystem was also distributed for comment. Finally, proposals were ranked for team kitty funding. The top three proposals address commercial fisher assistance with lake sturgeon restoration, predator control for piping plover, and further development of the team website. The next team meeting was scheduled for October 30 - November 1, 2001 in Chicago.
Partners: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, USGS Great Lakes Science Center, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

Programs Collaborating to Accomplish Great Lakes Eco Team Objectives - 4/5/2001
Executive Summary: This field season, the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team (GLBET) is venturing beyond programmatic lines to achieve one of its landscape goals. Earlier this year, the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team narrowed the focus of the team’s effort to focus on two primary priorities — lake sturgeon restoration and Great Lakes island protection. One of the ways in which the team is involving all team members in the lake sturgeon priority is in assistance in lake sturgeon field projects. Six fisheries field stations from Regions 3 and 5 shared their joint list of 19 projects for lake sturgeon restoration with the full team. Projects included telemetry in the Detroit River (Michigan), assessment surveys with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Wisconsin), spawning, transport and fish culture at Pittsford NFH (New York), collecting data from commercial fisher by-catch (Ontario), restoration feasibility studies in the Genesee River (New York), and coded wire-tagging fingerlings at Neosho NFH (Missouri). Each fisheries station identified its needs for staff and equipment, and what resources, such as lodging or travel expenses, it could offer in return. Though workload at all stations is heavy and budgets tight, Project Leaders from three national wildlife refuges and three ecological services offices offered what staff time and resources they could, fully recognizing the value of their staff gaining hands-on experience in fisheries work, in some cases outside their normal geographic areas. Outreach has also got involved with a conference call scheduled to coordinate a basin-wide invitation to news media, congressional staffers, and Interior Secretary Norton to join an inter-Region team of biologists for a day of lake sturgeon field work. Through this work, the GLBET will move closer to restoring sustainable populations of this ancient fish into the Great Lakes ecosystem
Programs: Ecosystem Teams

2000 Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Accomplishments

Invasive Species Committee Focuses on Education - 9/30/2000
Executive Summary: Invasive species issues have gained national and international recognition as one of the greatest threats to global ecosystem diversity. Service ecosystem teams provide a mechanism to address invasive species issues through cross-program coordination and with the support of local partners. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Invasive Species Committee was established to advance prevention, control, monitoring, detection, research, education, and coordination efforts within the basin. Priority actions were identified by the Committee addressing education, research, and coordination needs. The Committee however, elected to focus on educational needs and developed a workplan to guide activities into 2001. The Committee developed a list of image and slide collections available for use in presentations and other educational activities to assist Service staff throughout the basin.
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * External Affairs * Ecosystem Teams

Decision Support System Will Inventory Great Lakes Islands - 9/30/2000
Executive Summary: The Great Lakes Islands Committee of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team collaborated with experts in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS) to create an inventory of Great Lakes Islands. A computerized DSS will be developed for islands in the Great Lakes Basin, incorporating GIS databases and a variety of non-spatial information. The DSS will be made accessible from the desktop of all Service field stations that manage resources within the Basin. The DSS will facilitate decision-making for land acquisition, environmental review, and management planning, and provide a valuable tool for communication and outreach. For example, Great Lakes islands will be reviewed for natural resource values and threats, and for their potential for acquisition by the National Wildlife Refuge System. The DSS currently in use on the Upper Mississippi River is a model for this project. This project will be invaluable in assisting in the development of recommendations for implementation of geo-spatial technologies to support Service Great Lakes resource management issues. Beyond just providing a useful product, this project will promote resource knowledge integration and sharing, as well as cooperation, understanding, and appreciation of USFWS Great Lakes activities with partners and the public. After the demonstration project has been completed for Great Lakes islands, the DSS will be broadened to include other Great Lakes habitats.
Partners: USGS-BRD Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes Science Centers; Michigan State University.
Programs: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * External Affairs * Ecosystem Teams

Lake Sturgeon Committee Coordination and Collaboration - 9/30/2000
Executive Summary: The Lake Sturgeon Committee of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team convened a full Committee conference call Jan.10, 2000 and a full meeting on June 29, 2000. Also, one member was on the steering committee for a workshop entitled, 'Research and Assessment Needs to Restore Lake Sturgeon in the Great Lakes' June 27-28, 2000, where many other Committee members attended. During Committee events, members provided updates on action items, prioritized project proposals, and discussed emerging issues that needed to be addressed. Smaller group conference calls also took place throughout the year to finalize project proposals.
Programs: Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * Law Enforcement * Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Basin EcoTeam Leads Effort to Standardize Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics - 9/30/2000
Executive Summary: Through the Service's Regions 5 and 3, the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team (Ecoteam), Lake Sturgeon Committee is leading and effort to coordinate and standardize lake sturgeon genetics activities in the Great Lakes Basin. In order to better guide lake sturgeon restoration and enhancement efforts in the Great Lakes, resource managers need a better understanding of the genetic structure among populations. The document entitled, Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics Status Assessment: An Analysis of Samples, Methods, and Standardization (Lowie 1999) has been completed. In addition, the Team hosted a Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics Workshop Dec. 8-9, 1999, in Chicago, Ill. The workshop provided a forum for biologists, managers, and geneticists to discuss the current state-of-knowledge, identify information needs, and standardize further collection and analysis of genetic samples. Minutes from the workshop have been distributed to participants, Ecoteam and Lake Sturgeon Committee members. A proceedings document will be available in the near future, which will include final recommendations for future sample collection, distribution, and analysis. As a result of the workshop, the Service is leading a cooperative effort for future basin-wide research, where some funding has been secured. Additional funds are needed for sample collection, stock structure analysis, and preparing a basin-wide management plan. The comprehensive project proposal remains a collaborative effort among and between natural resource agencies and geneticists.
Partners: USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, USGS-BRD, University of Wisconsin - Center for Great Lakes Studies, Ohio State University, University of Guelph - Ontario, Stockton College - (Pomona, New Jersey), Michigan Technological University, University of California -Davis, Brooklyn College of the State University of New York, Central Michigan University, Southern Illinois University, Consumers Energy (Jackson, Michigan), Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sturgeon for Tomorrow
Programs: Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * Ecosystem Teams

Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Brochure Finalized and Distributed - 9/27/2000
Executive Summary: In September 2000, 25,000 copies of the brochure “Lake Sturgeon: Giant of the Great Lakes,” were distributed to Service field stations across the Great Lakes basin. The brochure will serve as an effective tool to educate the public about the biology, fishing history, status, and conservation of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes. It also highlights the restoration efforts of the Service, and explains the importance of partnerships in restoring the lake sturgeon. The brochure concludes by outlining measures that the public can take to aid in the conservation of this ancient fish. “Lake Sturgeon: Giant of the Great Lakes” represents the culmination of several years of work by members of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team’s Lake Sturgeon Committee, with project leadership by Henry Quinlan. Chuck Traxler (External Affairs) and Kim Mitchell (Ecological Services) also provided assistance on the project. Financial support for the project came in part from the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team and the USFWS Region-3 Fisheries Program.
Offices Involved: National Wildlife Refuge System * Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * Law Enforcement * External Affairs * Ecosystem Teams

Michigan Refuge Participates in the Great Outdoors Festival - 8/6/2000
Executive Summary: Service staff from Shiawassee NWR, Alpena FRO, and the Friends of Shiawassee NWR participated in the first annual Great Outdoors Festival held in Birch Run, Mich., Aug. 5-6, 2000. The East Lansing Private Lands office loaned its Great Lakes Ecosystem Team display for the event. Approximately 300 people toured the Service display. A guided bus tour of the Refuge was also offered to visitors. A variety of displays ranging from boats, to camping equipment, to live animal exhibits were available to the public.
Offices Involved: R3-Shiawassee NWR
Resource Outputs: Approximately 300 people visited FWS display.
Partners: Alpena FRO, Michigan PLO, Friends of Shiawassee NWR, and the Birch Run Chamber of Commerce
Programs: Ecosystem Teams
States: Michigan

1999 Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Accomplishments

Status Report Completed on Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics - 12/30/1999
Executive Summary: Through the Service's Regions 3 and 5 Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team (Ecoteam), the Lake Sturgeon Committee has taken a leadership role in trying to coordinate and standardize lake sturgeon genetics activities in the Great Lakes Basin. In order to better guide lake sturgeon restoration and enhancement efforts in the Great Lakes, resource managers need a better understanding of the genetic structure among populations. The document entitled, Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics Status Assessment: An Analysis of Samples, Methods, and Standardization (Lowie 1999) has been completed. In addition, we hosted a Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Genetics Workshop on December 8-9, 1999 in Chicago, Ill. The workshop provided a forum for biologists, managers, and geneticists to discuss the current state-of-knowledge, identify information needs, and standardize further collection and analysis of genetic samples. The minutes from the workshop have been completed and distributed to participants and Ecoteam, Lake Sturgeon Committee members. A proceedings document will be available in the near future, which will include final recommendations for future sample collection, distribution, and analysis. As a result of the workshop, the Service is leading a cooperative effort for future basin-wide research, where some funding has been secured. Additional funds are needed for sample collection, stock structure analysis, and preparing a basin-wide management plan. The comprehensive project proposal remains a collaborative effort among and between natural resource agencies and geneticists.
Partners: USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, USGS-BRD, University of Wisconsin - Center for Great Lakes Studies, Ohio State University, University of Guelph - Ontario, Stockton College - (Pomona, New Jersey), Michigan Technological University, University of California -Davis, Brooklyn College of the State University of New York, Central Michigan University, Southern Illinois University, Consumers Energy (Jackson, Michigan), Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sturgeon for Tomorrow.
Programs: Ecological Services * Fisheries * Federal Aid * Ecosystem Teams