Great Lakes /trump

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A group representing Great Lakes region mayors in the U.S. and Canada is sounding the alarm against potentially drastic cuts to an ecological recovery initiative for the Great Lakes.

The Trump administration's potential cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative were reported by the Detroit Free Press last week. They would slash annual funding for the $300 million program to $10 million.


The initiative combats invasive species, curbs nutrient-fueled algae blooms, cleans up toxic messes and restores sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.

"Cuts of this magnitude would be devastating to the efforts of our two countries over the past five decades to restore the resource," David Ullrich, executive director of The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a story published Sunday (http://bit.ly/2mIox0n ). His group represents mayors from more than 125 U.S. and Canadian cities in the Great Lakes basin.

Ullrich said the cuts would also undermine all of the lake restoration and protection efforts underway by local governments, which are collectively far more significant than the federal restoration initiative launched by the Obama administration in 2010.

"Local governments have been investing at over $15 billion per year ... well beyond the federal governments' investments," Ullrich said, "and this would be a major step back from the responsibility shared for this resource."

Conservation groups have also criticized the potential cuts.

"Great Lakes protection is not a partisan issue. No matter how different our backgrounds, Great Lakers value clean water," the Alliance for the Great Lakes said in a statement Friday. "For decades, people of all political affiliations from all corners of the region, have consistently shown strong support for protecting the Great Lakes. And, some of the most critical programs and regulations targeted by President Trump's proposed cuts have been supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle."

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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

I would hope that political position papers be discouraged from this forum. Regardless of how we might feel about these issues, it is still not the place for such. Talking politics is a taboo on my boat for a good reason. I bet I am not alone in thinking this way.

I posted the article for people to be aware. I could care less about politics. I care about the future of the lake we fish and surrounding Great Lakes. Sorry for offending you and others who have taken time to read this article

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Originally Posted by Beepum19

I posted the article for people to be aware. I could care less about politics. I care about the future of the lake we fish and surrounding Great Lakes. Sorry for offending you and others who have taken time to read this article

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It's cool Bee.

I think this needs to be posted, discussed like adults and see if anyone wants to get involved for the sake of our fishery! Too much crap going on in politics, this is our little piece of the world and it needs to be protected not just used as a waterway to further business.

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Originally Posted by rubycat16

I would hope that political position papers be discouraged from this forum. Regardless of how we might feel about these issues, it is still not the place for such. Talking politics is a taboo on my boat for a good reason. I bet I am not alone in thinking this way.

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You do have the option of not opening this thread.

Michigan Sportsman forum already has 9 pages with 15 posts ea page on this already. They hate the laker program up there. I'm done.

Thanks for posting. We all need to be informed of issues affecting our fishery and its protection

If it is politics that affects the lake then you should absolutely post it! It's easy for some to ignore the effect this could have on our lakes but they will be the first in line to ***** when it becomes a worthless cesspool.

There is alot of wasted money in many other avenues in government. I feel the EPA has gone overboard in some areas. But they do alot of good to. The thought of my kids or future grand kids not being able to have the fun times with friends and family as I did growning up; for then to not have those memories to recall; stories to tell their friends and their kids; truly almost brings me to tears. This body of water has been a rock in my life. The thought of not being able to be on it and use has for sure helped keep out of some trouble in life. Course being on it has gotten me into some too....lol.

I know alot of ppl don't feel the same as I or we do. They don't have our memories, our lives built here on it. Certain things in life are worth fighting for, and as such it pissed some ppl off. That's what makes this country so great. The fact that tens of thousands of ppl have stood up, fought, and died, so we all have the right to say what we are thinking amount other things.

Thank you for those who protect our freedom, I look forward to hearing both sides of this story, even though nothing will convinced me it's a waste of money to keep our waters clean and healthy. Not just for the fishing, the boating, but a simple fact that more than million ppl get there drinking water from the lake . That alone should be enough, but there is so much more to it than that.

I'm all for a reasonable government budget, but many other area can be looked at first in my opinion

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

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Originally Posted by pappyon

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

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I've personally seen/ drove over Canadian gill nets in U.S. waters. Something does need done about this. Gill netting on that level should be outlawed.

I don't know much about the gil nets, but if you see one in American waters can you cut them or damage them in any way?

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Originally Posted by bahabear112

I've personally seen/ drove over Canadian gill nets in U.S. waters. Something does need done about this. Gill netting on that level should be outlawed.

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If you have reason to believe you have seen gill nets in American waters you should call the TIP hotline and if possible give them the GPS location for those nets and help get the illegal netters caught and prosecuted. All gill nets are illegal in the Ohio waters of lake Erie except those set by the ODNR for analytical data for management purposes.

Everyone should get involved and help the enforcement people out when you see a wrong being done especially gill nets. It may not be a good idea to go cutting nets unless you are absolutely sure they are Illegal Gill nets. Then it would be a questionable practice, those nets continue to kill fish even if they are not fastened to their respective markers as well as becoming a navigational hazard free floating around the lake.

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Originally Posted by pappyon

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

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Wow I don't even know what to say about this post other than I admire your passion. But just to clear up a few things the Canadian commercial fleet is highly regulated. I fish out of Wheatley and Erieau Ontario at least 20 days a year and see every commercial tug (I've never seen a "factory ship" but I see lots of freighters) boarded by OMNR enforcement and their catch inspected. Their industry is on an annual harvest quota based off the Great Lakes Commission Total Allowable Catch (TAC) numbers. Commercial fishing operations on the U.S. side of the lake can harvest yellow perch on quotas too....which is where the nets you see on our side of the line come from. Those same TAC numbers also determine Canada, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York sport fishing quotas that determine bag limits.

You are correct that Canada does not stock or pay to stock any fish into Lake Erie with the exception of steelhead. But neither does Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, or NY...other than steelhead and a few lake trout. The walleye and perch fisheries reproduce prolifically in Lake Erie and it's tributaries.

I've only fished on the lake for around 40 years so I haven't experienced any of the 4 times it was emptied by the Canadians. I hope they don't do it anymore though!

I don't blame people for being alarmed, at first. It sounds like a major change in how government functions, a big cut in operational funds. But we shouldn't fall victim to the hysteria that almost always happens when proposed budgets are first announced.

One thing we should all remember is these are Proposals. They are not a final budget. Congress will hash it out [maybe? :-)]. We all know politicians are not likely to do something the majority of their constituents are against.

I think it's best to keep an eye on this, watch, wait, and learn. No matter how you feel about it we need to at least take a serious look at how the funds are being allocated and spent. Every organization, from a single family to the Federal Government, needs to review their operation now and then in order to make changes to get the most out of their funds.

Meanwhile, I would suggest we all look to our own communities and our own actions. We can do our share by doing the immediate things, like making sure your boat doesn't discharge oils and other pollutants. Use a leader so when the line breaks you don't leave 30 yds of line on the bottom. Respecting the environmental laws and wildlife laws. And most important - take a kid or someone who never has of hasn't in a long time out fishing. If we don't at least replace ourselves in the recreation, there won't be a major voice in the future for conservation.

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Originally Posted by West Basin

I don't blame people for being alarmed, at first. It sounds like a major change in how government functions, a big cut in operational funds. But we shouldn't fall victim to the hysteria that almost always happens when proposed budgets are first announced.

One thing we should all remember is these are Proposals. They are not a final budget. Congress will hash it out [maybe? :-)]. We all know politicians are not likely to do something the majority of their constituents are against.

I think it's best to keep an eye on this, watch, wait, and learn. No matter how you feel about it we need to at least take a serious look at how the funds are being allocated and spent. Every organization, from a single family to the Federal Government, needs to review their operation now and then in order to make changes to get the most out of their funds.

Meanwhile, I would suggest we all look to our own communities and our own actions. We can do our share by doing the immediate things, like making sure your boat doesn't discharge oils and other pollutants. Use a leader so when the line breaks you don't leave 30 yds of line on the bottom. Respecting the environmental laws and wildlife laws. And most important - take a kid or someone who never has of hasn't in a long time out fishing. If we don't at least replace ourselves in the recreation, there won't be a major voice in the future for conservation.

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You can't wait until they cut the funds to ***** about it. The time to take action is now while in the preliminary stages of this possible budget cut. Closing the gate after the horse is out is and has always been a losing strategy. Everyone who cares needs to contact their congressional representative NOW before it's to late.

I'm sorry did you just say too big too powerful and limit growth and also champion for the reduction of gill nets
Yeah I get it :rolleyes:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...61478257610775

Very easy to get people upset when talking politics. :-) No matter what you say here someone is usually going to misinterpret it and occasionally even attack it. I understand that. Very difficult to make a point without someone misinterpreting it.

To make my point clear (pun intended), we obviously need to protect our natural resources, the Great Lakes included. If you really care you will make your voice heard, take action. At the same time you need to have all the information available, be up to date on an issue. Have the current and pertinent facts, not outdated information, speculation and opinion. There is more than enough misinformation and misunderstanding out there to go around.

We all need to play a part. The less misunderstandings and conflict we have the better, and the faster we can address issues and protect and conserve our Natural Resources in the most efficient manner possible.

Looking forward to this open water season and hopefully meeting some of you up at the Lake.