Checkoff Set for Change

As you complete your State income tax form this year, you may get the feeling that something is different. You will be right. The 2000 Michigan income tax form will be the first time in 17 years that income tax payers will not see the nongame checkoff line. The Program was established in 1983 as a source of matching funds for a Federal program enacted to support State nongame programs. The Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 was enacted to support State nongame programs but never received an appropriation of funds. The income tax checkoff became the primary funding source solely dedicated to endangered, threatened, and nongame species management.

The intervening years have seen several changes. The checkoff was initially established as a $2 donation available only to taxpayers receiving a refund. The popularity of the checkoff quickly led to opening donation opportunities to anyone filing a State income tax report. In its first year, the checkoff raised $80,000. The first tax form emblem for the checkoff, a blue heron, was later replaced with the familiar common loon. Through many promotion efforts, the "Look for the Loon" slogan became a familiar banner for the Department of Natural Resources.

Since it began in 1983, the checkoff has raised over $9.5 million. At its peak, over 106,000 taxpayers donated funds to the checkoff. The Program has supported many important projects including restoration of peregrine falcons, trumpeter swans, and bluebirds in Michigan. Funds also supported grants for worthwhile research on lake sturgeon, Kirtland's warblers, dwarf lake iris, and compiled for the first time an atlas of Michigan's breeding birds. Education has always been an important component of the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Program. Over three million posters on habitats and species have been produced and distributed along with numerous pamphlets, flyers, and articles. More recently, the Fund supported the designation of over 120 sites in the state as Wildlife Viewing areas, inventory work on Michigan's Natural Areas, and protection of bat hibernaculums in abandoned mines.

The loss of the checkoff by no means is the end of the Natural Heritage Unit and its Nongame Fund efforts. Supporters of the Program can still make direct donations. In addition, during the checkoff years the fund established a Trust of $6 million. Interest earned on this account will continue to support grants and other nongame programs.

Even more exciting is the fund-raising vehicle registration plate which will be available starting April 2, 2001. Vehicle owners will soon have the opportunity to show their support for the important work of the program by buying these fund-raising plates. Similar registration plate programs have been very successful in many other states, and ours has the potential to exceed funds raised through the income tax checkoff.

To make the transition from checkoff to vehicle registration plates, the Natural Heritage Unit worked with the Secretary of State's office to design a loon emblem for the plate. By this spring, instead of searching their tax form, Michigan citizens will begin to "Look for the Loon" on vehicles registered in Michigan.

On behalf of all those in the Department who have been involved with the Nongame checkoff, we wish to thank you for your support and encourage you to continue either by sending a donation directly to the Nongame Fund or by purchasing your "Loon" vehicle registration plate this spring.

Donations to the Nongame Fish & Wildlife Fund should be made out to: State of Michigan, Nongame Wildlife Fund, and sent to:

CASHIER'S OFFICE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
PO BOX 30451
LANSING MI 48909-7951

Dead Stream Swamp Recognition: National Natural Landmark Size: 11,680 acres Location: 30 miles northeast of Cadillac, at the northwest end of the Houghton Lake Management Unit Management: Au Sable State Forest Activities: Access is limited due to its lack of roads and marked trails Importance: The site is an exceptionally large example (one of the largest in the United States) of a northern white cedar swamp, considered to be the climax in bog forest development. Large white cedar swamps are disappearing, partially due to the demand for this timber product. Besides swamp forest, the Landmark contains approximately 800 acres of deciduous upland forest; shrubs and sedges bordering the lower reaches of Dead Stream; and the 60-acre Bear Lake, a bog pond bordered by an expansive sphagnum-heath mat.   Photo by David Kenyon, DNR

 
Watchable Wildlife:

First the Weather Report!
Weather Watching 101

Spending time exploring the parks, pathways, and forests of Michigan can be a year-round activity. Preparing for a wildlife watching experience is more than just picking one of the sites described in the Michigan Wildlife Viewing Guide booklet. The normal routine generally begins by mapping out a trip. Then, depending on the season, the car is packed with photographic gear, various resource guides, snacks, water, rain or snow outerwear, and a spirit of adventure. Finally, it's off to the "wilds of Michigan." But did you forget the most important preparation item? Did you check the weather forecast?

Keeping an eye on the weather can prevent unexpected disappointments. Most of our weather, or air masses, move in from the west. Several weather signs to place in your memory bank include cloud types, their shapes, direction of movement, sky color, wind direction, barometric pressure, saturated air such as fog, mist, dew or frost, sun dogs, and moon rings.

High clouds are the cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus; these are found at 20,000 to 40,000 feet; middle clouds are the alto-stratus and cumulus floating at 8,500 feet; the low clouds developing from the ground up to 8,500 feet are the cumulus's. They resemble heavy lumping masses, mixed with other cloud formations. Their colors can be snowy white, gray tones, or black.

Bright, blue skies with cottony-looking cumulus clouds are indications of a fair weather system. Should these cumulus clouds begin to build high into the sky, watch out for changing weather. Rising barometers indicate high pressure moving in, bringing fair weather, and dropping barometers indicate low pressure systems which often trigger storms.

Nature can also provide clues. When birds are flying low to the ground to catch insects, this could be an indication of approaching rain. Sudden changes in wind direction can indicate weather fronts are moving through.

Even some well-used weather rhymes are fun to remember and may have some validity:

When the dew is on the grass,
Rain will never come to pass.
When grass is dry at morning light,
Look for rain before the night.

The National Weather Service is a good source of information on upcoming weather. Most cable companies provide access to a weather station, and local forecasts can easily be found on the internet.

When you plan your next viewing trip, remember to keep an eye to the sky and your local weather news.
 

 
NEST Recognition

On October 12, 2000, 58 schools were given recognition plaques for their participation in the Nature Education Sites for Tomorrow (NEST) Program. The awards ceremony was coordinated by the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation at the Bengel Wildlife Center in Bath, Michigan. Keep Michigan Beautiful sponsored the plaque presentation. Many of the schools recognized had received grants from either the Nongame Wildlife Fund or the Urban and Community Forest Program to purchase seeds and plants to develop their site.

The NEST Program has been a cooperative effort between Wildlife and Forest Management divisions in the Department and several outside organizations including Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Ingham County Conservation District, National Wildife Federation, Project WILD, and other donors to promote the establishment of nature education sites on school properties. In the first three years of the program, over 100 schools have participated creating and restoring hundreds of acres of grassland, wetlands, and hummingbird and butterfly gardens.

Applicants interested in receiving funding from the Department had to submit plans of their project along with information on how the community and students were going to be involved. In addition, the schools had to include some information on how the site was going to be used in their curriculum.

The reaction to this program has been encouraging. One local project coordinator remarked on several observations made during their project. "One parent remarked that her son came out of his shell with his involvement.; he has been painfully shy and she celebrated the fact that his writing about the project was published in the school newspaper and he proudly showed it to relatives at a family event." The same report told another story about three parents who had not been involved in school or PTO activities that stepped up and lent their expertise in their NEST project.

The Nongame grants program funding of the NEST will continue. The positive responses received by teachers involved with this program show their interest and commitment to natural resources.

One student completing a writing assignment put her ideas this way.

"I hear birds and I see trees,
I just got stung by a bumble bee."

Information about the NEST program is available through the DNR web site.

Dune Alliance Grant

The Michigan Dune Alliance has secured funds in a $600,000 grant from The Mott Foundation, $72,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency, and $50,000 from Coastal Zone Management. The Michigan Dune Alliance was organized in November 1999 to promote conservation and stewardship of the coastal marshes, dunes, forest, and freshwater river systems along the shores of Lake Michigan. It is a partnership including five Michigan land trusts, the Great Lakes Program, and Michigan Field Office of The Nature Conservancy, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Quality, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. "The (Michigan Dune) Alliance," according to G. Tracy Mehan, Director of the Great Lakes office of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, "seeks to mobilize private, public, and not-for-profit resources to protect the priceless sand dunes along Lake Michigan and elsewhere. It offers an alternative to regulatory and legal gridlock through collaboration and private action."

Peg Kohring, the Conservation Fund's Midwest Director, explains that the goal of the Michigan Dune Alliance is "to strengthen the land trusts' ability to conserve key areas in a manner consistent with the communities' needs and concerns."

The generous funding from The Mott Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Coastal Zone Management has enabled the Michigan Dune Alliance to put together and implement a plan of action for the next three years. Included in this plan are nine education meetings, covering topics such as the ecology, classification, and threat management of aquatic systems. Next, the Michigan Dune Alliance will develop conservation plans for 14 key Lake Michigan aquatic sites identified by the Nature Conservancy's eco-regional and site planning process. The final and crucial goal for the next three years will be to strengthen the individual land trusts, working together and in partnerships, to allow them to implement site conservation plans over the long term. The Conservation Fund will be working closely with the land trust partners to reach this goal.

For more information about the Conservation Fund and its work with the Michigan Dune Alliance, please contact Peg Kohring at the Midwest Office at 312-913-9065. The Conservation Fund can be found on the world wide web at: Http://www.ConservationFund.org.

The announcement is exciting news in the assistance this grant and the Dunes Alliance may be able to provide for protection and management of several designated and potential natural areas currently identified.

Lunch Time
Photos by Kevin Gardiner, Natural Heritage Unit
One of Lansing's resident peregrine falcons is gaining quite a reputation. He has been seen several times feeding on sidewalks, planters, and other sites easily visible to the lunchtime crowd. He seems very cool as he plucks features and begins tearing into his midday meal.

 
Massasauga Sightings Requested

The Natural Heritage Unit is looking for reports of massasauga rattlesnakes this spring. As the temperatures rise and winter losses its icy grip, these native snakes move from their winter hibernation areas to open grass areas where they can sun themselves. Crayfish burrows provide winter hibernation sites.

As part of a statewide assessment, the Heritage Unit is collecting data on the presence of massasaugas statewide. One field identification marking is its medium size (2-3 feet long). Massasaugas also tend to be thick-bodied snakes. They are usually gray or brown with dark splotches of color down their entire length. One other item to help identify this snake is its narrow neck. This gives the head a triangular appearance.

Some common snakes often misidentified as massasaugas include the hognose, milk, and northern water snakes. You may want to consult a field guide to verify any sightings. The Natural Heritage Unit also has produced an identification card available on request.

Sightings should include location, Township, Range, Section, and the nearest main crossroads. Also, the type of habitat the snake was encountered, time of day, and its activity (sunning, moving, etc.). If at all possible, a photograph of the snake should accompany any reports. You can either drop a note with the information to us or look up the reporting form at the Department of Natural Resources web site.

Massasauga rattlesnakes are not aggressive and will not strike unless provoked. If you encounter a massasauga, the best thing to do is leave it in place and walk around. The snake is likely to move on its way after encountering a human.

Creature Profile

Northern Riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa)

This member of the pearly mussel family is listed as endangered by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Michigan. The historic range was confined to southeastern Michigan, in several of the major river systems including the Detroit, St. Clair, and Raisin rivers. Recent surveys have found the riffleshell in only the Black, St. Clair, and Detroit rivers. The future of the Detroit River population is in serious condition.

The ovate shape of an adult riffleshell will reach 2 inches in diameter. They are light green-yellow to olive green and have dark, narrowly spaced rays. Their habitat is swiftly flowing, well-oxygenated water. Coarse gravel runs provide the best bottom in these rivers.

Most mussels develop through a secondary fish host. Females carry eggs from late summer until the following spring when they release the glochidia (young) into the water. The glochidia attach themselves to certain species of darters, sculpins, and trout. These fish act as hosts while the glochidia grow. After development, the glochidia become mussels and drop off into the gravel substrate. Anular ring counts indicate they may live up to 15 years.

Mussles are filter feeders. They feed on the microscopic zooplankton and phytoplankton found in the water system. Because they are filter feeders, heavy amounts of siltation from runoff can smother mussels. Other causes of declines include water pollution, dredging, and the invasive zebra mussel.

Conservation of these unique animals will require the protection and preservation of their high quality habitat and their host fish species. The zebra mussel invasion poses a significant threat to several of the remaining populations. Transplantation of populations to more protected habitats may be needed. Many answers remain in how best to preserve these mussels as part of Michigan's native biodiversity.
 

McMahon Lake Strangmoor Recognition: The Nature Conservancy Natural Areas Registry Size: 1770 acres Management: Lake Superior State Forest Location: North-central Luce County, 15 miles north of Newberry Activities: Hiking, hunting, photography, nature study Importance: The patterned peatland found here is called strangmoor, or string bog, a landscape form unique to far northern latitudes where climate favors peat formation and flowing water abounds. This kind of peatland is known from Scandinavia, North Eurasia, Alaska, North Manitoba, south of St. James Bay (Ontario), and in the upper Great Lakes region. Only 11 strangmoors are known from Michigan; this is the third largest (the largest is outside of Seney National Wildlife Refuge) and displays the longest strings known (strings are elevated ridges which alternate with troughs-together they give strangmoor its characteristic patterning).

 
Bits & Pieces

• Observation reports of several wildlife species can now be done online! Current species reports available include wolf, moose, and Upper Peninsula tagged deer. Coming soon: great blue heron rookeries, bald eagles (mid-winter survey), massasauga rattlesnakes, and wild turkeys. To find the forms, go to the Department of Natural Resources homepage, click on "Wildlife & Habitat" in the left column, and then on "Report Wildlife Observations" in the right column. Select the species on which you are reporting and link to the Observation Report. Thank you for your assistance!
   
• Remember to "Look for the Loon" coming soon on Michigan registration plates. Consider showing your support and purchase a wildlife habitat plate.
   
• Wildlife biologist Joe Robison reported sighting over forty bald eagles on a recent waterfowl survey on Lake Erie. Both adults and juveniles were observed. Most of the birds were seen resting along a large fissure in the ice. Several other eagles were seen near power plant warm water discharges and near open river mouths along Lake Erie.