Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Translocation Of Nine-Banded Armadillos, Daniel J. Gammons, Michael T. Mengak, L. Mike Conner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

During the last 150 years, nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) have increased their range and abundance in the southeastern United States. When foraging, armadillos cause damage to agricultural crops, as well as structural damage to driveways and foundations. Homeowners frequently use translocation to reduce local armadillo abundance. Despite its popularity with the general public, however, the appropriateness of nuisance wildlife translocation presents concerns for biologists. Our objective was to address some of these concerns by examining survival and movements of translocated armadillos. We translocated 12 armadillos (9 male, 3 female) equipped with radio-transmitters and compared their survival and movements …

A Review Of The Potential Of Fertility Control To Manage Brushtail Possums In New Zealand, Weihong Ji

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the mid-1800s and became a major invasive pest. They damage native biodiversity by browsing and predation, and they are a disease risk to the livestock industry by acting as vectors of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management of possums includes their eradication from some offshore islands and control by trapping, shooting, and poisoning on the mainland. Possums have been eradicated successfully from some islands and greatly reduced in abundance in other areas of high conservation value or where they are infected with TB. However, possums are still at …

Deer Guards And Bump Gates For Excluding White-Tailed Deer From Fenced Resources, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan W. Seward, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Gregaory E. Phillips

Human–Wildlife Interactions

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) causing damage is a reoccurring theme in the realm of wildlife damage management, especially regarding human safety, disease transmission, and agricultural losses. Fences often are the only reliable long-term nonlethal means of controlling deer damage. The efficacy of fences, however, relies on their weakest link: human-operated gates. Although not overly time-consuming, the act of closing a gate appears to be a burden to individuals, resulting in open-access to an otherwise protected resource. We examined the efficacy of 2 alternatives to traditional gates to evaluate their potential to be used for excluding or containing deer. …

Historical Review Of Elk–Agriculture Conflicts In And Around Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada, Ryan K. Brook

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Conflicts between elk (Cervus elaphus) and farmers have been occurring since the 1880s when agriculture began around what is now Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP). Initially, the conflicts were related to low elk numbers caused primarily by unregulated harvest of elk. The creation of RMNP in 1930 and the associated ban on hunting allowed elk numbers to reach critically high levels. Since farming began, elk have been associated with considerable damage to fences and crops around RMNP, with annual damage often >$240,000. Hunting on agricultural lands has been the most common approach to mitigating elk impacts, despite its limited success. …

White-Tailed Deer Attacking Humans During The Fawning Season: A Unique Human–Wildlife Conflict On A University Campus, Ryan D. Hubbard, Clayton K. Nielsen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–wildlife conflicts associated with suburban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have increased in the last 20 years. Primary threats to human health and safety associated with overabundant deer populations include deer–vehicle collisions, attacks on humans, disease, and damage to native and ornamental vegetation. During the fawning seasons (May–June) of 2005 and 2006, 13 confirmed incidences of white-tailed deer attacking humans occurred on the campus of Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. To our knowledge, no report exists that documents free-ranging does attacking humans during the fawning season. The attacks occurred at multiple locations on campus, with injuries to humans, including minor …

Low-Level Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In The Waters Of Michigan, Lisa M. Anderson

Dissertations

The results of this research are the product of a two year study funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality with monies from the Clean Michigan Initiative. Low-level (part per billion range) pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the waters of Michigan were investigated. Five rivers in the State were sampled; including the Clinton, Grand, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and Saginaw. Groundwater samples were obtained from two shallow municipal water wells also; one on the Grand River and one on the Kalamazoo River. The wells were sampled to determine if PPCPs in the river water were being drawn in by …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering January 1, 2009 – March 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 3.5%.
• A total of 1,676 database records were archived due to inactivity resulting in a reduction of 26% in the number of current records in the database. The database currently contains 4,957 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 68,086 hits per month, an increase of 22 % from last quarter, with an average of 5,228 pages viewed per month.
• The new website design was launched along with the release of a monthly electronic newsletter.
• How to Succeed with Volunteers training was conducted for SNAP teams and well received …

Heterogeneity Effects In Plutonium Contaminated Soil, Orlando M. Chaparro

Theses and Dissertations

In 1960 at the McGuire Air Force Base, New Egypt, New Jersey a helium tank ruptured causing a fire to ignite a nearby nuclear tipped Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) missile. During the fire the weapons grade plutonium (Pu- 239, Pu-240, and Pu-241) ignited and was released into the surrounding area, due to both firefighting efforts, where high pressure water was used to put out the fire, as well as smoke that deposited plutonium as oxidized particles in the surrounding area (Cicotte, 2007). This study investigates the heterogeneity of the distributed plutonium contamination in the McGuire Air Force Base …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 37, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Ulber, Emily. West Campus Greenways Project Moves to Phase 2
• Simpson, Mandy. Western to Offer Summer Developmental Courses – College Prep
• Claybourn, Cole. The Right Spot – Vagina Monologues
• Moore, Josh. Pulitzer Prize Winning Alumnus Speaks to Crowded Auditorium – Rick Loomis
• Bennett, Emily-Rose. A Thousand Words – Matt Coffelt
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Attendance Down 6 Percent
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Approves Study Abroad Scholarship
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Spring Break
• Winter Break Part II: Spring Break Should Be Moved Back to Spring
• Browning, …

Refuge Update – March/April 2009, Volume 6, Number 2

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
America’s Birds: In an Alarming State
Snakes Alive!
Title Sub Title East Coast Wetlands Are Disappearing
Chief’s Corner: What We Do Now
Extreme Makeover for Bird Sightings by Mike Carlo
Taking Care of Our World War II Legacy by Lisa Matlock
Whatever Happened to . . . . San Francisco Bay Wetland Restoration Projects
Recalling the Battle of Long Island Sound by David Klinger
Bold Approaches for Climate Change
How Alligator River Refuge Is Planning and Adapting by Mike Bryant
Rapid Climate Change Is Transforming the Arctic by David Payer
Tracking Change on Wildlife Refuges by Kathy …

Nutrient And Fecal Microbe Sources For A Eutrophic Lake And Recommended Remediation Steps, Wilgreen Lake, Madison County, Kentucky, Walter S. Borowski, Theresa A. Aguiar, Jill Hunter, Erin C. Jolly, Richard D. Stockwell

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Wilgreen Lake is a man-made lake, classified as nutrient-impaired (303d list) by the EPA and State of Kentucky. The lake drains a watershed with residential developments, cattle pasture, modified woodlands, and some industrial/urban usage in the city of Richmond. The principal tributaries are Taylor Fork and Old Town Branch that meet to form the trunk of the lake approximately one mile in length. The upper reaches of Taylor Fork are adjacent to a densely-packed (quarter-acre lots) housing development with septic systems, and its watershed drains some portions of southern Richmond. Old Town Branch drains cattle pasture and residential areas of …

The Functions And Values Of Fringing Salt Marshes In Northern New England, Usa, Pamela A. Morgan, David M. Burdick, Frederick T. Short

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Although large salt marshes of the northeastern United States have been studied extensively, very little is known about the smaller, fringing marshes in this area, despite the fact that they are a common habitat type. We compared the functions and values of five fringing salt marshes (FM) to those of five meadow marshes (MM) along the southern Maine/New Hampshire coast. Specifically we compared their primary production, soil organic matter content, plant diversity, sediment trapping ability and wave dampening properties. Also explored were the relationships between these functions and several physical characteristics at each site, including soil salinity, percent surface slope, …

Surface Water Monitoring For Fecal Indicator Bacteria In High-Use Sites Of The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Patricia Cruz, Vanessa Stevens, Jessie Rinella

Lake Mead Science Symposium

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area incorporates 1.5 million acres, including Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. The abundance of recreational activities on Lakes Mead and Mohave can impact the contaminant levels in the water, potentially affecting the health of individuals in contact with the water. The purpose of this study was to review and synthesize information obtained for projects conducted by partner agencies from the Water 2025 Conservation Initiatives, specifically bacterial concentration in high-use areas. Surface water samples were collected between May and September, at 9 high-use sites from 2003 to 2007. Culture analysis was performed to determine the concentration …

Assessment Of Endocrine And Gonadal Condition Of Male Largemouth Bass From Lake Mead, Nevada, Reynaldo Patino, Steven L. Goodbred, Erik Orsak, Jill A. Jenkins, Michael R. Rosen

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Las Vegas Bay (LVB) of Lake Mead receives combined flows of tertiary treated wastewater effluent, urban runoff, and groundwater from the Las Vegas metropolitan area. This study examined the potential for endocrine disrupting effects of these anthropogenic inputs on male largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Adult male bass were collected at two sites within Lake Mead: Overton Arm (OA, reference site), and Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Post-spawn fish were collected in July 2007 (n = 6-10 per site) and pre-spawn fish in March 2008 (n = 13 per site). Post-spawn fish were characterized by regressed testes whereas pre-spawn bass had full-grown …

Diversity Of Estrogen Degrading Microorganisms In Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead, Nevada, Usa, Susanna Blunt, Jim Bruckner, Jenny C. Fisher, Duane P. Moser

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a subject of intense research as more studies reveal their persistence in the environment and detrimental effects on wildlife. Steroid hormones, including the natural and synthetic estrogens estrone (E1), 17-beta-estradiol (E2) and 17- alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), are among the most bioactive and have been detected at low concentrations in waterways downstream from wastewater treatment plants. Las Vegas Wash, a stream flowing into Lake Mead and fed primarily by treated wastewater, provides a unique experimental system in which to study the role microorganisms play in the fate and dispersal of these compounds in surface waters.

Lake Mead Science Symposium, January 13 An 14, 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada: Program, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Conference program for the 2009 Lake Mead Science Symposium. Includes abstracts of presentations, registration packet, exhibitor and sponsor information.

Lake Mead Symposium Plenary Schedule, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Preliminary schedule for the symposium.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 6, 2008 – January 5, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Douglas Joslin has resigned from his Project Manager position

• Zia Engineering submits draft report

• GIS project meetings lead to preliminary proposal

• HECTOR announced as the winning name in the name the mascot contest

• Five clean-up events conducted this quarter

• Team provides 619 cubic yards of roll-off space for clean-ups

Could Avian Radar Have Prevented Us Airways Flight 1549’S Bird Strike?, Tim Nohara

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

The heroic ditching in the Hudsn River of US Airay’s Flight 1549 following multiple bird strikes with Canada geese has increased public awareness of bird aircraft strike hazards (BASH); and has focused attention on new tools such as avian radar to help further improve aviation safety. Reports in the media have suggested that had avian radars been deployed at LaGuardia, this bird strike could have been avoided. Indeed, there is mounting evidence supporting existing avian radar’s ability to provide wildlife control and air operations personnel with greatly improved bird situational awareness which can be used to reduce bird hazards around …

Agroforestry: Working Trees For Sequestering Carbon On Agricultural Lands, Michele M. Schoeneberger

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

No abstract provided.

Scwds Briefs: Volume 24, Number 4 (January 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

HD in 2007: A Year to Remember

Ecology of AIV in Shorebirds

New USDA Brucellosis Proposal

TWS Seeks Comments on Draft Lead Policy

Unusual Eagle Death

New SCWDS Grad Students

Tennessee Director Retiring

3rd International CWD Symposium

Another SCWDS Student Award

Mitigation Under Section 404 Of The Clean Water Act: Where It Comes From, What It Means, Palmer Hough, Morgan Robertson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The requirement to mitigate impacts to wetlands and streams is a frequently misunderstood policy with a long and complicated history. We narrate the history of mitigation since the inception of the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit program in 1972, through struggles between the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers, through the emerging importance of wetland conservation on the American political landscape, and through the rise of market-based approaches to environmental policy. Mitigation, as it is understood today, was not initially foreseen as a component of the Section 404 permitting program, but was adapted from …

Interactions: Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 4 Fall 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

Letters From Gary Get Involved With The Standing Committees Of The Wdmwg; Take Action To Influence Wildlife Policy; Conference Announcement 2010 Wild Pig Conference; Conference Announcement 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference; Human-Wildlife Conflicts Journal To Become Human wildlife Interactions; Notes From The Field Catching The Skunk Is The Easy Part….; New Video Netted Cage Traps For Deer: Tips And Techniques; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, Conferences, And Events; Congratulations To New Board Members

Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 3 Summer 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

And Now…A Word From The Editor Letters from Joe; Conference Announcement 2010 Wild Pig Conference; Conference Announcement 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference; Latest and Next Issue Of Human Wildlife Conflicts; Conference Announcement Bird Strike North American Conference; Candidate for Board Member David Drake, Mike Mengak, Scott C. Barras, Jay Boulanger, Jason Sukow; How Do I Vote?!?; WDM Working Group Meeting; Conference Announcement TWS Conference Preliminary Program; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, Conferences, And Events;

Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 1 Winter 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

See You In Saratoga! Letters from Gary; A Brief Report from The WDMWG Meeting and the 2008 TWS Annual Conference; New Product Announcement Backyard Wildlife: Vole Control And Ground Squirrel Management Dvd; Publication Announcement Latest Issue of Human Wildlife Conflicts Is Now Available; Conference Announcement Bird Strike North American Conference; Conference Announcement TWS Conference Preliminary Program; New Publication Available 23rd Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings; Calls from the Field (Or A House, Or A Farm, or A…); 2009 Wildlife Damage Management Conference Preliminary Schedule; 2009 Wildlife Damage Management Conference Registration Information; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, …

Successful Strategies For Aviation Wildlife Mitigation, Paul Eschenfelder

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

Between October, 2007 and January, 2009 there were four catastrophic aircraft accidents in the United States caused by collisions between birds and aircraft. Four aircraft were destroyed and 15 people killed in these accidents. In North America we place great importance on airport wildlife control, however none of these accidents would have been prevented by improved airport wildlife control. This reveals a gap in our safety management plan for preventing/reducing wildlife hazards to aircraft. This paper explains, using case studies, successful aviation mitigation methodologies used in the past to mitigate other aviation hazards such as wind shear, volcanic ash, winter …

Integrating Avian Radar Into The Aviation Operating Environment, Richard Sowden, Paul Eschenfelder

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

Avian radar technology has matured to the point where robust data and analysis tools are now able to provide the aviation industry with high quality information to support bird strike risk mitigation activities. The aviation operating environment is dynamic and challenging with complex interactions between the primary bird strike risk mitigation stakeholders; airport operators, air traffic service providers and flight crews. The transfer of this proof of concept technology into a suite of tools that is integrated into the aviation industry requires the engagement and support of the user community in the next critical evolutionary step of this emerging technology. …

Raptors, Rodents And Rare Weather: Managing Increased Migratory Raptor Populations At Mcconnell Afb, Kansas, Lauren Caister

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

Migratory raptor populations at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, increased dramatically in the 2008-2009 winter season, with more than a 200% increase in the number of large hawks observed on the airfield, compared to equivalent seasons in the past 3 years. This increase resulted in frequent interruptions and/or cessations of flying operations.

The primary cause was determined to be a local explosion of both Hispid Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster). The cotton rat explosion was a result of record-breaking rainfall in 2008, while the explosion of voles followed the natural 3-5 …

Refuge Update – January/February 2009, Volume 6, Number 1

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Fresh Thinking About Climate Change, page 3
Meet the New Refuge Chief, page 5
Focus on . . . Research on Refuges, pages 8-13
Drive. Dial. Discover., page 14

The 2009 Unlv Campus Sustainability Survey Report, Mark J. Salvaggio

Reports (USI)

In an effort to understand environmental awareness, concerns, practices, and values at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the Urban Sustainability Initiative (USI) conducted its first campus environmental sustainability survey during the months of March, April, and May 2009. This pilot study was developed to collect baseline data from students, faculty, and staff members at the UNLV campus to be used in a longitudinal study that assesses attitudes and preferences towards environmental sustainability issues. This research project is guided by one of the major goals of USI, which involves reaching out to the academic community to help find workable …