FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK PESTICIDE PROJECT

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TFM (3-Trifluoromethyl-4-Nitrophenol) - CAS No. 88-30-2
VERMONT: A brief review of actions relating to the use of TFM.

Date Organization Event Description
Jan 26, 2004 Associated Press Article in Watertown Daily Times (NY) Sea lamprey control plan to start on Lake Champlain
Jan 23, 2004 US Senator Patrick Leahy Press Release

Leahy secured the following funds for Lake Champlain in the 2004 spending bills:

•        $1.7 million for the Lake Champlain Basin Program

•       $100,000 to install sea lamprey barriers in tributaries around the lake and additional funding to support state lamprey control efforts.
2003 Lake Champlain Sea Grant Program   One of the newest partners in the National Sea Grant College Program Network that was established in 1966 by the U.S. Congress to promote wise use, conservation, and sustainable development of marine, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce oversees Sea Grant, which supports the ecological research, education, and outreach efforts of 32 Sea Grant Colleges involving more than 300 universities and research institutions from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
June 8 - 11, 2003 Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Meeting
Conferece in Burlington
June 11:
  • New Directions in Sea Lamprey research/management
  • Use of Pheromones as a management tool
  • Lake Champlain Non-chemical Lamprey Control Workgroup
Jan 23, 2003 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release

Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Update

Excerpts:
A long-term cooperative sea lamprey control program for Lake Champlain began in October of 2002, five years after a similar experimental program ended.

The Cooperatives sea lamprey control team applied controlled doses of the lamprey-killing chemical TFM in five streams in the fall of 2002. They include Lewis Creek in Vermont, and the Salmon, Ausable and Little Ausable Rivers, and Putnam Creek in New York. All of the treatments were successful, and an estimated 170,000 sea lampreys were killed, not including the young that hatched in 2002. Nearly 31,000 of them were transformers, which would have migrated to the lake to prey on fish in 2003. In Lewis Creek alone, nearly 69,000 sea lampreys were killed, including over 28,000 transformers.

The Cooperative is planning for lampricide treatments in the fall of 2003 for the Winooski River in Vermont, the Boquet River, Mount Hope Brook and Beaver Brook in New York, and also the Ausable River delta in New York. Lampricide applications will usually be done every four years in a given stream or delta. Annual trapping and removal of spawning sea lampreys will also be conducted in Sunderland Brook, Indian Brook, Malletts Creek, Trout Brook, Stone Bridge Brook, and Youngman Brook in Vermont.

2002 Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Tagging Project Capture and Tagging Project Why do we want lamprey??- The lamprey may have an invisible tag that will tell us where the lamprey was spawned; from this information we can figure out which streams contribute the most lamprey to the lake, and how far lamprey can travel from their natal stream.
How do I catch lamprey? -You don't, they catch you. Anglers and boaters frequently find lamprey attached to fish, downrigger balls, even the hull of their boat. A landing net is useful for scooping them out of the water
How do I kill a lamprey? - A sensitive question. You can cut it's head off with a sharp knife (but we want both pieces!), or give it a swift blow to the head. If you are squeamish, wrestle the lamprey into a plastic bag, tie it shut, and put it on ice or in a freezer.
What do I do with the lamprey? - Bring it to one of several drop-off locations around Lake Champlain; for locations, click here. You can keep the lamprey on ice or in a freezer (or outside, if the temperature is below freezing!) until you drop it off.
What do I get out of all this? - The satisfaction of helping researchers and fisheries managers find more efficient ways to control lamprey; AND, a possible reward:
2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Permit Issuance Type of Permit: ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES TAKINGS
Permittee: Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Subpermittee: Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative Sea Lamprey Control Team
Activity: Use of TFM in Lewis Creek in Ferrisburgh and Charlotte to control larval sea lamprey.
Note: Lewis Creek is 1 of 20 New York and Vermont tributaries included in the long-term sea lamprey control program for Lake Champlain.
Nov 1, 2002 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Register Notice Lake Champlain: Record of decision on Sea Lamprey Control Program. Based on the results of the experimental program, the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative comprised of the Service, the NYSDEC, and the VTDFW concluded that a long-term sea lamprey control program was warranted.
Oct 29, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release
Lamprey Control Succeeds at Lewis Creek
Oct 18, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Lamprey Treatment Scheduled for Oct,. 22
Oct 9, 2002 Burlington Free Press

Editorial

Kill the Parasite
Oct 7, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Lamprey Control To Be Rescheduled
Oct 1, 2002 Press Republican (Plattsburg, NY) News article

Vermont has lamprey-control go-ahead

Sept 30, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Fish & Wildlife Gets Green Light for Lamprey Control
Sept 13, 2002 U. S. District Court
Vermont
Decision

by William K. Sessions III, Chief Judge, U. S. District Court.

Plaintiffs: VT Public Interest Research Group, National Audubon Society, and Sylvia Knight

vs. US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sept 4, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Mussels Tested in Preparation for Lamprey Treatment
Aug 27, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Fish & Wildlife Applies for Threatened and Endangered Species Permit to Treat Lamprey
May 15, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Comment Deadline for Lamprey Control is May 21
May 12 2002 Press Republican (Plattsburg, NY) News article The lamprey control quagmire continues by DENNIS APRILL
May 8, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Public Meeting on Lamprey Control, June 4 in Milton
April 3, 2002 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Fish & Wildlife Department Applies For New Lamprey Control Permits
2001 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Permit Issuance Type of Permit: ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES TAKINGS
Permittee: Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Subpermittee: Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative Sea Lamprey Control Team
Activity: Use of TFM in Lewis Creek in Ferrisburgh and Charlotte to control larval sea lamprey.
Note: Lewis Creek is 1 of 20 New York and Vermont tributaries included in the long-term sea lamprey control program for Lake Champlain.
Oct 30, 2001 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Press Release Lewis Creek Sea Lamprey Control Postponed
Oct 30, 2001 Vermont Public Interest Research Group Press Release
Plan to Release Toxic Pesticide into VT Rivers Draws Lawsuit Over Possible Environmental and Health Impacts
Undated Burlington Free Press

News article

Moving forward by Matt Crawford
Undated Burlington Free Press

News article

Effect of lamprey control questioned
Lamprey control on Lewis Creek will begin Tuesday by Matt Crawford

August 2001 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Report

Overview

Executive Summary

Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on A Long Term Program of Sea Lamprey Control in Lake Champlain

August 2001 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Full report

Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

A Long Term Program of Sea Lamprey Control in Lake Champlain

- 466 pages -

also available at http://www.fws.gov/r5lcfwro/lampreyeis.pdf

 

August 28, 2001 NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Meeting Summary

Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative Fisheries Technical Committee

Directive from the Policy Committee to the Technical Committee to develop a sea lamprey control work plan and budget. Angelo Incerpi briefed the group on the need for a budget and work plan. The immediate issue relates to the Great Lakes funds obtained by Senator Leahy and whether a portion of those funds can/should be spent for a replacement for John Gersmehl. The Policy Committee will review the budget to determine whether such a use of the funds is appropriate. About $0.5 million are available Expectations were that the money would buy chemical, and chemical costs are likely to be high. Thus, there is reluctance to shift the funds to personnel. Alternatively, there is concern that the money is not being used. The budget should include the activities anticipated in the FSEIS (treatments, assessment, research, toxicity testing, etc.). The Lewis Creek treatment takes priority over drafting the plan. However, a table of treatment costs (i.e. the cost table that Dave N. and Nick have already worked on) should be provided to the Management Committee by early October. Tasks: Nick and Dave N. will expand the cost table they already have and provide it to the Management Committee (early October). NY will draft a 5-year plan based on that table and provide it to VT and FWS for review (December). A meeting will be scheduled in January to discuss the draft.

2. Activities involving the Great Lakes Fishery Commission:
a. Funding was discussed for Dr. Ellen Marsden's proposal: Movement and population size of sea lamprey in Lake Champlain and its tributaries. In a letter dated 8/27/01 Gavin Christie, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's sea lamprey control program manager, proposed joint funding from the Commission and from the Cooperative. The importance of the study and the importance of resources already provided by the Commission were discussed. Angie indicated that the Policy Committee will decide on using the Leahy appropriation to fund a portion of the study. b. Gavin Christie needs to be kept informed on the Vermont Department of Health's analysis of the Dixon concern.
c. Gavin Christie has asked about the Cooperative's long-term needs for chemical and for technical advisory assistance. A preliminary response from Larry Nashett was that advisors would be appropriate if we conduct a combined TFM/Bayer treatment. Also, the Great Lakes Canadian treatment team may be appropriate if we treat the Pike River. Staff should consider where/when we may want advisors form the Commission and such needs should be incorporated in the 5-year work plan discussed above.

Aug 3, 2001 Press Republican (Plattsburg, NY)

News article

New lampricide direction. New York, in off year, sets sights on Vermont by Jeff Meyers

June 18, 2001 Vermont Pesticide Advisory Council Public Comments

Excellent comments were submitted by Sarah O'Brian representing VPIRG and Sylvia Knight. The following are excerpts comments submitted by the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF):

... Conservation Law Foundation is committed to the ecology of Lake Champlain and its watersheds. Effective protection of the ecosystems, wildlife populations and water supply throughout the region is critical. Greater protection is required for threatened, endangered, and sensitive wildlife species in the Lake Champlain Basin. Because the use of Lamprecide in the Lake Champlain Basin will disturb many species, including endangered mussels, CLF opposes the use of Lampricides until all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have been satisfied, including, a complete evaluation of environmental impacts and non-chemical alternatives.

Conservation Law Foundation has grave concerns about the side effects of chemical Lamprecides particularly in the Poultney River. The Poultney River is a unique ecological resource. It is the only tributary of Lake Champlain that has been designated an Outstanding Resource Water by the State of Vermont. It has the highest densities among the Lake's tributaries of state-listed threatened and endangered species. These include endangered fluted-shell, pink heelsplitter, fragile papershell, pocketbook and blacks and shell mussels as well as the channel darter. The species diversity of the Poultney River calls for the highest levels of care. The Poultney River also has particularly low sea lamprey spawning levels: it accounts for about one percent of Lake Champlain's lampreys.

The unique ecological significance of the Poultney River makes it particularly critical that alternative lamprey control methods be determined or developed. There are several possibilities for non-chemical control that merit further consideration. For example technology of sea lamprey barrier design and fish passage is advancing and these methods deserve further analysis before chemicals are used.

CLF has filed comments with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service opposing the use of lamprecides in the Basin until a more complete and accurate Environmental Impact Statement is prepared. Until the impacts on endangered species and the use of non-chemical alternatives are more thoroughly examined, as required by federal Law, no action using chemical Lamprecide should be allowed...

March 15, 2001 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Federal Register Notice

Lake Champlain: availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) To Evaluate Continued Sea Lamprey Control.

The DSEIS was prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in cooperation with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife (VTDFW) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

March 9, 2001 Vermont Agency for Natural Resources

Press Release

Renewed Sea Lamprey Control Program Proposed to Revive Native Fisheries in Lake Champlain

Fall 2000 Great Lakes Fishery Commission FORUM
newsletter

Article

Lake Champlain Grapples with Its Own Sea Lamprey Problem

Abstracted from a forthcoming article entitled Sea Lamprey Control in Lake Champlain by J. E. Marsden, J. K. Anderson, W. Bouffard, B. D. Chipman, L. E. Durfey, J. E. Gersmehl, L. J. Nashett, W. F. Schoch, N. R. Staats, and A. Zerrenner

Dec 22, 1999 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Vermont Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Federal Register

Announcement to hold 4 public scoping meetings on the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain. The SEIS will evaluate a proposal to continue sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain, to maintain reduced levels of sea lamprey and achieve further reductions.

From 1990 through 1996 24 TFM treatments were conducted on 14 Lake Champlain tributaries, and 9 Bayer 73 (5% granular) treatments were conducted on five deltas. A cumulative total of approximately 141 miles and 1,220 delta acres were treated

1999 Fisheries Technical Committee of the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Cooperative. Executive Summary

A comprehensive evaluation of an eight year program of sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain

... Continuation of sea lamprey control on lake Champlain would be expected to generate an additional 1,217,609 days of fishing and $4,150,768 in fishing-related expenditures each year. The finding that benefits greatly exceed costs demonstrates that sea lamprey control on Lake Champlain is justifiable on economic grounds.

1999 Fisheries Technical Committee of the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Cooperative. Report

A comprehensive evaluation of an eight year program of sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain

Note: While several downloads for various sections of the report are available at this site, I was unable to access them on my computer (EC).

1994 Great Lakes Fishery Commission News brief A truck accident claimed the life of Gary Steinbach, a sea lamprey treatment crew leader with the U.S. agent's Marquette station. Mr. Steinbach, a USFWS employee for over 25 years, was assisting state and federal personnel from New York and Vermont in a project to control sea lampreys in Lake Champlain when the accident occurred.