The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold three meetings next week to gather information from the public about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on managing double-crested cormorants nationwide, according to Diane Pence, chief of migratory birds for the Service in the Northeast. The meetings are:
South Burlington, Vt. Monday, Feb. 11
Clarion Hotel, 1117 Williston Road
Watertown, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 12
Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington Street
Syracuse, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 13
Sheraton University Hotel
801 University Avenue
Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m. with a presentation, followed by an opportunity for individuals to comment on the DEIS. Comments may also be submitted in writing to:
Division of Migratory Bird Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 634
Arlington, Virginia 22203
or by fax to 703-358-2272. Comments must be received by Feb. 28.
An electronic version of the DEIS is available on the American Bird Conservancys website at: http://www.abcbirds.org/policy/cormorant_DEIS.pdf. Some 2,000 copies were mailed to people who had previously expressed an interest in the issue, according to Pence.
The meetings, Pence said, are being held in nine states and the District of Columbia as part of the process to develop a national strategy for managing cormorants. The DEIS analyzes options for managing rapidly growing cormorant populations to reduce conflicts with human activities such as recreational fishing and commercial aquaculture as well as conflicts with other birds and natural resources.
After they examine both written and verbal comments, Service managers, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
