The stories cross our social media feed, with headlines like Bring Me the News' More than a dozen swans have died at Twin Cities lake; Lead poisoning is the suspected cause of death.
Lead is poison.
On Saturday, Tony Kennedy reported in the Star Tribune article, Plan to push loon-friendly fishing tackle snagged at Capitol; Finance chair in Senate has delayed dollars:
A state Senate finance chairman has blocked the flow of $1.27 million in federal grant money for loon conservation, delaying a Minnesota plan to reduce the use of lead fishing tackle.
Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, said he won’t stop the grant money and merely wants to educate members of his Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. But the indefinite stoppage has irked fellow legislators and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The money is for a public awareness campaign to encourage anglers to switch from lead sinkers and jigs to nontoxic alternatives.
“The MPCA doesn’t understand why the hold hasn’t been lifted since loon conservation is a common-sense priority for every Minnesotan,’’ stated a news release from MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop’s office.
Ingebrigtsen said he’ll release the money after holding a committee hearing. But state Rep. Rick Hansen, D-South St. Paul, has prepared a bill to unlock the money, if necessary.
“For gosh sakes this is about the BP oil spill and loons,’’ said Hansen, Ingebrigtsen’s House counterpart.
MPCA senior adviser Darin Broton said details of the MPCA’s “Get the Lead Out” campaign have been public since before Sept. 25, when the application was made to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. A larger federal appropriation for loon habitat work in Minnesota was accepted last month without question. Both grants derive from a national settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
DNR retiree Carrol Henderson, who worked years to secure a share of those funds, said he can’t recall another time when Minnesota “turned down’’ significant federal grants for fish and wildlife conservation.
Indeed. And loons aren't the only waterfowl that suffer from lead poisoning, although this " national settlement over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico" is directed at helping Minnesota's state bird, which winters in the Gulf where the oil spoil occurred.
Follow the other money
For the Minnesota Nice version of this story, go read Kristi Marohn's tale at Minnesota Public Radio, Effort aims to persuade Minn. anglers to go lead-free for loons.
Kennedy reports that a need to educate his peers might not be the only reason Ingebrigtsen is stalling:
Henderson and Hansen both said they suspect the holdup is related to industry opposition to programs that discourage the use of lead in hunting ammunition and fishing gear. Federal Ammunition is a major employer in Anoka. In addition, gun rights activists say lead ammunition is under attack by anti-hunting groups.
Ingebrigtsen said lead has nothing to do with his interruption of the funding. He met with Bishop at the Capitol on Dec. 13 to air his concern that the MPCA might use the grant to add permanent employees.
“It just never ends. I wanted to hold their feet to the fire,’’ Ingebrigtsen said. “It has really dusted everybody up a little bit.’’
Broton said the agency answered the senator’s questions and has been waiting for him to schedule a hearing and move on.
The grant could have started Jan. 1 to fund statewide education and outreach events, the MPCA said. Based on DNR field work and University of Minnesota examinations of dead loons, Henderson said it’s possible that 100 to 200 loons die per year from lead poisoning. The birds ingest sinkers and jigs when they consume grit on lake bottoms to help them digest food. The same phenomena is killing swans.
Kennedy mentions that gun rights folks have opposed limitations on lead use by sports people. He doesn't bring up a bill Ingebrigtsen co-sponsored in 2017. Let's take the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action's word for it in Minnesota: Bill to Prevent the Prohibition of Lead Shot Needs to be Scheduled for Committee Action:
Recently, Senate File 263 was offered by state Senator Justin Eichorn (R-05) and co-sponsored by state Senators Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-08), Mark Johnson (R-01), Andrew Lang (R-17) and Thomas Bakk (DFL-03). This bi-partisan bill would prohibit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources from limiting the use of lead shot in Minnesota. Last year, your NRA-ILA fought on every level to prevent the DNR from imposing a ban in certain wildlife and wetland areas. SF 263 is exactly what your NRA-ILA was urging the legislature to do before they adjourned. . . .
As we have seen with attempts to ban the use of lead ammunition in other states, arguments in favor of these bans are based on faulty science. It is important to fully understand the facts concerning traditional hunting ammunition so Minnesotans are not misled into adopting a ban that could negatively impact the rich hunting heritage of Minnesota. There has been no sound scientific evidence stating that traditional ammunition is having a population-level impact on any species in Minnesota. To ensure proper conservation of species, wildlife must be managed with a fact-based approach. . . .
The Raptor Center and the National Eagle Center might disagree, but who listens to those dirty hippies, anyway.
Nice move by former Majority Leader Bakk there as well.
Usually, we don't recommend that readers check out the comments on news articles at the Strib. This time, though, they're worth a glance. Some examples (we've deleted the anonymous handles):
Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria was slow on getting on board fighting CWD and look where that got us. Too bad actions like that, politicians don't suffer the consequences and get replaced. Time to start weaning ourself of lead fishing equipment.
So Bill Ingebrigtsen is refusing to allow federal money to be used to educate people in Minnesota about using non toxic substitutes for fishing tackle that is readily available? This is perfect example of a politician doing what special interests want instead of what is best for the public and the state of Minnesota.
. . . I’m 60 years old and was there when the first steel shot was required. It was awful but we got over it. It’s 2020 and time we stop using lead. I’m not far left or right, but anything we can do to help wildlife I’m all for it
Another commenter claims Sheriff Bill campaigned for office against getting the lead out. We'll look into that and let readers know what we find. Ingebrigtsen's district is deep red, so removing him from the chair of this committee may come down to flipping the state senate.
Related posts:
- The unbearable burden of being Draz when a constituent emails about bald eagles & lead shot
- Lead shot debate: bald eagles keep dying and here's what the MN House had to say about it
- MN rep says lead is a-okay because it's natural; or, poisoning is life on Planet Josh Heintzeman
- The Timberjay on lead: Heintzeman may be a loon, but he has plenty of company in St. Paul
- Save an eagle or hawk: thirteen-year-old girl bagged eight-point buck with copper shot
Photo: Dead trumpeter swan. Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization via Bring Me the News.
If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.
Comments