State and federal biologists hope to increase the money available in 2007 for controlling the double-crested cormorant population in the Midwest. As much as $450,000 may be available to expand existing harassment and lethal control campaigns in Michigan, more than doubling the money now available for cormorant control. The federal government now provides $200,000 to the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to harass cormorants in eight locations around the state, and to kill cormorants in three locations. Some local communities are also matching those federal funds with their own money and volunteers.

The Michigan House of Representatives recently passed a bill to give $150,000 to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help control efforts.

"The present programs have worked very well, and we've been seeing a lot of success in the Les Cheneaux Islands (where agents have been controlling cormorants for the past three years)," said State Representative Gary McDowell. "Thanks also to the volunteers and the sportsmen's groups in these communities, we hope to see more fish return to these places."

Mr. McDowell represents the Eastern Upper Peninsula and parts of the northern Lower Peninsula. He joined other lawmakers in bipartisan support of the new state appropriation for cormorant control. He said he is optimistic the spending bill will be included in next year's budget. The 2007 fiscal year begins in October.

"Tourism is an important part of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula's economy, and fishing is a great economic tool," Mr. McDowell said. "If there are fish out there for people to catch, the tourists will definitely come."

Among the reasons for the new spending proposal, Mr. McDowell cited angler complaints that a rapidly growing cormorant population on the Great Lakes is destroying fish stocks, as well as sport and commercial fishing industry calls to reduce the cormorant populations.

If the additional money is approved, it will be spent to support existing USDA Wildlife Services programs and expand control activities to new communities in Michigan.

The federal government is looking at increasing the control project funding to $300,000 and including Ohio in the 2007 control campaign. In 2005 it provided $150,000, and in 2004 it provided $125,000.

If both spending amounts are approved, approximately $450,000 will be available for cormorant control efforts and monitoring, primarily in Michigan.

Responding to the potential damage exploding cormorant populations could have on fish, wildlife, and other resources, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003 authorized the local control of populations in areas where cormorants are causing damage. Under these rules, USDA Wildlife Services control activities began in 2004 at the Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island. Control activities have increased every year since the new rule was established.

USDA Wildlife Services has a depredation permit from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to kill and harass cormorants in an effort to control their populations in areas where they are suspected of impacting fisheries or inflicting property damage. The permit is good through 2009, but an annual management plan must be approved before any control measures can take place.

The permit was challenged by four animal protection groups in a suit that was settled in favor of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and USDAWildlife Services. The ruling is being appealed.

Double-crested cormorants are not an endangered bird, though they were at one time protected under the Endangered Species Act because their populations were so low biologists feared extinction around the 1960s to 1970s. Cormorant populations rebounded in the wake of federal protection and banning of the pesticide DDT, which caused many Great Lakes waterfowl species to produce weak eggs and deformed young.

Cormorants are no longer classified as endangered, but are still protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty act and are a non-game bird like sandhill cranes and mourning doves, so they can't be hunted unless they become a legal game species and a season is established.