County: Shippers Can Fund Invasion Cleanup
By Shelley Nelson, The Daily Telegram, Superior, Wis.
Jun. 20–Douglas County has an idea for combating invasive species in inland lakes.
Instead of forcing local taxpayers to carry the burden, the county would like to see shipping fees paid by the vessels that bring the unwelcome invaders into the area’s waters cover the expense to combat the problem.
And, the county board Thursday night adopted a resolution to ask the state to establish a fund for just that purpose. After all, it’s the foreign vessels that enter the harbors of the Great Lakes and deposit the foreign invaders that threaten the local ecology.
“The resolution is just a request for the powers that can actually charge the shipping fees to look into setting up a fund for the invasive species,” said Supervisor Mark Liebaert, a member of the land conservation committee that forwarded the proposal to the board. “A good example is how we had to take the invasive species out of Gordon Flowage. If some of the invasive species that are in the harbor make it to our inland lakes, we’ll be wishing we got a fund set up … to help pay for it because it’s going to fall squarely on our shoulders.
“We don’t know how they’re going to set it up. We’re just asking them to set it up and take responsibility.”
While the original resolution loosely defined a variety of entities that could establish the fund, Supervisor Keith Allen recommended focusing the request to make the state responsible for establishing the fund. The board amended the motion to more clearly define where the responsibility would lie with the state for establishing the fund.
Board Chairman Doug Finn took issue with another part of the resolution that appeared to be attacking local business. The resolution specifically stated “international shipping conglomerates have brought AIS (aquatic invasive species) to the Twin Ports of Superior and Duluth with little regard to the health of our local ecosystems …”
“It seems to me that we’re attacking local business,” Finn said. “Although they’ve made mistakes, they also provide jobs … I do take exception to that and I don’t think that has to be in there.”
Supervisor Bob Browne, a member of the land conservation committee, stood by the statement.
“The cost of eradicating invasive species is much, much more than the money brought in by foreign shipping,” he said. “If you’re responsible for creating something, you should be responsible for cleaning it up.”
While some supervisors said it appeared to address foreign ships, Finn said it included local companies that do business with the international shipping conglomerates from his perspective.
Supervisor Alan Jaques agreed, and didn’t see the need for the resolution to be negative. The statement was struck from the final resolution approved by the board.
“We can accomplish the same thing without negativism,” Jaques said.
Contact Shelley Nelson at (715) 395-5022 or snelson@superiortelegram.com.
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