The Oneida Lake Association, Inc., the leading non-profit conservation organization advocating for Oneida Lake, last night held its 65 th annual membership meeting at Cicero North-Syracuse High School. The highlight of the meeting was a report on progress toward restoring federal funding for cormorant management in New York State. This effort is critical to keep the non-native, predatory birds from destroying New York State’s most popular inland fishing lake.

“Oneida Lake people are upset that there won’t be U.S. Department of Agriculture cormorant management boats on the water this year,” said OLA President Matthew Snyder. “But we have good news right now—Congressmen Maffei, Owens, and Arcuri have requested that cormorant management funding be included in next year’s federal budget, and I have been told by Senator Gillibrand’s staff that she will support this legislation if it reaches the Senate.”

The outcome of the Congressmen’s requests will be uncertain until federal budget negotiations conclude in late summer or fall. The requests are the latest in months of work by Congressional staff, the OLA and numerous partners to restore cormorant management in New York State. This year’s funding was cut and USDA was sidelined in New York after the 2010 federal budget proposal eliminated cormorant management programs nationwide. Other Congressional delegations restored their states’ programs and made them an ongoing part of USDA’s budget before the 2010 federal budget passed. New York was the only state to lose its cormorant management program, and current efforts seek to restore it for 2011 and beyond.

Before its loss, the cost-effective program was conducted from 2004-2009 by USDA, the only agency with the statutory authority, staff expertise, and specialized tools to engage in effective lethal and non-lethal cormorant management on a heavily used lake like Oneida.

A National Wildlife Research Center study shows that the USDA program has protected more than 1,400 local jobs and $50 million in angling-related revenue as cormorant populations have dropped and the area’s fishing has slowly rebounded.

“The recent action by the Congressmen is a welcome sign that they understand this program’s importance to the economy and quality of life, but we’ve learned that the budget process is long and unpredictable,” said Snyder. “We’re grateful that our legislators are committed and working as a team now. We hope they’ll get the job done this year and make sure this important program stays above the political fray for years to come.”

Snyder encouraged OLA members to call on their representatives to underscore appreciation for the progress being made and the critical need for long-term success. Contact information for legislators and updates on cormorants are posted at http://oneidalakeassociation.org.

Snyder thanked the numerous partners who have worked with Congressmen Arcuri, Maffei, and Owens; Senator Gillibrand; and OLA to support funding restoration. These include the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackleton Point; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County; Assemblymen David Townsend and Bill Magee; Trout Unlimited; The Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs; the Department of Environmental Conservation, and significant efforts by State Senator David Valesky. “Fortunately, Oneida Lake has lots of people who have stepped up to help remind Congress that cormorant control is a lot more important than politics,” said Snyder. “Most of all, it’s because of the voice of many OLA members that our message is being heard.”

Other highlights of the meeting included elections, treasury and membership reports, an update on the state of the Oneida Lake ecosystem; a review of the successful Oneida Lake Education Initiative partnership; and a conversation with USDA staff about the cormorant program’s positive biological and economic impacts. The invited DEC representative was unable to attend because of DEC budget constraints, but sent a statement endorsing cormorant control efforts to be read on DEC’s behalf.

The meeting concluded with the raffle of fishing equipment donated by Mickey’s Bait and Tackle, River Rat Marina, Gander Mountain and Bass Pro Shops. Several youth were given fishing prizes in return for participating.

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