Ohio Mixed Bag: Terry J. Cosby named to Ohio Wildlife Council

Columbus — Terry J. Cosby, state conservationist with the Ohio Natural Resources Conservation Service, was appointed to a term on the Ohio Wildlife Council.

Cosby, of Canal Winchester in Fairfield County, will serve a term that began Aug. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2029, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

Raised on a cotton farm in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, Cosby graduated in 1982 from Alcorn State University with a bachelor of science degree in Agriculture Education. His career with USDA’s Former Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS) started in 1979 and since that time, he has held various positions within the agency including student trainee/co-op, Soil Conservationist, District Conservationist, Area Resource Conservationist in Iowa, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations and Assistant State Conservationist for Programs and Operations in Missouri, and Deputy State Conservationist in Idaho.

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BoatUS Takes On Effort To Remove Derelict Vessels On Great Lakes

Springfield, Va. — In a first-of-its-kind effort across six states and two unincorporated territories, dozens of coastal communities will see a significant investment in removing more than 300 abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) from their local waters.

With four-year project funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, administered through the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, the ADV grants will fund removal and education efforts in communities heavily impacted by ADVs and the navigation, safety and pollution hazards they pose.

The projects were selected by a panel of independent salvage experts, state boating advocates, nonprofit research organization, and planning agency staff under a program created by the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation with NOAA funding to remove abandoned and damaged boats from our nation’s coasts and the Great Lakes.

Work on the ADV removal projects is expected to mobilize salvage crews across each of the announced grant areas later this year as local environmental reviews are completed. Both recreational and commercial ADVs are targeted for removal.

Settlement On Maumee River Announced

Columbus — The city of Maumee has agreed to make upgrades to its sewer system to end decades of pollution in the Maumee River, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced in mid-August.

The attorney general’s office notified the Lucas County Common Pleas Court of a proposed settlement that resolves alleged violations of Ohio’s water-pollution-control laws.

For years, heavy rain has caused parts of the city’s sewer system to overflow with sanitary wastewater. The state alleges that the city has a long-standing practice of pumping the untreated overflows from manholes into the Maumee River to prevent sewage from flooding residential basements.

In 2021, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an order outlining steps for the city to address the problem. In part, the order required the city to conduct a study to identify projects needed to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows.

Under the terms of the settlement, the city agrees to return to compliance with Ohio’s water-pollution-control laws by following Ohio EPA orders and implementing the upgrades detailed in the study. The agreement also sets requirements related to record-keeping, reporting, public notification and emergency response. Additionally, the city must pay a $10,000 civil penalty.

The Ohio EPA will accept public comments on the settlement for 30 days before the agreement can be finalized by the court.

New Round Of NAWCA Funding In Works

Washington, D.C. — The Department of the Interior recently announced $102.9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act funding has been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to conserve, restore, or enhance 548,242 acres of critical wetland and associated upland habitat for migratory birds across North America. Partners will provide more than $201.2 million in matching funds.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior. The commission has helped conserve much of the nation’s most important waterfowl habitat and establish or enhance many of the country’s most popular destinations for waterfowl hunting and birding. NAWCA is the only federal grant program dedicated to the conservation of wetland habitats for migratory birds.

Since 1991, more than $7.1 billion in funding has advanced the conservation of wetland habitats and their wildlife across more than 32.9 million acres of habitat in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico, while engaging more than 7,100 partners in more than 3,400 projects.

Waterways Safety Council To Meet Virtually

Columbus — The Waterways Safety Council (WSC) invites the public to attend its next quarterly virtual meeting on Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. The WSC, a citizen advisory council, provides crucial input on boating issues to the Ohio DNR (ODNR).

The virtual meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Visitors may attend via Microsoft Teams Live at: https://rebrand.ly/wscouncil

The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft will brief council members on ongoing projects and current issues affecting recreational boating in Ohio. For information, contact Cindy Bellar, ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft, at 614-265-6504.