Injustice in the Upper Peninsula
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Dr. Powers sent the following letter to DRN Wildlife biologist Brian Mastenbrook:
Brian,
I just want to share with you the sentiment regarding this issue from Beaver Island. I have extensively researched CWD and this disease has not EVER been shown in the wild to cause significant death loss in any state, in fact most states, including Wisconsin are dialing down their management efforts. I watched last night the Gaylord DNR supervisor say that Tuberculosis is just a “head cold” when compared to CWD. I sent an email to Director Humphries immediately as Representative Elsenheimer did in the attached letter asking for justification of such statements. I can clearly see that the DNR has a full court press on regarding this issue, but what is happening is that they are discrediting themselves with the general public and they are adopting a strategy that has already developed an adversarial relationship with frankly the most concerned group of hunters and citizens that they have. With the knowledge base of information out there on this subject, over time it will be shown that this severe overreaction to the one positive deer will cause way more damage to the resource than a measured response which should have been undertaken.
I included Todd Stittlebergs testimony which was given to the Wisconsin legislature, which parallels my findings.
Wisconsin just had a case of CWD in a new captive cervid farm, and no one is going crazy there about it like we are in Michigan, they know better, they blew 32 million on a disease that just isn’t that big a factor.
Dr. Miller, who the MDNR is using as there all knowing resource on the topic, has had his theories blown apart by the fact that it just doesn’t hold up in the wild. His comments at the NRC meeting were frankly a severe exaggeration of what CWD does in wild deer populations.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey F. Powers DVMRepresentatives,
One final point, after Representative Elsenheimer asked Dr. Schmitt at the Tourism and Natural Resources Committee meeting to exempt Beaver Island from the baiting and feeding ban I polled my island club members and they unanimously asked me to follow up this request to Director Humphries.
Pursuant to leaving a message for her, Wildlife Director Dr. Russ Mason called me on this issue. His first words were to me “So you are asking me what the sound scientific basis is for this ban, and in reality there isn’t any.”
I am not sure if his comments extended to the Beaver Islands or the lower peninsula as a whole.
Jeffrey F. Powers DVM
**********
From: District 105
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:42 AM
To: Jeffrey Powers
Subject: Re: Dr. Mason Phone Call
Jeff,
Thank
you for sharing this information with me. I have been working with Rep.
Sheltrown and have composed a third letter to the MDNR about the
baiting ban on Beaver Island.
Below
is the letter I sent to the NRC and MDNR about this issue yesterday. We
share your concerns and frustrations. We are just as baffled in their
decision making as you. Let's stay in touch and keep up the good work.
Kevin
Kevin A. Elsenheimer
State Representative
105th House District
Contact Information:
State Representative Kevin A. Elsenheimer
Michigan Legislature, 105th House District
PO Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov
Toll Free: 1-877-536-4105
(517) 373-0829
Fax: (517) 373-1841
