Coaster Brook Trout—Endangered Species?
The coaster brook trout is unique on several levels. Although it is classified as a “brookie,” it takes its name from its preferred habitat—the shores along Lake Superior and the streams that feed into it. Once an abundant presence in the greatest of the Great Lakes, the coaster trout population took a major hit during the logging era when cuttings clogged streams with sediment where the fish once went to reproduce. The impressive trout, which can grow to more than two feet in length, declined even further over the years due to over-fishing and the gluttonous appetite of the invading sea lamprey. Its habitat kept shrinking and shrinking until, finally, the coaster now calls only one Michigan stream home—the Salmon Trout River, the same river that Kennecott proposes to mine beneath on the Yellow Dog Plains.
That concern was the basis of a petition submitted by the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, Marvin Robinson, their forest policy specialist, and the Huron Mountain Club to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to declare the coaster an endangered species. On March 20, the USFWS issued its 90 day finding on that petition. In its announcement, the Wildlife Service noted that it had found “substantial scientific or commercial information” in the petition “indicating that listing the U.S population of coaster brook trout may be warranted.” Now the USFWS will be accepting comments on that request through May 19, 2008. The agency further notes that any requests for public hearing must be submitted to them no later than May 5. Following this status review, the USFWS will issue its final 12-month finding on the petition.
The federal agency notes that comments on this issue should be related to the species’ historical and current population status, distribution, and trends; its biology and ecology and habitat selection; the effects of potential threat factors that are the basis for a listing determination under section 4(a) of the Act, which are
(a) the present or threatened destruction , modification, or curtailment of he species’ habitat or range;
(b) over-utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes;
(c) disease or predation;
(d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence.
Comments may be made online at www.regulations.gov or hand delivered or mailed to
Public Comments Processing
Attn: FWS-R3-ES-2008-0030,
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 101
East Lansing , MI 48823-6316
Phone recommendations can be made at (517) 351-8470, and faxes can be sent to (517) 351-1443.
-Editor
Eagle Rock as U.P. Pilgrimage Site (continued from Hot Issues)
How to Get to Eagle Rock Coming from the West
From US 41 at the south side of L'Anse, go north into downtown to the 4-way stop. Set your trip odometer here.
Turn right onto Main St. which becomes Skanee Rd. as you leave town driving eastbound. Curse at ridiculous speed limits at the east edge of town.
Follow Skanee Rd. 19.8 miles after your turn onto Main St., there will be a stop sign. Reset your trip odometer and angle right onto the gravel road.
At 1.9 miles on the gravel road, a major fork will angle left. Continue straight ahead on the right "fork."
At 5.3 miles on the gravel road, take the main fork, which angles left. (Ignore the minor road going right at 8.2 miles BEFORE the stream).
Angle right at 8.3 miles (AFTER the stream). The road angling right should appear to be the main road.
At 9.4 miles, the road you want angles right. It will also appear to be the main road.
At 12.6 miles, the gravel road you have been following T's into another gravel road. Reset your trip odometer.
Turn left.(The road to the right would take you to the north entrance of the McCormick Wilderness).
Follow this road east 4.7 miles and watch for a rocky hill on your left. Turn left just before the hill and park near the base of the hill. You have arrived at Eagle Rock.
Note: All roads are normally passable in the snow-free season with a 2WD vehicle with average clearance. -Doug Welker, Board Member
Directions to Eagle Rock When Coming From the East
It helps to have maps, a compass and perhaps a GPS when coming from this direction; there are a lot of possibilities for getting on wrong roads.
1. From Marquette, take CR 550 North towards Big Bay. You’ll pass over the Dead River, go by Sugarloaf and the Little Presque Isle Track, over the Little Garlic River and the Big Garlic River, through Birch and Antlers, then finally pass over the Yellow Dog River and Alder Ck. Less than a mile further, CR 510 enters from the left, a graded dirt road protected by a stop sign.
2. Turn left onto CR 510. At the sweeping bend to the left a dirt road goes off to the right - ignore it. Within a mile AAA enters from the right, stop sign protected. This is about 3.2 miles from CR 550.
3. Turn left onto AAA and follow it to Eagle Rock (about 9.5 miles). Initially you are heading west, but AAA turns southerly and heads up a hill. Shortly after heading southerly Northwestern Rd will head off to the right. You are still going up, through woods. In a couple of miles AAA heads west. In a couple miles the clear cuts begin. And in about 2 miles you will notice Eagle Rock on your right - it is a major rocky lump.
A two track heads off AAA at the west end of Eagle Rock, affording off-road parking.
OR CR 510 can be picked up from US 41 about midway between Negaunee and Marquette.
1. Turn onto CR 502. CR 502 parallels US 41 a bit to the north. CR 510 is the only major road heading north from CR 502.
2. Turn northwesterly onto CR 510 and follow it past the Dead River, past the end of pavement and over the Yellow Dog. The next major road 4 or 5 miles, on the left, stop sign protected) is AAA.
3. Turn left (westerly) on AAA and follow the directions above. -Board Member David Allen