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June 2018 newsletter - Read about:
Wild Foods Info Series
River Herring
New Contamination Study
Watching Bumblebees

 
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Newsletter from the Penobscot Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources

Fishing season is here - and so is our new brochure and poster about enjoying meals of freshwater fish safely!

Because fish and a wide variety of other wild foods are a traditional part of a Penobscot sustenance diet, DNR scientists analyzed contamination levels in some of them.  And we are thrilled to be finished with the first of three brochures and posters about the best ways to keep yourself safe when eating them!  Here is how you can get the information in the first brochure about fish:
COME GET YOUR OWN COPY OF THE BROCHURE AT THE DNR OFFICE!
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Lots of River Herring Are Coming Up the Penobscot

Removing dams and improving fish passage (www.penobscotriver.org) means more fish coming up the river again!

As of June 2 there had already been 1.8 million river herring counted at the Milford Fish lift.  Each of the past two years they have counted around 1.2 million by the end of the season, so we are breaking records.  The two species of river herring that make up these numbers are the Alewife and Blueback Herring.  For more information about the biology of these species go to this page http://www.penobscotriver.org/content/4027/anadromous-fish.

If you want to keep track of the numbers coming up the Penobscot and other rivers in Maine go to http://www.maine.gov/dmr/science-research/searun/programs/trapcounts.html

Alewives have been making a comeback throughout the state - check out The Nature Conservancy's new video about their journey and importance!
https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/maine/the-comeback-alewives-return-to-maine-rivers.xml?src=r.v_thecomeback.local.na.me
See what it looks from the the viewing window of the Milford fish lift when lots of river herring were going upstream on May 22, 2018.
Fish Lift Kiosk - You can go over to Milford and see a live feed of the viewing window any time you would like.  See the map below for how to find this kiosk.
Between fish coming up stream and stocking in lakes, DNR staff have seen young alewives coming out of Mattamiscontis Lake - originally named mataméhskαthis or little alewife place.  Click here for see a picture of the area and a recording of the Penobscot word, done by Gabe Paul, Language Instructor for Penobscot Nation.

These young are heading to ocean - click on the map link below to see how far it is from the ocean and the Milford fish lift.  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bNdh4br1xr2UvXZSm05iQm-nREl2OtrR&usp=sharing
Young alewives leaving Mattamiscontis Lake - caught on film by Water Resources staff when out taking samples and measurements in the area in 2017.
Watch how sensitive these same young alewives are to a shadow above them!
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PIN DNR Wants to Know: Are these sea-run fish returning to the Penobscot Reservation safe to eat?

Dan Kusnierz, PIN Water Resources Program Manager, with an American shad caught below the Milford Dam.
After having been largely blocked for the past 200 years, many species of migratory fish can now make the trip to Penobscot waters as a result of dam removal and other fish restoration efforts of PIN DNR.  These native fish species are the ones that historically were a large part of the Penobscot diet.  Before starting to eat these again, the PIN Water Resources Program would like to know about levels of contaminants found in them.  In addition to the resident fish described in our new brochure (such as bass, bullhead, pickerel, eel), we will be able to add information about contaminant levels in sea-run fish.  Because these sea-run fish come upriver primarily to spawn, the contamination of their diet comes from spending most of their lives in the ocean and estuaries - different locations than we have studied before.

At the request of and for PIN DNR, EPA began a two-year study in 2017 to test several sea-run migratory fish species to inform tribal members about eating them.  We are collecting the following species for this new study:
  • American shad (including roe)
  • Alewife
  • Blueback herring
  • Rainbow smelt
  • Striped bass
  • Sea lamprey
Most of the fish are being collected at the Milford Dam fish lift, just as they would be entering Penobscot reservation waters.  The fish are processed in the PIN WRP lab and then sent to an EPA lab in Cincinnati for analysis.  All of the fish will be tested for:
  • dioxins
  • furans
  • PCBs
  • mercury
  • PBDEs (a chemical found in many flame retardants)
The study is currently in its second year and the results of this study are expected in summer 2019.
 
From front to back: Michael Stover (EPA), Dan Kusnierz (PIN) and Sean O’Brien (PIN) filleting fish samples that will be tested for toxic contaminants.
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Staff Changes at DNR

DNR Wildlife Biologist Kristin Peet has resigned her position with the tribe and has accepted a job with the Forest Society of Maine.  We will miss her presence and we wish her well in her new position.

 



 
Greetings and salutations!  I am Sean O’Brien, a new employee with the Brownfields Program in the Department of Natural Resources here on Indian Island. So what is a Brownfield? “Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or containment.” (USEPA).
 
The purpose of this program:
  • Provides a means to enhance economic development
  • Enhances the quality of life by decreasing blight and providing a safer environment.
  • Reduces exposure of harmful substances to human health and the environment
  • Provides funding to both investigate and cleanup sites
  • Protects and enhances the environment for future generations
With the help of the EPA Brownfields Tribal Response Program (CERCLA) federal grant funding under 128(A) (https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-state-local-tribal-information) and great consultants Campbell Environmental Group (http://www.cegenvironmental.com) we are able to continue our program and build on it. Currently, we are working on building our inventory for cleanup sites. We are planning a household hazardous waste collection day, website development so that you can access our public inventory of cleanup sites, health and safety training, and environmental resource education. With the help of Campbell Environmental Group we will be able deliver site specific Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, and Remedial Action Planning for our current inventory and new sites.
 
The goal of this program is identify potential Brownfields sites so they can be investigated and remediated, if necessary, to protect human health and the environment. The Brownfield Program operates on all Penobscot Lands (Reservation, Trust, and Fee). For more information about the program, use this link https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-and-land-revitalization-connecticut-maine-massachusetts-new-hampshire-rhode#pane-1. If you need to contact me please do! Sean.Obrien@penobscotnation.org.
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Got bumblebees?

Bumblebee Watch would like your help tracking them!  They feel that:

"Because these animals are widely distributed the best way to keep track of them is with an army of volunteers across the country armed with cameras. With any luck, you might help us to find remnant populations of rare species before they go extinct."

This citizen science project allows for individuals to:
  • Upload photos of bumble bees to start a virtual bumble bee collection;
  • Identify the bumble bees in your photos and have your identifications verified by experts;
  • Help researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumble bees;
  • Help locate rare or endangered populations of bumble bees;
  • Learn about bumble bees, their ecology, and ongoing conservation efforts; and
  • Connect with other citizen scientists.
Go to https://www.bumblebeewatch.org/ for more information about how to sign up and submit photos of bumblebees that you see!
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