Poor Economy Hurts Michigan's U.P. Peregrine Program By Mark Dietrich With federal and state governments tightening their belts during these tough economic times, Peregrine Falcon work in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has ground to a halt. For 18 years, funds have been provided to reestablish Peregrine Falcon populations throughout the Midwest and in many Canadian Provinces. Although Peregrines have been removed from the national endangered species list, these birds are still considered endangered in our State. With just over a dozen nesting pairs in Michigan more work needs to be done to save these incredible raptors. With help from our DNR and the National Park Service personnel, Joe Rogers has spent the past 18 years working toward the goal of bringing these birds back from the brink of extinction in the U.S. The use of DDT almost wiped out Peregrine Falcons and other raptors, until it was banned for use as a pesticide in our nation. Joe spent every summer and much of his own money in an effort to help this endangered species for all of these years. With no federal, or state, funding Joe was unable to continue his work with Peregrines in the Upper Peninsula in 2003. Peregrine Falcon Joe had been banding Peregrine young, collecting blood samples and reporting on the numbers of nesting and fledged Peregrines in the U.P until funding was cut. Very little is known about the numbers of Peregrines and how successful the 2003 nesting season was in our Upper Peninsula. Peregrine Falcon with chicks The best thing for our U.P. Peregrines would be to get Joe back up there to do what he does best. Since that probably won’t happen by next spring, any volunteer work would be welcome. The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota maintains a database of all Peregrines in many Midwest States and several Provinces. A list is available for known nesting sites in 2002 and some for 2003. Spotty reports of new nesting/territorial activity has also been recorded. Any group, organization, or individuals wishing to attempt to observe Peregrine activity in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula would be of great help. If you would like to help, please contact Mark Dietrich at fishlkmich@yahoo.com Peregrine Photo (title Banner): Courtesy of Jo Keller. Second Peregrine Falcon Photo: Courtesy of Craig Koppie and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Peregrine Falcon with Chicks Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service