M a s h k i i z i i b i i N a t u r a l Re s o u r c e s (2022)

M a s h k i i z i i b i i N a t u r a l Re s o u r c e s

Moving Towards a Zero

Waste Household is Not as

Complicated as We Think

(SUMMER)

Food. Packaging. Toys. Clothes. Shoes. Medicine. Batteries. Electronics.

Special points of interest:

Jessica Strand, Environmental Specialist - environmental@badriver-nsn.gov

· New Employee Introductions

E

very day we throw so many

items into the trash. We toss for many

reasons: it’s broken, it’s spoiled, it’s

ripped, it’s not functional. However,

we also toss because it’s an easy way

to get rid of something we simply

don’t want anymore or don’t know

what to do with. The problem is,

waste is a big problem for our planet,

which means it is a big problem for

us.

Preventing

food waste is

the most impactful step

you can take—

both for the

planet and your

wallet. Steps

for preventing

food waste

include shopping with a

Every time we toss something that

plan, storing

Composting is a great way to get rid of kitchen scraps and other organics instead of

could otherwise be reused, repurfood to extend

sending them to the landfill. Photo taken from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/

posed, or recycled we are taking up

nutritionsource/sustainability/food-waste/.

its life, using

valuable area on our planet to store

recipe generatrash, creating greenhouse gases

tors and substitution tools, and

The 2020 WDNR study found that if

that drive climate change, and

better understanding when food

the wasted food and food waste sent

requiring new resources to be exitems are actually unsafe to eat.

to landfills had otherwise been pretracted from the earth to build the

(Look at page 7 of the 2020 Spring

vented or diverted it would have

next new thing.

Common Ground for a tips and

saved the equivalent in greenhouse

tricks flier on preventing food

gas emissions as taking 592,035

The intent of this article is to conquer

waste here: http://www.badriverpassenger vehicles off the roads for a

some of the barriers we might have

nsn.gov/wpyear. Diverting food waste can be

for reducing household waste by

condone in multiple ways: (1) compostproviding some alternatives to tosstent/uploads/2020/07/202007_Com

ing kitchen at home or through a

ing.

monGround_Spring.pdf.)

subscription service, (2) sharing food

and leftovers with family and friends

Food

when you’ve made a meal to large;

After prevention your next step is

(3) freezing a prepped or cooked

diverting food waste from landfills

portion of a recipe for a future meal;

which then reduces the amount of

According to a statewide waste charand (4) donating food to those in

greenhouse gasses those landfills

acterization study by the Wisconsin

need. What’s great is that in the Ashgive off as the waste breaks down.

Department of Natural Resources

land Area there is a residential com(WDNR) in 2020 approximately

Food: There are some fantastic home composting

posting service in place through Big

854,000 tons of food waste and

resources online! Here are some links from

Lake Organics, which grew from the

scraps were sent to the state’s landWisconsin Department of Natural Resources and

Northland College composting profills—more than double of what a

the EPA to get you started:

gram, if you aren’t confident about

2009 study recorded. This means

composting at home. Additionally,

food waste makes up 20% of our

> Home Composting Materials (WA-1785) (wi.gov)

there are different locations to donate

landfilled trash. The study also

food in the area, including The

showed that approximately 14.5%

> Home Composting: The Complete Composter

BRICK’s different food shelves in

of the food waste could have been

(wi.gov)

Ashland, Cornucopia, Mellen, and

consumed.

> Composting At Home | US EPA

...continued on page 4...

· Oak Point Clean-up Project

· Waawaashkeshi Talking Circle

Flier

· Piping Plover Updates

· Lake Superior Days Event Flier

· Manoomin Program Updates

· 2021 Forestry Sales

· Hatchery Production

Inside this issue:

2021-22 Forestry Sales

2

Indoor Air Quality: Harsh 3

Reality of Indoor Air

Pollution

Moving towards a Zero

Waste Household

4

Piping Plovers on the

Point

5

Oak Point Clean-Up Project & Upcoming Events

6

MNRD NEW HIRES

7

Hot Temperatures and

Human Health

9

Hatchery Production

2022

10

Contaminants Concerns

11

Job Opportunities

12

Page 2

COMMON GROUND

2021 - 2022 FORESTRY SALES

Gena Abramson, Forestry Specialist - Forester@badriver-nsn.gov

I

n March of 2021, the Tribal

Council approved a 3-year

forestry management plan and

the sites approved for 2021 and

2022 are shown in this article.

The Birch Hill Red Pine Thinning and the Mack Road Aspen/

Ash removal have been sold,

while the BIA forester is still

working on the Green Allotment

sale and the Stones Road/

Powerline sale.

n general, the direction of

our Forestry program is to

convert aspen dominated stands

to more tree species diversity, which will better serve

the ecosystem .

I

After an extended period of time without much timber management at Mashkiiziibiing, we’re looking

forward to improving the timber quality and diversity

of these management areas.

Our forest analysis showed that we could sustainably

manage up to a few thousand acres per year. However, we need to increase our work capacity here at

MNRD Forestry first. We

are coming along, though,

and we appreciate the opportunity to serve you, the ancestors, and the 7th generation.

We’re currently working on

our 10 year management

plan and will be involving

you in the finalization of that

plan this fall. As we did

with the 3 year plan, we will

be having a community

2021 Sales

meeting to ensure your

satisfaction with the management we’re making

plans for. Look for that

event in the fall.

As always, feel free to

contact Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department Forestry if you have

any questions or concerns.

Forester@badrivernsn.gov or 715-685-8929.

Sincerely,

Gena Abramson, Bad River’s Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resources Forestry Specialist

2022 Sales

Page 3

Daniel Wiggins Jr., Air Quality Technician - Air1@badriver-nsn.gov

W

ith people spending up to 90% of

their time indoors the growing

awareness to address indoor air

conditions has become more relevant. Scientific

studies have proven some indoor environments

are more polluted than any outdoor environment,

which health concerns can vary from home to

home, can be related to allergies or asthma, and

can cause cancer and even death.

Indoor air pollution is sometimes not contributed

solely by one source, but rather a combination of

sources or factors. There are a variety of things

that can contribute to indoor air pollution and is

usually associated with sources that release gases

or particles into the air. It can be related to specific use of certain chemicals and cleaning agents

or traced back to a malfunctioning gas-appliance,

such as a furnace. Other issues can be directly

related to how the home was built or the deterioration of the structure overtime. “Leaky” homes

have a tendency of being less energy efficient

and may allow excessive moisture to enter, eventually contributing to moisture damage and the

development of mold.

Controlling or eliminating sources to minimize

can improve indoor environments; however,

locating and identifying these sources are not

always simple. Reading labels and understanding

proper usage of cleaning agents or other household chemicals should be done before use and

may help limit some pollutants. Allowing an

adequate amount of outdoor air to be introduced

into the home can often avoid a build-up of many

indoor pollutants.

Other pollutants may be more difficult to control

and may require a sort of testing to identify. Radon is naturally occurring, odorless, cannot be

seen, and may cause the development of lung

cancer. A test kit placed in the home is the only

way to determine the indoor radon concentration.

Depending on the recorded level of radon a home

may require radon reduction system to be installed to lower the levels. Other pollutants, such

as carbon monoxide are also odorless, cannot be

seen, and can cause death. Maintaining and understanding the proper usage of gas appliances

can help avoid a build-up of CO and CO detec-

tors are important in every home and

building to

avoid being

present during

threshold levels.

Health effects

associated with

certain pollutants are more

difficult to pin

point. With

multiple

household

chemicals

being present

in today’s

homes, along

with each person reacting

differently to

certain pollutants, establishing precise

Figure 1 shows indoor pollution sources that can include furnaces, cleaning supplies, wood stoves,

concentrations foam in furniture, and many others. Maintaining a fresh air supply helps, but also understanding what

you are putting into your home can help reduce exposure to excessive chemicals and other pollutants.

related to the

development of certain symptoms are

Agency (USEPA) has this and much more

drastically harder to determine. Regular

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) information that

wheezing, colds, and irritation of asthma

can be found at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/

can often be signs of elevated pollutants.

index.html. The Bad River Tribe is also forIt is important to notice time and place of

tunate to have an Air Program that offers

symptoms and if they lessen or go way

free IAQ, radon and energy assessments to

once leaving the home.

Tribal Members. If you have any questions

Not all indoor pollutants will be noticed

concerning services, please contact Daniel

immediately, which exposure to some

Wiggins, Air Quality Technician.

pollutants overtime can contribute to cancers, respiratory illness, or heart disease.

Daniel Wiggins Jr

Therefore, it is important to identify polluAir Quality Technician

tants, such as radon. The Bad River Tribe

Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources

has staff that can aid with monitoring and

Email: Air1@badriver-nsn.gov

Work Phone: 715-979-7123

assessing multiple indoor parameters,

Work Cell: 715-979-1486

along with helping to identify solutions

when issues arise.

United States Environmental Protection

Page 4

COMMON GROUND

Cable along with various charity organizations

through religious groups and social service programs.

Packaging

Whether it is your plastic shampoo bottle, the last

box you ordered from Amazon, the can of pop you

had with lunch, or the packaging from your child’s

birthday gifts, it’s hard to get anything these days

that doesn’t have waste immediately built into the

purchase. However, thankfully, with some strategic

purchases and a little effort on your part, you can

reduce the amount of packaging waste you generate.

As always, the first step is preventing packaging

waste by making conscious decisions on what you

buy by: (1) purchasing items in packaging that is

less likely to disposed of as waste (cardboard v.

plastic), and (2) switching to using refillable/reusable containers and packaging (bringing

reusable containers to fill from bulk food bins, using

refillable liquid soap dispensers, etc.).

Then, after prevention, the next focus is diverting

your packaging from the landfill. Here’s some alternatives to tossing your packaging:

·

Choosing wisely at the store can minimize the amount of packaging you need to recycle and focus on packaging that

is easier to recycle.

energy. The same can be said about recycling

aluminum—you minimize the need for extractive industry, and you minimize waste

going to landfills. In some areas, glass along

with Pyrex, crystal, windows, and ceramics

are combined and then crushed to create base

aggregate for paved road and parking lot

projects and backfill for buildings and pipes.

·

Cardboard, newspapers, and paper egg cartons

(dry, clean, and free of waxes) can either be

shredded and added as the “browns” for compost or recycled locally at the Bad River Waste

and Recycling (BRWR) Transfer Station (or

other local recycling facilities). If composting,

you need twice to three times the volume of

“brown” material to “green” material in your

pile.

Þ Waxed cardboard and magazines can also be

recycled at the BRWR, but are not appropriate

for composting.

·

Aluminum and glass (not Pyrex, crystal, windows, or ceramic) can be recycled almost

infinitely into new bottles and cans and other

products. You

can easily recyPackaging: Look at page 9 of cle your glass

and aluminum

the 2020 Spring Common

at BRWR or

Ground for a Tips & Tricks

any of the other

lyer on recycling. Here’s the local recycling

centers. For

link if you want to print one

every ton of

off for by your recycling bin: glass recycled,

you save large

http://www.badriverquantities of

nsn.gov/wp-content/

raw materials

uploads/2020/07/202007_Co (sand, soda ash,

limestone, and

mmonGround_Spring.pdf

feldspar) and

·

Plastics are one of the least recycled packaging materials. Many plastic containers are

unsuitable for recycling because of contamination from what was inside or merely because they are the wrong type of plastic to

recycle. Your best way to reduce plastic

waste is to switch to plastic-free products or

not buy items that are single-use plastics.

However, with that said, #1 and #2 plastics

are accepted at the BRWR. Plastics #3, #4,

and #5 are not accepted at BRWR at this time

but may be accepted at other Ashland recycling facilities or can be recycled with TerraCycle (for a cost). Plastic bags can be

brought back to some local businesses, like

Walmart, for recycling.

Other packaging items like chip bags, juice

drink pouches, lotion and beauty product

containers, and those items you might not

know what to do with otherwise may have a

free recycling option through TerraCycle. All

you have to do is run a search for your product on the TerraCycle website and you can

find that all you need is an account to recycle

Arm & Hammer, Burt’s Bees, Little Bites,

Dunkin, Gerber, and many other brands’

containers for free by collecting them in a box

and then shipping them to TerreCycle for free

(https://www.terracycle.com/enUS/collectionprograms?utf8=%E2%9C%93&price=00&query=&commit=Apply+filters).

Toys

One of the easiest ways to make sure toys

don’t just end up in the trash or out for spring

pick-up is to pass them along as hand-medowns to friends and family who have children. Otherwise, you could also give them

away free or sell them either online or at a

rummage sale or even donate toys to local

charities. Toys that might not be in the condition for donation or resale can sometimes be

recycled though different initiatives or companies for free, like:

·

The Crayon Initiative – they take your

old and broken crayons, melt them

down, and done them to children in

hospitals.

https://thecrayoninitiative.org/givecrayons/

·

Lego Replay – will provide a free shipping label for you to send all your unwanted Lego pieces, no matter size,

shape, or crustiness back to them. They

donate the used Lego bricks back to

other nonprofits who distribute them to

children in need.

https://www.lego.com/enus/sustainability/environment/replay

·

TerraCycle – has partnered with different

companies like Hasbro, LOL Surprise,

Spin Master, Vtech & Leapfrog, and

Zuru to offer recycling options. Some

options are free, visit TerraCycle to learn

more. https://www.terracycle.com/enUS/

...continued on page 8...

Page 5

Piping Plovers on the Point

Louis Lozinski, Ornithology Specialist – Ornithology@BadRiver-NSN.gov

W

To monitor the pairs at Chequamegon Point, a

ith the weather finally warming up, you

couple of employees camp out there during

might be considering a day on the beach.

the summer and observe the plovers’ behav-

While you’re at the beach to enjoy the water

iors to learn more about them and talk to

and go swimming, you may notice some

visitors to the point in order to prevent any

shorebirds enjoying the water as well. One

disturbances to the nest. The main disturb-

such shorebird is the piping plover, a rare and

ances to the nests are dogs that are off leash,

endangered species. The best place to see

and people that don’t see the plovers or their

these plovers is on Chequamegon Point where

nests and accidentally walk right into them.

every year, they nest.

Thankfully the plover parents will let you know

Each summer, the MNRD will monitor these plovers

recent years, some have elected to start nesting

if you get too close to their eggs, and they’ll try to

to track their population, and to prevent disturb-

elsewhere. A few pairs do make it work at

draw you away. Another way to avoid disturbing the

ances to the nest. The number of plovers on

Chequamegon Point each year. For this year is

plovers is to keep a look out for their tracks, as that

Chequamegon Point has increased from the when

looking to be a productive one though with 4 nests

will let you know if they’re in the area or not.

monitoring started, but due to higher lake levels in

on the point.

Dan Powless, Manoomin Oshkaabewis - Manoomin@badriver-nsn.gov

T

his is just a pre-invite to let the

community know how things are

going with the current program.

The MNRD recently contracted with

CARDNO and Thompson Associates to

update and nalize the current Manoomin

Long Range Plan 2007 through BIA-GLRI

grant funding. Basically, this will consist of

developing the plan using a combination of

Science and Traditional Ecological

Knowledge (TEK) through the process

concepts of listening , understanding,

gathering, and planning.

At our initial meeting, we discussed the

current status of manoomin regarding

threats and opportunities and how the plan

could be improved to address them. Cardno, was then introduced to the Bundling

method that we initiated in 2021 that was

followed up with discussion on their team’s

experience in the St. Louis River wildrice

restoration project. This is a 275 acre wild

rice restoration project that spans 10

years. Their plan outlines speci c implementation strategies and locations for 27

prioritized areas. Our reseeding efforts

have been sporadic at best with the current methods. What would you think

about a restoration plan that could focus

on a similar goal of 300 acres and be expanded to accommodate a future goal of

100acres? As discussed in earlier articles

bundling is a TEK method in which seed

production is enhanced. The Bundling

method may have that potential?

As this is a time of climate change which

means big changes in the environment as

witnessed in the sloughs. So does our

thinking need to follow these changes to

offset the loss of manoomin habitat? TEK

is knowledge living within us and used by

us in many different ways. It’s the connections to manoomin that we make culturally,

spiritually, physically and mentally, no

matter what age we are. The connection

comes through food, medicine, ancient

technology, science, and ceremonial aspects such as offering, teachings, stories ,

recipes, cooking, sharing, methods, stick

making, the land, insight, etc. In addition,

we will be revisiting a cutting method to the

address futile problem occurring from native and non-native invasive species.

So your part is to think about what you do

best in these areas, jot them down and

meet with us at the manoomin meeting in

July. We’ll also have a drop box available if

that’s your preference.

Lastly, we will be looking for 4 individuals

to interview in August for the TEK mentioned. This could include research, materials, discussion from other tribes. The

GLIFWC Manoomin Document is a good

reference to start with.

Page 6

COMMON GROUND

Oak Point Clean-Up Project

Mariah Hipsher, Climate Change Specialist - climate@badriver-nsn.gov

T

he unique wetland complex known

as the Kakagon and Bad River

Sloughs provides abundant habitat for wild

rice, which is prominent of the Tribe’s culture

and identity. The Sloughs are of cultural

importance to the Bad River Band, the final

stopping point of the Band’s journey from the

east coast--the place where the food grows on

the water. Manomin or wild rice has been a

nutritional staple for members of the Tribe for

generations beyond memory and continues to

provide a substantial portion of the protein

and other nutritional needs of the Tribe's members. The annual harvest of wild

rice is a traditional event of generations of cultural importance. The Kakagon and

Bad River Slough complex is one of the only remaining extensive coastal wild rice

wetlands in the Great Lakes Basin.

This project has been fully funded and is currently underway. The primary focus

of the clean-up is to protect the habitat, species, and cultural resources of the Bad

River Band. Oak Point is a historic Manoomin camping location for the Tribe. The

goal of this project is to remove all hazardous and solid waste from the site and

restore the area to a natural state. Clean-up of the site will allow for safe use by

tribal members at this location hoping to re-establish the manomin camps and

revitalize Ojibwe traditions, as well as prevent movement of trash/debris into Lake Superior and possible

spread of contamination at the site.

Manomin is known to be adversely impacted by climate

change due to fluctuating lake levels, increased presence of non-local species, and changes in temperature

and ice cover. Wild rice is vulnerable to the impacts of

climate change. By further restoring wetlands known to

be manomin habitat and adjacent nearshore areas by

removing pollutants, it is hoped to increase the resiliency of manomin to other impacts, like those exacerbated by climate change.

Page 7

Deputy THPO

B

oozhoo

My name is Lawrence Plucinski, I am the new Deputy THPO person, my office is

across from Edith, so if you want to stop by and say hi my door is open. I hope to meet everyone and try to remember your face and name, it may take time so please be patient with me.

One of the first things my new job required was to assist in the setting up of items returned

from St. Roses College out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Some of the items the Sisters returned

were approximately 26 paintings that were done by Mr. Peter Whitebird in the 1930’s, a pair of

moccasins, leggings and many other artifacts that left the Reservation via St. Mary’s School

while it was in operation. An open house was held later in the afternoon and had a fair turnout.

Miigwetch!

Lawrence “Moose” Plucinski

deputythpo@badriver-nsn.gov

715.682.7111 ext 1618

Piping Plover Monitor Technician

Hi

there, my name is Destiney Elder-Hall, and I’m excited to be a part of this summer’s

piping plover project on Chequamegon Point. I grew up in southern Wisconsin, and I moved up

to Ashland four years ago to attend Northland College. I recently graduated in biology and natural resources, with an emphasis in fisheries and wildlife. My time at Northland as a researcher

and leader has inspired me to aid others in creating meaningful connections with the land, and I

hope that I can continue to do so as a technician. In my spare time, I enjoy all things outdoors,

creating art, reading, tending to my indoor garden, and playing video games. While most of my

time will be out on Chequamegon Point, I’m looking forward to meeting you and serving this

wonderful community. Miigwech!

Piping Plover Monitor Tech

H

ello! My name is Nolan Kerr and I am one of the Piping Plover monitors out on

Long Island this summer. I was raised in Rochester, MN but was born in Duluth and

lived in Bessemer, MI, so it is interesting to rely on Hwy 2 again.

I just graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities with a Bachelors of

Science in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology with an emphasis in Wildlife Management. I enjoy birding, live music, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. I

am really excited to spend the season up on Chequamegon Point with the birds and

spend some time exploring the area when I am off the Point. Give me a wave if you

see me out on the beach!

COMMON GROUND

Page 8

Toys that are well and truly broke and pose a safety

hazard should be appropriately recycled, especially if

they have electronic parts and internal nonremovable batteries. The BRWR accepts e-waste for

a small fee year-round, but BRWR also picks-up and

disposes of e-waste for free as part of their annual

Spring Clean-Up event if you can store it that long.

Otherwise TerraCycle sells a ZeroWaste box in

which anything (even broken toys) can be added and

recycled responsibly for a fee.

Clothes

Clothing has a lot of reuse options depending on the

condition and materials the clothing is made from;

these include selling clothing online or at rummage

sales, donating clothes to local charities, or turning

your clothes into secondary items like cleaning rags,

woven rugs, or upcycled items. Otherwise, you can

always find out if family, friends, or coworkers

might be interested in items that you’ve pulled from

your closet. (In Hurley, the local Historical Society

takes clothing donations to turn into woven rugs they

sell to help fund their volunteer-run museum—using

the funding for heat, repairs, and the occasional guest

presenter.) Other ways to recycle clothing and other

textiles to keep them from landfills, especially worn

or destroyed clothing, can be done through online

retailers like For Days, which offer options like the

Take Back Bag—each bag costs $20 to order (but

you instantly earn the same amount in credit to order

items from their website) and takes any brand or

condition clothing item. Items put in the Take Back

Bag and are sent to companies that turn them into

insulation, rugs, or cleaning materials. Otherwise,

there are other options through TerraCycle for recycling clothing, including:

·

Carter’s Baby & Kid Clothing Free Recycling

Program, which is FREE and will take any

brand of baby and kid clothes. Items must be

washed and dried, but they can be stained or

have holes without being disqualified.

https://www.terracycle.com/enUS/brigades/carters

·

Parade Free Recycling Program, is also Free

through TerraCycle and allows you to recycle

any brand of clean underwear (but not bras)

through their program. Like any other free

TerraCycle Program all you have to do is create

a TerraCycle account, fill a box you already

have with the designated item, and then request/print a shipping label from TerraCycle

which allow you to ship them the box with no

cost to you.

·

Other clean clothing of any condition can also

be recycled with TerraCycle’s Fabric and

Clothing Zero Waste Box for a fee. Shoes and

footwear can also be recycled in their own

Carter’s and Gerber are just two of the brands partnering with TerraCycle to provide consumers a no-cost recycling option

for their products (and sometimes even other brands who make similar items)! Screenshot taken from TerraCycle website

dedicated Zero Waste Box purchase

(though some brands also can be recycled

for free through TerraCycle).

Medicine

Over the counter and prescription drugs can be

dangerous when not disposed of properly.

However, many communities and pharmacies

offer drug take back programs for expired

drugs or medications you may no longer use.

Local drug drop-off locations include Rowe’s

White Cross Pharmacy in Hurley and the Police Station in Ashland. Otherwise, you can

figure out proper disposal by asking your pharmacist or reading the paperwork which has

come with your prescription. If there are no

drug take back programs in your area, the next

best method for disposal may be the trash

(except in certain cases), but you’ll need to

follow the guidelines of the FDA

(https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumerupdates/where-andhow-dispose-unusedmedicines) to ensure

you are completing

the trash disposal

correctly.

al extractive industry for these products. Here are

your options for battery recycling:

·

The Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department has battery recycling boxes and

can accept almost all kinds of lithium,

nickel, and alkaline batteries in addition to

small, sealed lead acid rechargeable batteries. Please note, exploded and leaky batteries should be sealed in plastic bags filled

with cat litter for safety before being

dropped off. Additionally, for safe

transport, terminals for some batteries

should be taped with clear packing, duct, or

electrical (or bagged individually in clear

bags) to prevent sparking. Specific requirements for terminal protection based on type

of battery can be downloaded from

Call2Recycle’s website: Safety & Shipping

Tips | Call2Recycle | United States.

·

The BRWR accepts battery as e-waste

anytime for a fee.

·

There are also several battery bucket or

pouch recycling options offered by TerraCycle for a fee from their website.

Batteries

Electronics

Batteries should

NOT be thrown in the trash. Landfilled batteries can leak harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium, and nickel into waters and soils. Additionally, lithium batteries thrown in the trash

can explode and start fires, shutting down

processing plants, causing dangers to staff

working at the facilities, and releasing toxic

gases into the atmosphere as the trash around

them burns. Thankfully, in the last two decades, battery recycling has come a long way

and many products like silverware, pots, pans,

golf clubs, stainless steel products, and new

batteries are now being made from recycled

batteries—which reduces the need for addition-

The BRWR accepts e-waste for a small fee yearround, but BRWR also picks-up and disposes of

e-waste for free as part of their annual Spring

Clean-Up event if you can store it that long.

Otherwise TerraCycle sells different Zero Waste

box options in which almost any type of e-waste

can be added and recycled responsibly for a fee.

(Cost differ sometimes at TerraCycle depending

on the type of e-waste so try to order the one that

fits your needs the best.)

This list is not meant to be comprehensive—I

encourage you to look through some of the websites mentioned in the article and do your own

web searches to find reuse, donation, and recycling options for your different items. Together

Page 9

Hot Temperatures and Human Health

Nathan Kilger, Air Quality Specialist - Air@badriver-nsn.gov

S

ummer can be hot. I personally

hope for some warm, sunny days

after the recent winter that felt

long.

Heat is the number one weather killer in

Wisconsin. It’s more of a problem in the

larger cities that are full of concrete and

asphalt. But high temperatures and high

humidity can cause stress on the human

body anyplace. The stress is triggered in

the hot afternoons, but turns even more

dangerous during hot nights you can’t

cool off overnight. Repeated days and

nights of not being able to cool off creates the

deadly combination in people with the youngest and oldest being the most susceptible to

heat stress. Most importantly, know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

your favorite news or watch your local news

feed so you are aware of these heat waves before they happen. You can always bookmark

this website for weather forecasts and warnings: https://www.weather.gov/dlh/

Heat waves also allow for the creation of poor

air quality, sunshine and stagnant air are two

important ingredients for creating high levels

of ozone at the ground level in the summer.

Ozone near the ground is invisible and can

feel like a burning sensation in your nose,

throat, and lungs. It is very rare that we have

elevated ozone in this area, but it’s another

stressor to watch out for during heat waves.

The National Weather Service has created a

Heat Index, some private businesses call this

the “Real Feel Temperature”. Heat advisories

are issued when the heat index is forecast to be

over 100 °F or the temperature will be over 95°

F for a period of time. If these hot temperatures

are forecast for more than a day or two, the heat

advisory may be upgraded to a heat warning to

emphasize the seriousness. Watch and listen to

We monitor ground-level ozone on the Bad

River Reservation. And other tribal nations and

states have ozone monitoring sites across the

country. Download the EPA’s AirNow app on

your phone to check the current air quality or

bookmark https://www.airnow.gov/, all of our

air pollution monitoring is collected on AirNow.

On days with very hot temperatures and high

air pollution it’s good to stay inside and enjoy

the shade and a glass of cold water.

Page 10

COMMON GROUND

HATCHERY PRODUCTION 2022

This year’s Walleye run came in fast and hard with water temperatures

rising quickly and steadily from the middle of April after ice out to the beginning of May. The Bad River Hatchery crew collected 146.5 quarts of

eggs. 146.5 quarts of eggs is the same as 20.9 million eggs. There was a

60% hatch rate this year which is slightly above average. On May 12th

180,000 Yellow Perch fry were stocked into each of the Kakagon and Bad

rivers. On May 13th 400,000 Yellow Perch fry were stocked into the

Kakagon River. On May 14th 1.5 mil. Walleye fry were stocked into the

Kakagon and 300,000 into the Bad River. On May 15th 4.5 mil. fry were

stocked in the Kakagon River and 300,000 fry in the Bad River. On May

16th the remaining 5.7 mil. Walleye fry were released into the Kakagon

River. Currently there are 750,000 fingerling Walleye and 240,000 Yellow

Perch in the rearing ponds. Before July 1st, 60% of these fish are to be

stocked in the Kakagon River and 40% are to be stocked in the Bad River.

Any questions about the hatchery productions can be directed to Jacob

Rodmaker, Fisheries Specialist, at fisheryspecialist@badriver-nsn.gov

Page 11

Andrew Spychalla, Brownsfield Specialist - brownfields@badriver-nsn.gov

S

ummer is fast approaching,

and with it a multitude of updates regarding chemicals of concern and contaminants. Some relate to older topics this newsletter

has touched on, such as PFAS

a.k.a. “forever chemicals.” The

Wisconsin Natural Resources

Board voted in February by a margin of 6-1 to approve of imposing

limits on PFAS in drinking water

at 70 parts per trillion (ppt). This

sets a maximum contaminant level

allowable in samples taken from

drinking water systems. Just in

time, as this April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

in our region finalized and awarded their lab contract for analytical

services regarding PFAS. The

EPA will be sampling community

drinking water systems for these

chemicals, including Bad River.

Also, after a few delays, the final

touches are being completed to

schedule the sludge sampling at

the American Can sites on the Reservation. This will include a few

nearby homeowner’s wells, and

the artesian well at the hatchery.

Those who share Gitchigumi to the

north, in Canada, have recently

shared their proposed ‘Prohibition

of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2022.’ You’d be correct if

you guessed that PFAS’ make

their appearance there as well.

This document will have a public

comment period running through

the month of July, aimed to get

input on restrictions to manufacturing and use of these chemicals.

While decisions on those chemicals will be made at the govern-

ment level, there are indeed steps

that anyone can take in their own

home to ensure that added chemicals don’t get put into our water

and onto our land. The chemicals

of concern for countries, states,

and Tribes aren’t just limited to

PFAS. Our neighbor, Minnesota,

has again highlighted results of a

2021 study done on a number of

lakes in the state. Among the samples collected, the hormone estrone, the insect repellent formula

DEET, anti-depressants, antibiotics, anti-fungal medications, Type

II diabetes drugs, and even narcotics were found in many of the analytes. While industrial activities

are often a major source of contaminants entering the environment, the use of these drugs and

medications by members of the

general public are also sources

of pollution. The U.S. Food

and Drug Administration has

documents and videos on its

website that give advice on

how to properly dispose of certain drugs and medications.

From taking them to a drug

take-back location or clinic,

calling your local pharmacy, or

removing the labels and disposing of them with your

household trash; there are tips

for proper disposal that will

keep these chemicals from entering our groundwater and

drinking water. Simply look up

FDA’s “Safe Disposal of Medicines” for any info you may

need so that you can play a

small part in keeping our environment safe.

Nick Blanchard has worked hard to clean and re-organize the

Tribal Water Laboratory since being promoted to our Laboratory

Coordinator/Water Resource Tech position in January 2022. The

Water Resources Program samples numerous rivers/streams

and wetland sites within the Bad River watershed. EXT)

*NR Aide(s)

To View Full Job Descriptions visit:

www.badriver-nsn.gov/careers

~MISSION STATEMENT~

Mashkiiziibii Natural

Resou rces Dep ar t ment

72682 Maple Street

PO Box 39

Odanah, WI, 54806

Phone: 715-685-7840 - 715-682-7123

Fax: 715-682-7118

Email: NRDOutreach@badriver-nsn.gov

The Department strives for resource management which both conserves the natural resources

for the future generations and provide for the

needs of the present. The departments existence

reflects the importance the Bad River Tribe

places on its right and ability to exercise sovereignty, self-determination and self-regulation in

the area of natural resource management.

Were on the Web!

Visit www.badriver-nsn.gov