Six important questions-please answer

Ms. Buck:

If a question is answered, why would anyone ask it again? I have repeatedly asked because TWRA has not provided answers. Each time I ask I receive the same TWRA reply—a generic reply is not an answer. TWRA’s reply is always: “Strategies being implemented and supported by TWRA have been agreed upon at the national level and prioritize preserving the quality of as many water bodies as possible given the current resources available.” Again, that does not answer my specific questions. Also, the research that was cited in TWRA’s reply addressed reducing recruitment only, which has no bearing on preventing silver carp movement into uninvaded lakes. TWRA has provide no research, data, or information showing reducing recruitment will prevent their upstream movement into our uninvaded lakes—this is what I have asked for.

I have explained numerous times that I have studied and agree with the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework document identifying barrier placement locations. However, the control strategy only addresses “reducing recruitment and removal” of silver carp. I agree with their barrier placements. The document recommends a “Do Nothing” action for uninvaded lakes. Of course, because there are no silver carp to deal with. That document was not developed to address or protect uninvaded lakes, only to try and help invaded ecosystems. Why is it so hard for TWRA to understand the limits of that document? I have explained it again and again.

It is safe to say that 98% of the biologists live and work in the silver carp infested region and are thus only interested in dealing with the infestation. We are fortunate to still be silver carp free. The WBEFC is the only organization, and I am the only fisheries biologist working to save our lakes from the silver carp. All the others are waist-deep in silver carp. Yet that doesn’t make disregarding our pristine lakes the right thing to do. TWRA biologists should be working hard to prevent the silver carp from invading our lakes, yet they are only working to reduce recruitment into silver carp infested lakes—how unreasonable is that? Reducing recruitment is important, but not as important as preventing them from invading our pristine lakes. Why can’t TWRA understand this?

            Reducing recruitment into silver carp infested lakes cannot possibly prevent them from moving upstream? Barriers behind the silver carp merely stair-step them to the upper lakes. When TWRA can provide the scientific data, or one report that shows slowing recruitment has been successful in stopping the silver carp from moving upstream, I will be all-in on the plan. However, I know such a report does not exist. The silver carp have taken over the entire central U.S. simply because they have never been blocked—that is fact. The WBEFC is asking TWRA to BLOCK the silver carp from entering our uninvaded lakes first, then reduce recruitment into carp infested lakes. By placing carp infested lakes first, TWRA is giving the silver carp unrestricted access into our uninvaded lakes. Surely you can understand this.

            To say TWRA will not be re-answering my questions because your staff has already answered them, and that I have outright denied your answers, is simply untrue, for TWRA has not answered my questions, and I have denied nothing—in fact as I said before and again above, I support the need to reduce recruitment using that strategy. But reducing recruitment must not come before preventing silver carp from entering uninvaded lakes.

            I have reduced my query to only four fair, professional questions. Please have TWRA provide concise answers rather than merely replying with what TWRA is doing, for I already know that. I will not need to ask again if answered proberly.  My questions will take very little time to answer. I am asking for the 700+ WBEFC stakeholders and businesses in this region.

1.     What has the best chance of preventing the silver carp from reaching Watts Bar, Melton Hill, Fort Loudon and Tellico Lakes, a barrier behind the silver carp at Wilson Lock, or a barrier in front of them at Watts Bar Lock?

2.     The USFWS guidance written by 30-professionals, states “Goal 1: Prevent accidental and deliberate unauthorized introductions of silver carp in the U.S.” The MICRA guidance supported by their members (around 50-indivisuals) states, “Goal 1: The most cost-effective management approach is preventing the introduction and establishment of Asian carp into uninhabited waters . . .  more viable than attempting to manage and control a species that has already been introduced”. Why is TWRA not following USFWS and MICRA guidance?

3.     Will a barrier at Wilson Lock prevent the silver carp from reaching the Upper TN River Basin’s uninvaded lakes? (If so, please provide the evidence/data/science.)

4.     Is reducing recruitment of silver carp into already invaded lakes more important than preventing them from entering uninvaded lakes? If so, please explain.

These are reasonable questions. Please provide concise and succinct answers in a timely manner for they are not difficult to answer.

Professionally,

Dr. Timothy Joseph

On Jan 10, 2023, at 1:45 PM, Emily A. Buck <Emily.A.Buck@tn.gov> wrote:

Dr. Joseph,

 

This response is being provided on behalf of TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon. TWRA will not be re-answering these questions because our staff has already answered your questions. Your outright denial of our answers does not constitute a non-answer on our part. Continually repeating the questions to elicit argument will not produce a different answer from us.

 

On multiple occasions over the course of multiple years, TWRA has provided extensive answers to your questions, with research appropriately cited. This has been provided to you both via email and through in-person meetings. Staff have spent a significant amount of time responding to your requests when that time could have been spent actually working to control invasive carp. While we understand you are passionate about protecting the lake you live at, this agency is tasked with protecting the entire state and must act accordingly. Your proposal to place the first barrier at Watts Bar would have the same detrimental impact you are trying to prevent there on Wilson, Wheeler, Guntersville, Nickajack, and Chickamauga Reservoirs.  Strategies being implemented and supported by TWRA have been agreed upon at the national level and prioritize preserving the quality of as many water bodies as possible given the current resources available.

 

Unfortunately, your arguments have failed to sway the direction of the state and federal experts that we work with throughout the Tennessee, Cumberland and Mississippi River Basins who collectively make the management plans for invasive carp. Your interpretation of the existing research does not preempt the nation’s collective biologic opinion. Because of this, TWRA will not be changing our management approach to suit your preferences. We stand by our decision to support the national plan and take full responsibility for that decision.

 

Threats to notify the media are also not necessary, as we have been open and transparent in media interviews about the existing research and the national strategic plan. We welcome the opportunity to educate the public about the threat of invasive carp and will happily respond to any request we receive from journalists.

 

Respectfully,

 

Emily Buck
Director of Communications and Outreach
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

5107 Edmondson Pike

Nashville, TN 37211

 

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From: Timothy Joseph <timjosephphd@gmail.com>
Date: December 19, 2022 at 9:30:53 AM CST
To: charty@tntech.edu, Jason Maxedon <Jason.Maxedon@tn.gov>, Angie Box <Angie.Box@tn.gov>, Governor Bill Lee <Bill.Lee@tn.gov>
Cc: Pandora Vreeland <buckrunne@hotmail.com>, Janice Moody <jmooody@hotmail.com>, Chip Whitaker <wwhit88481@aol.com>, Christy Calcagno <cmcalcagno@newschannel9.com>, Jerry Rasmussen <ijrivers@aol.com>, Wade Creswell <wade.creswell@roanecountytn.gov>, Monty Fritts <Mgfritts@liberty.edu>, Ron Berry <rberryins@aol.com>, Peter Sorensen <soren003@umn.edu>, Mark Cauley <info@terraceviewmarina.com>, Kelly Henry <BoomersF15E@hotmail.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: Six important questions–please answer
*** This is an EXTERNAL email. Please exercise caution. DO NOT open attachments or click links from unknown senders or unexpected email – STS-Security. ***

Dear Director Maxedon and Mr. Harty:

 

This represents my “FOURTH” request for answers to my original six-questions below.

I do not understand why it should take so long for you to simply answer them.

 

Please do so immediately. As I said before, these are “REASONABLE” questions and the WBEFC stakeholders are waiting for answers. The silver carp represent a the most serious economic and environmental threat this region will ever face, because once this invasive fish is in our lakes, there is no going back to a healthy ecosystem. This is fact. TWRA can “Prevent” this from happening, or at least do all they can to prevent it, but you continue to ignoring the facts as well as our request for technical data that supports your barrier placement behind the silver carp. You have made decisions, and you are responsible to everyone in the upper basin to support your decision with science and technical facts, not feelings or beliefs. All TWRA has provide to support the decision to place the barriers behind the carp is to say you “believe” or “feel” your barrier placement will protect the upper basin. It will NOT protect us, it allows the carp unfettered access to our/your lakes. PLEASE provide the science and technical data that supports your decision.

 

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT DELAY.

 

Professionally,

Dr. Joseph

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On Nov 18, 2022, at 9:37 AM, Timothy Joseph <timjosephphd@gmail.com> wrote:

 

To: Cole Harty, TWRA Biologist

Jason Maxedon, TWRA Executive Director

 

Dear Mr. Hardy and Director Maxedon:

 

The is my third request for answers to my six questions below. They are reasonable questions, and the WBEFC stakeholders are waiting for your answers. Please do not delay any longer. It should not be difficult to gather the science and information you have that supports the TWRA plan to place a barrier at Wilson Lock behind the silver carp, rather than in front of them at Watts Bar Lock which would be the best possible option to protect the upper four lakes. If you have no science or real data which shows a barrier behind the silver carp will prevent them from reaching the upper lakes, please say so and admit the TWRA decision is based only on unsupported speculation.

 

Let me remind you that the MICRA/USGS barrier placement document “ONLY” addressed reducing recruitment and removal of silver carp from invaded lakes, and did NOT address the silver carp free lakes, so please do not state that the MICRA/USGS document is being followed to prevent the silver carp from reaching the upper basin lakes. That quality document is intended for and should be followed ONLY for highly infested silver carp invaded lakes, and cannot be used to protect the upper basin which has no silver carp.

 

TWRA has a responsibility to carry out your mission, which states,”To preserve, conserve, manage, protect, and enhance the fish and wildlife of the state and their habitats.”

 

Placing a barrier behind the invasive silver carp at Wilson Lock does not “Protect” the upper basin, for the silver carp “in” Wilson lake and the lakes above Wilson are presently moving upstream to the upper basin lakes. Yet TWRA believes that a barrier behind the silver carp at Wilson is the best option. TWRA has a responsibility to provide the science and data that supports your decision. At our meeting in Nashville, Mr. Cole only provided speculation regarding barrier placement saying he “Thinks” this will protect the upper lakes.  “Speculation” alone is not acceptable, only science and fisheries biology. Your silence regarding this request for information is unacceptable and unprofessional. I respectfully request TWRA answer the questions with science and data. Please do so immediately, you have had more than a month to gather the requested information. Thank you kindly, Professionally, Dr. Timothy Joseph ” src=”blob:https://wbefc.com/c338e6de-022c-4c26-bc59-471ce399012a” alt=”Tim Signature.jpg” apple-inline=”yes” class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton” style=”outline: currentcolor; text-decoration: none; border: medium; opacity: 1;”>

 

On Oct 16, 2022, at 5:50 PM, Timothy Joseph <timjosephphd@gmail.com> wrote:

 

To: Mr. Cole Harty, TWRA Biologist

From: Dr. Timothy Joseph, WBEFC Chair.

 

Dear Mr. Hardy:

 

Thank you for meeting with me at your office in Nashville. At our meeting, and twice to the TV reporter recently, you stated that putting a barrier into Wilson Lake was at the leading edge of the silver carp, and you said that it is the best way to protect the upper lakes.

 

Neither of those statements are true. The definition of leading edge is: “the most advanced position, be in the front, leading the pack, ahead of, front-line.” The silver carp in Pickwick Lake are not the leading edge in any sense of the word, nor are the fish in Wilson Lake. This photo alone tells the truth.

 

 

• FEBRUARY 19, 2022

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Nathan Aycock, WFF Fisheries Biologist, holds a huge silver carp taken from Pickwick Lake. (ADCNR photo)

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

 

How can TWRA believe this represents the Leading Edge? Even if you believe it, where will the “Leading Edge” be in the 2-3 years that shall lapse until the barrier can be built?  It certainly won’t be the leading edge then. The fish you see in the photo are continually moving into Wilson Lake every day and continuing upstream and what will the population look like in Wilson in 3 years?

 

Please provide the following information:

 

1. All modeling, science, data, substantive information TWRA has that supports TWRA’s claim that a barrier into Wilson Lake will “Protect” the upper lakes as TWRA has stated. I’m asking for concrete information,not speculationor what anyone thinks. “Protect” means “Prevent harm” not postpone it. If you have no scientific or concrete information/data, please state the facts.

 

2. The silver carp in Pickwick (in the photo above), Wilson, and Guntersville are continually swimming upstream. The entire central portion of the U.S. has been taken over by the silver carp due to their upstream migration. Why do you think this is not a threat to the upper four carp-free lakes.

 

3. You stated during our meeting that you have seen no signs of reproduction in Wilson Lake. How many sampling campaigns did TWRA undertake, and what was the duration of each sampling campaign?

 

4. Wilson is a good sized lake. If a small pod did reproduce, it would be very difficult to find them. Is it possible that your sampling may have missed capturing fry or young of the year fish?

 

5. TWRA made it “illegal” to release live silver carp (as unused bait) into TN lakes due to the threat of invasion. Why does this represent a threat, yet allowing silver carp to migrate freely through TN River locks, a far greater threat, is not being prevented with barriers in FRONT of the fish? Please explain—science/ecology please.

 

6. Would a barrier at the Wilson Lock be as effective at “protecting,” the upper lakes (preventing the carp from reaching them) as placing a barrier at Watts Bar Lock “in front” of the fish? Please explain your answer.

 

Please provide this information as soon as possible. I have CC’ed the news reporter that you spoke with and will forward to her your reply. The public needs to understand why TWRA plans to place barriers behind the silver carp at the Wilson lock rather than in front of them at Watts Bar lock which would represent the BEST possible protection for the silver carp free lakes. A reminder. In the 2-3 years it will take to build a barrier anywhere, the fish are continually moving upstream from Pickwick and Guntersville lakes.

Please provide answers to my questions in a timely manner.

Thank You Kindly

 

Dr. Joseph