LANSING - The double-crested cormorant has long been a concern for many residents along Michigan's shorelines and inland lakes, and some members of the House are now officially taking notice.

The cormorant, a water bird similar to but larger than the loon, was on Michigan's endangered species list in the 1970s, but improvements in water quality allowed the population to reach an estimated 30,000 nesting pairs.

The large number of birds has destroyed habitat and depleted fish populations along the northern parts of lakes Michigan and Huron, said Pete Butchko, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Michigan Wildlife Services Division.

A group of legislators have introduced a resolution that would urge the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the federal government to work together to "implement the most aggressive means" of controlling the cormorant population.  A resolution is an expression of legislative opinion, but doesn't have the force of law.

The resolution has been referred to the Natural Resources, Great Lakes, Land Use and Environment Committee.

Rep. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, is the primary sponsor. Co-sponsors include Reps. Matthew Gillard, D-Alpena, John Stahl, R-North Branch, and Tom Meyer, R-Bad Axe.

Gillard said that the resolution is a statement of the legislators' feelings, but it is important to also appropriate state money to address the problem in the future.

"Obviously the state's budget outlook isn't too positive right now, but it's really a small amount of money," he said.

Butchko said that if large groups of cormorants nest in an area for a long period, it "really becomes a very foul place for humans and plants alike."

Because the cormorant is federally protected, residents of the affected areas can't harass or shoot the birds without permission from the USDA or DNR, he said.

Butchko said other factors also lead to decreases in fish populations.

"I don't think anyone anywhere has said they're the only problem," he said.

Jeremy Emmi, executive director of the Michigan Nature Association in Williamston, said that the cormorant is a native species that should be protected.

"The cormorant is really a scapegoat for problems in the Great Lakes," he said.

He said the USDA hasn't used scientific research when making decisions regarding the cormorant.

"Our mission is to protect native species and use a science-based approach," he said. "If someone is using a political approach, that's not going to work for us."

Lorie Pahlkotter, treasurer of the Long Lake Improvement Association in Alpena, said a severe drop in that lake's walleye population due to cormorants has hurt her family's business, Buck's Bait & Tackle.

"My husband and I would be the only ones ice fishing," she said. "People don't want to fish a lake where your chances of getting something are so small."

Pahlkotter said she raised about $14,000 to restock Long Lake with fish in 2004, and continues to raise money for the effort. With the help of representatives from the USDA, she has also organized a group of volunteers who help scare birds away from the lake.

"It's not nice out there in April," she said of the weather. "But if you're not out there, they'll come back."

She added that cooperation between the state and federal governments is crucial to decreasing the cormorant population.

"I don't want to see all the cormorants dead," she said. "They're beautiful, unique birds. They just need to get the numbers down."