Public Comments Sought on Arizona Fish Stocking Program So It Can Continue to Receive Federal Funding
November 6, 2008
Did you know that the feisty rainbow trout dancing on the end of your fishing line was most likely hatchery raised?
Each year, the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks more than 3 million fish for anglers to catch in approximately 160 of Arizona’s lakes, rivers and streams - mostly rainbow, Apache, brook, and cutthroat trout, but some warmwater species such as largemouth bass and channel catfish as well.
The stocking program is supported with federal funds through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program, along with state funds from the sale of licenses and trout stamps.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department are seeking public comments on issues associated with all the sport-fish stockings in the state as part of a draft environmental assessment process that is required to continue using federal funding for stocking activities in Arizona.
Public input is being sought to determine the extent and variety of issues that should be addressed by the draft environmental assessment. The comment period continues through 5 p.m. on Dec. 19.
Once the comment period ends, the wildlife agencies will prepare a draft environmental assessment to evaluate the social, economic and environmental effects of stockings related to continue funding for the program through the Sport Fish Restoration Program.
As part of the scoping process, the following three public open houses are being held to answer questions and gather public input on the stocking program issues:
- Pinetop, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17, Arizona Game and Fish Department Region 1 office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- Tucson, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 24, Arizona Game and Fish Department Region 5 office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
- Phoenix, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 25, at Arizona Game and Fish Department Headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway.
“While we will be at the public meetings to provide background information and answer questions, all comments to be formally considered must be made in writing,” said Weedman.
Written comments can be sent to either:
David Weedman, Aquatic Habitat Program Coordinator, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. E-mail:Â fishaz [at] azgfd [dot] gov
.
Harold Namminga, Sport Fish Restoration Grant Administrator, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, P.O Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103. E-mail: Harold_Namminga [at] fws [dot] gov.
All comments must be submitted in writing no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 19.
Weedman pointed out that recreational angling in Arizona totaled 4,156,000 angling days in 2006, creating a statewide economic impact of more than $1.1 billion annually.
Arizona’s natural fish fauna historically consisted of 36 species of fish, only a few of which were traditionally sought by early Americans for sport fishing, which is a trend that continues today.
Since the early 1900s, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and other agencies have supplemented recreational angling opportunities by stocking state waters with sport fish species.
“Fish stockings have evolved over the past 100 years or so to meet growing needs of anglers in Arizona,” Weedman said. “Now we consider a wide range of factors when determining where and when to stock fish, including biology, angler use, partnership commitments and needs, native fish impacts and social demands.”
Although most of the trout species caught in Arizona likely come from fish hatcheries, most of the warmwater species in the state - especially those in the larger impoundments such as Roosevelt Lake - come from natural reproduction.
The federal funding apportioned to Arizona is authorized under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act and Wallop-Breaux Act. It provides federal aid to state wildlife agencies for management and restoration of sport fish.
These Sport Fish Restoration funds are derived from a federal excise tax at the manufacturing level on certain items of sport-fishing tackle, fishing equipment and motor boat fuel.
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5-stand Now Available at Ben Avery Clay Target Center
September 5, 2008
Variety is the Spice of Life For Target Shooters in Arizona
PHOENIX — Recreational clay target shooters can now enjoy the challenge of 5-stand at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility’s Clay Target Center in Phoenix. The center has added 5-stand to augment its current offerings of trap, skeet and sporting clays.
Likened to an abbreviated version of sporting clays, 5-stand offers shooters a variety of target presentations to simulate the random flight paths of upland and waterfowl hunting. For those that typically shoot trap or skeet, this game will prove to be challenging and exciting.
 “5-stand is a very popular game. Our regular customers are happy to see us offering it again,” says Range Master Bill Kelsey. “The other day I pulled about 60 rounds non-stop. That’s 1,500 targets. They love it. I had to beg the shooters to give me a 5-minute water break.”
5-stand is set up on one of the center’s lighted trap/skeet fields and offers both daytime and nighttime shooting. Each station offers five targets chosen from seven different throwing positions and trajectories. At each station there is a menu of what targets will be presented. For example, station one might consist of the following: “single 7, report pair 1 and 5, true pair 3 and 4.” Each station is different, and the menus may change.
A round of 5-stand consists of 25 targets, five from each station, and the cost is only $6.50 per round. Hunters of dove and quail will find that 5-stand is a great way to get your shotgunning skills honed before going afield.
Summer hours for the Ben Avery Clay Target Center continue until Oct. 15. For more information about hours, location and games offered, visit www.azgfd.gov/ctc.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department took over the operations of the Clay Target Center in 2006. Since that time the department has put in extensive repairs and improvements to bring the center to today’s standards. Improvements include lighting, shade awnings, all new throwers, voice-activated releases, new skeet houses, updated sporting clays course with electronic play card readers, and - currently under construction - a new visitor’s center.
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New Tool Helps Fight Quagga Mussels
April 26, 2008
Bill gives officers authority to stop, inspect and detain boats and vehicles
Utah has a new tool to help prevent quagga and zebra mussels from entering the state—Senate Bill 238.
Passed during the 2008 legislative session, SB-238 gives Utah law enforcement officers and port-of-entry agents the authority to stop, inspect and detain vehicles and boats that may contain a quagga or zebra mussel.
If this intervention is successful, it could save Utahns millions of dollars each year.
New tool
SB-238 gives officers the authority to stop and detain vehicles and boats that the officers have reasonable cause to believe might have been used on an infested water or might be carrying quagga or zebra mussels. That includes vehicles and boats that are traveling down roads, entering or leaving parking lots, or anywhere the vehicle or boat might be.
Also, any boat that has been on an infected water must be decontaminated before it enters Utah or is launched on any water in the state.
Devastating effects
The devastating effects quagga and zebra mussels could have on Utah is the reason legislators passed the new law.
Quagga mussels and their cousins, zebra mussels, attach themselves to boat hulls, boat motors, water system intakes and anything else that comes in contact with the water.
Quagga and zebra mussels are destructive to any lake they inhabit. From consuming massive amounts of plankton, which is fish food, to fouling beaches and plugging pumps, pipes and outboard motors, these tiny mussels take over any water they enter.
“Fighting quagga and zebra mussels will not be easy,” says Larry Dalton, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “If a single breeding pair gets into a water, that single pair can lead to a massive colony.
“It will take everyone’s help and vigilance to keep this tiny creature out of our lakes. Boaters and others who recreate on Utah’s waters need to change their habits.”
Clean, drain and dry
Dalton encourages boaters, anglers and anyone who recreates at Utah’s waters to clean, drain and dry their boat and any other equipment that touches the water.
Specifically, he encourages boaters and anglers to:
Clean plants, fish, mussels and mud from your boat;
Drain the water from all areas of your boat and equipment;
Dry your boat and equipment in the sun before using it again. In the summer, let it dry for at least 7 days in the sun. In the spring and fall, dry it for 18 days in the sun. In the winter, leave your equipment out for 3 days in the freezing temperatures. Leaving it out for 3 days should be enough to kill any mussels that are on your equipment.
You can also have a professional boat washer wash your boat and trailer, and flush your motor, bilge and live wells, with scalding hot water.
The water must be at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, there are very few boat washers in Utah that have equipment that can heat water to 140 degrees.
“Cleaning, draining and drying your boat and equipment is something all of us can do,” Dalton says. “Drying your boat and equipment is just as effective as washing it with water that’s 140 degrees.”
Legislature provides $2 million
In addition to passing SB-238, the legislature authorized more than $2 million to implement an aquatic invasive species program that the DWR and its partners started in 2007.
The $2 million will jumpstart the program by allowing it to buy decontamination equipment, hire and train employees, and develop informative materials.
Massive effort
The DWR and its partners have launched a massive campaign to keep mussels out of Utah this year. If you’re a boater, you’ll be among the first to see the campaign in action.
For example, as you pull up to a boat ramp, you’ll likely be greeted by a biologist or a law enforcement officer. They’ll give you some information about quagga and zebra mussels. They’ll also ask you if you’ve been boating on a water that has mussels.
If you have been boating on an infested water, they’ll ask you to decontaminate your boat before launching it.
Why all of this concern and effort?
Just over a year ago, biologists at Lake Mead discovered a growing population of quagga mussels. During the following months, more and more populations were discovered throughout the lower Colorado River drainage. Biologists found mussels at marinas, popular boating areas, isolated points and even in the intake pipes that supply water to downstream communities in Arizona and California.
Boaters from the lower Colorado River drainage often visit Utah. Because quagga and zebra mussels are usually transported on boats, this discovery puts Utah at risk.
The DWR has purchased 26 boat decontamination units to help keep Utah’s lakes clean. If you have been in a quagga or zebra mussel-infested water, you must get your boat decontaminated before placing it on any of Utah’s waters.
For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.
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