Great Lakes Compact Goes Into Effect Dec. 8
December 3, 2008
MADISON – The Great Lakes Compact takes effect Dec. 8, ushering in a new era of cooperation and conservation among those states that border the five Great Lakes, which hold one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water.
The historic agreement binding Wisconsin and seven other Great Lakes states largely prohibits water from being diverted outside the Great Lakes basin (pdf) while committing residents and businesses within the basin to sustainably use that water.
“This is a great day for Wisconsin, the Great Lakes region and the world community,” says Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank. “The Great Lakes are an international treasure. The compact assures they’ll be the foundation for a healthy economy and a healthy environment for generations to come.”
The agreement was signed by President George Bush on Oct. 3, 2008 following its passage by eight state legislatures and a swift ride through the U.S. Congress. A companion agreement with two Canadian provinces takes effect Dec. 8 . Conventional wisdom had put passage of the agreement at five to 10 years or more, if ever, but the compact is going into effect barely three years to the date after it was signed by Gov. Jim Doyle and his counterparts in the seven other Great Lakes states, Frank said.
The compact prohibits long-distance, large-scale diversions from the Great Lakes with a few carefully regulated exceptions that allow communities near the basin boundary to apply for Great Lakes water. It also directs the Great Lakes states to develop water conservation and efficiency programs, and promotes the sustainable management of the groundwater and surface waters of the Great Lakes Basin.
Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states and the two Canadian provinces are racing to enact its provisions. DNR has pulled together veteran drinking water and groundwater staff into a new section to focus on implementing the compact and Gov. Doyle’s statewide water conservation initiative, both of which will require years of administrative rulemaking.
The compact’s Dec. 8 effective date brings immediate requirements for more than 1,500 existing municipalities, manufacturers, irrigators and other operations in Wisconsin that have the capacity to withdraw large volumes of water under existing permits.
For now, users within the Great Lakes basin with the capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30 day period need to register with the DNR and start reporting their annual water use as part of the compact’s requirement that states track Great Lakes water use.
These high volume uses will be reviewed for possible impacts on lakes, streams and other waters if the proposed new or increased water withdrawal is more than 1 million gallons per day for 30 consecutive days.
Eventually, residential water users in Wisconsin and other Great Lakes state will likely see changes aimed at spurring them to save water and use it more efficiently.
“Transforming the compact from a paper agreement into a working system will be challenging, but we think the benefits to Wisconsin and the region will be well worth the effort, and will help us all be good stewards of the great treasure that is the Great Lakes,” Frank says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Ebersberger (608) 266-1722; Shaili Pfeiffer (608) 267-7630
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Coastal Fisheries Bay Team Tournament Slated for Aransas Pass
November 11, 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has scheduled a Coastal Fisheries Bay Team tournament targeting flounder for 6 a.m. until noon Nov. 15 at Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass.
The program, launched in 2005, is designed to recruit experienced anglers to assist TPWD with collecting brood stock for hatchery programs. The anglers receive t-shirts and fishing lures — and the chance to win hand-held GPS units, rods and reels and BOGA-Grip handheld scales — all while promoting conservation.
An earlier event slated for Texas City was cancelled due to Huricane Ike.
“This all ties in to genetic diversity-the more fish we have for hatchery broodstock, the better it will be for the millions of fish we stock in Texas public waters to improve fishing each year,” said Robert Adami, TPWD coastal fisheries biologist in Corpus Christi.
A long-term decline in southern flounder numbers in Texas bays has led to a series of public scoping meetings to consider regulation changes for the 2009-2010 season. At the same time, efforts are underway at both TPWD and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas to consistently and successfully spawn flounder in captivity.
“Avoiding inbreeding is an essential component of any hatchery breeding program. You don’t want the same fish siblings year after year after year,” Adami said. “You want at least 25 percent of your brood stock to be new fish each year, and this program is helping us do that.”
Each Coastal Fisheries Bay Team tournament is open to 30 two-person teams, 60 people total, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration takes place on-site the day of each tournament. There is no entry fee, but all entrants must be 21 years old or older. Participants may turn in three fish per tournament.
Everyone who brings in at least one flounder is eligible for a drawing to win a Garmin eTrex GPS, a BOGA-Grip handheld scale or a Shimano Calcutta 200B baitcasting reel mounted on a Texas Tackle Factory rod.
The prizes, equipment, and program are made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.
Anglers interested in participating should call Robert Adami at (361) 215-7340 or e-mail him at robert [dot] adami [at] tpwd [dot] state [dot] tx [dot] us
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Wanted: Talented Artists to Design 2009 California Duck Stamp
November 6, 2008
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced today an art contest for the 2009 design for the state’s duck stamp. This is the first time since 1994 a contest will decide the stamp’s art.
The contest is open to all U.S. residents aged 18 and over. Entries will be accepted from March 1 until the April 30 contest deadline. The species selected by the Fish and Game Commission to appear on the 2009 duck stamp is the northern shoveler.
A duck stamp is required for hunting waterfowl in California. The money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on waterfowl-related conservation projects. Since it began in 1971, the California duck stamp program has raised more than $22 million. It is also the first, and oldest, state duck stamp program in the country.
DFG sells about 70,000 duck stamps annually, which includes sales to collectors who value them for their artist depiction of native ducks and geese. In addition to duck stamps, DFG typically issues signed, limited edition prints that are valued by art collectors.
The duck stamp contest will be judged by a panel of citizens with expertise in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing. The winning artist will be selected during a public judging event to be held in May. A date has not yet been set for the judging.
The top entries will then be displayed in July at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show in Sacramento. The winning entry will be reproduced on the 2009 California Duck Stamp and will be available as collectible limited edition prints.
For contest information and entry forms, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/about/duckstamp.
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Study Assesses Feasibility of New National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry Valley
November 3, 2008
Service to Hold Public Meetings in November, Invites Public Comments Through December 5
Monroe County, Penn. - The findings in a report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) evaluate the potential for a new national wildlife refuge in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The agency is accepting comments through December 5 on the proposed actions presented in the report, titled the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Draft Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment. Two public meetings have been scheduled in the area:
Wednesday, November 19
Christ Hamilton Church, RD 4 Box 4293, Bossardsville Road, Saylorsburg (570/992-4085)
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.: Informational open house
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Brief presentation followed by public comments
Thursday, November 20
Stroudsmoor Country Inn, Ridgecrest Event Facility
RD 4 Stroudsmoor Rd., Stroudsburg (570/421-6431)
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.: Informational open house
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Brief presentation followed by public comments
In the report, the Service presents three alternatives, including its recommendation to establish a new wildlife refuge encompassing up to 20,466 acres in Cherry Valley. It also evaluates the merits of either establishing a more limited refuge boundary or taking no action. The alternatives are based on the findings from a year-long, Congressionally-mandated study evaluating the biological value of the fish and wildlife communities within Cherry Valley, and the environmental and socio-economic feasibility of establishing a national wildlife refuge in the area. More than 200 individuals participated in public meetings in March to identify issues considered in the study.
The report is online at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Cherry%20Valley/lcphome.html
Contact project planner Carl Melberg by phone (978/443-4661 ext. 32) or e-mail (Carl_Melberg [at] fws [dot] gov) to request the document in print or on CD. The document will be available for review at local libraries, town and county offices and other locations. Hearing-impaired individuals may call the federal relay service at 1/800/877-8339.
Comments may be submitted by e-mail to northeastplanning [at] fws [dot] gov; by fax to 978/443-2898; or by mail to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attn: Carl Melberg, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.
After the public comment period is completed the document will be submitted to the Service’s headquarters for additional review and a final decision by the agency’s director. If a national wildlife refuge is eventually established in Cherry Valley, the Service would work with willing sellers to purchase their land outright or protect other lands through conservation easements.
On behalf of their constituents, U.S. Representatives Paul E. Kanjorski (Penn.-D-11th) and Charles W. Dent (Penn.-R-15th) co-sponsored a bill in 2005 to consider Cherry Valley as a prospective national wildlife refuge. The legislation was in response to a petition advocating for refuge establishment endorsed by numerous community leaders and local elected officials in Monroe County. The 109th U.S. Congress approved the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act in 2006, requiring the completion of the study. The final version of the report, available by January 2009, will fulfill this legislative mandate.
The Service worked in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (Conservancy) (www.tnc.org/pennsylvania) to establish baseline information as the scientific foundation for the study. The full study team includes representatives from the Service, the Conservancy, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, National Park Service, Monroe County Planning Commission, Monroe County Conservation District, Northampton Community College, East Stroudsburg University and the Pocono Avian Research Center. The Conservancy also received financial assistance supporting the study through a major gift from John S. Potter, Jr., in memory of Maggie Price, his late wife who was a native of Monroe County.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Announced
October 28, 2008
William Guerrini, Don Hankla, Dwight Hoffard, and George Rabb to be honored next February 28
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – Four Illinoisans with decades of dedication to enhancing outdoor recreation and natural resources protection in the state have been selected for induction into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame.
William Guerrini, the late Don Hankla, Dwight Hoffard, and Dr. George Rabb have been selected for the hall of fame from among dozens of nominees submitted by citizens from throughout Illinois. The four conservation leaders will be inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Illinois Conservation Foundation’s annual Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet to be held next February 28 at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main Street, St. Charles.
“These men have set the standard for helping others enjoy outdoor Illinois and to appreciate all the natural wonders of our state,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Sam Flood, who serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. “The Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame honors the ‘best of the best’ each year, and the inductions of Bill Guerrini, Don Hankla, Dwight Hoffard, and George Rabb will help inspire all of us to be good stewards of our natural resources.”
“Induction into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame recognizes commitment to making our state a better place to live for Illinois citizens, visitors, and for future generations,” said Greg Legan, executive director of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. “We are very pleased to add these four dedicated conservationists to the roster of distinguished Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame members.”
The Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Class of 2009
William H. Guerrini, Spring Valley
A lifelong advocate for outdoor recreation in Illinois, Bill Guerrini served as one of the state’s first volunteer Hunter Safety Education course instructors in the 1970s. A long time educator and coach, Bill is the founder of the Spring Valley Walleye Club and helped bring the successful Master’s Walleye Circuit professional fishing tournament to Illinois in 1987. The tournament has served as an outstanding promotion for the Illinois River walleye and sauger fishery for more than 20 years. Bill Guerrini also promotes youth fishing events and boating in north-central Illinois.
Don Hankla, Anna
The late Don Hankla was a long time sportsman, conservationist, and advocate for natural resources conservation in Illinois. The Anna native retired in 1987 after a distinguished career as a wildlife biologist and researcher with the North Carolina Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. After retiring, Don Hankla dedicated his volunteer efforts to conservation stewardship in the Cache River watershed in southern Illinois. Don chaired the interagency Cache River watershed planning initiative and helped develop the local Cache River Ecosystem Partnership and the Friends of the Cache River Watershed, promoting watershed protection projects throughout the Cache River basin. Don Hankla passed away in April 2007.
Dwight Hoffard, Johnston City
For more than 20 years, Dwight Hoffard has been the driving force behind the success of the Southern Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days festival on the campus of John A. Logan College in Carterville, chairing the event for the past 15 years. Dwight is also a tireless volunteer in promoting outdoor recreation safety, serving as an IDNR Master Hunting Safety Education Instructor, Master Boating Safety Instructor, wingshooting instructor, and National Sporting Clays Association Youth Shooting Instructor. Dwight Hoffard is also a founder of the Youth Outdoor Education Foundation, the Southern Illinois Boat and Fishing Show, Friends of Crab Orchard, and the Midwest Bass Classic fishing tournament.
Dr. George B. Rabb, Brookfield
George Rabb, president emeritus of the Chicago Zoological Society, is a dedicated conservationist known internationally for implementing programs focused on conservation research and education. During a 47-year career at the Brookfield Zoo, George Rabb transformed the zoo to promote a concern for the natural world and conservation ethic among the facility’s millions of visitors. Dr. Rabb has also dedicated volunteer leadership to promoting natural resources conservation as a member and chairman of the Board of the Illinois State Museum. Among his many professional associations, Dr. Rabb served as chairman of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union, helping develop conservation action plans intended to stem the decline in amphibians.
In addition to the induction ceremony for the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, the banquet next February 28 will also include presentations of the Illinois Conservation Foundation’s annual Conservation Youth Achievement Scholarships. Ten students will each receive $1,000 scholarships for their achievements in natural resources stewardship. Nomination forms for the scholarship program are available on the ICF web site at www.ilcf.org. The deadline to submit nominations for the scholarships is December 1.
Proceeds from the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet assist in funding the youth scholarships and the popular ICF grant program, supporting natural resource protection, environmental enhancement, and education projects statewide.
For more information on the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on February 28, 2009 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, contact Greg Legan, Illinois Conservation Foundation, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, phone 217/785-2003, or check the ICF web site at www.ilcf.org.
The ICF is an IRS 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in 1995 to support the programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
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Pennsylvania Game Commission Announces Results of October Board Meetings
October 27, 2008
BOARD TAKES STEP TO EXPAND MENTORED YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
HARRISBURG – Taking a step forward to grow the agency’s popular Mentored Youth Hunting Program (MYHP), the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to add coyotes to the list of species that may be hunted by youths under the age of 12 while under the supervision of a mentor.
The addition of coyotes to the MYHP line-up was recommended by the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation and the Pennsylvania Fox and Coyote Hunters Association.
Under the MYHP, a mentor is defined as a properly licensed individual at least 21 years of age, who serves as a guide to a mentored youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearm and hunter safety and wildlife identification. A mentored youth is defined as an unlicensed individual under the age of 12, who is accompanied by a mentor while engaged in hunting or related activities.
The mentor-to-mentored youth ratio may not exceed one mentor to one youth, and the pair may possess only one sporting arm while hunting. While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor. When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth and must keep the youth within arm’s length at all times.
“As with other MYHP opportunities, mentored youth who choose to hunt for coyotes must do so from a stationary hunting location,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.
The MYHP, first implemented by the Board in 2006, also enables participating youth to hunt for squirrel, woodchuck (groundhog), spring gobbler and antlered deer. Antlerless deer are not legal, so mentored youth may not participate in any antlerless-only deer seasons. Also, if mentored youth are participating in the early or late archery deer seasons, or the late flintlock muzzleloader seasons, they must use the sporting arms legal for those seasons to take antlered deer only.
Youth and mentors are required to abide by all fluorescent orange regulations, and the mentored youth must tag and report any antlered deer or spring gobbler taken. Mentored youth may participate in the youth-only squirrel season and the youth-only spring gobbler day, as well as the general squirrel and spring gobbler seasons.
Youths participating in the Mentored Youth Hunting Program are required to follow the same antler restrictions as a junior license holder, which are two or more points on one antler or one antler three or more inches in length. Mentored youth may only pursue antlered deer, and may only participate in seasons in which antlered deer are legal and must follow appropriate sporting arm restrictions.
BOARD APPROVES ADDITIONAL URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT OPTION
Continuing to implement recommendations of its Urban Deer Management Plan, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to a regulatory change to allow homeowners associations and nonprofit land-holding organizations to apply for a Deer Control Permit under the same process provided for political subdivisions, such as boroughs and townships.
“In developed landscapes, lower deer populations result in fewer deer human conflicts,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “And, although we prefer to use hunting to manage deer populations, hunting is not always feasible in an urbanized setting due to safety zone restrictions. We must, therefore, consider alternative herd reduction tools for communities to address their growing deer populations.
“Recognizing that urban deer issues do not always affect an entire township or borough, the Board is proposing to expand the list of authorized Deer Control Permit applicants to include homeowners associations and nonprofit land-holding companies. This does not change the requirements of the review process, but it does make this tool available to more groups experiencing unacceptable levels of deer-human conflicts in developed areas.”
BOARD GIVES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL TO EXPANDED USE OF CROSSBOWS
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to expand the lawful use of crossbows to include both the archery deer and bear seasons. The Board would need to approve the measure at another public meeting in order for the proposal to take effect, so this change will not be in place for the 2008-09 seasons.
The proposal given preliminary approval also would remove the lawful use of crossbows during the October muzzleloader or late flintlock muzzleloader season.
Other changes made by the proposal would simplify and make the language of the regulations easier to understand.
BOARD APPROVES SIX STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS PROJECTS
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved six projects that will study or help species of concern in Pennsylvania. The projects approved are funded from an allocation provided by the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program, administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federal Aid Program.
The SWG program focuses on endangered species prevention and ensuring that common species remain common. To be eligible for SWG appropriations from the federal government, Pennsylvania developed a “Wildlife Action Plan” that focuses on species with low and declining populations and species that are in great need of proactive conservation, by monitoring more abundant species for which Pennsylvania bears a special responsibility in their long-term conservation, and by incorporating habitat-level management rather than case-by-case, species-specific intervention.
“The SWG program has made Pennsylvania a better place for many species of concern and provided managers with important background to improve resource management programs,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “This work, conducted largely by both local and national partners to our agency, has accomplished great good for wildlife and the environment. But there’s much more work to do, and the cost of doing that research and intervening usually becomes more expensive with each passing year. That’s why the SWG program is critical to Pennsylvania. It makes an important difference for some species before it’s too late.”
Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) can be viewed on the internet by going to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on “Wildlife” in the left column, and then selecting “Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan” in the “Wildlife Grants & Programs” box.
The projects approved by the Board today are as follows:
EASTERN WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MAGISTER) MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS: Classroom and on-site instruction (at four, two-day regional workshops), will provide 90 or more resource managers with a foundation for the adaptive management of insular, surface rock communities, emphasizing the delineation of N. magister habitat sites and the avoidance, reversal or mitigation of factors potentially contributing to the decline of this species and ultimately federal listing as a threatened species. Concurrently, a workshop steering committee will form the nucleus of a N. magister recovery team (Jerry Hassinger - $30,000).
STATE GAME LAND 214 (PYMATUNING) WETLAND RESTORATION: This work will restore and enhance 113 acres of emergent and scrub-shrub wetlands for WAP species of high concern (Kurt Dyroff, Ducks Unlimited - $63,000).
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