IDNR Releases Biological Stream Ratings for Diversity, Integrity, and Significance
October 20, 2008
 Stream ratings are an important tool in identifying which streams are the most biologically diverse and have a high degree of integrity
SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announces the release of biological stream ratings that combine, update, and enhance the two previous approaches for rating Illinois streams. Stream ratings are an important tool in identifying which streams are the most biologically diverse and have a high degree of integrity. These ratings are regularly used by the IDNR and watershed and environmental groups that focus on stream protection and enhancement.
The new ratings for diversity, integrity, and significance replace the Biological Stream Characterization (BSC) and Biologically Significant Streams (BSS) that were developed in 1984 and 1992 respectively.
“Both BSC and BSS processes generated products that are used extensively by diverse stakeholders,” said IDNR Acting Director Sam Flood. “The new stream ratings will provide the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with a mechanism for identifying high-quality examples of all stream communities and will guide management and restoration activities throughout the state.”
The new ratings use fish, macroinvertebrates, crayfish, mussels, and threatened and endangered species information to generate an overall score of biological diversity and integrity in streams. The purpose behind the new ratings was not only to update outdated information, but to establish baseline conditions against which change promoted by the Wildlife Action Plan could be measured and understood. Since the Wildlife Action Plan broadly addresses all types of wildlife including fish, mussels, amphibians, and reptiles, these new ratings will help resource managers to determine if aquatic organisms are responding to management activities promoted by the plan.
The information contributing to integrity and diversity ratings is then used to identify a sub-set of stream reaches as “biologically significant”. The revised ratings are limited mostly to wadeable streams and incorporate biological information from 1997 - 2007.   Â
“We believe that including additional groups of organisms into both integrity and diversity measures in ratings provides a more robust assessment of stream biological condition, thereby improving our confidence in stream ratings,” said Mike Conlin Director of IDNR – Office of Resource Conservation.Â
More information about how the ratings were developed and what biological information was used can be found at:Â http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orc/BioStrmRatings/
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Snakehead Eradication Meeting Sept. 18 in Brinkley, Arkansas
September 3, 2008
BRINKLEY – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a town hall meeting and public hearing about eradicating northern snakehead fish at 7 p.m., Sept. 18, in Brinkley at the Convention Center.
Snakeheads, natives of Asia, were discovered in the Piney Creek watershed in Lee and Monroe counties last spring. An eradication effort is planned for this October.
The first part of the meeting will outline the need to protect the Piney Creek watershed from the fish, which eat sport fish and can survive in a wide variety of habitats and temperatures. Without control, snakehead fish will spread into the lower White River and eventually up the Mississippi River. The second part of the meeting will be open to public comments about the Piney Creek Environmental Assessment and the eradication project.
Several AGFC personnel and FWS biologists will be available during the meeting to answer questions. The eradication will be staged in three phases: treatment, short-term assessment with retreatment, and stocking of fish and long-term assessment.
Phase I: Treatment
Treatment will be conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 18, although that schedule may change because of weather and field conditions. Water will not be treated when Big Piney Creek flow exceeds 50 cubic feet per second at Buckhorn County Road Bridge.
Treatment will consist of aerial and ground application of up to 24,000 pounds of powdered rotenone and 3,000 gallons of liquid rotenone to Big Piney Creek, Little Piney Creek, tributaries, and ditches. The estimated treatment coverage is up to 4,000 acres; the area treated will depend on the amount of water present in Piney Creek.
Rotenone is a chemical commonly used to control nuisance species in fish management and has low toxicity on other wildlife.
Aerial application will consist of liquid rotenone in ditches, tributaries ponds, and lakes without tree canopies. FWS helicopter crews will conduct aerial treatment with pilots certified for rotenone application by the Arkansas State Plant Board.
The FWS has prepared an Environmental Assessment to evaluate the potential impact of providing resources to assist AGFC in its efforts. The FWS will provide about $150,000 of in-kind assistance to help the AGFC restore native fish in the Piney Creek watershed. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the FWS is requesting public comments on the proposed federal action. The 30-day comment period begins on Aug. 22 and ends on Sept. 22. At the end of the comment period, the FWS will determine the extent of the federal action’s impact.
Phase II: Short-term Assessment and Retreatment
Phase II will rapidly assess the success of the treatment on northern snakeheads. Retreatment will be conducted in areas where incomplete kills are suspected. This phase will begin immediately after the treatment phase and should conclude by Nov. 1.
Assessment crews will determine the success of the kill by sampling fish and looking for snakeheads. Areas with live fish may be retreated with liquid or powdered rotenone.
Phase III: Stocking and Long-term Assessment
Big Piney and Little Piney creeks will be stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. Largemouth bass and bluegill will be young-of-year, at least 3 inches long. Channel catfish will be a combination of yearlings (7-8 inches) and adults (10 inches and longer). Stocking may begin immediately following Phase II in early November and proceed through summer 2009. Stocking locations will be determined by availability of access, but attempts will be made to stock fish throughout the treatment area.
During the long-term assessment phase, the Big Piney Creek drainage will be monitored for northern snakeheads and the colonization of the treatment area by fish and other aquatic life. Long-term monitoring will begin in 2009 and continue until it’s no longer necessary. The AGFC will work with local landowners to secure access permission and not interfere with farming operations.
The Environmental Assessment is available at http://www.fws.gov/arkansas%2Des/. Copies may be requested by calling (501) 513-4470; by fax, (501) 513-4480; by e-mail, Mark_Sattelberg [at] fws [dot] gov, or by mail, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Field Office, 110 S. Amity Road, Conway 72032.
For more information about the meeting, call Keith Stephens at (501) 223-6342 or Mark Sattelberg at the FWS Conway Field Office, (501) 513-4470.
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Bass Study on Pinellas County’s Lake Seminole Receives Second Stocking
May 27, 2008
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will stock 19,000 hatchery-reared largemouth bass, implanted with coded wire tags, in Pinellas County’s Lake Seminole May 28. The lake is the scene of a unique research project that compares growth and survivability rates of stocked bass with those of wild largemouths. Â
Last fall, an initial stocking of 7,000 fish took place in the 700-acre lake. The study will compare survival rates between the fall and spring stocking. The information will help guide future management decisions on the lake.Â
“The ultimate goal of the study is to improve the survival rate of hatchery-reared largemouth bass, while enhancing the lake’s fishery,” said Bill Pouder, FWC fisheries biologist. “Our studies indicate Lake Seminole has a huge forage base, capable of supporting a much larger bass population.”
The FWC and the University of Florida have teamed up for the research project. FWC biologists will be sampling the lake and measuring growth rates at predetermined intervals. A special wand that can detect the tiny, metal tags will be used to separate stocked bass from wild ones.
Bass for the study were produced at the FWC’s Florida Bass Conservation Center, Richloam Fish Hatchery in Webster. These fish are the same genetic strain of Florida largemouth bass found locally, which also should aid in improving survival. Stocked bass range in size from 2 to 4 inches.
Historically, largemouth bass have been cultured to fingerling sizes and stocked when they reach about 1.5 inches long. Stocking larger fish will enable them to feed on the high abundance of prey in the lake, which should increase survival. Because of fast growth rates of these bass, stocked fish should be of harvestable size – about 14 inches – by next year.
In spite of the advantages of stocking larger bass, producing them for stocking poses some significant challenges. In the mid-1990s FWC fish hatcheries developed techniques to train fingerling bass to eat commercial feeds. Unfortunately, there were no commercial diets available that met the specific nutritional needs of warm-water largemouths. The FWC enlisted the help of Dr. Paul Cardeilhac with the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville to develop a specific diet for hatchery-raised Florida largemouth bass. This nutritional work with largemouth bass represents the only work of its kind and ultimately may be used at warm-water fish hatcheries throughout the United States.
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Fish Busters’ Bulletin - New Rules for Florida’s Freshwater Fisheries
May 21, 2008
Florida earned the title “Fishing Capital of the World” by coupling its great resources with responsible management of those resources by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Relentlessly driving home the message of how people can and must be responsible stewards falls under the purview of the FWC as well.
The FWC gathers public input through meetings and surveys that create science- and social-based rules, using solid research and local impact to ensure a bright future for Florida’s resources and anglers. Several new freshwater fisheries rules go into effect beginning July 1. These rules are designed for the long term to prevent constant alteration.
“The FWC remains flexible to changing environmental and social situations,” said Dale Jones, the coordinator of the changes for the FWC, “so we can adapt to evolving needs and provide quality, safe and sustainable opportunities.”
The following is a summary of the new rules that will be included in the next printed rules and online at MyFWC.com/Fishing/Rules.html.
To be consistent with other firearm regulations, the FWC passed a rule making it legal for someone to possess a legal firearm on an FWC fish management area (FMA).
Lakes Lorna Doone, Richmond and Kirkman Pond, all in Orange County, and Lake Dot in Seminole County have been removed from the FMA system. The new rule also prohibits possession of cast nets in lakes Ivanhoe and Santiago in Orange County.
The Joe Budd Pond FMA in Gadsden County opens to public fishing only when established by executive order. This year, the pond will be open to the public during daylight hours on weekends between July 4 and Sept. 2, including Independence and Labor Day holiday weekends.
At Tenoroc FMA in Polk County, a new rule exempts permitted alligator hunters from entering the FMA at designated entry points. The rule also renamed lakes East Pasture and West Pasture to Pine Lakes. Other changes at Tenoroc include limiting discharge of firearms to the firing range or during FWC-sponsored events and requiring dogs to be leashed, unless authorized by the FWC.Â
A statewide rule change redefined species that may be taken for use as bait with a dip net, cast net (1-inch maximum stretched mesh), trap or minnow seine. Those species now include golden shiners of any size and other freshwater nongame fish (including catfish) less than 8 inches total length, unless specifically prohibited.
Nongame freshwater fish of any size also may be harvested with cast nets (no mesh or net size limit) in the South and Northeast regions, in Citrus and Glades counties, and in most of the Southwest Region. An exception makes possession or use of cast nets in waters adjoining Saddle Creek FMA in Polk County illegal. This removes the size limit on cast nets in the South Region, making it consistent with other regions where they are allowed.
Fishing gear used by recreational or commercial fishermen must be marked clearly and legibly with the fisherman’s name and address.
The most significant rule changes concern Lake Okeechobee to enhance the fishery’s recovery from recent environmental setbacks. The black bass length regulation on Lake Okeechobee moved from a 13- to 18-inch slot limit to an 18-inch minimum length limit. Also, a new rule establishes a 10-inch length for black crappie on the lake. In addition, the boundary definition for Lake Okeechobee now includes the C-41-A Canal from the intersection of the C-38 Canal upstream to the S-84 structure.
On Lake Trafford in Collier County, there is now a five-fish bag limit on black bass, which must be 18 inches or longer, with only one bass 22 inches or more in total length.
Feel free to contact the FWC and complete a survey (see MyFWC.com/Fishing and scroll down in the right column to “Take the Survey”). Purchasing a five-year freshwater fishing license helps conservation efforts and saves you money. There is a special offer going on right now where you get free stuff in the mail when you buy one (see MyFWC.com/Fishing/5yr-2008.html).
Additional information is available at MyFWC.com/Fishing/Roundtable. Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356).
Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing/Updates for more Fish Busters’ columns.    Â
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Game Commission Seeks Public Comment on Fisher Plan
May 6, 2008
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking public input on a draft fisher management plan, which can be reviewed on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on “Draft Fisher Management Plan” in the center of the homepage.Â
“We are seeking public comment on the draft fisher management plan to ensure the resulting final management plan considers the thoughts and concerns of Pennsylvanians about this species,” said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director. “As written, the plan is science-based, progressive and promotes responsible management. We’re interested in hearing from Pennsylvanians who would like to offer comments, and to see if we’ve missed something or if they share our management vision for the future.”
Developed by Dr. Matthew Lovallo, agency Game Mammals Section supervisor, the fisher management plan provides a comprehensive and current summary of fisher biology; historic and current status in Pennsylvania; population recovery; economic significance; public interest; and regional population and harvest management approaches. The plan also provides supporting objectives and strategies to achieve species-specific goals related to: population monitoring; habitat assessment; population enhancement; and development and implementation of a harvest management program.
Public comments on the agency’s fisher management plan will be accepted until June 1, via the website or by mail to: Fisher Management Plan, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.
Pennsylvania’s fisher reintroduction got started back in 1994, when 22 fishers were released on the Sproul State Forest in Centre and Clinton counties. Overall, 190 fishers were released in Pennsylvania as part of a reintroduction partnered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Frostburg State University and Pennsylvania State University. The recovery effort followed about eight decades of fisher-less forests in Penn’s Woods. The furbearers, one of the largest members of the weasel family, disappeared in the state in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a result of deforestation and unregulated trapping.
Since the fisher reintroduction program, which ran from 1994 to 1998, fishers have made great progress expanding their range from release sites in the Quehanna Wild Area, Allegheny National Forest, Pine Creek Valley and the Pocono Mountains. Fishers also have been expanding their range northward from the Mason-Dixon line deeper and deeper into the Alleghenies and the state’s Ridge and Valley province since the 1980s.
In 2006, the Game Commission teamed with Indiana University of Pennsylvania in a research project that aims to provide wildlife managers with a better understanding of fishers, a rapidly expanding furbearer resource in the Commonwealth (See Release #102-06).
“The occurrence of fishers in Pennsylvania is the result of fishers expanding their range from states bordering ours and fishers being reintroduced here and in West Virginia,” Lovallo said. “Early results of this study show that the fishers inhabiting Pennsylvania’s southwestern and southcentral counties were not released by the Game Commission. It appears from our study that this portion of the state was colonized by the progeny of 23 New Hampshire fishers released in West Virginia in 1969. Most other areas of Pennsylvania, however, are inhabited by fishers that were released by the Game Commission instate during the ’90s.”
For more information, visit the Game Commission’s “Fisher” section on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), which can be viewed by selecting “Wildlife” in the left-hand column of the homepage then click on the fisher photo. This site features two articles on fishers, the agency’s Wildlife Note on fishers, two fisher reintroduction program updates and a copy of the draft fisher management plan.
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Content Last Modified on 5/5/2008 9:34:31 AM
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