BLM Waives Recreation-related Fees for Veterans on Veterans Day
November 10, 2008
The Bureau of Land Management will waive recreation-related fees for veterans and military personnel, along with their families, on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11.
BLM Director Jim Caswell, a Vietnam veteran, encouraged veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Forces to recreate on BLM-managed or other Federal lands on November 11, saying, “We want to thank the men and women who have served or are serving our country through military service. This is a small, but special way in which we can express our gratitude and our appreciation to them.”
The waiver of entrance and/or standard amenity fees on Veterans Day applies annually, starting in 2006, to public recreation lands under the management of the BLM, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation (all agencies of the Department of the Interior), along with the U.S. Forest Service (part of the Department of Agriculture).
The Veterans Day fee waiver takes place on November 11, even if the Federal observance of the holiday should occur on a different day. This year, the Federal observance of Veterans Day falls on Tuesday, November 11.
Recreation fee-setting and waiver authority for the BLM and other Federal agencies is based on the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, passed by Congress as part of a Fiscal Year 2005 appropriations bill that was signed into law by President Bush on December 8, 2004.
The BLM manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.
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ODNR Presents Check to City of Alliance For Parks
October 21, 2008
$250,000 to be used for various parks improvements
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 The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) today presented a check in the amount of $250,000 to the City of Alliance and its Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands for various park improvements. The check presentation took place at Silver Park in the Miller Pavilion with attendees including Mayor Toni Middleton from Alliance, Director Sean Logan from ODNR, State Senator John Boccieri, State Representative Mark Okey and State Representative John Hagan.
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“Parks do not only facilitate social interaction,” said Director Logan, “but also help preserve public lands and preserve critical wildlife habitat. Parks and recreation truly provide the opportunity for residents to be physically active while also providing true economic benefits to the local community.”
The $250,000 grant awarded to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands came from ODNR’s portion of House Bill 562, the Capital Budget bill, designated for local park projects. The funds will be used to make capital improvements to Alliance Park.Â
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The City of Alliance Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands currently maintains 220 acres consisting of 24 parks and parklands.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.gov for more information.
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Georgia DNR Adds DOT Acres to Manage for Hunting, Fishing, & Wildlife
October 21, 2008
In September of last year, a hunter in middle Georgia called the Georgia Department of Natural Resources saying he had just lost his hunting lease. Opening day was only a few weeks away and he was frantically searching for a place to hunt.
Sound familiar?
As land is sold, hunting leases are often terminated. Some hunters who have hunted on the same lands for years suddenly find themselves with no place to hunt. Others simply can no longer afford the high cost of leases.
But hunters have another option. For $19 a year they can access more than 900,000 acres on 99 different wildlife management areas (WMAs) and natural areas across the state.
There’s even better news: The available property just increased by more than 10,000 acres.
In mid-September, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the state’s Department of Natural Resources signed an agreement through which the DNR will begin managing some Department of Transportation lands for hunting and fishing. The DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division will manage nine of these tracts. One, Oliver Bridge in Bulloch County, will be a stand-alone WMA, while six will be added to current WMAs. The remaining two tracts will be added to natural areas the division manages.
The agreement between the two agencies is designed to protect the natural resources on these tracts. Those resources include game and nongame wildlife, rare species of plants and animals, and wetlands and stream habitats.
“Providing hunter access to public lands is essential to the core values of wildlife conservation and to rural economies,” said John W. Bowers, an assistant chief with the Wildlife Resources Division. “This enhanced opportunity is the result of successful collaboration between the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Resources Division.”
The tracts are part of DOT mitigation and will be managed for their wetland and stream benefits. However, the agreement allows the DNR to immediately open the tracts to public hunting and fishing, adding more than 10,000 acres to the state’s WMA system.
The next time you are looking for a place to hunt or fish, why not buy a WMA stamp? It is the least expensive 900,000-acre hunting lease you will ever purchase.
New WMA Lands
Listed by county, WMA or natural area (NA) and acreage.
** Bulloch: Oliver Bridge WMA, 1,560 acres*
** Bleckley: Ocmulgee WMA, 1,127 additional acres
** Long: Townsend WMA, 3,970 acres
** Miller: Mayhaw WMA, 1,685 acres
** Montgomery: Bullard Creek WMA, 1,007 acres
** Taylor: Fall Line Sandhills NA, 700 acres
** Upson: Big Lazer Creek WMA, 1,350 acres
** Walker: Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA, 1,048 acres
** Whitfield: Conasauga River NA, 202 acres
*Oliver Bridge is a new WMA.
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Delaware Youth Waterfowl Hunt Scheduled for October 4
September 29, 2008
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife is again providing young and disabled (non-ambulatory) hunters a special opportunity to hunt waterfowl Saturday, Oct. 4. Hunting is permitted statewide on private and public lands, including state wildlife areas and federal refuges. Check specific area regulations for lottery times and blind availability.
Young hunters must be between 10-15 years of age and accompanied by a licensed non-hunting adult at least 21 years of age. Hunters 13-15 years of age must have completed an approved hunter education course and possess a Delaware junior hunting license. Standard daily duck bag limits and regulations apply, with hunters also permitted to harvest snow geese and two Canada geese. Young hunters should be of sufficient size, physical strength, and emotional and mental maturity to safely handle a firearm.
The Division of Fish & Wildlife annually provides this and other special hunting opportunities to promote hunting and outdoor recreation among young hunters and provide additional opportunities for disabled hunters. Studies have shown that youngsters who participate in outdoor recreation activities are more likely to continue these pursuits as adults. In addition to the waterfowl hunt, a youth deer hunt is scheduled for November 1.
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National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day: Get Outside and Get Involved In Nature
September 24, 2008
This month nature is calling for families and people of all ages to help clean up public lands and connect with the outdoors through two of America’s traditional pastimes.
September 27 is both National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day. Both events highlight the Nation’s bountiful natural resources and encourage families and people of all ages to get outside?and get involved.
“America’s public lands and fish and wildlife resources are for everyone to enjoy, but also to conserve and help sustain for future generations,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director H. Dale Hall. “These two events not only give us a reason to get outdoors, they also remind us that nature needs us as much as we need her.”
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance public lands. In 2007, 110,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and native vegetation, and removed trash and invasive plants.
And it’s a day when people can visit all Federal lands–including national wildlife refuges–without paying an entry fee. This year, September 27 and 28 will be “fee free” days on national wildlife refuges and many other Federal lands.Â
Volunteers will get a coupon they can use on any other day to enter a national wildlife refuge or other Federal land without paying an entry fee. About 38 national wildlife refuges charge entry fees, while entrance to the remainder of the approximately 380 national wildlife refuges open to the public is free of charge.  Â
National Hunting and Fishing Day is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. About 270 national wildlife refuges have fishing programs, and more than 300 hunting programs are offered on national wildlife refuges across the country.
“The more time families and children spend outdoors, the more likely they will learn to nurture nature and embrace conservation values,” Hall said. “Hunting and fishing are two great ways to do that.”
In addition, the National Wildlife Refuge System has compiled the first comprehensive online guide to refuge hunting opportunities nationwide. Written to help hunters plan their next adventure, Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges is organized by state. It not only gives a brief description of each hunting program, but also indicates which species can be hunted, provides directions to refuges, and includes special stories on subjects such as hunting safety and archery hunting. Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges is available online at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/
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For a list of National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day events at refuges, hatcheries and other Service lands and facilities near you, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_Search.cfm
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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New Signs Help Platte River Rafters
September 22, 2008
LARAMIE– Boaters on the North Platte River in the Laramie region should find it easier to navigate the waters, thanks to new signs recently installed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and members of the Platte Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
New red and blue signs designating private and public land were installed late July on the North Platte River from the Bennett Peak BLM access put-in downstream to Treasure Island. The signs alert floaters to land status: red markers designate private land, blue markers indicate public and private land open for access downstream from the side of the river the sign is posted on.
“Anyone floating the North Platte River needs to understand Wyoming laws pertaining to floating through private lands before pushing off from shore,” says project coordinator Steve Gale, Laramie region fisheries biologist for the Game and Fish. “We want to maintain good working relationships with all landowners and following floating rules will help in that effort.”
Water is the property of the state, and anyone can enjoy it and any bordering public lands. If you float through private lands, however, you must stay in your boat at all times, unless advance permission has been obtained from the landowner. Wading or anchoring on private land is also prohibited. State law only allows you to leave your craft briefly to navigate around obstacles.
“Knowing which land is public and which land is private can be difficult,” Gale says. “The marker system should help boaters know of what’s on both sides of the bank.”
The original red/blue signs on the North Platte River were installed in the early 1990s, but many had become unreadable or were missing entirely. Laramie region Game and Fish employees spent the last two summers surveying the river to determine what signs needed to be replaced. Game and Fish provided the new signs, and volunteers from Platte Valley Trout Unlimited helped install them. The river is now correctly signed from the USFS boundary downstream to Saratoga.
Gale says additional replacement signs are planned. “Next summer, we’ll focus on updating signs from Saratoga downstream to Interstate 80. We want to keep all the red/blue signs current and help boaters enjoy their float while following the rules and respecting land ownership.”
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South Dakota GFP Web Site Offers Interactive Maps of Public Lands
September 8, 2008
PIERRE, S.D.—Maps of South Dakota’s public lands have gone interactive on the Game, Fish and Parks Department Web site. Users interested in finding public lands for hunting, fishing or outdoor recreation will find a wealth of information at www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/PublicLands/PubLand.htm.
“This Web site serves a dual purpose,” according to Chris Marsh, habitat biologist/GIS specialist for GFP. “It works as a tool for the department’s land managers and it also provides valuable information for citizens who are interested in the state’s public lands.”
At the Web site, users can view maps of South Dakota’s public lands, zooming in to the point where an aerial photo is displayed. A variety of tools are available to help visitors use the maps as well as an extensive tutorial on how to use the site.
“Hunters will be particularly interested in the detailed information available about the state’s Game Production Areas,” Marsh said, “A user can select a GPA and learn about the size of the area, the type of wildlife typically found there as well as the habitat in that particular GPA.”
Maps on the site can offer a variety of specific information about the location of highways, roads, railroads, cities, waterways, township and county lines, sections and lakes. The maps also delineate federal and state lands as well as state hunting units and Walk-In Areas.
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2008 South Dakota Hunting Handbook, Hunting Atlas Now Available
September 8, 2008
PIERRE, S.D.—Two of the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department’s most popular publications are now available to the public.
The 2008 Hunting Handbook and the 2008 Hunting Atlas are available at GFP regional offices as well as from license agents. The books may also be accessed in PDF form on the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info or requested from the GFP information office at (605) 773-3485.
“Having those two publications on the Web site makes them easy to reference,” said GFP Communications Manager Chuck Schlueter, “but having hard copies along in the field is important, too.”
The Hunting Handbook offers details about the state’s hunting seasons as well as information about licensing and hunting regulations. The Hunting Atlas contains maps and information about the state’s Walk-In Areas, Game Production Areas, Waterfowl Production Areas, and select areas that belong to School and Public Lands and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Something new this year is the addition of waterfowl refuges.
Users need to be aware of two Black Hills area maps in the Hunting Atlas that depict bluish colored areas that are not public land. On Map Sheet 4 south and west of Lead, two areas of dark blue are not public hunting areas and should not be on the map. One larger section is at the intersection of U.S. Highways 14 and 85 and a smaller area is just east of there.
On Map Sheet 12 there are two small areas of dark blue on S.D. Highway 79 just south of Rapid City that are not public hunting areas and should not be on the map. One is at the intersection of S.D. Highway 79 and U.S. Highway 16B. The other area incorrectly shaded blue is to the south and just north of Spring Creek Road.
“We want to make sure that the users of these map sheets in the Black Hills are aware that these dark blue areas should not be on the maps and do not represent public hunting areas,” Schlueter said. “We are working closely with the printing contractor to find out the cause of this problem to ensure that it does not occur in the future.” The online versions of these maps correctly depict Map Sheets 4 and 12.
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Hunting Big Game Over Bait Prohibited on WMAs, Other Public Lands In North Dakota
August 21, 2008
With big game hunting seasons fast approaching, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters that hunting big game over bait on state wildlife management areas is prohibited.
In addition, hunting over bait is also not allowed on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, all North Dakota state school lands, and all North Dakota state park lands.
Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of baits for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting.
Baits include but are not limited to grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay or any other natural or manufactured foods. It does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops, or livestock feeds being used in standard practices.
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New Rules for the Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area
August 18, 2008
The Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area in Marion County has a new permitting process this year. In an effort to provide an equitable hunting opportunity, daily quota permits are limited to five per person per waterfowl season. Additionally, the horsepower limit allowed for boat motors on the area has been raised from 10 to 40 to enable hunters to navigate through vegetation more successfully.Â
“It’s important to create rules and quotas on public lands, such as this one, that allow as many hunters as possible to use the area, without sacrificing hunt quality,” said Jen Williams, hunting coordinator for the