No fishing or boating at Goldeneye Pond, starting March 17

Fishing and boating at Goldeneye Pond in Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA) will be put on temporary indefinite hold starting March 17, due to necessary repair work on the facility. Steve Roth, Tri-County property manager, said the control structure that regulates the water level is going to be replaced much sooner than expected. Construction is ahead of schedule making safety for tree removal and heavy equipment use during site preparation an immediate concern. Construction is expected to start March 17 and continue through mid- to late August, depending on weather. The original plan was for work to be started in June.

Built in the early 1960s, the structure has corroded internally and can no longer be used to regulate the water level of the pond. Although not a safety hazard, the levee also will undergo repair to improve its stability. "To do the work, Goldeneye Pond

is being completely drained and will remain dry for several months," Roth said. "For obvious safety reasons, once construction starts, Goldeneye Pond will be off limits to the public and remained closed until further notice."

The Indiana DNRhad lifted size-limit fishing restrictions on fish caught at Goldeneye Pond in January in preparation for the project so that the fish there could be used before the draining.

Biologists are also attempting to salvage adult largemouth bass from Goldeneye Pond, to hold them throughout the summer in another pond, then restock them once the pond refills. Bluegills and channel catfish also will be restocked once the project is complete. More information will be available on re-establishing fishing at Goldeneye Pond after the construction project is completed.

Apprentice hunting license approved

Indiana DNR director Robert E. Carter Jr. calls the recently approved �apprentice license� an opportunity for novice hunters of any age to try hunting before having to make large investments in time or equipment.  �This gives people a chance to test the waters and see if hunting is something they will like,� Carter said. �Plus, it gives the DNR another important recruiting tool to continue growing a strong constituent base in the conservation movement.�

The apprentice license was passed last month by the Indiana legislature and takes effect July 1.  The new law creates an apprentice license that allows an individual to hunt with an adult mentor without first having to pass the state-mandated hunter education course. An individual can purchase up to three apprentice licenses in a lifetime. If age requirements apply, the individual must then become hunter-education certified to continue hunting.

�We�re excited,� said Glen Salmon, director of the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. �With the apprentice hunting license, we�ll have a chance to safely open up new hunting opportunities for Hoosiers, especially our youngsters.�  Rep.

Bob Bischoff, Lawrenceburg, authored the legislation and

called it a breakthrough for would-be hunters of all ages. It affords parents the flexibility to decide when their children are mature enough to hunt, and it benefits potential first-time adult hunters.

�It is difficult to encourage an adult to take the time to pass the hunter-education course if they have never experienced the joy of a hunt,� Bischoff said. �However, if they are allowed to try the sport under an apprentice license, they would likely pursue a full license later on.�  The bill passed the House, 89-1, the Senate, 40-6, and was signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels on Feb. 27.

The apprentice license initiative had strong support from conservation groups, including the DNR Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, which gave it a unanimous endorsement. Other states that have enacted similar apprentice licenses have had positive results. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data from Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ohio reveal that apprentice license programs brought nearly 34,000 new hunters to the field in just two years.

Yellowwood Lake to be gradually lowered for repairs

Yellowwood Lake, a 132-acre lake in Yellowwood State Forest in Brown County, will be lowered a maximum of 6 feet below normal pool starting  sometime this week, weather permitting, to provide an opportunity for needed repairs on the dam spillway.  The lake will be lowered a maximum  of 10 feet below normal pool sometime after Labor Day for seep repairs and remain at that level during the winter months to help control  invasive aquatic weeds.

The lake will remain open to fishing during the project, but boating access may be difficult once the boat ramp is out of the water. Since Yellowwood Lake is approximately 30 feet deep, the drawdown should not harm the fish population.  The construction project will affect some hiking trails, horse trails and boat rental from time to time. Visitors should check with the forest office, (812) 988-7945, for details.  The construction project is expected to be completed by December 2008.

Classes on teaching youths to fish start in April

Children all over the state can learn about Indiana�s aquatic resources using fishing as a tool in the DNR's Go FishIN program, but to make that program effective, educators first need to be trained.

Recognizing the importance of aquatic resources education, the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, in conjunction with the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program, developed Go FishIN, to provide fishing information to Hoosiers.  Workshops to "train the trainers" for that purpose, are offered throughout the state starting April 12, at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.

The workshops help educators promote respect of the environment to Indiana�s youth. By teaching the participants about fish and fishing, workshop leaders help young people discover the unique aquatic ecosystems in Indiana. Once trained, the workshop participants become "crew captains" and are then eligible to use all of DNR's Go FishIN curriculum, fishing resources and equipment. If you are an educator (e.g., school teacher or scout leader) please visit the Natural Resources Education Center.

 Web site for information: www.dnr.IN.gov/nrec. For more info, (317) 562-1338 or e-mail [email protected].

Large Duck Die-Off in Lake St. Clair Pegged to Malnutrition

A combination of approximately 600-800 canvasback and redhead ducks have turned up dead along the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair shorelines, according to the Michigan DNR. The die-off likely has been caused by malnutrition, as toxicology tests on the ducks have ruled out other causes, DNR wildlife biologists said.

�We are receiving reports from several spots along the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair shoreline of lethargic acting and dead ducks, and expect more reports as the weather warms up and more carcasses are recovered,� said Tom Cooley, wildlife biologist at the DNR�s Wildlife Disease Lab. �The Lake St. Clair area is a wintering area for large numbers of these duck species, and every year we see more and more ducks in the area, which is making for greater competition for available natural food.�

Wildlife biologists along Lake St. Clair have collected samples of the dead ducks for disease and toxicology testing. The biologists have noted there are more canvasback ducks being

affected than redheads. Cooley said that last winter, various waterfowl species were found dead in the same areas, and those deaths were attributed to malnutrition as well.

Lake St. Clair is a primary wintering spot for both canvasback and redhead ducks due to its large expanse of water and availability of food, such as wild celery. Some waterfowl do leave the lake and migrate either to the East Coast or to the Gulf of Mexico; however, DNR biologists have observed that there were a larger number of waterfowl staying the entire winter this year.

�Normally, we see 20,000 to 30,000 ducks spending the winter on the lake,� said DNR Wildlife Biologist Ernie Kafcas, stationed at the Lake St. Clair Fish Research Station. �However, this winter, we are seeing 30,000 to 40,000 ducks staying because the waters stayed open later this winter and did not experience a hard freeze until after mid-January.  Ducks that go into the winter with low fat reserves and have to compete for food in extreme late winter conditions are more prone to deaths due to malnutrition.�

NE Minnesota�s moose population continues to decline

An aerial survey conducted in January estimates that the number of moose in northeastern Minnesota increased from 6,600 in 2007 to 7,600 in 2008, but the long-term trend suggests that Minnesota�s moose herd remains in decline, according to the Minnesota DNR.

�At first glance, the raw numbers appear to suggest that the population has increased,� said Dr. Mark Lenarz, DNR wildlife researcher. �The margin of error, however, overlapped between years, which means that there was no significant change in the number of moose this year.�  �Based solely on the survey results, I would be hesitant to infer a declining population,� he said. �But the long-term population trend suggests otherwise, and there are other factors that significantly impact moose population.�

Aerial surveys to estimate the moose population have been conducted every year since 1960. But wildlife researchers implemented a new methodology in 2005. Lenarz said statistical comparisons of data collected from 2005 to 2008 indicate that the population increase was not as significant as it appears.

When nonhunting factors such as disease, bull and cow pairings, cow pregnancy rates, calf survival and predation are considered, indexes used to estimate herd viability drop below the levels at which researchers would like to see them. Lenarz said a study of radio-collared moose in northeastern Minnesota shows that non-hunting mortality has averaged 21 percent during the last six years. Elsewhere in North America, that rate generally falls between 8 and 12 %.

�Biologically, issuing 200-250 permits a year for a bull-only hunt doesn�t negatively impact Minnesota�s moose population,� said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator. �What directly impacts moose population is the cow and calf survival rates.�

Minnesota is the only state in the central region of the lower 48 states with a significant moose population. The moose is the largest member of the deer family.  A copy of the aerial survey report, which was funded and staffed in part by the Fond du Lac Band and 1854 Treaty Authority, is available online at www.mndnr.gov .

Deer hunters donate 78,000 lbs of venison in 2007

In the first year of a new venison donation program, Minnesota hunters donated 1,977 deer, creating the opportunity for 97 food shelves located throughout Minnesota to distribute 78,000 pounds of venison. 

"Overall, I think we had a very successful first year," said Lou Cornicelli, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) big game program coordinator. "Most of the deer donated came from areas with overly high deer population densities, and the venison from those deer was put to very good use."

The donations were made possible by a new venison donation program that allows hunters to donate harvested deer without having to pay processing costs. Managed by the DNR and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the program's goal is to provide a sought-after food source to those in need while encouraging hunters to harvest additional animals to help manage the deer herd.

"Hunters always could donate harvested deer," Cornicelli said.

"But without funding, only a few deer were donated annually. The infusion of new money allowed us to greatly expand the program." The program is funded by a legislative appropriation, a non-resident license fee increase and voluntary donations when resident hunters purchase a deer licenses.

Cornicelli said the hunting portion of the program is designed to allow hunters to harvest extra deer in areas where deer populations are above wildlife management goals. In 2007, permit areas that allowed individual hunters to take more than one deer provided 95 percent of the donations. Nearly 70 percent of donated deer came from permit areas that allowed the harvest of five or more deer.

The program requires that hunters donate deer only to processors certified by the MDA and that deer be free from signs of illness, field dressed with the hide intact, free of visible decomposition or contamination and properly identified with a DNR registration tag. In 2007, 72 certified processors distributed the venison to 97 Minnesota food shelves.

NY joins Great Lakes Water Resources Compact

Multi-State Agreement will Protect and Preserve Water Resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin

Governor Designate David A. Paterson announced that legislation has been signed authorizing New York State to join the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. The Compact is a multi-state agreement designed to protect, conserve, and improve the water resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin. The legislation was signed by Spitzer on March 4, 2008.

The Great Lakes and their bays and tributaries contain approximately 18 percent of the world�s supply of freshwater, and 90 percent of the United States supply of fresh surface water, said Governor Designate Paterson. Unfortunately, water levels in the Great Lakes have seen drastic declines in the last decade, and it is vitally important that we protect and conserve this essential water resource. The Great Lakes Compact demonstrates the commitment of all of the Great Lakes states to work together to achieve that goal.

In 2001, the Governors of the eight Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec signed an agreement to develop and implement a new common, resource-based conservation standard for the Great Lakes Basin. After several years of negotiation, the Great Lakes Compact was developed.

The water surface area of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River and connecting channels covers approximately 95,000 square miles in eight states and two Canadian provinces, and the drainage area of the Basin covers an additional 200,000 square miles. Since only about one percent of the water in the Great Lakes is renewed or replaced by rain and tributary inflow each year, a multi-state agreement regulating various withdrawals and diversions is an important step to preserving this natural resource.

The Compact would provide for:

●     The creation of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council, consisting of the Governors of the eight Great Lakes states;

●     The creation of a water resources inventory by each member state;

●     Periodic assessments of cumulative impacts of water withdrawals from the Basin;

●     A prohibition on most new and increased diversions of water from the Basin;

●     Registration of water withdrawals in amounts of 100,000 gallons per day (gpd) or greater from the Basin in any 30-day period;

●     Implementation of water conservation and efficiency programs by each member state relating to Basin water uses;

●     Commitments by member states to promote environmentally sound and economically feasible water conservation measures;

●     Consultation between the Great Lakes Council and the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec through regional review procedures for any new or increased consumptive uses of at least 5 million gpd in any 90-day period; and Preservation of existing diversions, withdrawals, uses, rights and agreements.

In order for the Compact to take effect, each of the eight Great Lakes states must pass legislation ratifying the Compact, and then the United States Congress must consent to the signed Compact.  New York is now the fourth state to approve the Compact, following approvals by Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana.

The legislation authorizes the Governor to take steps to facilitate the execution of the Compact by the other Governors, and to apply to Congress for consent to the Compact.