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Week of September 12, 2005 |
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National
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How to help with the Katrina Disaster The GLSFC and its members and friends join Americans nationwide in offering our deepest sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We ask that our members join in offering their support to our fellow citizens affected by the storm as they struggle to cope with the devastation left in its wake.
We also offer our support to those involved in the ongoing search and rescue, and rebuilding operations, and encourage the angling and boating community who are able, to offer whatever assistance they can. Even if you are far away from where tragedy struck, please check with national organizations and local authorities to see if they are in need of volunteers, donations, or other types of humanitarian assistance.
Donors who want to help victims of Hurricane Katrina should specify that on the check made out to the following organizations:
Some of the more well known organizations:
Salvation Army Disaster Relief P.O. Box 4857 Jackson, MS 39296-4857 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
Samaritan's Purse (Headquarters) P.O. Box 3000 Boone, NC 28607 (828) 262-1980 |
America's Second Harvest 35 E. Wacker Drive, Ste. 2000 Chicago, IL 60601 800-344-8070
Catholic Charities USA P.O. Box 25168 Alexandria, VA 22313-9788 800-919-9338
Jewish Federation Katrina Relief Fund c/o Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago 1 S. Franklin St., Room 625 Chicago, IL 60606 312-444-2854
Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief P.O. Box 116543 Atlanta, GA 30368-6543 (checks payable to North American Mission Board) 800-462-8657, Ext. 6440
United Methodist Committee on Relief UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068 New York, NY 10087-9068 800-554-8583
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Transporting Firearms and Ammunition on Commercial Air Carriers After two years of aggressive public education on prohibited items, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to struggle with communicating the issue of how to properly transport guns and ammunition aboard commercial air carriers. In recent months, reports have included at least three or four gun incidents each day across the country. Checkpoint screeners have done an excellent job in detecting the weapons and keeping them off airplanes, but each situation causes delays in the screening process.
Another related cause of delays is the frequent occurrence of weapons not properly declared and packed. Baggage screeners often find guns-loaded and unloaded-amidst clothing and other items in checked bags. Since most instances involve travelers who are not aware of the gun transport rules or who have unknowingly presented the weapon at a checkpoint, the TSA hopes a massive public information campaign will help reduce the number of incidents and resulting unnecessary delays.
TSA is reaching out to gun dealers, sports associations, law enforcement organizations and others to help get the |
message out concerning the rules for transporting firearms, firearm parts and ammunition. The Federal requirements regarding travel with firearms and ammunition aboard commercial air carrier are listed below. For additional information, go to the TSA Website at http://www.tsa.gov/public
● Firearms are prohibited from carry-on baggage. ● Firearms must be checked with the air carrier as luggage. ● Firearms and ammunition must be declared orally or in writing in accordance with the air carrier's procedures. ● All firearms must be unloaded. ● The firearm must be carried in a hard-sided container. ● The container must be locked and only the passenger may retain the key or combination. ● Ammunition is prohibited from carry-on luggage. ● Ammunition may not be carried loose. ● Ammunition must travel in the manufacturer's packaging or other packaging suitable for transport. ● Ammunition may be packed in the same hard-sided, locked case as the firearm as long as it complies with packaging requirements as stated above and the air carrier permits it to be packed with the firearm. ● Firearm parts may not be transported in carry-on baggage.
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Fish welfare is second to profit line By Gene Mueller After covering 25 Bassmaster Classic championship fishing tournaments in 30 years for three different newspapers and carefully observing today's tournament fishing scene, I've come to the conclusion that competition fishing in general excites few people. Not only that, when bass fishing tournaments are conducted in water that exceeds 90 degrees or even 80 degrees, they should be outlawed.
Why? Despite vows by large tournament organizations that their first concern is the welfare of the fish, we know their primary goal is money. Nothing else comes even close. All competition bass anglers want to do is catch five legal bass, put them into an aerated livewell, try to catch bigger bass and cull smaller specimens, have the fish weighed and win a merchandise prize or perhaps a check that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. That pretty much covers it.
My long-time friend Michael Hall, a local competition angler who recently won the Potomac River Everstart tournament, knows how I feel about this. "The bass I caught last week in the Potomac were the healthiest, most beautiful bass I have seen in our river," he wrote in an e-mail. "This is significant [consider] I have been fishing the Potomac River for a very long time. By the way, last Saturday I caught and released at least seven beautiful bass less than 12 inches. It looks [like] we have a strong population of young bass growing up fast."
But Hall knows a problem exists on the river, and he's not afraid to say so. "There are increasingly more tournaments in the Potomac, and there should be a limit to how many," he says. "We all want to do what is best for the bass fishery, and if that means fewer hot weather tournaments, then that is something we need to consider."
Michael believes large three- and four-day river tournaments like those held by FLW, Everstart or the BASS organization are exciting and professionally handled. Tournament staffs know how to handle bass carefully, he says. He suggests we should encourage these types of tournaments to be held on the Potomac a few times a year. "But it does make sense to avoid the warmer months," he added.
My reply stated the issue is not whether his recent contest- |
winning bass were healthy and beautiful. The issue was whether -- after having been weighed and then released -- the bass would still be healthy and beautiful two days or a week later. The majority of fisheries biologists I've talked to believe that stuffing four or five bass into a 30-inch-by-14-inch box and keeping them there throughout the day (even when aerated and ice is kept in the water) could have a detrimental effect hours or days later.
I seriously doubt well-heeled competition outfits are willing to risk a test with bass from tidal waters (a big difference over bass from deep freshwater lakes) that has been warmed by the sun to 80 and more degrees. Remember, we found 91-degree water in the Spoils Cove a few weeks ago.
After I criticized hot weather tournaments in my fishing report Aug. 18, a well known Northern Virginia tournament angler who requested anonymity wrote, "Your comments regarding the tournaments on the Potomac during hot weather are right on. However, you and I both know there is too much money involved for these folks to worry about killing a few fish. It would seem the methods and schedules of tournaments are [determined] to do that. This is what happens when folks chasing the big bucks are left to their own devices with no type of regulation to prevent their destroying the resource.
"Speaking of resource, I would have to assume that the fish in the Potomac and all public waters belong to all of us, not just bass tournament fishermen. They can [fish] in the spring during the spawn, hold tournaments at the most stressful times for the fish, weigh, photograph and show their accomplishments, then haul them away from the weigh-in site in a catch-and-release boat so dead fish will not cause undue bad publicity -- and all at the behest of the big tournament promoters. Our game and fish departments do not dare interfere.
"Tournament organizers come in, ruin the fishing for everyone else on that body of water during their event, while the local fisherman pays the bill with licenses and taxes." Fairfax angler David Garner agrees. "I can't stand these people," he said. "All they're interested in is money while I'm out there trying to relax and have a little fun." Courtesy: The Washington Times |
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100 companies respond; no more boats needed The National Marine Manufacturers Association said today it has been told no more boats are needed in flood-ravaged New Orleans, in part because of a �massive� Coast Guard presence.
NMMA reports more than 100 marine companies responded to the crisis, and maintains more could have been done had the breakdown in security not forced a suspension of search and rescue operations at a critical time. The industry outpouring came in response to an initial plea for boats from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. But on Wednesday, the same day she made the request, the looting and violence in the streets was raging out of control.
�On Wednesday, when boats and other equipment could have been used, the security situation in New Orleans deteriorated, and search and rescue efforts were suspended,� said Monita |
Fontaine, NMMA Vice-President. �This delayed the deployment of additional boats into the region. Further compounding this situation were communication difficulties between first responders and FEMA as a result of the infrastructure destruction. Finally, on Thursday and Friday, the U.S. military entered the city and began to reassert order.�
Should the need for boats and equipment change, the industry will be ready, said Fontaine. �We continue to be in contact with the federal, state and local governments and should they require additional boats, we will respond accordingly,� said Fontaine.
�The governor�s office, the U.S. Coast Guard and other officials with whom we have been in touch all have received the list of NMMA member companies offering assistance and have expressed their gratitude at the overwhelming generosity of the industry,� Fontaine said. |
Regional
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Sound and Bubble Barrier Deters Asian Carp URBANA - Preventing Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes may include an idea as simple as using tiny bubbles and chirping-like noises. Mark Pegg and John Chick of the Illinois Natural History Survey found that an underwater acoustic barrier is effective in deterring these invasive species.
"The acoustic barrier works with the use of sound projectors and an air line that generates bubbles," said Pegg. "Typically, sound is muffled underwater, but bubbles provide a way to amplify the repellant sound and direct it to a specific area. And, the effervescence is an additional disturbance to the fish."
With funding from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the researchers tested sound-bubble technology in fish raceways where it proved 95% effective in causing bighead and silver carp to turn around. "Since then we have learned more about what Asian carp actually hear, and we believe we can get the success rate closer to 100%," said Pegg.
Asian carp pose a threat to the Great Lakes fisheries because they eat zooplankton, which all fishes typically feed on in their juvenile stages, and have grown as large as 50 pounds in U.S. waters. They have been steadily moving up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers towards Lake Michigan where a temporary electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal stands in their way. A permanent electric barrier is under construction and is likely to be up and running within the next six months.
Previously, as part of the same project, Chick and Pegg established that the electric barrier can be successful in stopping Asian carp. Since then, they found that the acoustic barrier can work effectively on its own and along with an electric barrier.
"Because the acoustic barrier design is so simple, installation, operation and maintenance of this system is an |
affordable option," said Pegg. "And since it doesn't require much electricity, during a power outage an acoustic barrier can easily run off a generator."
Sound-bubble technology was developed by Fish Guidance Systems, Ltd. It has been used widely to divert fish where their presence is unwanted, such as hydroelectric plant intake sites. Pegg and Chick's experiments are the first attempt to use this system in a cross-channel environment, in other words, where the goal is to cause the fish to turn around.
The next step is to test the acoustic technology on a larger scale in field trials. If funding becomes available and the technology continues to prove effective, an acoustic barrier may augment the electric barrier at its site, or downstream where it can protect the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal as well as the Des Plaines River.
At the Aquatic Invasive Species Summit in 2003, experts from around the country gathered in Chicago to discuss possible solutions to the movement of species between the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins. Summit participants recommended that we focus on long-term solutions, but they also felt that we should pursue experimental technologies, such as acoustic systems, that might help in the interim.
"Keep in mind, barriers will not prevent people from unintentionally moving species from one water body to another," said Sea Grant agent Pat Charlebois . "For example, young Asian carp closely resemble some common wild caught baitfish, so someone might spread these species without realizing it," explained Charlebois. "Outreach efforts need to continue so that people are made aware of the role they can play in preventing the spread of invasive species."
For more information on preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species visit the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Web site at www.iisgcp.org/il-ans/index2.html . |
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Scheduling barges can reduce Congestion and Improve Safety But Corps-Funded Study Finds Upper Mississippi Traffic Too Low to Justify Scheduling Washington, DC � Scheduling slow-moving barges on the Upper Mississippi River has the potential to reduce congestion at locks, enhance homeland security and protect sensitive wildlife habitat, according to a university study funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Significantly, researchers also found that barge traffic levels are presently too low to justify even the minimal investment required to implement a scheduling system � a finding that undercuts the central argument behind the Corps drive to convince Congress to spend billions of dollars to build bigger locks on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The study, entitled �Management Systems for Inland Waterway Traffic Control,� was conducted by the U of Missouri-St. Louis. Funded in large part by the Corps, other study sponsors included the U.S. DOT and USGS.
The study determined that while scheduling barges was feasible and potentially beneficial, that river section lacks enough barge traffic to justify the implementation of a traffic management system. In fact, current barge traffic levels are so low that the locks just sit idle a majority of the time while tows spend less than 1%f their time waiting for lock processing.
When it returns from its August recess, the U.S. Senate is slated to take up a proposal to authorize spending up to $2.4 |
billion to build bigger new locks on the Illinois Waterway and the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. The House of Representatives has already approved the plan. Bigger locks are supposed to speed transport by cutting congestion of barges at the current, smaller locks.
�If traffic levels do not justify the modest step of scheduling traffic at the locks, why in the world would the Corps recommend and the Congress consider spending billions to build bigger locks to accommodate non-existent barges?� asked PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. �The Upper Mississippi plan is like saying that the way to manage automobile traffic is to build bigger and wider roads before investing in a single traffic light.�
One of the researchers involved in the study is Dr. Don Sweeney, a former Corps economist and now a professor at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. In 2000, Dr. Sweeney blew the whistle on manipulation of the cost-benefit analyses by Corps officers in a failed attempt to justify the project. Dr. Sweeney�s concerns were confirmed by a Department of the Army investigation and later validated by three National Academies of Science reviews. Dr. Sweeney had advocated that the Corps explore non-construction and small-scale alternatives before committing to a high-dollar lock expansion project.
�Even though the Corps helped pay for it, the agency certainly does not want to publicize yet another study showing that its management of the nation�s waterways is primitive, inefficient and self-serving,� Ruch added. |
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Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for September 9, 2005 Lake Level Conditions: Lake Superior is currently 4 inches lower than last year, while the remaining lakes are 7 to 9 inches below the levels of a year ago. Dry conditions this spring and summer are the main reason that water levels on the Great Lakes are below last year�s levels. Looking ahead, Lake Superior is expected to fall 1 inch over the next month. Lake Michigan-Huron should fall 2 inches while the remaining lakes are expected to fall 4 to 5 inches over the next month, as the lakes continue their seasonal declines. Levels over the next few months on all the Great Lakes are expected to remain lower than 2004. See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information.
Current Outflows/Channel Conditions: The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is projected to be near average during the month of September. Flows in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are anticipated to be below average during September. Flows in the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River are expected to be near average in September.
Alerts: Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by |
changing water levels. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings
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Lake Ontario
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Lake Ontario Chinook Fishing the Best in Years Yet the Future is Uncertain By Tom Marks (NYS DIR. GLSFC) Anglers returning to Lake Ontario ports are all smiles due to limit catches of chinook salmon. The word around the Lake is that the fishing is the best it has been in years. The size of the salmon continues to be smaller than ten years ago despite the increased catches.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation�s (DEC) monthly creel census report concurs with anecdotal reports from fishermen; the fishing has been great. Data collected from April to August shows Lake Ontario angler catches continue a trend for this period over the past three years of increased harvest and catch rates.
When the figures from 1985 � �94, the heyday of Lake Ontario salmon fishing, and our current catches are compared; it is quite remarkable. The �85-�94 period averaged 144,222 boat trips, in 2005 the average is only 69,644, an increase from a low of 66,003 in 2003. The Lake Ontario chinook harvest of 50,653 in 2005 is up from a low of 15,052 in 2002 and about only 5,000 less than the average for the �85-�94 period, half the angler effort and almost the same harvest. The catch rate in 2005 for Chinook Salmon from DEC figures is 2.73 times that of the �85-�94 period. The trout and salmon harvest for 2005 is the third highest since the creel records have been kept. Over |
85% of the harvest are Chinook salmon and brown trout (58.1% and 25.7% respectively); rainbow trout, lake trout and atlantic salmon catches are down.
There are big concerns over the impact invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels, spiney waterfleas, and round gobies are having on the forage base. July 2002 USGS data showed that Lake Ontario's rainbow smelt population was at or near collapse, leaving the forage base of largely alewives for salmonines. A NY Sea Grant technical review of forage assessment programs on the Great Lakes was conducted and published July 2005.
The recommendation for the 2005 assessment program is to use hydroacousting sampling to assess the rainbow smelt population. The use of hydroacoustic sampling will give greater precision of forage counts and the improve accuracy of forecasting of future fish population trends. The Lake Ontario ecosystem is undergoing tremendous changes as a result of aquatic invasive species introductions that have yet to be completely understood.
Lake Ontario has a fantastic salmon fishery, however the future is uncertain. The Upper Great Lakes have seen declines in catch rates and the quality of the fish, can Lake Ontario be spared a similar future? |
Lake Michigan
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Lake Michigan Stocking conference Sept 24 The long anticipated Lake Michigan Stocking Conference has been scheduled for Sept 24 in Kenosha. WI.
The Lake Michigan management agencies are considering reduced stocking to meet ecosystem objectives, and would like to know the opinions of the interested public. This conference will provide a scientific review of the status of predator and prey communities, and present options for future stocking designed to meet prescribed objectives. Presentations will be offered by each of the four Lake Michigan States.
Selected topics will address management goals and objectives, the health and status of Chinook salmon and their prey, an analysis of the risks involved with any decisions and a suite of potential options for stocking - including no change. The Lake Michigan Management Agencies are attempting to balance predator and prey numbers. Facilitated break-out sessions will occur in the afternoon to gain input from the public.
Growth rates of Chinook salmon have declined over the past several years and forage abundance is down. Regional fisheries scientists say community dynamics in Lake Huron have shifted drastically and could impact Lake Michigan�s balance.
Hosted by the Wisconsin DNR, and sponsored by the four |
Lake Michigan states, the conference will be held at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside, in the Student Union Cinema, 900 Wood Rd, Kenosha, WI 53141, 8:30-3 PM Central Time. Pre-registration, is required, and cost is $10 covering lunch and breaks.
The draft agenda plan is for agencies to present information in the morning with breakout sessions right after lunch, and a wrap-up session winding down the meeting. Those who cannot attend will be able to send in written comments through the Web page or mail through Sept. 30.
Suggested lodging: Baymont Inn; 7540 118th Avenue; Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158. www.baymontinns.com 262-857-7911 (Reserve by Sept 9, ask for Salmon Conference. Room rate is $58/night plus tax)
For more information: contact Phil Moy, UW Sea Grant, at 920-683-4697 or [email protected] . For directions, see www.seagrant.wisc.edu/Fisheries/ and click on "Salmon Stocking Conference"
The registration form is posted at http://www.great-lakes.org/fall05LkMichSC-Annoucement.html. Register by Sept 19.
Your input into the decision making process is important!
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Yellow perch research in Lake Michigan The North American Journal of Fisheries Management reports two recent studies were undertaken in the southern Waters of Lake Michigan on Yellow Perch size, reproductive health and Egg Size Relationships.
The first was conducted on Yellow Perch size, reproductive health and Egg Size Relationships in the Indiana Waters of Lake Michigan.
Data were pooled from gill-net collections made in 1985, 1986, and 1999, resulting in a wide length range of mature female yellow perch . The results revealed that larger females produced both more and larger eggs than did smaller females. Therefore, the intense harvest targeting large yellow perch (primarily females) in the 1980s and 1990s may have had an effect on the quantity and quality of eggs spawned by the population, possibly resulting in reduced recruitment.
The second study, Yellow Perch Dynamics in Southwestern Lake Michigan during 1986�2002, scientists examined the role of harvest in the collapse of the population of yellow perch during the mid to late 1990s. After the great decrease in this population at that time,
Reproductive failure has been implicated as the primary cause of the population collapse, but the role of fishing in the collapse was not rigorously investigated in previous studies. |
Researchers conducted an age-, size-, and sex-structured stock assessment of yellow perch to estimate population size and examine historical trends in fishing mortality in Illinois and Wisconsin waters of southwestern Lake Michigan.
Model estimates indicated that yellow perch abundance in 2002 was less than 10% of the 1986 abundance in Wisconsin and about 20% of the respective population in Illinois. Annual mortality rates for females age 4 and older averaged 69% during 1986�1996 in Wisconsin and 60% in Illinois during 1986�1997, rates that are quite high for a species like yellow perch, which can live longer than 10 years.
The estimated fishing mortality rates of adult females during 1986�1996 exceeded widely used reference points, suggesting that overfishing may have occurred. Fishing mortality rates decreased substantially in the late 1990s after stricter regulations were imposed on recreational fisheries and commercial fisheries were closed.
Scientists concluded that unsustainably high mortality rates from fishing (commercial and recreational) were a substantial contributing cause of the rapid decline of mature females in the mid-1990s. Spawning stock biomass in 2002 was at its highest level since the early 1990s despite relatively poor recruitment during the past decade. In part, this development reflects the fact that management actions have successfully reduced fishing mortality. |
Indiana
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Fall and winter Go FishIN workshops The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Go FishIN education program is offering free workshops this fall near New Castle, Lafayette and Indianapolis. Go FishIN will also have an advanced mussel workshop next March in Indianapolis.
Go FishIN workshops are for Hoosiers interested in using sport fishing to teach youngsters about resource conservation. Participants will learn angling skills and activities that incorporate biology, chemistry, math, language arts, and social studies. The program offers textbooks, loaner educational equipment and fishing equipment for volunteers to use in their communities.
Workshops are offered at various Indiana locations throughout the year. Class sizes are limited and reservations are |
required.
Fall/Winter Go FishIN Workshops schedule: -Oct 1, (Saturday) Westwood Park, New Castle, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. -Oct 16, (Sunday) Brier Env. Ed. Center, Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, Lafayette 1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. -Nov 19, (Saturday) Ft. Harrison State Park, Indianapolis 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. March 22, 2006, Ft. Harrison State Park 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
For information and reservations, call 317-542-0899 or http://www.in.gov/dnr/nrec/ Westwood Park information: http://www.henrycountyin.org/attractions/recreation.html Tippecanoe Battlefield Park info: http://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/parks/division.asp?fDD=17-64 |
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Camping season requires renewed vigilance for emerald ash borer Fall camping season is fast approaching, and Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are reminding campers and other Hoosiers that transporting firewood can be dangerous to Indiana's forests.
Movement of firewood has caused several close calls in Indiana in recent months. In August, live emerald ash borer larvae were found in firewood at Pokagon State Park by U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service officers. Pokagon State Park is located within a quarantined area in Steuben County.
Jodie Ellis, the exotic insects education coordinator at Purdue said, "This does not mean that Pokagon's ash trees are infested, but it does demonstrate how easily people can move |
potentially dangerous firewood to uninfested sites." Ash trees in the area are still under surveillance by USDA-APHIS and the DNR.
Indiana citizens can help stop the spread of emerald ash borer by not moving firewood and by watching for people who may be moving firewood out of quarantined areas. For quarantine info: http://www.in.gov/dnr/entomolo/pestinfo/ashborer.htm .
It's difficult to diagnose the emerald ash borer damage because of the prevalence of other ash-boring pests in Indiana. One of the main ways to distinguish the emerald ash borer from native species is D-shaped exit holes in the main trunk and branches left behind by emerging adults. Other symptoms include leaf dieback in the top third of ash trees, vertical splits in the bark and increased woodpecker activity. |
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Outdoor skills workshop at O'Bannon Woods Sept. 24 Whether new to outdoor skills or in need of a refresher, Hoosiers can head to O'Bannon Woods State Park on Saturday, September 24 for an outdoor skills workshop. O'Bannon Woods' Hickory Hollow Interpretive Center offers the day's events, which run from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. EDT (fast time/Louisville time) for only $1 per person. Registration is not required. Regular gate fees apply.
Scheduled events are as follows: Making topographic maps simple and enjoyable * 10:35, 11:15 a.m.-Introduction for beginners and those needing a refresher (repeats at 11:15) * 11:45-1 p.m.--(ongoing) Informal Q&A, simple orienteering course.
Compasses for fun and safety |
* 10, 10:30,11, 11:30 a.m.; noon, 12:30 p.m.
GPS use for you and me * 10 a.m.--Best GPS for you. * 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (ongoing)
Backpacking for everyone * 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ongoing)
Let's Eat! * 12:15-1 p.m.--Sample meals cooked on backpacking stoves.
For schedules at O'Bannon Woods, call 812-738-8234, www.interpretiveservices.in.gov/programs/schedule/ . O'Bannon Woods State Park is located 10 miles west of Corydon on Hwy. 462, off State Highway 62.
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Michigan
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Lake Gogebic Fisheries Meeting Set for Sept 14 The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division will host a public meeting Sept. 14 to announce results of the recent fisheries survey that took place at Lake Gogebic in the western Upper Peninsula. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. (CST), at the Gogebic County Park, which is located on M-64 at the south end of Lake Gogebic.
The survey was conducted by DNR fisheries biologists last spring to review the status of the various fish species in the lake. The information collected provides insight into past management practices and helps guide future fishery-related decisions. |
"We look forward to this opportunity to let the public know what we learned about the fishery in Lake Gogebic, including the status of the walleye, and to receive comment on what they believe that fishery should be like in the future," said Unit Fisheries Biologist George Madison.
The DNR has been conducting assessments of Michigan's larger inland lakes and surveyed Lake Gogebic as part of that process. Madison said the multi-week netting, tagging and data-gathering survey will help the DNR and the public better understand the quality of the fishery in Lake Gogebic.
For more information, contact Madison at (906) 353-6651. |
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DNR Hosts Open House Sept. 28 in Gladwin The Department of Natural Resources will host an informal open house Wednesday, Sept. 28, to provide information and receive public comment on forest management treatments proposed for 2007 in the Gladwin Management Unit.
The open house will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at the DNR Gladwin Field Office located at 801 Silverleaf in Gladwin.
Each year, DNR personnel inventory and evaluate one-tenth of the state-owned forestlands. The information gathered includes the health, quality and quantity of all vegetation; wildlife and fisheries habitat needs; archaeological sites; mineral, oil and gas activities; recreational use; wildfire potential and social factors, including proximity to roads and neighborhoods; and use on adjacent lands, public or private. Proposed treatments are then designated to insure the sustainability of the resources and ecosystems.
Maps and information regarding the proposed treatments will |
be available at the open house or they can be accessedonline at the DNR's Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr or by mail from the Gladwin Field Office by calling 989-426-9205, extension 7604.
Each management unit is divided into smaller units or compartments to facilitate better administration of the resources. The Gladwin unit open house and compartment review will focus on compartments in Redding, Summerfield and Frost townships in Clare County; Sherman, Clement, Secord, Grim, Butman and Hay townships in Gladwin County; Adams, AuGres, Deep River and Arenac townships in Arenac County; Mills, Edenville and Geneva townships in Midland County; and Sherman and Alabaster townships in Iosco County.
Formal compartment review to finalize prescriptions for these areas is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, October 12, at the Sage Township Hall located at 183 Pratt Lake Road in Gladwin. |
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NRC Approves Order to Allow Deer Hunting At Hoffmaster State Park The Natural Resources Commission has approved a conservation order to allow for hunting opportunities at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park. The park currently is closed to hunting and trapping.
The order allows for the planning of managed antlerless deer hunts to reduce the existing herd and reduce ongoing environmental damage from the deer. Among the native plant species the deer have been eating at the park are trilliums, an |
endangered plant that is native to Michigan. The damage to the trilliums is so extensive, Humphries said, that the long-time Trillium Festival held annually at Hoffmaster had to be renamed to "Spring Blooms in the Dunes" to reflect the lack of trilliums.
The Parks and Recreation Division of the DNR will work in conjunction with the Wildlife Division to set up guidelines for the managed hunt. Those guidelines will be announced prior to the hunt.
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State Park Camping and Reservation Fee Increases Approved DNR Director Rebecca Humphries has approved a $4 per night increase in camping fees at 35 of Michigan's 70 state parks that have campgrounds. The increase will take effect for all camping stays in 2006.
The increase was recommended by the Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks, a public advisory panel that is helping the DNR develop a long-term financial strategy for the state park system. Currently, Michigan state parks receive no General Fund support from the state budget and operate primarily on user fees and an endowment from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
In addition to the $4 increase in camping fees at the 35 high-demand state parks, Humphries also approved proposed |
increases in transaction fees for the Campground Reservation System (CRS). The new fees include an increase in the non-refundable reservation fee from $2 to $8, a $5 non-refundable transaction fee for drive-in/walk-in campers with no reservation, an increase in the non-refundable cancellation fee from $5 to $10, and a $5 transaction fee for campers who wish to transfer sites while camped at a park.
Humphries emphasized that the fee increases are only a short-term solution while the Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks works on a long-term financial plan to address the needs of the state parks system.
A list of the 35 parks that will have increased camping fees is available on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under the Recreation and Camping section.
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Pennsylvania
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Family Fishing Programs Offered There my be no more beautiful season in Pennsylvania than fall and no better way to enjoy the state's autumnal beauty than time spent fishing with your family. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is offering a number of fishing programs this fall, designed especially for families.
The programs will include instruction on the types of fish found in Pennsylvania, fish habitats, safety, equipment, outdoor manners and protecting our water resources. Participants will learn basic fishing skills and get to put those skills to use.
Family fishing programs locations: Sept 18, 9 am - 12, McDanel's Fishing Pier, Moraine State Park, Butler County, 814-336-2426 |
Sept 18, 1:30 - 4:30 pm, Lake Chillisquaque, Montour Cty, Laurel Garlicki: 814-359-5193, [email protected] Sept 24, 7 - 10:30 am, Blue Marsh Lake, Berks County, Blue Marsh Lake Ranger Station: 610-376-6337 Sept 25, 1 - 5 pm, Little Buffalo State Park, Pavilion 2, Perry Cty, Alice Stitt: 717-705-7850, [email protected] Sept 25, 9 � 1 pm, Frances Slocum State Park, Luzerne Cty, Frances Slocum State Park: 570-696-9105 Sept 25, 8 � 12, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Tiffany Ledesma: 215-266-8626 Oct 15, 9 � 12, Heinz Nat�l Wildlife Refuge, Philadelphia, Erika Scarborough: 215-265-3118 Oct 16, 1:30 - 4:30 pm, Cloe Lake, Jefferson Cty, Laurel Garlicki: 814-359-5193, [email protected] Oct 16, 1 � 5 pm, Gifford Pinchot State Park Pavilion 4, York Cty, Alice Stitt: 717-705-7850, [email protected] |
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the GLSFC, its officers or staff.
Reproduction of any material by paid-up members of the GLSFC is encouraged but appropriate credit must be given.
Reproduction by others without written permission is prohibited.
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