|
|
 |
|
Week of September 17, 2007 |
| National |
| 2nd Amendment Issues |
| Michigan |
| Minnesota |
| New York |
| Ohio |
| Wisconsin |
|
or |
National
|
National Hunting and Fishing Day This year, National Hunting and Fishing Day comes on Sept. 22 through specials events across the country at state wildlife education centers, and with an added message about the role of sportsmen in caring for the environment.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created to celebrate the conservation achievements of hunters and anglers that benefit all who appreciate wildlife and wild places. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy is this year�s honorary chairman. |
A 2006 public opinion survey commissioned by National Shooting Sports Foundation shows a majority of Americans agree that hunters are among the world's leading conservationists. The survey also shows robust public approval of hunting and fishing. Today, 92 % of Americans approve of legal fishing; 82 % approve of legal hunting. Special events recognizing National Hunting and Fishing Day are scheduled across the states. For more information on National Hunting and Fishing Day, go to: www.nhfday.org .
|
|
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE also known as ATF) is supposed to be working for us, We The People, yet it is doing everything but that. Since 2002, |
85 % of American firearms manufacturers have been forced to close their doors. Additionally, from 1994 to 2005, 80 % of firearms dealers have been forced out of business. Who is doing this? The BATFE! |
Regional
|
Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels Sept 14, 2007 Weather Conditions Much of the Great Lakes basin received beneficial rainfall this week as a cold front pushed through the region. Many locations in the drought-stricken Lake Superior basin recorded over a half inch of precipitation on Monday and Tuesday. A second cold front is expected to bring more showers to the region Thursday evening and into Friday, before the sun returns for the weekend.
Lake Level Conditions Currently, Lake Superior is 6 inches below its level of a year ago, while Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are 2 to 4 inches lower than last year�s levels. Also, Lake Ontario is 9 inches below its level of one year ago. Lake Superior and Michigan-Huron are predicted to drop one and two inches, respectively, over the next 30 days. Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are projected to decline 4 to 6 inches over the next month. Each lake is forecasted to be below their water levels of a year ago during the next few months.
Current Outflows/Channel Conditions Outflow from the St. Marys River is predicted to be well below average for September. Flows through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are also predicted to be lower than average this month. In addition, flows in the Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers are |
expected to be below average as well.
Alerts Due to abnormally dry conditions on the Lake Superior basin over the last several months, Lake Superior�s water level is currently below chart datum and is expected to remain below datum over the next six months. 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.
|
2nd Amendment issues
|
Endangered Gun Dealers The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE also known as ATF) is supposed to be working for us, We The People, yet it is doing everything but that. Since 2002, |
85 % of American firearms manufacturers have been forced to close their doors. Additionally, from 1994 to 2005, 80 % of firearms dealers have been forced out of business. Who is doing this? The BATFE! |
Michigan
|
2007 Bear Hunting Season Opens Monday, Sept 10 marked the opening of the 2007 bear hunting season in the Upper Peninsula, which includes Drummond Island. Lower Peninsula season will begin Sept. 21.
�This year, hunters may expect another good to excellent bear season,� said David Bostick, DNR bear specialist. �Dry conditions in some portions of the state have resulted in below average natural food availability. In the past, these conditions have resulted in better than average hunting and bear harvest rates.�
The season dates for the Lower Peninsula is Sept. 21-27. An archery-only season for the Red Oak BMU opens Oct. 5, and closes Oct. 11.
To be eligible to receive a bear license, interested individuals |
must apply between April 15 and May 15 each year. In 2007, 54,560 individuals applied for a bear license. Of those individuals, 11,905 licenses are now available to successful applicants.
Hunters are required to register their bear at a registration station with 72 hour of harvesting the animal. The DNR will extract a canine tooth when the bear is sealed and registered. Bear population estimates depend on tooth extraction.
Bear registration stations are listed in the 2007 Bear Hunting Guide, and also found on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr. For many years, the DNR has offered successful bear hunting patches to hunters who register their bear. Due to budget restrictions, bear patches will not be available this year. |
|
DNR Basic Archery Instructor Course Scheduled for Sept. 27 in Huron County The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering a free basic archery instructor (BAI) course on Thursday, Sept. 27, at Laker Junior High School in Pigeon, located in Huron County. The eight-hour session, which will begin at 8 a.m., is for physical education teachers who wish to join the DNR�s Archery in the Schools program.
Archery in the Schools introduces international-style target archery to students in 4th through 12th grade physical education classes. The in-school curriculum�s core content covers archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement. To date, more than 180 schools across Michigan have implemented the program.
�Target archery is a safe sport, in which students of all skill |
levels can be successful regardless of age, size or physical ability,� said Mary Emmons, coordinator for the Archery in the Schools program. �Incorporating archery as a school sport choice in the physical education curriculum creates an opportunity to engage students who otherwise may not participate in traditional athletics, and is an individual sport they can enjoy throughout their lifetime.�
To register for this BAI class or for more information on Archery in the Schools, contact Mary Emmons at 517-241-9477 or by email at [email protected]. Information also is available online at www.michigan.gov/dnrarchery.
The DNR also is offering archery equipment grants to schools, both public and private, that enroll in the Archery in the Schools program. |
|
Salmon Available to Purchase at Various Local Distributors Each fall, a large number of Chinook and Coho salmon return to the rivers where they were stocked to spawn. The Michigan DNR has contracted with a private vendor to collect these fish at the state-owned weir facilities which can then be used for public consumption or marketed in other meaningful ways.
The DNR has contracted with American-Canadian Fisheries (AC), a private vendor, to help harvest the fish. AC pays the DNR a flat rate by the pound for the fish and their eggs. The eggs are sold to bait dealers who process the eggs and sell them as certified disease-free. Fish that are not edible can be used for pet food or fertilizer. AC makes the fish available wholesale to any and all local distributors that would like to market the fish to the public. A list of retailers marketing the fish is attached to this press release.
�We work closely with AC to maintain a professional approach to dealing with the returning salmon and to ensure that the |
harvest is done in the most environmentally ethical way,� said Tammy Newcomb, DNR Lake Huron Basin coordinator. �The number of fish returning to our rivers is so large that the DNR needs the assistance of private partners like AC to help in this area of fishery management.�
The DNR maintains multiple locations where fisheries biologists and technicians harvest broodstock for eggs. At these locations, weirs or blockages prevent fish from moving upstream. The fish are guided into harvest raceways so the DNR can take eggs and milt (sperm) from them. It is at the weirs that the DNR often stocks fish in high numbers to provide the broodstock.
There is no fish health consumption warning for mercury in Great Lakes salmon. The Michigan Department of Community Health states that Lake Huron and Lake Michigan salmon can be eaten without restriction by men and recommends one meal per month for women of child bearing age/concern and children. |
Minnesota
|
DNR continues to reduce barriers to hunting participation The Minnesota DNR knocked down more barriers to hunting participation this year. The agency, which in recent years has expanded youth hunts, reduced the price of youth deer licenses, and propelled the state into a national leader in the archery in the schools program, has launched an apprentice hunter program that promises to nudge would-be hunters off the fence and into fields and forests. It is also developing a new mentoring program. The mentoring effort aims to work |
with existing hunting, fishing and mentoring organizations to link avid outdoors enthusiasts with youth who have an interest in the outdoors but not the opportunity to experience it. Also, Minnesota military members who have served at any time in the preceding 24 months in federal active military service outside the United States and who have been discharged from active service can take small game without a license (with official military discharge papers) and obtain one free deer license. |
New York
|
DEC Names New Fish, Wildlife Director Renowned Conservation Biologist Patricia Riexinger Named, First Woman to Hold the Post A nationally certified wildlife biologist with extensive success in biodiversity conservation has been selected as the new Director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Commissioner Pete Grannis announced. |
Patricia Riexinger, who has over three decades of experience working in DEC's natural resource management and protection programs, will be the first woman to head the Division. The Division Director position became vacant with the retirement of Gerry Barnhart in August. Barnhart led the Division for 10 of his 28 years with DEC.
|
|
State Creates New Invasive Species Council Council to Implement Measures That Will Combat Threats to Native Species New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis and New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker announced the creation of a new council charged with implementing specific initiatives to protect native species and prevent the spread of invasive plants and animals. The New York Invasive Species Council, recently signed into law by Governor Eliot Spitzer, will coordinate statewide efforts to control invasive species.
Through direct predation and competition for nutrients, these resilient invaders disrupt food webs, alter physical habitats and come to dominate and fundamentally degrade ecosystems. Once introduced, invasive species reproduce and grow in numbers, thus exacerbating their influence on ecosystems over time. Common invasive species found in New York State include zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, |
purple loosestrife, giant hogweed and black swallowwort.Other recent new or expanded species discoveries include didymo, the Asian longhorned beetle, and the sirex woodwasp.
The Council will: ►assess the nature, scope and magnitude of the impacts caused by invasive species in the state; ►identify actions already taken to prevent, detect, respond rapidly to and control invasive species; ►recommend ways to restore native species and habitat conditions in impacted ecosystems; ►conduct research and develop technologies to prevent new introductions; promote public education; ►develop an invasive species management plan; ►provide input on funding priorities and grant applications; and ►hold a biennial invasive species summit |
Ohio
|
Pamela Dillon named Chief of ODNR Div of Watercraft COLUMBUS, OH � Pamela Dillon, who once served as a deputy chief of the Ohio DNR Division of Watercraft, has been appointed the division�s new chief. The appointment becomes effective October 1.
�Pam is a well-known figure in Ohio�s boating community,� said Sean D. Logan, ODNR director. �She is widely respected for her enthusiasm and support of paddle sports, as well as her background and knowledge of law enforcement. She is a valuable addition to our ODNR senior staff.�
Dillon joined the Virginia-based American Canoe Association |
as executive director in November 2002, following a 27-year career with ODNR.
A native of Portsmouth and former Ostrander resident, Dillon first joined ODNR in 1976 as a park naturalist aide, before becoming a state watercraft officer in 1977. She then went on to serve as manager of the division�s public information and education section. From 1996 to 2002, she was one of the division�s two deputy chiefs. In 2002, she was honored as the division�s administrator of the year. Dillon succeeds acting chief Michael E. Quinn, who will return to his former post as deputy chief. Bill McGarity also continues as a deputy chief in the division. |
Wisconsin
|
Public comment sought on stakeholder alternatives for ATV trail in state�s largest forest MADISON � The public has an opportunity to comment online, in writing or at upcoming public meetings on a stakeholder group�s alternatives for establishing all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails in the Northern Highland � American Legion State Forest, which at 225,000 acres is Wisconsin�s largest state forest.
Comments can be submitted online through the Department of Natural Resources Web site and in writing through Nov. 1. In addition, three public open house meetings will be held later this month to provide opportunities for the public to ask questions seek clarifications and submit comments. |
Public info meetings will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations: Sept. 17, Wausau - Best Western Midway Hotel, 2901 Hummingbird Rd Sept. 18, St. Germain - St. Germain Community Center, Highways 70 & 155 Sept. 19, Manitowish Waters - Manitowish Waters Community Ctr., 4 Airport Road at U.S. Hwy. 51
People who are unable to attend the open houses or have questions may write or contact Steve Petersen, NHAL Forest Superintendent, 8770 Hwy. J, Woodruff, WI 54568 or e-mail: [email protected] or call (715) 358-9225 |
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.
Home | Great Lakes States | Membership | Exotics Update | Great Links
Pending Issues | Regional News | Great Lakes Basin Report | Weekly News / Archives
Site maintained by JJ Consulting
