Week of October 17, 2005

Gallery Cuisine

World

 

National

Canada

Regional

General

2nd Amendment issues

Michigan

Minnesota

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

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Gallery Cuisine

Marinated salmon with mango & corn salsa

Marinade

� 1/2 cup Dry Vermouth

� 1/2 cup Olive Oil

� 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

� 3/4 tsp Salt

� 1/8 tsp Pepper

� 1/2 tsp Thyme

� 1/2 tsp Marjoram

� 1/4 tsp Sage

� 1 Tbsp Fresh Minced Parsley

� 4 Salmon Steaks

Marinate steaks for 3 hours. Broil 7 minutes on each side. Baste frequently.

 

Mango & Corn Salsa

� 6 Ears Corn

� 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

� Salt &Amp; Pepper To Taste

� 1 Jalapeno Chili Pepper

� 1 Lg or 2 Sm. Mangos - Peeled, Thinly Sliced

� 1/2 Red Pepper, Thinly Sliced

� 1/2 Green Pepper, Thinly Sliced

� 1/4 Cup Minced Cilantro

� 2 Plum Tomatoes, Finely Chopped

� 1 Lg Clove Garlic, Crushed

� 1 Tbsp Hot Red Pepper Sauce

� 4 Limes (Juice Of)

� Pinch of Sugar

 

Husk corn, baste with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, & pepper. Grill or broil 4 inches from heat till golden (about 10 minutes).  Roast jalapeno pepper till skin is charred.  Peel...take out seeds & chop pepper.  Put kernels in bowl , add roasted pepper & stir in all ingredients.

Let sit for a few hours if possible

(By Chef Jim Bucko, Radisson Hotel, Merrillville, IN )


 

World

Diet rich in fish helps slow loss of memory, Study says

Research shows two fish meals a week reflect a 13% slower annual decline

CHICAGO (AP) � Eating fish once a week slows the memory loss associated with aging by 10 % a year, according to a Rush University Medical Center study of 6,158 elderly Chicagoans.

 

For people who eat more than one fish meal a week, the slowdown in memory loss amounted to 13 % a year, Rush medical expert Martha Clare Morris reported last week in the medical journal Archives of Neurology. Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, the study suggests.

 

Careful analyses of diet, lifestyle and cognitive function showed that after six years those who consumed fish weekly were about 3 to 4 years younger mentally than those who seldom ate fish, she said.

   

The study adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.

 

Biologically, the findings make sense because fish contain omega 3 fatty acid, which is an important constituent of brain cell membranes, said Alice Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition laboratory at the USDA Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University. Lichtenstein, who was not involved in the Rush study, said the findings are consistent with other studies showing that eating fish or taking fish oil supplements lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

   

For the latest study, researchers measured how well 3,718

persons - 62 % blacks and 38 % whites, did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The lowered risk of memory loss was observed in both races, said co-author Morris, an epidemiologist at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center, one of the nation's premier research and teaching hospitals. "Those who ate two fish meals a week showed a 13% slower annual decline."

 

An earlier study of the same population group showed that fish consumption lowered the risk of Alzheimer's disease.  The participants, all Chicago residents 65 or older, took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that listed 139 foods.

 

The study was posted October 11, 2005 on the Web site of the Archives of Neurology and will appear in the journal's December issue. It was published early online because of its general interest.  The researchers looked for, but failed to find, a link between omega-3 fatty acids and protection from brain decline. Previous studies found such a link.

 

Morris said the study was not designed to look at any possible effects of mercury contamination of fish, which has been linked to cognitive impairment. But it's probably a good idea to be aware of reports on which fish may contain the highest mercury levels, she added. Fish that tend to have higher mercury content include swordfish and tuna.

 

"We know that as we grow older the neurons lose omega 3 fatty acid," Morris said. "By eating fish or other sources of omega 3 fatty acid you can replace that which is lost in the neuron membranes. That's very important for neuron functioning and how they communicate among themselves."

 

"Basically we found that eating fish at least once a week appears to have a small but significant delay in the decline of one's thinking ability with age," Morris said. There were too few people taking fish oil supplements to measure their effect on memory.


Words to Ponder

Broadband Internet access is great � but is it a right or merely

a convenience? 

 


National

Hall confirmed as USFWS Director

The U.S. Senate has confirmed H. Dale Hall as the new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An avid hunter with 27 years as a Service employee, Hall brings to the post a

 wide range of experience. He replaces Steve Williams, who resigned to become president of the Wildlife Management Institute.

States Say "Enough" to Indian Gambling

The Tribal gambling industry is out of control and States are fighting back.

Gambling opponents are asking Congress to end tribal casino expansion. Several states are currently at the mercy of a loophole in a federal law, passed in 1988. Jeff Benedict of the Connecticut Alliance Against Casino Gambling Expansion, explains the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is causing many states to have to violate their own constitutional laws against gambling.

 

"Its intention was to level the playing field and give Indian tribes the opportunity to offer gambling to the same degree that was offered in the states in which those tribes reside"  says Benedict.  Benedict adds the outbreak of casinos is the result of a loophole that allows tribes, without land, to seek property for a reservation. Some are using the loophole to shop for the best place to build a casino. "It's gotten to the 

point where it's so bad now that Indian casinos are now being developed on non-Indian land."

 

For example, an Indian casino is going up in the city of Buffalo, New York. Attorney Neil Murray says casino-type gambling is illegal in New York, but the Indian Gaming Act trumps state law. "We can't have a situation here where Congress is turning around and telling states to pass laws that violate the states own constitution" comments Benedict.

 

Chad Hills with Focus on the Family Action is asking congress to patch holes in the federal law.  "We believe that just like commercial casinos, the citizens and legislators in the state should have a say as to whether a casino opens in a county or in their state somewhere."

 

Tweny-five states are rallying congress to stop the spread of off-reservation casinos.


Snakeheads Return with a Vengeance

Anglers on Dogue Creek, near Fort Belvoir, Va., say they found hundreds of the non-native fish on Sunday, Oct 9 when the creek was swollen with rain. They caught at least 80, using nets and three-pronged fishhooks. But the anglers said hundreds more remained in the creek. State biologist John Odenkirk pulled 62 more out of the creek on two days later. Now state biologists want to know what led the nonnative

species to congregate in the tributary of the Potomac River near Fort Belvoir.

 

Scientists are concerned the burgeoning population of the invasive species appears to be irreversible, and will compete with native bass and other fish for food, throwing the ecosystem out of balance, especially since they have no native predators in the area's fresh waters.


Hurricane Katrina's Damage to Recreational Boats Est. at $650-$750 Million

BoatUS, estimates that damage to recreational vessels as a result of Hurricane Katrina is between $650 to $750 million.  Of that amount only about half, or $300 to $400 million in damage, was covered by insurance.

 

Katrina's losses far surpass last year's four hurricane total of 

 about $330 million in damages as well as the $500 million in losses attributed to 1992's Hurricane Andrew - which until now was believed to be the single most costly natural catastrophe to effect recreational boating.  Hurricane Katrina also destroyed an estimated 75% of the marinas along 150 miles of the Gulf Coast.

 

 


NOAA: Gulf of Mexico Fish Show Little Hurricane Contamination

WASHINGTON, DC, - Government analyses of fish and crabs collected from the Gulf of Mexico two weeks after Hurricane Katrina show no E. coli, a bacteria associated with human or animal fecal contamination, and very low levels of pesticides and industrial chemicals that researchers say are "likely not related to hurricane runoff."

 

NOAA has completed additional analyses of fish, water, and sediment samples collected from coastal and offshore marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico from September 12 to 16. The latest tests were conducted to determine the level of fish, water, and sediment exposure to bacteria and to determine the level of exposure to pesticides and other contaminants, such as PCB and DDT.

 

Last week, NOAA tests of these same fish found no oil contamination. Additional testing on shrimp samples taken from Mississippi Sound is ongoing.  Analyses of water samples for indicators of human sewage or agricultural runoff found levels that are below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's safety limits for bathing beaches, the most stringent

government standard for recreational waters.

 

In the fish and crab samples, the levels of PCBs ranged from 2.5 -15 parts per billion (ppb) and the levels of DDT ranged from 0.8 - 2.2 parts per billion - levels far below the Food and Drug Administration's safety standards for commercial seafood, and are similar to levels detected in fish in non-urbanized areas.

 

The agency's PCB limit is 2000 ppb, and their DDT limit is 5000 ppb.    Analyses show no detectable level of brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) in most fish samples.

 

NOAA said September 29 that the first tests showed no elevated exposure to hydrocarbon contaminants, which are common in marine life after exposure to oil spills. NOAA also is conducting a comprehensive analysis of fishing infrastructure damage caused by the hurricanes. The agency has teams surveying the region's fishing fleets, seafood processing plants, fish markets and bait shops. The survey will take months to complete, but NOAA said preliminary information will be released as it becomes available.


Whooping crane expedition ready to launch

Endangered bird flock should pass through Indiana on way to Florida

Operation Migration hopes to launch the 2005 whooping crane migration flight on Friday, Oct. 14. During the flight, young endangered whooping cranes learn traditional migration routes by following ultralight planes from northern Wisconsin to Florida.

 

"If the weather turns out as forecast, the launch will be quite a spectacle -- five ultralights and 20 Whooping cranes," said expedition leader and pilot Joe Duff. Duff says recent hurricanes have diverted funding and increased costs. "The soaring cost of fuel, increased expenses, the large number of birds we have this season and resulting added staff needed, have made it very difficult to raise enough funds to keep us going.

 

"We have enough funding in place to get us almost to the Kentucky/Tennessee border before we run out of gas -- figuratively and literally," said Duff.

 

This year's flight is the fifth of similar flights designed to restore migratory populations of the endangered birds. Past routes led the team through approximately 14 Indiana counties with three overnight stops.

 

Follow flight progress or donate at: http://www.operationmigration.org/index.html

Researchers are working to restore flocks of whooping cranes that will spend summers near Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin, and migrate to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

 

In the first five years of the program, approximately 60 birds have been taught a migration route between Wisconsin and Florida. This is 4 times the number of whoopers that existed in the early 1940's. The birds have been returning to Wisconsin in the spring on their own.

 

Whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America standing 5 feet tall with a 7- to 8-foot wingspan.  Whooping cranes mate for life and can live 25 years or more in the wild.

 

Like many birds, whooping cranes learn their migration route by following their parents. But this knowledge is lost when the species is reduced and there are no longer any wild birds using the flyway. Until Operation Migration was asked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to spearhead a reintroduction of the world's most endangered cranes, there was no method of teaching migration to captive-reared whooping cranes released into the wild.

 

Operation Migration works in partnership with nine private and government agencies known collectively as the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.

 


Regional

Save the date - Marine Community Day 2006

The US Coast Guard has announced their 2006  Marine

Community Day will be March 8, 2006. More details to follow as they become available.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for October 14, 2005

Lake Level Conditions:

All of the Great Lakes are 1 to 5 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 2 inches over the next month and fall below chart datum in December.  Recent heavy rainfall over the Lake Superior watershed led to a 4-inch water level rise during part of last week.   Lake Michigan-Huron should fall below chart datum this month and decline 3 inches over the next 30 days.  The remaining lakes are expected to fall 4 inches over the next month.  Levels over the next few months on all the Great Lakes are expected to remain lower than 2004/2005.   Evaporation rates during the fall may be higher than average due to warmer surface water temperatures.

 

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions:

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is projected to be below average during the month of October.  Flows in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are anticipated to be below average during October.  Flows in the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River are expected to be near average in October.

 

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.

 

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels Data Summary

 

 

Superior

Mich-Huron

St. Clair

Erie

Ontario

Expected water level for Oct 14 in ft

601.6

577.5

573.6

570.9

244.8

Chart datum, in ft

601.1

577.5

572.3

569.2

243.3

Diff from chart datum, in inches

+6

0

+15

+21

+18

Diff from last month, in inches

+1

-3

-2

-2

-3

Diff from last year in inches

-3

-5

-3

-1

-4


Canada

Canada�s Police ready to register their guns,

Even if Firearms Centre says they're not

OTTAWA (CP) _ The country's two largest police associations say their members are ready, willing and anxious to register their guns with the Canada Firearms Centre immediately.  They say they're at a loss to understand why police registration under the Firearms Act has been delayed for another year, especially since the delay has been attributed to them.

The Sept. 30 implementation date was quietly postponed this summer - the second deferral in nine months - by an order in council from the federal cabinet.  The regulation demands that all public agents register their weapons, including both service weapons and those seized, found or turned in. It's now scheduled to come into force in November 2006.

 


General

Smallmouth bass travel farther than largemouth

California study shows bigmouths stay close to new territory

How far do bass travel when released after a tournament? Guesses range from less than a mile to more than 15 miles. Some anglers have insisted that bass have homing instincts and travel all the way back to the area they were caught. An interesting theory, however, according to studies done by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and other biologists, largemouth bass move very little during their entire lifetime.

 

A few years ago, the DFG tagged 580 bass (497 were smallmouth and the remaining 83 were largemouth) caught during a tournament at Lake Shasta. The bass were then released at the weigh-in site. Fishermen catching the tagged fish were asked to contact the DFG. The study lasted three years.

 

Anglers returned 34 largemouth bass tags. Thirteen were caught less than a mile from the release site. Twenty-one were caught from one mile to seven miles from the release site.  During the first 40 days after being released, the average distance traveled by the fish was less than a mile and the average for the entire three-year study period was less than two miles.

 

The smallmouth bass used in the study traveled much farther after being released. Of the 497 smallmouth bass tagged and released, 87 % were caught from two to 15 miles from the release site. Within the first 20 days after being released, the majority of the smallies traveled at least three miles and a few

traveled as far as eight miles.

 

Biologists concluded that largemouth bass travel very short distances after being released. They establish new territory and continue on with their lives. However, smallmouth bass will travel back to where they were caught. Why smallies have this homing ability and largemouths don't, no one knows for sure.

 

The question many anglers are asking: "Does holding most of the bass tournaments in only one area result in the stockpiling of fish?"

 

Typically during a two-day tournament approximately 1,000 to 1,500 adult bass will be weighed and released in the vicinity of a tournament site. Many of these bass are caught at the far end of a lake and transported to the weigh-in site. If the DFG studies prove to be true, those fish won't be returning to areas from where they were caught.

 

Does taking that many bass from the south end deplete the fishery? To date, there hasn't been any evidence shown that supports that theory.

 

If the DFG determines that one area is being overloaded with bass they may require that tournament release sites be spread around the lake, but don't look for that to happen. It only takes a few adult bass to repopulate an area and there are enough bass that are never caught to accomplish this. Studies have shown that less than 20 % of the bass ever feel the sting of a hook. Most are born, live and die and never come into contact with a human.


Wildlife Commission Plans Hunts For Disabled Sportsmen

RALEIGH, N.C. - The N.C. Wildlife Commission has scheduled a series of hunting opportunities for disabled sportsmen this fall. For more information about special hunt

opportunities, permit draws or disabled sporting opportunities in North Carolina, consult the Special Hunt Opportunities booklet, available at wildlife license agents or online at www.ncwildlife.org .

 


Newly Reformulated Gasoline with Ethanol Could Rupture Old Fiberglass Tanks

Explosion Hazard and Significant Engine Damage Evidenced on Large, Older Vessels

Older fiberglass fuel tanks may fail as a result of recent gasoline reformulations that are using increased concentrations of the fuel additive ethanol.

 

BoatU.S. believes that as a result of industry-wide changes in fiberglass resin formulations in the mid 1980's, the problem appears to be limited to tanks manufactured prior to this date.  Diesel fuel systems are not affected. The fiberglass fuel tanks in question were standard equipment on some Hatteras, Bertram and possibly other boats.  While the investigation is still in the preliminary stage, BoatUS believes that reformulations made to gasoline in the Long Island Sound area that replaced MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether) in late 2004 with a 10% concentration of ethanol is causing the additive to "attack" the resin in the old fiberglass tanks.  The results are weakened tank walls and bottoms with the potential to leak. Anytime gasoline leaks into the bilge, there is a significant risk of an explosion.

 

BoatU.S. has confirmed reports of tank wall failure in which gasoline was found leaking into the bilge.  It also has reports of a tar-like substance - possibly created from the chemical reaction between the older fiberglass resin and ethanol - causing hard black deposits that damage intake valves and pushrods, ultimately destroying the engine.

 

BoatU.S. is asking boaters for any firsthand reports or other information they may have on the issue and is doing

additional testing to evaluate the extent of the problem. "We'd like to know if other gasoline reformulations with lesser concentrations of ethanol react with the resin, perhaps at a slower pace," said Fort.

 

The increasing use of ethanol has largely been the result of federal and state efforts to replace MTBE, a potential carcinogen, with a safer alternative.  MTBE and ethanol oxygenate fuel to help reduce harmful emissions when running cold engines just after startup.  BoatU.S. has no reports from other states using lesser concentrations of ethanol. "Many well-regarded boat manufacturers have used fiberglass tanks reliably for years," said Fort.  "But unforeseen by these builders, the new reformulation in New York and Connecticut includes a high percentage of ethanol.  And unfortunately, gasoline with ethanol is the only fuel available to boaters in these areas," he added. Some stations in New Jersey may also be using ethanol-enhanced fuel.

 

Early symptoms may include engine backfiring and hard (sluggish) starting, in which the motor turns over slowly as though the battery were weak.  Affected engines also may not reach their rated RPM.   Fort said, "Ironically, the substance seems to pass through fuel filters leaving no tell-tale marks - some have appeared clean on our reports.  The only way to know for certain is to pull the carburetor and inspect the underside for a black, gummy film which can indicate a serious problem."

 

Until it fully understands the extent of the issue, BoatU.S is recommending that any early 1980's or older vessel with fiberglass gas tanks be stored empty over the winter.


 

2nd Amendment issues

Guns Banned at 'FEMA City'  In Louisiana

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) reports that displaced New Orleans residents living in a temporary housing compound are not allowed to possess firearms. �This is not acceptable,� said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, following the lawsuit filed by the NRA and SAF securing a temporary restraining order against the confiscation of firearms by police in and around New Orleans.

 

According to a report that aired on the Lehrer News Hour last week, displaced New Orleans residents are being allowed to move into a trailer and RV compound called "FEMA City," but the conditions for residency include a ban on firearms.

 

Gottlieb contends the firearms restriction is illegal under state law and a federal court precedent established in another state.  "Being the victim of a natural disaster does not require a citizen to surrender his or her civil rights, and that includes firearms rights and property rights," Gottlieb said

 

�This is not acceptable,� said Gottlieb, �especially after the 

lawsuit that we, and the National Rifle Association, filed recently in New Orleans that secured a temporary restraining order against the confiscation of firearms by police in that city and in nearby St. Tammany Parish.

 

�It doesn�t matter whether this refuge community is behind a gate, or whether it is patrolled by police and security guards,� Gottlieb continued. �This restriction appears to be illegal under Louisiana law and the state constitution, as well as under a federal court ruling some years ago that protected firearms owned by residents in a federal public housing facility in another state.

 

�We are making inquiries about this restriction, and who ordered it,� Gottlieb said. �When we find out, whether it is an order that came from local authorities, or from FEMA, when we establish who gave that order, we are going to pursue legal action.  The anti -gun attitude that seems to be growing out of Louisiana's disaster had better change, or we're going to change it in court."


 

Michigan

New 2006 Fishing Regulations Approved

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission recently approved eight new fishing orders (FOs) for regulation changes that go into effect for the 2006 fishing season, which begins April 1.

 

Highlights of the changes include:

 ►  Spawning Closures. The spawning closure on Prairieville Creek, an inlet to Gull Lake in Barry County, was removed since Gull Lake is no longer managed for Atlantic salmon and the Type I trout regulation currently in place for Prairieville Creek adequately protects spawning trout and rainbow smelt.

 

 ►  Designated Trout Streams. Stony Creek in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties were added to the order to protect spawning brook trout. Adding this water to the list of Designated Trout Streams provides for coldwater protection under the state's water quality rules and allows for protection of trout during the fall spawning period when the stream is closed to fishing. Thread Creek in Oakland County was removed from the order since continuous water temperature monitoring indicated marginal temperatures for trout occasionally exceeding 80 degrees during mid-summer.

 

 ►  Northern Pike. The following lakes were added to the list of waters where northern pike may be taken at any size: Lake Thirteen in Clare County; Big Creek Impoundment and River Lake in Crawford County; Pickerel Lake in Crawford and Oscoda counties; Lake Lancer in Gladwin County; Bass Lake in Kent County; and Lake Ogemaw in Ogemaw County. The following lakes were removed from the list so general hook and line regulations will apply: Pickerel Lake in Dickinson County; Harper Lake in Lake County; Hamlin Lake in Mason County; and Meauwataka Lake in Wexford County.

 

 ►  Gear Restrictions. Changes to the gear restrictions order were made to allow anglers to suspend a weight below a hook tied directly to the main line (without using a three-inch dropper line) on certain waters. The method of using this gear is called "drop shotting" and will now be legal to use on inland lakes, the Great Lakes and connecting waters. However, the gear restriction is still in effect on all rivers, streams and drowned river mouths where snagging potential is highest. The list of drowned river mouths by county is: Kalamazoo River and Silver Lake in Allegan County; Betsie Lake in Benzie

County; Arcadia Lake, Manistee Lake and Portage Lake in Manistee County; Pere Marquette Lake in Mason County; Duck Lake, Mona Lake, Muskegon Lake and White Lake in Muskegon County; Pentwater Lake, Silver Lake and Stony Lake in Oceana County; Macatawa Lake and Pigeon Lake in Ottawa County.

 

 ►  Special Muskellunge and Pike Regulations. Several waters were removed from the special muskellunge and northern pike regulations listing. General hook and line regulations will now apply to these waters. The waters removed are as follows: Lower Crooked in Barry County; Austin Lake, Eagle Lake and Crooked Lake in Kalamazoo County; and Big Star Lake in Lake County.

 

 ►  Lake Trout in MI-6 Lake Superior. Lake trout regulations in Lake Superior management unit MI-6 were changed to a 15" minimum size limit and a three fish daily limit. The change makes lake trout regulations consistent throughout Lake Superior.

 

 ►  Hook and Line Regulations. The hook and line regulations were extended on the Saginaw River from LaFayette Bridge downstream to its confluence and the portion of the Kawkawlin River downstream from the Euclid Avenue Bridge has been added during the walleye spawning runs. On these waters during the period from March 16 through the Friday before the last Saturday in April, it is unlawful to fish with artificial baits. Natural baits may be fished only on single pointed hooks not more than a half-inch between the point and shank, and no beads, spinners or reflectors may be attached to the line within six inches of any hook.

 

►  Sturgeon Regulations. Minor adjustments were made to the lottery drawing procedure for the Black Lake sturgeon spearing season. Changes will benefit anglers interested in this type of angling opportunity and will allow Fisheries Division to streamline the lottery drawing process.

 

At the Nov. 3 meeting of the NRC, five additional FOs are expected to be approved by Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries that will take effect for the 2006 fishing season. All of the regulations will appear in the 2006 Michigan Fishing Guide and the 2006 Michigan Inland Trout and Salmon Guide.


DNR Seeks Public's Help on Eagle Poaching Case

The Michigan DNR is requesting the public's help in solving a poaching case in Antrim County involving a bald eagle. The DNR is offering a $1,000 award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the incident.

 

Officers with the DNR's Law Enforcement division are investigating the killing of the bird, which took place earlier this year in the Lake Skegemog/Torch Lake area of Antrim County. A nesting pair of bald eagles was last observed together in the Torch Lake area this May, and one of the pair was killed

shortly afterward, officers said.

 

"We are asking anyone who may have information on this case to contact the Wildlife Resource Protection Section," said Lt. David Davis, district law supervisor for the DNR's Wildlife Resource Protection Section. "The public also can use the Report All Poaching (RAP) hotline to report information anonymously."

 

Persons with information should contact Lt. Davis at (989) 275-5151, ext. 2070 or can call anonymously on the RAP hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (800) 292-7800.

 


Minnesota

Accommodations for disabled hunters

A special deer hunt for hunters with disabilities is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 at Lake Bemidji State Park. During the regular firearms hunt at Wild River State Park from Nov. 5-8, accessible elevated platforms will be available for disabled hunters.

 

While most of the hunts are designated for regular firearms,

seven parks will hold hunts for muzzleloaders. At Flandrau State Park, the park is open to use by the public during the city of New Ulm archery deer hunt.  For more info, call the DNR Information Center at (651) 296-6157 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367) or visit the state park pages on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us

 


Fort Snelling deer poachers fined $15,000

A federal judge in St. Paul recently fined three men $15,000 and placed them on four years probation for poaching deer at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

 

In late 2001, conservation officers with the Minnesota DNR received information that four deer had been illegally shot at the cemetery, the heads and capes removed, and the remains buried. All had been taken by a .22 caliber rifle.

 

State conservation officers Travis Muyres and Kevin Neitzke also learned that the deer would be mounted in South Dakota. With assistance by the USFWS, three men were charged with illegally taking deer on federal property: Douglas M. Marciniak, 58, and Douglas F. Marciniak, 32, both of Amery, Wis., and

Donald Behrns, Big Lake, Minn.

 

Each man was fined $5,000 and placed on four years probation. During the first two years of probation, they are prohibited from hunting, fishing, or taking game or fish in any manner. During the term of probation, they cannot violate any state or federal game or fish laws. They must also forfeit four sets of deer antlers, two deer capes and the .22 caliber rifle involved in the incident. Behrns is prohibited from working as a hunting guide.

 

The USFWS donated the antlers to the DNR's "Wall of Shame," a display of wildlife mounts confiscated as a result of arrests for violations of Minnesota game laws.


Trophy bass dies

Angler may have violated regulations

The record largemouth bass caught last week and kept alive in a tank for possible public display has died.

Now there is some controversy over what angler Mark Raveling did after catching the 8.15 oz Minnesota record

 

Raveling, 54, a tournament bass angler for 20 years, could be cited for illegally transporting the fish alive. State regs prohibit the transportation of live fish, except minnows, from lakes. However, Mike Hamm, DNR enforcement chief, said the regs conflict with a state statute, which appears to allow the transportation of "wild animals." He said DNR officials intend to re-examine the statutes and regulations.

 

There are no plans at this time to cite Raveling, Hamm said.  The fish died of unknown causes in a private tank in Brainerd.

 

Central to the controversy are DNR fishing regulations that many anglers consider too general if not stupid. Some DNR regulations - especially those germane to invasive species issues - go to great detail while this one is a "one size fits all" scenario. The regulations say: "All fish must be killed before transportation" no exceptions! DNR officials say the regulation is intended to prevent anglers from moving fish from one lake to another, potentially harming the natural fishery of a lake by

introducing diseased fish or other species, including invasive species.

 

"We're not trying to be punitive to anglers; we're trying to protect our resources," said Ron Payer, DNR fish chief.

 

Raveling told DNR officials that he wanted to register his record fish alive, and officials believe that has never been attempted before. He was first told he must kill the fish. Even after he kept it alive in a tank, and it was certified as a state record fish, DNR officials still were puzzled over what to allow Raveling to do with the fish.

 

It couldn't be sold, because regulations prevent the sale of game fish.

 

Payer said Raveling apparently violated DNR regulations when he transported his bass from the lake to the DNR area fishery office in Montrose for positive identification. And it would have been a separate violation to transport water in his livewell from an infested lake.

 

Questions of offering for display, sale for display, transportation, identification, etc are unlikely to go away, and current regulations make it difficult to have a fish officially weighed without killing it.  Again, it's a "one size fits all" scenario. It would appear we can come up with some better considerations of our resources and situations than that.


Pennsylvania

Rusty Crayfish Banned in the Commonwealth

Added to list of Aquatic species banned for sale, possession or transportation

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Dr. Douglas Austen has added the rusty crayfish to a list of species illegal for possession, sale, barter or transportation in the Commonwealth.

         

Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) are native to waters in the Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee region.  Although they are indigenous to parts of the Ohio River basin, they are not considered native to the Commonwealth.  Rusty crayfish were first found in the Commonwealth in 1976. Recent survey work funded by the Commission to assess native crayfish distribution and abundance has documented additional rusty crayfish populations, mainly in south-central Pennsylvania. 

       

There is little known about what ecological impact the expanded presence of rusty crayfish has had in the state.  Potentially, rusty crayfish can reproduce in large numbers and reduce lake and stream vegetation, depriving native fish and their prey of cover and food.  Their size and aggressive nature keeps many fish species from feeding on them.  Rusty crayfish may also reduce native crayfish populations by out-competing them for food and habitat. 

         

As a non-native species, the introduction of rusty crayfish into

Pennsylvania waters has long been illegal. Likewise, rusty   

crayfish are not on the list of species legal to propagate for sale as fish bait by licensed bait dealers. The new action to make them illegal for possession, sale, barter or transportation is an additional preventive measure to further reduce the chances that rusty crayfish could be inadvertently spread to new areas by anglers acquiring them as fish bait.

 

"There is no direct evidence that anglers have spread rusty crayfish beyond their normal range.  Crayfish are a popular fish bait, however, and it is very difficult to distinguish rusty crayfish from other species commonly found in Pennsylvania.  So to help stop the potential spread of rusty crayfish, we are asking anglers who collect crayfish for bait to not transport any crayfish from one water body to another,� Austen said.

         

Adult rusty crayfish are characteristically 3-5 inches long (nose to tail) with large claws that exhibit black-banded tips. The best identifier of the rusty crayfish is a set of dark, rusty spots on the midsection.  These spots are found on each side, appearing as if it were picked up by someone with paint on their thumb and forefinger.

 

The rusty crayfish now joins a list of other exotic species banned in the Commonwealth that includes zebra mussel, bighead carp, silver carp, snakeheads, black carp, quagga mussel, round goby, tubenose goby and European Rudd.


Wisconsin

Cormorant Bill AB 486, up for Finance Hearing October 19

Wisconsin AB 486, the bill that would require the DNR to work with USFWS and USDA to create a cormorant control program has been scheduled for a hearing in the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) on October 19th. 

 

Since the DNR determined that it will cost them $1,000,000 to implement a cormorant control program, the bill must pass out of the finance committee before it can be voted on by the full Assembly.  However, it is generally assumed the DNR's fiscal estimate of $1,000,000 is a thinly veiled attempt to scuttle the bill.  They want to put off cormorant control for a few more years and putting a ridiculously high cost on it is one way to do that.

 

We have been assured by the leadership in the Assembly that if AB 486 passes JCF, it will be sent to the full Assembly for a floor vote.

 

Now is the time to make the members of the JCF aware of this important issue.  We need to educate them on how significant this bill is to the sportsmen and women who fish and enjoy Wisconsin's waters.  The best way to do that would be to have your members contact their representatives and senators to explain the urgency of the cormorant threat.  We particularly need folks who live in the districts of JCF members to call or write them.

 

Below is the list of all JCF members and their contact information and the area they represent. 

 

Calls or email a couple of specific Senators who have large constituencies of sportsmen or commercial fishermen in their district.  These include Sen. Joe Leibham from Sheboygan, Sen. Rob Cowles from Green Bay, and Rep. Dan Meyer from Eagle River.  Meyer's district is literally the land of lakes and fishing is of tremendous economic and cultural significance to his constituents. 

 

If something like what happened on Leach Lake in Minnesota were to happen near Eagle River, it would be devastating.  These three men will be the most sympathetic to our cause and therefore the most helpful to passing the bill out of committee.

 

All Representatives and Senators email addresses in Wisconsin follow the same format.  Representative addresses are: [email protected]  and Senators are: [email protected] .

 

Senator Scott Fitzgerald , Senate Chair (R)

Room 317 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-5660

 

Juneau 

Representative Dean Kaufert, Assembly Chair (R)

[email protected]

Room 308 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8952

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-5719

 

Neenah 

Senator Mary Lazich (R)

Room 18 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-5400

 

New Berlin     

Representative David Ward (R)

Room 324 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-3790

 

Fort Atkinson  

Senator Alberta Darling (R)

Room 316 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-5830

 

River Hills    

Representative Scott Jensen (R)

Room 321 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8952

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 264-6970

 

Waukesha       

Senator Robert Cowles (R)

[email protected]

Room 122 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-0484

 

Green Bay      

Representative Jeff Stone (R)

Room 304 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-8590

 

Greendale      

Senator Joseph Leibham (R)

[email protected]

Room 127 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-2056

 

Sheboygan      

Representative Kitty Rhoades (R)

Room 320 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-1526

 

Hudson 

Senator Luther Olsen (R)

Room 5 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-0751

 

Berlin 

Representative Dan Meyer (R)

[email protected]

Room 306 East, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-7141

 

Eagle River    

Senator Russell Decker (D)

Room 323 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-2502

 

Shofield       

Representative Mark Pocan (D)

Room 322 West, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-8570

 

Madison

Senator Lena Taylor (D)

Room 3 South, State Capitol

P.O. Box 7882

Madison, WI 53707

(608) 266-5810

 

Milwaukee

Representative Pedro Col�n (D)

Room 104 North, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8952

Madison, WI 53708

(608) 267-7669

Milwaukee


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