Governor Announces State Support for Bass Pro Deal

Outdoor Retailer to Create 300 New Jobs, Catalyst for Area Development

 PORTAGE, Ind. -- Governor Mitch Daniels last week joined Bass Pro Shops President Jim Hagale and Portage Mayor Doug Olson to announce the state support of a planned destination-retail store in Portage through assistance from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The Springfield, Mo.-based retailer is widely known to attract additional service industry businesses wherever a store is located and would mean a significant increase in investment for northwest Indiana.

The Bass Pro Shops Portage store will be 130,000 sq ft with an 8,000 sq ft Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant, a marina and an expansive boat showroom featuring a complete selection of Tracker, Nitro and Tahoe boats. The IEDC will provide approximately $2.5 million in public infrastructure assistance for the city of Portage to help aid in the creation of business that the Bass Pro Shops Portage location will attract.

Bass Pro Shops unique, award-winning outdoor stores are 

known for combining retail with entertainment, conservation

and outdoor education. Their destination retail stores across America and Canada attract over 78 million people annually.

Located on I-94 at Portage�s Northern edge, the city and Holladay Properties sought out Bass Pro several years ago as a catalyst for growth in that area.  Much more than a retail store, the sights and sounds of the outdoors are brought indoors through museum quality wildlife dioramas, huge murals and chandeliers depicting outdoor scenes, massive log and rock work, waterfalls and other water features, and aquariums stocked with native fish species. The attention to the finest detail from wildlife tracks in the concrete, to wildlife carvings on logs and rafters is what helps add to the uniqueness of a Bass Pro Shops store.

More than just a fishing and hunting store, Bass Pro Shops will also offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture. Employment information is available in the career opportunity�s section of www.basspro.com .

DNR to host waterfowl season open houses March 6, 8, 9

Public comments due by April 15, 2006

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will host a series of public open houses to gather public opinion about waterfowl hunting for the 2006-07 season. The results of the 2005 Waterfowl Hunter Survey will be available at these events.

All open houses will be from 3 - 7 p.m. (local time) The dates and locations are:

► Monday, March 6: Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife Area, Winslow, IN

► Wednesday, March 8: Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area, Edinburgh, IN

► Thursday, March 9: Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Morocco, IN

Also available at the open houses will be preliminary season dates for the 2006-07 waterfowl hunting seasons. The preliminary dates have been developed using results from the 2005 Waterfowl Hunter Survey and are offered for public comment.

These preliminary dates are subject to revision and must be approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this summer.  The DNR will also accept comment on additional waterfowl hunting issues such as zone and split configurations.  All materials available at the open houses will also be available on the DNR Web site:  www.IN.gov/dnr/

Written comments may be sent to the DNR, Div. of Fish and Wildlife, Waterfowl Zone Comments, 553 E Miller Dr., Bloomington, IN 47401. All comments must be received by April 15, 2006.

DNR offers advanced fire workshop March 10

Wildfires are not confined to the American West. They also happen every year in Indiana. Indiana's spring fire season begins when the snow cover has melted and with the onset of warm, dry winds that can dry out the fuels. The fall fire season is triggered by leaf fall and killing frost.

While not matching the size or intensity of the well-publicized western fires, Indiana has more than 3,000 wildfires reported each year.

Indiana Project Learning Tree and the DNR Fire Headquarters are offering an advanced PLT fire workshop on Friday, March 10 at Southeastway Park in Indianapolis. The workshop is designed to provide teachers and natural resource educators with information and resources they can incorporate into their existing curriculum and education programs.

The workshop will run from 9 to 4 p.m. Participants will receive a bag of educational materials to supplement the workshop content. Certification Renewal Units are available for licensed teachers.  The workshop is free although a $15 deposit is required to hold a space. The deposit will be returned at the workshop.  Snacks and lunch will be provided.

Focusing on wildland fire, the session will discuss fire behavior, fire ecology, fire suppression and prevention, the wildland-urban interface and the use of prescribed fire as a management tool.  The workshop will conclude with a live fire exercise and visit to the Southeastway Prairie - an area where prescribed fire is used. Applicable subjects include science, math, social studies, language arts and visual arts.

For more info or to register, contact Donna Rogler, Project Learning Tree Coordinator at 317-549-0354 or [email protected]

Regional Fishery Workshop March 25

Grand Haven, MI Community Center

Michigan Sea Grant Agent Chuck Pistis is again hosting his annual Regional Fishery Workshop March 25, at the Grand Haven, MI Community Center, 421 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven, MI  49417

Registration is due by March 21. Registration Fee: $14.00 in advance, $17.00 at the door (Includes Lunch).

Make Checks payable to: Ottawa County MSU Extension, and mail to:

Ottawa County MSU Extension

ATTN: Regional Fishery Conference

333 Clinton St.

Grand Haven, MI 49417

Doors open at 8:30 AM with coffee and rolls.  For more info call: 16-846-8250 or Email: [email protected]

Public Comment Invited on Lamprey Barrier in Menominee County, MI

The USFWS is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment (EA) that lays out a plan to construct a sea lamprey barrier on the Cedar River in Menominee County, Michigan. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) and the USFWS have designed a sea lamprey barrier to place on the river as an alternative method to control sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.

The draft EA proposes to construct a barrier to block spawning migrations of sea lampreys in the Cedar River, a tributary to Lake Michigan located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The primary goal of this project is to deny sea lamprey access to spawning habitat and about 35.24 hectares of preferred larval sea lamprey habitat. This represents 1.8 percent of 1,900 hectares of preferred habitat regularly treated with the lampricide TFM or blocked by the 69 sea lamprey barriers in the Great Lakes today.

The draft EA considers three alternatives, including a fixed-crest barrier with a fishway and trap, and a �No Action� alternative, which is required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The proposed alternative includes a fixed-crest steel sheet pile (SSP) with a lamprey trap and two eight-foot draw-down gates.

Under the proposed alternative, a 54� SSP barrier that is seven feet, 52 inches from the stream bottom would span approximately 78 ft across the Cedar River. A trap and two eight-foot-wide draw-down gates would be located in line with the barrier. A large trap with a large funnel would trap large fish, and a small trap with a smaller funnel would trap smaller fish, specifically sea lampreys. The traps would be serviced daily during the sea lamprey migration season, March through August.

Sea lampreys captured in the trap would be removed from the river and non-target fish would be placed upstream. A jumping pool downstream of the gates would assist jumping fish over the barrier. The draw-down gates would be lowered during the non-operational period, September through February, to minimize backwater and allow for the stream and fish to move through the barrier.

For the last 46 years, the GLFC has contracted the Service and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deliver a successful Sea Lamprey Control Program. The GLFC was formed during 1955 as a coalition between the United States and Canada to rehabilitate the Great Lakes fishery and coordinate research and control efforts for sea lampreys.

The primary control method relies on the application of the lampricide TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) to streams to kill larval sea lampreys before they transform, enter the Great Lakes and feed on fish. The GLFC�s strategic vision milestone calls for reduced reliance on TFM through alternative control techniques. Installing barriers on key sea lamprey producing streams is targeted to play a major role in achieving this milestone.

If the river was not ranked for treatment during 2004 through 2006, the population, as estimated by the 2003 stream survey, would produce about 45,993 transformers that would enter Lake Michigan and destroy about 13,646,840 lbs of fish. This does not include spawning events and additional recruitment that would occur during 2004 and 2005.

TFM treatments are not 100 percent effective and as a result, lampreys may survive treatments. If the river was treated during 2005, an estimated 874 larvae would survive the treatment, transform and enter Lake Michigan during 2006. These transformers would destroy about 34,960 pounds of fish and contribute to the decline of Coho and chinook salmon, steelhead and whitefish populations in Lake Michigan.

Copies of the draft EA on Cedar River sea lamprey barrier may be obtained by contacting Cheryl Kaye, Marquette Biological Station, USFWS, 1924 Industrial Pkwy, Marquette, MI 49855; 906-226-1217; [email protected] .

Written comments on the EA will be accepted through March 10, 2006. Written comments should be submitted to Cheryl Kaye at the above address, or they may be faxed to 906-226-3632. When faxing a comment, a copy should also be mailed to ensure that a complete version of the text is received.

Volunteers Needed for March Stewardship Workdays

For SE Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas

A series of volunteer stewardship workdays will be held throughout March in southeast Michigan state parks and recreation areas.

Volunteers are needed to remove invasive species and to restore native ecosystems protected in these locations. All volunteers are required to complete a registration form. Park officials remind volunteers to bring appropriate clothing for outdoor work, including long pants, boots, gloves, eye protection, and drinking water. Appropriate footwear also is required as some sites may be wet throughout the winter.

For information about the specific tasks at each location and

to obtain directions, go to www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers and click on "Be a Part of a Core Volunteer Steward Team."

Dates, times and locations of the workdays are as follows:

► Bald Mountain Recreation Area, Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m. to noon

► Waterloo Recreation Area, Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m. to 1 PM

► Pinckney Recreation Area, Sunday, March 19, 1 p.m. to 4 PM

► Brighton Recreation Area, Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 1 PM

► Highland Recreation Area, Sunday, March 26, 1 p.m. to 4 PM

Seasonal Boat Slips Available at State Harbors

Several boat seasonal slips are available at three state harbors along Lake Huron for the 2006 boating season.  Slips are available at Hammond Bay, Presque Isle and Port Austin harbors. Interested boaters should contact the harbors directly to make arrangements to secure a seasonal slip opening.

Three slips are available at Hammond Bay and four slips are available at Presque Isle. Any size boats can be

accommodated. Contact the DNR Cheboygan Field office at 231-627-9578 for more info.  Port Austin has an opening for a 30-foot slip. Please contact Sleeper State Park at 989-856-4411 for additional information.

The DNR Parks and Recreation Division manages 16 developed marinas along the Great Lakes within the Harbors of Refuge program.

Northern pike size regulations modified on Big Birch Lake

Responding to anglers' concerns, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has agreed to an early review of new regulations aimed at increasing the size of northern pike in Big Birch Lake.

Groups of dark house spear fishers and walleye anglers raised concerns about the new regulations, which require the release of northern pike 24 to 36 inches long. One pike longer than 36 inches is allowed in the three-fish daily bag limit. The DNR agreed to review the regulations, which take effect on the May 13 fishing opener, after five years rather than 10 years, as originally planned.

"In 2010, we'll review the regulations and determine if we're reaching our northern pike and walleye goals," said Jim Lilienthal, DNR Little Falls area fisheries supervisor. "If our netting surveys show our goals are being met, the regulation will continue to 2015. Otherwise, we will consider dropping the regulation."

While there is broad statewide support for regulations aimed at increasing the size of northern pike, some spear fishers are concerned those regulations limit their opportunities to harvest fish. Moreover, some anglers are concerned that larger northern pike could harm walleye populations.

"We believe these regulations will result in quality northern

pike fishing and a more balanced fish community," Lillenthal said. "The review will consist of an evaluation of all data collected between 2006 and 2010. We will assess changes in northern pike and the fish community as a whole to determine if lake goals are being met."

The average size of northern pike in Big Birch has increased from 19 inches to 21 inches since a 1996 regulation required anglers to release all northern pike greater than 24 inches. The number of fish greater than 30 inches has also substantially increased.

With the modifications, northern pike regulations on Big Birch Lake will be consistent those found on other lakes in the state. In addition, the new regulations will help determine if the average size of northern pike will continue to increase.

Minnesota has approximately 4,400 lakes with northern pike population. Only 103 have experimental or special regulations for northern pike. The remaining lakes are governed by statewide regulations. These regulations are intended to increase the average size of northern pike for anglers.

Since the 1950s, fisheries biologists have observed a general decline in the size of northern pike in Minnesota lakes. Size regulations have been effective with other lakes and have this potential with Big Birch Lake.

Access road to Pickerel Lake gated

The year-round public access road to Pickerel Lake has been gated by a private landowner because of easement problems.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working to resolve the issue to continue to provide access to this designated trout lake.  The gate affects only the access road.  The lake is still open for use for those who can make their way down the steep hills to the lake

Pickerel Lake is within the statutory boundaries of McCarthy Beach State Park.  Access to the lake has been over private land under an easement with a private landowner since the 1950s.  For further information, contact Bob Moore, DNR Grand Rapids area trails and waterways supervisor, 218-999-7923.

Ohio�s Lake Erie Steelhead Fishery

Now�s The Time To Fish For Ohio�s Lake Erie Steelhead

Ohio�s Lake Erie tributary rivers and streams offer some of the best steelhead fishing in the United States, and one of the best times to take advantage of this opportunity is now.  During the fall, steelhead begin entering streams from the Vermilion River to Conneaut Creek. Fish will continue to enter streams all winter long in preparation for the spring spawn. Most steelhead spawn during February and March, and returned to Lake Erie by early May. This fishery offers great opportunities for shore-bound anglers to catch trophy-sized fish during the fall, winter, and spring along Ohio�s North Coast. The bag limit is two fish per day, 12 inches or greater in length.

Steelhead are stocked yearly into the Vermilion River, Rocky River, Chagrin River, Grand River, and Conneaut Creek, by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. In addition to the stocked rivers, steelhead can be found in most any tributary stream or creek entering Lake Erie east of Huron. Public access is available in local county Metroparks systems, and on city, state and federal owned properties unless posted.  Please remember the law requires anglers to have written permission to fish from private property.

Conditions on the rivers will vary with rain and snow events. Avoid fishing when rivers are dark brown in color, generally after a rain or snow-melt.  Water which appears to be greenish in color, but not crystal clear, provides good fishing conditions.

Smaller creeks and rivers will be fishable first. Always keep

safety in mind. Ohio�s Lake Erie tributary rivers and streams look benign compared to the rivers in the western US. Do not be fooled! River bottoms are slippery, the water is cold, and currents can be strong. Be particularly cautious around ford areas, where the current may be stronger and the water much deeper.  If unfamiliar with a stream or river, always fish with a partner.

If you are just beginning in steelhead fishing, start with spinning gear and bait. Spawn sacs, minnows and nightcrawlers are effective baits for steelhead. Cast upriver and let the bait, which should be bouncing the bottom, drift downstream with the current. If you prefer fly fishing, use sucker spawn egg patterns, clouser minnows, woolly buggers, and single egg patterns. As with spin fishing, cast upstream and drift your fly down, making sure the fly is on the bottom. If you are doing things right, you will lose a lot of bait, hooks, and flies which get snagged on the bottom. However, you will also catch fish!

Always remember to practice etiquette while on the stream; don�t crowd another angler by standing too close, and take your trash home with you.  If you don�t plan to keep fish you catch, use a landing net.  Avoid dragging the fish onto the bank, do not touch the gills, and handle them gently with wet hands while removing the hook. Above all, get outdoors and enjoy nature while fishing for a trophy! 

Boater Education Course key to Boating Safely

COLUMBUS, OH � Boaters will find that a day on the water is safer and more fun if they take time to learn the �rules of the road� before heading out to their favorite lake or river, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft.

�Being a responsible boat operator means understanding the rules and knowing how to keep yourself and your passengers safe during a day of fishing, waterskiing or pleasure boating,� said Mike Quinn, interim chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. �We encourage all boaters to review Ohio�s boating rules before the season, and, if possible, attend a safe boating class.�

Anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 is required by Ohio law to successfully complete an approved boating education course or a proficiency exam before operating any powered watercraft of more than 10 horsepower. This rule also applies to the operation of any rental watercraft. Any person supervising the operation of a powered watercraft of more than 10 horsepower is also required to meet the mandatory boater education requirement.

Other things to know about boating education include:

► Boating education teaches both novice and experienced boaters to be safe, knowledgeable and responsible.

► Taking an approved boating education course not only provides useful knowledge, but also helps an operator boat with confidence by making their experience safer and more enjoyable.

► Some approved courses, such as the Ohio Boating Education Course, are taught free of charge by the ODNR Division of Watercraft and some of its boating partners. This basic eight-hour classroom course and exam can be completed in one day and leads to receipt of the boating education safety card.

► Boating education requirements also can be fulfilled through an at-home study course offered by the ODNR Division of Watercraft, an approved online course at ohiodnr.com, or by taking an ODNR proficiency exam.

► Other courses, such as those offered by the U.S. Power Squadrons and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, range from the basic boater education course to very specialized boater training courses. Many of these courses require a fee for educational materials.

► The U.S. Coast Guard offers specialized training, including a 16-hour Boating Skills and Seamanship course and a seven-week Sailing Skills and Seamanship course. Also offered is a six-hour boating safety class designed for those who must meet Ohio�s mandatory boater education requirement.

► Pre-registration is often required for courses. A full schedule of approved boating education courses is available on the Division of Watercraft page at ohiodnr.com.

► Boating is a fun, safe and enjoyable outdoor recreation that requires a personal commitment to being responsible and safe on the water.

More than 200,000 deer taken during Ohio�s �05-�06 Hunting Season

COLUMBUS, OH - For the third year in a row, Ohio deer hunters killed more than 200,000 deer during the 2005-06 hunting seasons, with a total harvest of 209,513 whitetails, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The total number of deer taken was 3 percent below last year's season total of 216,443. 

�This number is consistent with our pre-season estimate of the total deer population being down approximately seven percent,� said Steven A. Gray, chief of the Division of Wildlife.

Counties reporting the highest number of whitetails harvested during the deer hunting season included Coshocton-7,746; Muskingum-6,793; Tuscarawas-6,525; Guernsey-6,424; Knox-6,238; Licking-6,168; Harrison-5,414; Jefferson-5,349; Holmes-5,108; and Washington-4,946.

Deer-gun season produced the greatest portion of the harvest, with 116,517 deer killed.  Archery hunters took a total of 60,090 deer.  The early muzzleloader season (216), special hunts at Ravenna and NASA (760), youth-gun season (8,641) and the statewide muzzleloader season (23,289), accounted for the remainder of deer taken.

Deer hunting contributes an estimated $266 million to Ohio's economy each year and helps to support thousands of jobs. Venison is delicious and nutritious meat, low in fat and cholesterol. It is the number one wild game served by hunters in Ohio. Deer hunters also contribute thousands of pounds of venison to organizations that help feed less-fortunate Ohio residents through special programs. 

The 2006-2007 deer season proposals will be the subject of a vote at the Ohio Wildlife Council meeting scheduled for April 5 in Columbus.