|
|
 |
|
Week of March 21, 2011 |
| Word to Ponder |
| Beyond the Great Lakes |
| National |
| Regional |
| General |
| Illinois |
| Indiana |
| Michigan |
| New York |
| Ohio |
| Other Breaking News Items |
|
or |
Words to Ponder
|
That $1.1 billion is what anglers spend annually just on bait. That�s twice what ski enthusiasts spend on all of their pricey gear (a mere $615 million. In fact, 6 million more |
Americans would rather wet a line than sink a putt. And they spend $378 million annually on ice fishing. That�s a fact.
|
Beyond the Great Lakes
|
600 lb dolphin jumps onto tour boat A group of tourists out looking for dolphins on the Marco (Fla.) River got more than they bargained for March 13 when a 600 lb dolphin jumped into their 24' pontoon boat. The dolphin hit a woman on board, spraining her ankle, and became lodged inside. The eight people on board immediately called authorities. |
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Collier County Sheriff's Office responded. It took about 10 men to wrap rope around the dolphin and place it on a backboard. The group then released it back into the water. The dolphin, which was on the boat for about 20 minutes, wasn't injured. |
National
|
Woody Named FWS Service Law Enforcement Chief William Woody has been appointed the new chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOffice of Law Enforcement. Woody, who had served as director of Law Enforcement and Security for the Interior Department�s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) since 2003, officially joined the Service on March 7, 2011.
As chief, Woody will direct the nationwide investigative and inspection efforts of the Service�s 300-plus special agents and wildlife inspectors, who enforce Federal laws that protect endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, marine mammals, and global wildlife and plant resources. |
He will also oversee the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, located in Ashland, Oregon, and National Wildlife Property and Eagle Repositories near Denver and manage enforcement staff involved in policy, budget, legislative, and regulatory affairs; international liaison; enforcement training; intelligence gathering and analysis; and digital evidence recovery and high-tech investigative support.
Woody will be only the 14th individual to direct wildlife law enforcement for the Service and its predecessor agencies. He succeeds Chief Benito Perez, who retired on January 31, 2011, after more than 30 years of protecting wildlife resources at both the State and Federal levels. |
|
Summer Jobs with USFWS in America�s Great Outdoors The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the country�s 553 national wildlife refuges, hopes to hire more than 2,000 young people this year, as it did in 2010. Apply now for a job this summer on a national wildlife refuge or other public land. A commitment to youth hiring is part of President Obama�s America�s Great Outdoors initiative.
Go to the Refuge System web site to find 2011 youth job opportunities in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Scroll down and click on �Student Employment Opportunities� to learn about jobs through program partners such as the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and AmeriCorps. You can apply directly for some openings on partner web sites. For other opportunities on refuges, such as those through the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), contact your local refuge (use the �Find Your |
Refuge� feature on the Refuge System homepage).
Learn about other 2011 conservation job opportunities with the Department of the Interior (DOI) at a new web site, www.youthgo.gov/ and e xplore the Department of the Interior's Youth in the Great Outdoors program. Listings are for both permanent and temporary jobs. DOI manages the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and several other technical bureaus.
Youth jobs on national wildlife refuges can change lives and career pathways. They also stimulate learning and personal growth, say those with firsthand experience:
Youth job candidates are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Most internships include a stipend, and others are volunteer positions. |
Regional
|
USGS to continue Lake Studies for third year Complementing the sportfishing community, the USGS glowingly reported about being inundated with fish during 2010. They ended up with over 2700 fish compared to about 2100 in 2009 Research Fishery Biologist Jeff Schaeffer said it took longer to work them up, so that is why they did not have any news. But the collection was a smashing success. Analysis is still underway so no results yet.
The big news is the USGS Great Lakes Science Center has decided to run the study during 2011 for a third year. Schaeffer says "we are still learning new things, and the only thing we have heard from participants is continued enthusiasm. So we decided to do it again. It would probably be a good idea to get some new anglers into the study so that the burden is spread out a bit more. So please share the study with your angling friends and encourage them to participate.
"We actually got more angler stomachs in year 2 than in year 1 and nearly all the data sheets have been usable" stated Schaffer. "Of the 5000 odd fish you collected, we have "lost" only about 25 fish due to bad data, and for two reasons only:
1. Putting all the stomachs and tags in a single bag; we
|
need to match individual predators with the prey that they ate, so one bag per predator.
2. Collection locations that are not specific (caught in Lake Huron) or so specific that we couldn't figure it out (down from the golf course south of the lighthouse).
"We do not know how you feel, but our feeling is that this has been a brutal winter and we are so ready for some fishing. We will see you at the spring workshops, and perhaps some tournaments over the coming year."
Thanks,
Ed and Jeff
Jeff Schaeffer USGS Great Lakes Science Center 1451 Green Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48105 734-214-7250 (voice) 734-994-8780 (fax)
For all regional fishing and/or hunting licenses and regulations, go to: www.great-lakes.org/licenses.html
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dept of Interior announces Major Boating Grants Ohio: The Ohio DNR will receive $1,450,400 and match that with $509,600 to build new floating docks for 53 transient boat slips including 3 ADA accessible slips and ramp, a new shower, restrooms, laundry building, and amenities.
Illinois: The DNR will receive $1,500,000 and match that amount with $565,000 to add a floating dock system that will accommodate 23 transient slips at the Schwiebert Riverfront Park on the Mississippi River.
New York: The New York State Office of Parks & Recreation will receive $1,450,000 and match that amount with $2,188,515 to add 64 transient slips with dockside utilities, create a deep-draft safe harbor, create an access point for the City of Rochester, and provide boater services and education on Lake Ontario; |
$669,286 and match that amount with $235,154 to renovate an existing marina on the Hudson River to include space for 80 transient vessels, access to NYC, transient recreational boating amenities such as showers, dinghy dock, and pumpout as well as a Chinese junk for transportation between boats and land; $105,963 and match that amount with $45,413 to add pedestals and improve electrical service to accommodate the needs of large, transient boats. The marina serves Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, and $501,311 and match that amount with $176,141 to add a new fueling station and berthing for 32 � 45 transient recreational boats on the St. Lawrence River.
Other states receiving boat grants include: Alabama, California, Texas, Washington, Mississippi, Tennessee and Maine.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for March 18, 2011 WEATHER CONDITIONS Temperatures across the Great Lakes basin were well above seasonal averages this week. Rainfall for the month of March continues to be above average for all of the Great Lakes, except for Lake Superior. There is a chance of rain across the entire region Friday and again late Sunday. Temperatures are expected to cool off to more seasonable readings this weekend. Some areas will see chances of snow in the middle of the week. LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS Currently, Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are 9 and 11 inches, respectively, below last year's level. While Lake St. Clair is showing signs that the ice jams are breaking up, it's level is 4 inches below what it was a year ago. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are 2 and 3 inches, respectively, higher than their levels of a year ago. Over the next month, Lake Superior's level is predicted to remain steady, while Lake Michigan-Huron will rise 3 inches. Lake St. Clair is projected to rise an inch, while Lakes Erie and Ontario are expected to rise 3 and 4 inches, respectively, over the month. See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information. FORECASTED MONTHLY OUTFLOWS/CHANNEL CONDITIONS The outflow from Lake Superior into the St. Mary's River is expected to be below average for the month of March. The outflows from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, from Lake St. Clair into the Detroit River, and from Lake Erie into the Niagara River are all expected to be near average throughout the month of March. The outflow from Lake |
Ontario into the St. Lawrence River is predicted to be below average. Ice build-up in the connecting channels can greatly affect flows and may cause significant fluctuations in water levels. ALERTS The water levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are below chart datum, and are forecasted to remain below chart datum over the next several 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. Ice information can be found at the National Ice Center's website.
|
General
|
Could the fountain of youth be your faucet? Courtesy of Friedrich Schiller University Jena A substance in tap water may promote longevity, scientists say: a study in Japan found that peo�ple live longer where tap water has more of the element, lithium.
Researchers studied 18 Japanese cities with tap water lithium con�centrations meas�ured to range from less than one mil�lionths of a gram per liter, to 59 millionths.
This analysis couldn't show cause-and-effect relationships between the lithium and the long life, the scientists cautioned. That is, they could�n't rule out that, say, some third fac�tor leads to both more lith�i�um in water and long�er life. So to check for a cause-and-effect relationship, they studied effects of lithium in round�worms and found that the tiny animals also lived longer.
�The scientific community doesn't know much about the physiological function of lithium,� said project manager Michael Ristow of Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany, one of the investigators. The substance is one of many nutritional trace elements and comes into us mainly through vegetables and drinking water, researchers say. |
The new findings are pub�lished online in the European Journal of Nutrition. Further research will be needed to find out whether dietary supplements with lithium make sense, Ristow said. He added that an earlier U.S. study found that concentrated lithium prolonged life by around 36 percent in the round�worm C. elegans, but such a dosage �may be poisonous for human beings.�
Ristow and colleagues analyzed the mortality rate in 18 cities in one region of Japan. �The mortality rate was considerably lower in those municipalities with more lithium in the drinking water,� with the number of deaths per age and gender group dropping by over 10 percent, said Ristow. This decrease was partially due to a lower suicide rate, he added, an aspect of the study that confirmed older findings and suggests low dose lithium may also improve mental health.
The scientists then examined the same range of concentrations in C. elegans, often used in animal studies. �The average longevity of the worms is higher after they have been treated with lithium at this dosage,� Ristow said.
|
Illinois
|
On April 1, 2011, changes to the Illinois Snowmobile Registration and Safety Act approved last fall will take effect. Fees for all new snowmobile registrations, transfer renewals, and renewals increase will cost $30 (old registration application forms will be accepted as long as the new fee is remitted).
The amended Act also requires that non-residents purchase a snowmobile trail use sticker if the snowmobile is not registered in Illinois. The fee for a yearly snowmobile trail use sticker is $25 for a person who is not a resident of Illinois and who operates a snowmobile within Illinois if the snowmobile is not registered in Illinois. Trail |
passes will be available at IDNR license vendors throughout the state beginning in the fall of 2011.
The new law also includes a mandatory liability insurance provision: Other than a person operating a snowmobile on their own property that is not a posted snowmobile trail, and other than a person operating a snowmobile on property other than a posted snowmobile trail in which the owner of the property has given permission to operate a snowmobile on the property, no person shall operate, register or maintain registration of a snowmobile unless the snowmobile is covered by a liability insurance policy, pursuant to Section 7-203 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. |
Indiana
|
Walleyes abound in Sylvan and Winona lakes COLUMBIA CITY, IN - Anglers could catch more walleyes than ever before at two northeast Indiana lakes this spring. According to the Indiana DNR, Sylvan Lake in Rome City (3 hrs away) and Winona Lake in Warsaw contain two of the highest walleye densities in the region.
During sampling last fall, DNR biologists using shocker boats captured more than 77 walleyes per hour of electrofishing at Sylvan, a 669-acre impoundment in Noble County. At Winona, a 562-acre natural lake in Kosciusko County, they captured 47 walleyes per hour. Although biologists don�t know the actual number of walleyes in each lake, electrofishing catch rates provide a way to compare walleye abundance from lake to lake. In lakes where walleyes are abundant, walleye populations typically provide electrofishing catch rates of 20 to 30 walleyes per hour.
�We now have some of the densest walleye populations we�ve ever seen at Sylvan and Winona lakes,� said Jed Pearson, DNR biologist. �Based on our data, fishermen can expect to catch plenty of walleyes at either lake this year.� |
While walleye numbers are high at both lakes, larger walleyes are present in Winona than Sylvan. Walleyes captured during sampling last fall at Winona ranged from 8.5 to 26.5" long. Peaks in the size range occurred at 11.5, 15.0, and 18". More than 60 % were at or larger than the 14" minimum size limit required..
At Sylvan, walleyes ranged in length from 10.5 to 19.5". Most were 12.5 to 13.5" long and were too small to be kept by anglers; however, 32 %were 14" or larger. Although legal-size walleyes make up a small percentage of the overall population at Sylvan, it contains about the same number of legal-size walleyes as Winona.
�Our catch rate of 14-inch and larger walleyes last fall at Sylvan Lake was 25 per hour of sampling. At Winona Lake, our catch rate of legal-size walleyes was 28 per hour,� Pearson said. Walleye populations in both lakes have been developed by stocking 6- to 8-inch fingerling walleyes each year since 2001. So far the DNR has released 126,000 fingerlings in Sylvan and 106,000 fingerlings in Winona.
|
Michigan
|
Regional Fisheries Workshops, April 13 & 21 Michigan Sea Grant will again host regional fisheries workshops this spring. Details for the April 13 & 21 workshops are:
Wednesday, April 13, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Charles A. Hammond American Legion Hall 1026 6th Street, Port Huron
Thursday, April 2, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Ubly Fox Hunter�s Club 8780 S. Ubly Rd, Ubly
These free workshops will provide valuable information for
|
anglers, charter captains, resource professionals, and others. Updates related to salmon management in Lake Huron, walleyes in Saginaw Bay, forage fish surveys, results from the recent Lake Huron predator diet study, and other Lake Huron related topics will also be discussed.
More details are available at www.miseagrant.umich.edu/fisheries
Pre-registration is required by contacting Cindy Anderson at 989-984-1060 or [email protected]
|
|
DNR to Raise Great Lakes Muskies rather than Northern Muskies The Department of Natural Resources plans to raise Great Lakes (spotted) muskellunge at its Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery this year, a change of direction from the northern muskies the department has raised in the past.
�This is a key turning point in our muskellunge production program,� said DNR Fish Production Manager Gary Whelan. �This strain of muskellunge is native to most of Michigan; the northern muskellunge is native to only a small portion of the far western Upper Peninsula in the Wisconsin River drainage. �The spotted muskellunge will be more at home in more waters than northern muskies.�
The DNR has been studying the idea of raising spotted |
muskies for more than a decade, but did not want to bring the Great Lake strain into the hatchery system while raising northern muskies because of potential disease concerns. DNR Fisheries Division personnel plan to take 1.5 million eggs from spotted muskies in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River this spring with a goal of producing 40,000 10- to 12-inch fall fingerlings.
In order to minimize the risk of spreading disease, the DNR will not take eggs from northern muskellunge this year, but will evaluate the need to produce northern strain muskies in the future. Ideally, the department will address the disease concerns and be able to raise both strains in the future, Whelan said. www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing.
|
|
More Asian Carp eDNA studies planned Notre Dame researchers intend to continue testing eDNA for Asian Carp, targeting the Grand, Pere Marquette, Raisin, Belle, and Black rivers in 2011. Michigan DNR |
fisheries biologists will have input into the final sampling plan, and will continue efforts to educate the public regarding Asian Carp, especially the anglers who are instrumental in monitoring these efforts. |
|
DNR reminds anglers of different fishing activities by Tribes The Michigan DNR is reminding the public that certain fishing opportunities for tribal members of tribal governments located within the 1836 Treaty of Washington and 1842 Treaty of La Point are different than those allowed for state-licensed recreational anglers under Michigan law, and that these activities may be observed this spring.
Tribal governments are sovereign nations and these Tribes have their own Code of Regulation for fishing matters. The Treaty of Washington, signed in 1836, covers the eastern Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and in 2007 the state of Michigan, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Bay Mills Indian Community and the United States government signed a Consent Decree which defines the extent of the Tribes� inland treaty rights.
The Treaty of La Pointe, signed in 1842, covers the western Upper Peninsula and areas of northern Wisconsin and there is no formal agreement to define the extent of 1842 Treaty rights within Michigan. However, the 1842 Treaty rights have been adjudicated in Wisconsin and Tribal fishers of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community exercise their rights in the 1842 area of
|
Michigan following tribal regulations consistent with the Wisconsin court cases.
As established under the 2007 Inland Consent Decree, Tribal members may use spears or conventional fishing tackle to take walleye and steelhead in some waters of Michigan covered by the 1836 treaty. Similarly, a tribally-regulated, spring subsistence spear fishery is present in the western portion of the Upper Peninsula within the 1842 Treaty area. These activities may occur during periods when these waters are closed to fishing for State-licensed recreational anglers.
A map of the portion of Michigan covered by the 1836 and 1842 Treaties can be found by following this link to the DNR Web site: www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/TCU_map_183629_7.pdf
For information on the 2007 Inland Consent Decree and the 1842 Treaty Area, check the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr.
�We appreciate anglers� concerns when they witness different fishing methods and seasons, but we ask people not to interfere with Tribal members who are exercising their fishing rights,� said Nick Popoff, supervisor of the DNR Fisheries Division�s Tribal Coordination Unit. �If you think a violation is in progress, you can call the DNR�s Report All Poaching line at 800-292-7800 and report it.� |
|
The State of Michigan announced the following three winners of the 2011 Pure Michigan Hunt; � Randy Willis of Augusta, John Martin of Linden and Bruno Brun of Ann Arbor.
The winners can hunt bear, elk, anterless deer, wild turkey, and reserved waterfowl during the 2011 hunting seasons. The winners also received prizes from Pure Michigan Hunt sponsors, including: crossbows donated by TenPoint Crossbows along with Quality Deer Management Association and Litchfield Outdoors; turkey hunting vests, custom box calls, and Michigan Turkey patches donated by the National Wildlife Turkey Federation; hats and shirts donated by Waterfowl USA; hats and record books provided by Boone and Crockett; and Ducks Unlimited gave one year memberships, Ducks Unlimited quarterly magazines, and duck decoys. |
Stokes offered his sincere appreciation to the sponsors for making the hunt a success, and also gave a special thank you to the Natural Resources Commission and Quality Deer Management Association for purchasing the license tags for the winners.
Stokes said that this is the second year of the Pure Michigan Hunt, which really is a hunt of a lifetime experience. He reminded everyone that the cost is only $4.00 to apply, and individuals can apply as many times as they wish. The application period for the 2012 Pure Michigan Hunt is March 1 through December 31, 2011.
In 2010, the DNR sold 23,437 applications to 8,719 applicants, which brought in close to $94,000 to the Department�s Fish and Game Fund.
|
New York
|
DEC Accepting Registration for the Annual 'Becoming An Outdoors-Woman' Workshop Popular Workshops Give Women the Chance to Learn Outdoor Skills The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now offering one of its very popular �Becoming an Outdoors-Woman� workshops June 24 through 26, 2011, at the Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George, Warren County.
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is a program that offers weekend-long, outdoor skills workshops for women ages 18 or older, and is designed primarily for women with little or no experience with outdoor activities. Nearly 40 different classes will be offered at the Silver Bay workshop. These include canoeing, fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, shotgun shooting, GPS, map and compass, backpack camping, |
turkey hunting, day hiking, wilderness first aid, survival skills, archery, bowhunting, camp stove cooking, reading wildlife sign, muzzleloading, and fish and game cooking. Women can even earn a Hunter or Trapper Safety Education certificate.
The early registration fee ranges from $270 to $290, which includes seven meals, two nights lodging, instruction in four classes, program materials and use of equipment.
Workshop information and registration materials are available on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/education/68.html. Information is also available by calling DEC at 518-402-8862 or writing to �Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754. |
|
DEC Issues Draft Unit Management Plan for Hoffman Notch Wilderness Public Meeting Scheduled for April 26 in Schroon Lake The New York State DEC announced the release of the draft unit management plan (UMP)for the Hoffman Notch Wilderness. The unit consists of 38,500 acres in the Towns of North Hudson, Minerva and Schroon Lake in Essex County.
The public meeting will be held 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, at the Town of Schroon Town Hall in Schroon Lake. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more on the proposed management actions in the draft UMP and to provide comment on the proposals. DEC will accept comments on the draft UMP until May 13, 2011, and also may be sent to Ben Thomas, Senior Forester, NYSDEC, 232 Golf Course Road, Warrensburg, NY 12885 or emailed to [email protected].
The Hoffman Notch Wilderness offers many recreational |
opportunities, including but not limited to hiking, cross country skiing, camping, canoeing, hunting, trapping and fishing. With over 18 miles of marked trails available, the public can easily reach a variety of natural attractions such as Hoffman Notch and Mt. Severance, as well as popular fishing locations at Bailey Pond or Big Pond. Other scattered water bodies providing additional recreational uses include Big Marsh, North Pond, Sand Pond, and Marion Pond.
The draft UMP will be available for public review at DEC headquarters in Albany, DEC Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook and the DEC Region 5 office in Warrensburg. CDs of the plan will be available at these same locations, as well as the offices for the Towns of North Hudson, Minerva and Schroon Lake, and the Schroon Lake Public Library. The complete document will be available on DEC�s Unit Management Plan website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/22600.html.
|
Ohio
|
New Ohio State Record White Perch Certified A new Ohio record White Perch has been certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee. An Ohio state record White Perch, weighing 1.72 pounds, was caught by Terry R. Patton of Galion, Ohio, from Lake Erie on January 29, 2011. Patton's record white perch is 14-1/8" long with a 12-1/4" girth.
That catch replaces the previous state record white perch |
that was caught in May of 1988 by John Nause that weighed 1.42 lbs. Ohio Ohio state record fish are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee. Assisting in the process is a fisheries biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
For more info: Tom Cross, Chairman, OWO State Record Fish Committee: [email protected] , www.outdoorwritersofohio.org |
|
(Click on title or URL to read full article)
41,000 lake trout planted in Lake Michigan at
Ludington
State, federal agencies ready to regulate
offshore wind development
Pa. hearing opens discussion on offshore wind
farms
Snyder Appoints Birkholz to two committees Former state legislator Patty Birkholz already is serving in the Snyder Administration as director of the Office of the Great Lakes. The Governor added two more duties upon the Saugatuck Republican, naming her to represent Michigan on both the Council of the Great Lakes Governors and the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.
Western wind farms & urban farming in Detroit
More Live Carp smuggled into Canada Three times in recent months Canadian officials have caught truck drivers with thousands of pounds of live bighead carp, which Canada banned in 2005. Smugglers keep hauling live Asian carp from Southern fish farms bound for food markets in the Lake Ontario city of Toronto, even as� |
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
