Why America's Heartland is Earthquake Country

New USGS research provides insight on why the New Madrid Seismic Zone is unique and may continue to pose a higher earthquake risk than adjacent areas in the central United States.

Using innovative and sophisticated technology, scientists now have high-resolution imagery of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, allowing them to map the area in more detail than ever before. The maps allow for greater understanding of the weak rocks in this zone that are found at further depths in the Earth�s mantle compared to surrounding areas. Scientists also determined that earthquakes and their impacts are likely to be narrowly concentrated in this zone.

U.S. Geological Survey scientists recently published their findings in the journal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

A swarm of some of the largest historical earthquakes in the nation occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, in particular three earthquakes greater than magnitude 7 occurred from 1811 to 1812. There have been several smaller, yet still significant, earthquakes in the area since then. This zone extends about 165 miles from Marked Tree, Ark., to Paducah, Ky. and the southern end of the zone is about 35 miles northwest of Memphis, Tenn.

�With the new high-resolution imagery, we can see in greater detail that the New Madrid Seismic Zone is mechanically weaker than surrounding areas and therefore concentrates movement and stress in a narrow area,� said USGS scientist Fred Pollitz, who is the lead author of this research. �The structure beneath this zone is unique when compared to adjacent areas in the central and eastern United States. A more in-depth understanding of such zones of weakness ultimately helps inform decisions such as the adoption of appropriate building codes to protect vulnerable communities, while also providing insight that could be applied to other regions across the world.�

Prior to this research, the New Madrid Seismic Zone has been mapped by the USGS as an area of high seismic hazard, but those assessments

were a consequence of a short (about 4,500 years) earthquake record for

the area.

This research specifically investigated the Reelfoot Rift area, which is a 500-million-year-old geologic feature that contains the New Madrid Seismic Zone in its northernmost part. Scientists imaged rocks deep beneath Earth�s surface to see their characteristics and understand their mechanical behavior, especially their ability to withstand the huge stresses constantly placed on them.

A surprising finding was that weak rocks underlie the fault lines in the crust of the Reelfoot Rift and extend more than 100 miles down into the mantle. In contrast, weak rocks in other ancient rift zones in the central and eastern United States bottom out at much shallower depths. These weak mantle rocks have low seismic velocity, meaning that they are more susceptible to concentration of tectonic stress and more mobile.

USGS scientists used data from USArray, which is a large network of seismometers that is a component of the EarthScope program of the National Science Foundation. These seismometers provide images of the crust and mantle down to 120 miles (200 kilometers) beneath the surface using the methods employed by these scientists.

�Our results are unexpected and significant because they suggest that large earthquakes remain concentrated within the New Madrid Seismic Zone,� said USGS scientist Walter Mooney, the co-author of the report. �There are still many unknowns about this zone, and future research will aim to understand why the seismic zone is active now, why its earthquake history may be episodic over millions of years, and how often it produces large quakes.�

In the future, USGS scientists plan to map the seismic structure of the entire nation using USArray. This effort started in California in 2004, is focusing on the east coast next, and will then move to Alaska. All of the USArray and other Earthscope efforts will also help inform the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps.

For more info: Historic Earthquakes

NY - SAF Sues New York Over SAFE Act

The Second Amendment Foundation filed suit Friday in federal court seeking to enjoin the State of New York from enforcing provisions of the so-called �SAFE Act� that limit the use of gun magazines containing more than seven cartridges.

SAF is joined in the lawsuit by the Shooters Committee for Political Education (SCOPE) and Long Island Firearms LLC. They are represented by New York attorneys David Jensen and Robert P. Firriolo.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Joseph D�Amico, superintendent of the Division of State Police.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, asserts that the seven-round loading restriction violates the Second

Amendment because it �substantially interferes with the right of law abiding citizens to defend themselves and is not sufficiently related to any compelling or otherwise adequate government interest.�

�The cartridge limit is arbitrary and serves no useful purpose other than to frustrate, and perhaps entrap, law abiding citizens who own firearms with standard capacity magazines that were designed to hold more than seven rounds,� said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. �Several top law enforcement officials have already publicly stated they will not enforce provisions of this law, yet Gov. Cuomo and Supt. D�Amico are pushing ahead.

�The law is contradictory, in that it is legal in New York to possess magazines that hold up to ten cartridges,� he added. �But the SAFE Act limits people to seven rounds, with some narrow exceptions. This amounts to virtual entrapment for anyone who loads more than seven rounds in a magazine for self-defense purposes.

�Magazines that hold ten or more rounds are in common use all over the country,� Gottlieb concluded. �This arbitrary limit essentially penalizes law abiding citizens for exercising their right of self-defense, and that cannot be allowed to stand.�

Illinois Concealed Carry classes

For concealed carry applicants

Are you planning to take a concealed carry class in or around Chicago

or in the northern Illinois area?

We are sponsoring an approved curriculum for the 8- or 16-hour

concealed carry class authorized by the new Illinois Concealed Carry

law. Classes are $125 a day plus range fees; and if you show your

current fishing or hunting license, you will get a $10 discount.

If you have a class of 10 or more, we will travel to your hall or meeting

location and give the class in your neighborhood. The criteria for an

Illinois law to determine whether you take 16 or just the 8 hour class

is determined with the following Illinois schedule.

The credit list of instruction classes authorized by the Act is here:

Illinois CCW Prior Training Credit

Also, veterans with an honorable discharge and a DD214 or active

service military members will only be required to take the one-day class.

The full law can be read here - Illinois Concealed Carry Act

Questions? Contact Mike Slevnik: [email protected] ,

708-212-3067, www.privatedetectivechicagoillinois.com

Illinois DNR Newsbits

Programs and events for October 2013

Trapping Permits Drawing in Pittsfield Oct 16

The IDNR will conduct a public drawing for the allocation of three Furbearer Trapping Permits � two for the Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area in Pike Co. (one for the main site near Valley City and the other for a satellite property near East Hannibal) � and the other permit for Weinberg-King State Park - Spunky Bottoms Unit in Brown Co. The drawings will be held at the IDNR Pittsfield Office at 7 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 16. Registration will begin at 6 p.m. at the office, which is located on Highway 106 West in Pittsfield. The permits will be valid for a two-year period.

All persons entering the drawing must have a current 2013 trapping license in possession. The person whose name is drawn must be in attendance. Trapping will be allowed on the sites in conjunction with the statewide season dates and regulations. Some restrictions may apply. For additional information, call Weinberg-King State Park (217-392-2345) or the IDNR Pittsfield office (217-285-2221).

Resident Archery Deer and Fall Turkey Permits available

The Illinois Archery Deer and Illinois Archery Fall Turkey seasons are open thru Jan. 19, 2014. Resident combination archery deer permits, resident antlerless-only archery deer permits, and resident archery fall turkey hunting permits are available over-the-counter from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. Find a vendor near you at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

Non-Resident Deer and Turkey Permits available

The remaining non-resident Illinois combination archery deer permits, as well as non-resident antlerless-only archery deer permits and non-resident archery fall turkey permits, are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. Season dates are Oct. 1, 2013-Jan. 19, 2014. Find a license and permit vendor near you at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

Remaining Firearm Deer Permits still available

Any Illinois firearm and muzzleloader deer permits still available following the close of random daily drawings will be available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors Oct. 15-Dec. 8 (or until quotas are exhausted). Go to: www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx

Illinois Waterfowl Digest

Review this season�s Illinois waterfowl regulations with the Illinois Digest of Waterfowl Hunting Regulations, available online: www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/DigestWaterfowlHunting

Regulations.pdf

Rendezvous at Spoon River Encampment Oct 12-13

Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown hosts the annual Rendezvous at Spoon River Encampment on the museum grounds on Oct. 12-13 from 8:30 a.m. � 5 p.m. The living history weekend events are part of the Spoon River Scenic Drive weekends. Visitors will learn about the lifestyles, survival skills, and rich cultural history of Illinois 18th and 19th century inhabitants. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Science Series Oct 9

The October Ill. St. Museum Science Series program on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. will feature Dr. Duane Esarey of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey presenting �Untangling the Piasa's Tale: A Revised Interpretation.� The program will be held at the Museum's Research and Collections Center, 1011 E. Ash Street, Springfield. Lost accounts and contradictory details have made painted images on the rock bluff at Alton, Illinois an enduring source of mystery. Learn more at this free program on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

IL - Super Saturdays Oct 12

The October �Super Saturdays� at the Ill. St. Museum in Springfield is �Rockin' Minerals� on Sat., Oct. 12 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The free event features activities recommended for children ages 3-8. Parents and families are encouraged to participate. For more information, call 217-782-6044. The Ill. St. Museum is located in the State Capitol Complex at 502 S. Spring St. in Springfield.

IL - National Fossil Day Oct 16

Visit the Illinois State Museum on Wed., Oct. 16 for National Fossil Day. The Museum is partnering with the National Park Service for the 4th annual event in which docents will answer questions and allow visitors to see fossils up close. Children visiting the Play Museum will have the chance to examine fossils under the video microscope. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 217-782-5993 or check the website at www.museum.state.il.us.

Ohio Offers Abundant Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

COLUMBUS, OH � Ohio hunters should experience good opportunities for success as they take to the field in search of waterfowl throughout the hunting seasons, according to the Ohio DDNR. Waterfowl seasons stretch from October through January, allowing sportsmen and women to pursue many popular waterfowl species.

This positive outlook is based on findings by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologists and detailed in the USFWS Status Report and Adaptive Harvest Management Report. The reports provide information from continental surveys and are available on the ODNR Division of Wildlife Waterfowl Hunting Resources page at www.wildohio.com.

Canada geese are the most harvested waterfowl in Ohio. The 78-day Canada goose season beginning in October allows hunters to harvest three geese daily. Ohio�s spring breeding population estimate was 147,500 geese, near the record high for the 20-plus years the survey has been conducted. Migrant interior goose populations (Canada�s Southern James Bay and the Mississippi Valley) had above normal gosling production, suggesting the Canada goose migration into Ohio this year could be above normal.

Ohio waterfowl hunters will also enjoy a 60-day duck hunting season beginning in October. The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may not

include more than four mallards (no more than one may be female), three wood ducks, one black duck, two redheads, three scaup, two canvasbacks, two pintails and one mottled duck. The daily bag limit for mergansers is five, of which no more than two may be hooded mergansers. The daily bag limit for coots is 15.

Possession limits for all migratory game birds increased this year to three times the daily bag limit after the second day. Additional details of waterfowl and all other hunting seasons can be found in the 2013-2014 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and in Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons Publication 5295.

Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification is required of all waterfowl hunters prior to hunting. Migratory game bird hunters must call 877-HIPOHIO (447-6446) and answer a few survey questions to complete the HIP certification requirement. Hunters will be provided a certification number to write on their Ohio hunting license once the survey has been completed.

ODNR Youth Hunting Opportunities this fall

COLUMBUS, OH � Crisp fall air and brilliant fall foliage signal the start of Ohio�s world-class hunting seasons and family traditions that can be carried on for generations. Ohio�s young hunters have many opportunities to learn and improve their outdoors skills during several special youth hunting seasons, according to the Ohio DNR.

�Ohio offers great hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women of all ages,� said ODNR Director James Zehringer. �Our youth hunts provide parents a chance to share with their children the excitement of their first hunt.�

Waterfowl: Hunters age 15 and younger may hunt waterfowl statewide on Oct. 5-6, and they must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years or older (no more than two youths per adult). More details regarding waterfowl zones, bag limits and licensing requirements can be found in the 2013-2014 Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons publication and on the 2013-2014 Waterfowl Hunting Seasons page at www.wildohio.com.

Small game: Hunters age 17 and younger may hunt statewide for rabbit, pheasant and all other legal game in season during two designated weekends, Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27. Quail also may be hunted in 16 designated open counties.

The ODNR will release pheasants prior to these weekend dates on the following state wildlife areas: Berlin, Caesar Creek, Camp Belden, Darke, Delaware, Dillon, Fallsville, Grand River, Killdeer Plains, Oxbow, Resthaven, Rush Run, Spencer, Tiffin River and Wellington, and Charlemont Metropark in Lorain County and Ringneck Ridge Area in Sandusky County. A permit is required to hunt the Ringneck Ridge Area.

The free permit can be obtained from the Sandusky County Park District by calling 419-334-4495.

White-tailed deer: A youth deer-gun season will be open statewide Nov. 23-24 for hunters age 17 and younger. Hunters holding a valid youth hunting license and youth deer permit may harvest deer of either sex during this season in accordance with existing bag limits. Young hunters, regardless of age, must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 18 years or older, when hunting during this season.

Wild turkey: It is not too early to begin planning for the 2014 spring youth wild turkey hunting season. A statewide spring youth wild turkey season will be offered April 19-20, 2014. This hunt is open to youth age 17 and younger.

To participate in a youth hunt, all young hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult and must abide by all regular hunting hours and bag limits. Accompany means to go along with another person while staying within a distance from the person which enables uninterrupted, unaided visual and auditory communications.

A valid 2013-14 youth hunting license, along with appropriate permits, is required. For complete details on all of Ohio's youth hunting seasons, refer to the 2013-2014 Ohio Hunting Regulations, call 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543) or go to www.wildohio.com.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at www.ohiodnr.gov.

Public meetings set Oct 15, 16 & 23 to discuss Walleye Initiative

Input sought on what considerations to use in stocking strategy

WOODRUFF, Wis. - Public meetings are set for mid-October in Hayward, Rhinelander and Oconomowoc to discuss Wisconsin�s walleye fisheries and get people�s opinions on what considerations the state should use in coming years to decide how to allocate the increased number of large walleye for stocking made possible under the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative.

The Wisconsin Walleye Initiative is boosting production of larger walleye fingerlings, like this one stocked out last week from the Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Fish Hatchery in Spooner.

�There are a lot of lakes that can really benefit from the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative,� says Steve Avelallemant, longtime lead fish supervisor in northern Wisconsin for the DNR. �We want to know what considerations we should use to decide where to stock these larger walleye.� The public meetings are among the initial efforts by DNR�s fisheries management program to engage a broad range of walleye interests in the future management of the state�s walleye population.

�This fall and winter we plan to engage as many walleye interests as possible, including meeting with the tribes, fishing clubs and businesses, and making an online survey available to everyone,� he says. Avelallemant says the public meetings will feature a presentation on current walleye populations, the walleye initiative, and walleye management. People will be asked for their suggestions on what considerations DNR should use in its strategy for stocking walleye in 2014 and beyond.

Considerations might be biological factors, like what is the level of natural reproduction in a water, or economic considerations, like stocking fish in waters that are an important tourism draw locally and regionally, what other angling opportunities exist, or other considerations, Avelallemant says.

Gov. Scott Walker challenged DNR to develop a plan to increase the number of walleye in Wisconsin to benefit all users and the legislature responded by providing significant additional funding for use by state, tribal and private fish hatcheries to by state, tribal and private fish hatcheries to produce more large walleye for stocking. There will be $8.2 million for infrastructure improvements and $1.3 million each year for annual operating costs to expand production at DNR state fish hatcheries.

Production should increase from 60,000 to 120,000 large walleye

fingerlings a year to well over 500,000 by 2016.

These larger (4- to 8-inch fish) are more expensive to produce but survive to catchable size at a much higher rate than fry or small fingerlings, which have traditionally been stocked, because they are too large for predators to eat, Avelallemant says.

After the budget initiative passed in June, DNR shifted more of its walleye production from small fingerling walleyes that are 1 to 2 inches to the larger fingerlings that are 4 to 8 inches. Those larger fish are being stocked out now based on the requests biologists submitted earlier for fish for stocking. The increased production is allowing DNR this year to go deeper in filling the list of requests made and providing more fish.

The best walleye fisheries in Wisconsin are self-sustaining through natural reproduction � 84 percent of all walleye caught come from natural reproduction waters � and stocking those waters would be counterproductive and a waste of fish, Avelallemant says.

But there are waters where DNR hopes that stocking more, larger walleye can help improve the walleye populations and provide walleye fishing opportunities that otherwise wouldn�t exist.

The public meetings in October will help guide allocation of fish stocked out next year and in coming years.

The meetings are set 7 to 9:30 p.m., for the following dates and locations:

Oct. 15, Hayward, Hayward High School Auditorium, 10320 N. Greenwood Lane.
Oct. 16, Rhinelander, Quality Inn, 668 West Kemp St.
Oct. 23, Oconomowoc, Oconomowoc High School Art Center, 641 East Forest St.

Information shared at the public meetings will be posted to the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative Web pages in advance of the meetings and people who are not able to attend the meetings can submit comments online. From that page, people also are able to subscribe for free email updates or mobile alerts with the latest walleye initiative news. Scroll the list of subscription topics to reach �Fishing Updates� and place a check by the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative listing.

For more info: Steve Hewett 608-267-7501 or Mike Staggs, director of fisheries, 608-267-0796

Wolf hunting and trapping season begins Oct. 15

MADISON - Wisconsin�s second wolf hunting and trapping season begins Oct. 15 in all six harvest zones across the state.

Between opening day and Feb. 28, 2014, up to 2,510 permit holders will take to the field in pursuit of 251 total wolves harvestable by state-licensed hunters and trappers.

�Above all, we want to have another safe, successful hunt like last year,� said Dave MacFarland, Department of Natural Resources carnivore specialist. �Our goal remains to reduce the population in accordance with the wolf management plan. The 2013 quota is designed to begin the process of population reduction.�

The wolf season runs until Feb. 28, 2014. However, if harvest levels reach the quota for a zone, the department will enact an emergency closure in that zone. Zone closures take effect at least 24 hours after the department announces the closure. Out of the total harvestable amount, 76 wolves can be hunted or trapped in Zone 1, 28 in Zone 2, 71 in Zone 3, 12 in zone 4, 34 in Zone 5, and 30 in Zone 6.

When zones are closed, DNR will announce such closures by news releases, notification on the DNR web site, and on the wolf call-in number, 1-855-299-9653.

�It is the hunter�s and trapper�s responsibility to check for and know about zone closures,� said MacFarland. �Therefore we encourage hunters and trappers to check the website or the call-in number daily.� Successful applicants can purchase a wolf harvest licenses at any license sales location or online at dnr.wi.gov now or during the season. The cost is $49 for residents, and $251 for nonresidents.

A wolf license authorizes both hunting and trapping. The license holder must meet the appropriate education requirements for trapping, Hunter Education, or must be participating in the Hunting Mentorship program.

Anyone seeking additional information about the hunt, or if they would like to receive email updates about harvest and zone information, should call the DNR Call Center at 1-888-936-7463. The Call Center is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

For more information on the wolf hunt, regulations, and maps, please visit dnr.wi.gov and search �wolf.�

For more info: David MacFarland- 715-365-8917

Chinook stocking on Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum agenda Oct 12

CLEVELAND, Wis. � A draft proposal for a new, simplified strategy for how Wisconsin allocates stocked chinook salmon among its Lake Michigan counties will be among the topics discussed at the Oct. 12 meeting of the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum.

�Wisconsin�s strategy for stocking fish is an important decision and will set the future course of stocking numbers and strategy for the lake for years to come,� says Brad Eggold, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan. �We hope that many anglers and others who are interested in the Lake Michigan fishery can attend the coming Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum where the group will discuss the new strategy.�

Eggold says the forum offers the public the chance to hear more about the draft proposal and discuss it with DNR staff and other interested individuals.

The forum, an independent group of anglers, charter boat captains and commercial fishers facilitated by University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, meets starting at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 12 at the Wells Fargo Room on Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland.

The meeting is open to the public and also will include presentations by a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee expert on the impacts of zebra and quagga mussels on the Lake Michigan food web, and by a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service expert on the effectiveness of lamprey control in Lake Michigan.

Eggold says the proposed draft chinook stocking strategy seeks to simplify how DNR decides where fish get stocked and would provide counties a baseline level of stocking to support fall fishing runs. The new strategy also would factor in charter boat trips and angler effort and harvest rates directed at chinook salmon. Under the stocking proposal, each county would receive a base number of fish to be stocked there to maintain a fall nearshore chinook salmon run; collectively, these base allocations will account for 75 percent of the fish stocked. The remaining

25 percent of fish stocked will be allocated among the counties based on

four proposed factors: The number of charter boat trips by county; angler effort directed at chinook salmon in the fall and the harvest rate of chinook salmon in the fall, Eggold says.

The fourth factor is a placeholder now for information forthcoming from returns of chinook salmon with a coded wire tag embedded in their snout. DNR will be collecting chinook fish heads throughout summer and into October this year and in coming years to look for the coded wire tags that can help tell when and where a fish was stocked.

Eggold says that the baseline allocation per county is done to assure fall fishing opportunities, which anglers said they wanted during previous fishery meetings. �By giving each county a base number we believe we�ll continue to provide that fall fishing opportunity they want up and down the lake,� Eggold says.

Several completed and ongoing research studies show that where a fish is stocked doesn�t really matter when it comes to where a fish is caught in the summer, but that stocking location does matter to the fall fishing runs. Chinook swim all over Lake Michigan during the open water season, with early results from an ongoing study showing that more fish caught in Wisconsin waters come from other states than from Wisconsin. The same study suggests that fish caught in the fall in Lake Michigan tributaries are more likely to have been stocked in that same water as a young fish.

DNR developed the stocking proposal based on comments and direction from stakeholders and members of the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum. The proposal was also available for public review through Sept. 23.

The proposal is intended to guide stocking in 2014 and beyond as Wisconsin carries out its agreement with Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and five Michigan tribes for all of them to adjust stocking levels of chinook salmon to bring the number of predator fish like chinook back into line with the number of prey fish and to account for increased natural reproduction of chinook.

Why America's Heartland is Earthquake Country

NY - SAF Sues New York Over SAFE Act

Family Learn to Fish on Oct. 19

SAF Sues New York Over SAFE Act

Ohio Offers Abundant Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

Public meetings set Oct 15, 16 & 23 to discuss Walleye Initiative

Why America's Heartland is Earthquake Country

SAF Sues New York Over SAFE Act

Ohio Offers Abundant Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

Ohio waterfowl hunters will also enjoy a 60-day duck hunting season beginning in October. The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may not

Public meetings set Oct 15, 16 & 23 to discuss Walleye Initiative

Input sought on what considerations to use in stocking strategy

Wolf hunting and trapping season begins Oct. 15

Chinook stocking on Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum agenda Oct 12

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