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Abu Garcia Spinning Reel Promotion

�Experience The REVOlution� Sweepstakes during December

Abu Garcia announced November 22 a December Sweepstakes campaign �Experience The REVOlution� to promote the new Revo� Premier Spinning Reel.
 
The sweepstakes promotion offers Abu Garcia fans the chance to experience the only spinning reel so advanced it is considered a revolution to fishing.  It is the only spinning reel that deserves to carry the Revo name.  From November 23rd through December 21st, 2010 consumers can register to win a Revo Premier spinning reel.  A winner will be awarded every week on December 7, 14, 21 and 28 during the

promotion period.  

Consumers may register for the promotion through www.facebook.com/abugarcia  =and visiting the sweepstakes tab, or by visiting www.abugarcia.com and clicking on the sweepstakes widget.  
 
The Revo Premier features NanoShield Technology which creates components up to 300% stronger than graphite and up to 50% lighter than aluminum.  The result provides a reel with lightweight properties of graphite and the strength of an all metal body.
 
The direct link to the promotion page is http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/73600.

LensPen Outdoor Pro Kit

The SensorKlear kit keeps lenses clean

The new LensPen Outdoor Pro kit includes everything you need to keep optics clean, whether hiking a dusty trail or out on the lake at dawn: LensPen Original, MiniPro II, MicroKlear and FogKlear. All designed with a specific job in mind, and all included in a compact nylon carrying case that fits on a belt.

The LensPen Original and MiniPro II keep camera lenses clean, and they're easy to use outdoors. Both function the same way: slide out the brush end first and use it to effectively remove all loose dust and dirt from the lens or eyepiece. If fingerprints remain, just take the cap off the other end and the flexible chamois tip - which is impregnated with a carbon compound - is ready to tackle the toughest prints.

And remember; only the unique design of SensorKlear Loupe and SensorKlear II allows you to see and clean at the same time!  Your sensor will love you!

Use on all optical lenses, LCD, plasma and glass surfaces. LensPen products are RoHS compliant and meet California Proposition 65 standards. Compact, easily fits in a camera bag and comes with a velour carry bag.

About $35.00

877-608-0868      [email protected]

www.lenspen.com

Browning 1911-22 L.R. Autoloading Pistol

Browning has introduced a scaled-down, 22 L.R. version of this great firearm for 2011.  The new pistol is almost an exact replica of the original 1911, just smaller, and made in the USA.   Guns shipped in 2011 will include a special first year of production collector's certificate plus a free limited edition commemorative canvas and leather zippered pistol case.

The frame and slide of the Browning 1911-22 are machined from aluminum alloy with a matte blued finish.  The barrel has a stainless steel barrel block and target crown.  The new 1911-22 has a single action trigger and a straight blow back action for enhanced simplicity and reliability.  Other features include fixed sights, detachable 10-round magazine, manual thumb safety and grip safety.  The new Browning 1911-22 is

85% the size of the original 1911 John M. Browning design. The smaller size makes it very light and easy to handle, especially for smaller shooters.

An A1 version of the 1911-22 will be offered with a 4 �" barrel and 5 1/2" sight radius that weighs 15 � oz.  Overall length on the A1 is 7 1/8".  A Compact 1911-22 version will also be offered with a 3 5/8" barrel and 4 7/8" sight radius that weighs 15 oz.  Overall length on the Compact is 6 1/2".  Grips on both models are brown composite. 

All controls operate just as those on the original John M. Browning-designed Model 1911.  Available early 2011

About $599.99

www.browning.com

NY ballast regulation a victory over Great Lakes invasive species

Seaway officials oppose DEC ballast water regs

Great Lakes anglers won a sizable victory in the war against invasive species last month. In short, New York courts upheld a new rule that requires all ocean-going ships passing through the state�s waters meet tough ballast water standards, meaning less introduction of foreign species.

A New York appellate court dismissed a challenge brought by shipping interests against the state�s tough new ballast water requirements, which are designed to limit the introduction of more invasive species into the Great Lakes. This is the second time that the state successfully defended the ballast water restrictions in court. Legal experts hail the win as a huge victory for states in the region that have taken an aggressive stand to limit dumping of water containing biological pollution from ocean going vessels.

The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Third Judicial Department, rejected shipping industry arguments that the New York ballast water regulations were illegal because they were stricter than the U.S. EPA's nationwide discharge permit.  The new state regulation mandates that starting Jan. 1, 2012 these ships must have ballast cleansing systems that meet some of the strictest standards in the world. Treatment systems must discharge water almost completely free of invasive species.

The New York court's ruling that states have authority to adopt ballast water rules that are more protective than federal standards is consistent with the decision last year in a lower state court as well as the federal appeals court in Cincinnati to uphold Michigan's ballast water rules against a similar shipping industry challenge.

Shipping interests had fought the new standard in court and called it unconstitutional, likely because it�s stricter than the Environmental Protection Agency�s nationwide Clean Water Act ballast discharge permit. The case was eventually appealed all the way to the New York Court of Appeals, the state�s highest court, which just last month refused to overturn the ballast standards. That decision means the rule stays and the appeals are finished.

State regulations to increase the treatment of ballast water in international ships and Canadian lakers could cripple business at the Port of Oswego the port�s top official said.  �We are not 100 percent dependent on our marine

component, but we would see a significant drop-off of business,� port Executive Director Jonathan Daniels said.

Ballast water from ocean-going ships has carried more than 186 invasive species into the Great Lakes, according to current scientific data, and new invasive species arrive at the rate of one every six months.

The New York regulation will protect all of the Great Lakes even though it�s only a state law. New York took a leap ahead of federal efforts to create similar enforcement. It did so by adding the clause that this rule applies even to ships just passing through New York waters. Since the Erie Canal and Chicago canals are too small for most ocean-going ships, these vessels must enter the Great Lakes through the St. Lawrence River and a series of locks in New York. Thus, they�re all affected by this new standard.

National efforts from the Coast Guard, EPA, and Congress to create such ballast regulations have been less than lackluster to date, and Congress presently has nothing in the hopper that comes close to a definitive federal ballast bill.

Anglers have tried for years to get adequate ballast water regulations in place to protect our Great Lakes and coastal waters from invasive species. And as long as states like New York, Michigan and others continue to lead the way by establishing their own protective standards, there is still hope for protecting our precious resources.

The Great Lakes are a unique ecosystem representing 1/5 of the Earth's surface fresh water, but the vitality of the ecosystem has been threatened by alien species that have wreaked havoc on native fish and plants. Over 186 invasive species have been identified in the Great Lakes; since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, 65% of invasive species introductions have been attributed to ballast water. Alien species have already cost the Great Lakes economy billions of dollars.

The entire Lake Michigan ecosystem has been changed by invasive species. The filtering of invasive mussels has, for the first time ever, allowed the lake floor to be carpeted with algae. These conditions have helped the invasive round goby become the most numerous fish in the lake, while all but eliminating many of the native species. In the 80�s, high profile invasions by the zebra mussel and sea lamprey decimated local drinking water infrastructure and fishing industries.

Groups sue EPA over Lead ammo, tackle

WASHINGTON (AP)--Three environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on November 23 to force it to prevent lead poisoning of wildlife from spent ammunition and lost fishing tackle. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court by the Center for Biological Diversity, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the hunters group Project Gutpile. It comes after the EPA denied their petition to ban lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle, which the groups say kills 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals a year by lead poisoning.

"The EPA has the ability to protect America's wildlife from ongoing preventable lead poisoning, but continues to shirk its responsibility," said Jeff Miller, conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.

The lawsuit asks a judge to order the EPA to develop rules to prevent wildlife poisoning from spent lead ammunition and fishing tackle.

In August, the EPA denied the ammunition part of the petition, saying it didn't have authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act. A few weeks ago, it rejected the fishing tackle portion, saying the petition didn't demonstrate a ban was necessary to protect against unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, as required by the law.

In the lawsuit, the groups say that EPA erred when it said it didn't have the authority to ban lead ammunition. They argued that the legislative history of the Toxic Substances Control Act makes it clear that components of ammunition � shots and bullets � may be regulated as chemical substances.

The groups' original petition cited nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific articles that they said document the toxic effects of lead on wildlife, and the lawsuit argues that large amounts of lead continue to be deposited into the environment. According to the lawsuit, animals often mistake lead shotgun pellets and fishing tackle for food, grit or bone fragments, and avian

scavengers are particularly vulnerable to lead in carcasses, gut piles and wounded prey species.

Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association, said the EPA got the decision right the first time.  "We fundamentally think this is the jurisdiction of state fish and wildlife agencies to address these types of problems where they may exist," he said. "The data shows this is not a population problem as it relates to the use of lead in fishing gear."

The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Only three of the original five groups that filed the petition in August joined Tuesday's lawsuit. Not participating were the Association of Avian Veterinarians and the American Bird Conservancy.  The veterinarians group said it didn't have enough time to get a consensus from its members before the suit was filed. The bird conservancy said that it decided to approach the problem "from a different angle," said spokesman Robert Johns.

The petition, filed three months ago, stoked alarm among outdoorsmen, and prompted members of the House and Senate to introduce bills aimed at preventing the EPA from regulating ammunition or fishing tackle. In 1994, under President Bill Clinton and EPA administrator Carol Browner, now the White House energy adviser, the EPA proposed banning lead and zinc in certain smaller-size fishing sinkers. In a statement at the time, the agency said: "The ingestion of even one small fishing sinker containing lead or zinc can result in the death of a water bird."

The proposal sparked a backlash in Congress. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, introduced the "Common Sense in Fishing Regulations Act" in 1995 that would have blocked the EPA from implementing it. The agency eventually abandoned the proposal.

NSSF to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging EPA on Traditional Ammo

NEWTOWN, Conn.�In response to a lawsuit filed last week challenging the USEPA�s denial of a petition to ban traditional ammunition containing lead core components, the National Shooting Sports Foundation will file a motion to intervene. This action allows NSSF to protect industry's interests in the case and ensure that the will of Congress is adhered to.

The suit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, which earlier this year had petitioned EPA to ban traditional ammunition as well as fishing tackle containing lead. CBD claims wild birds are being harmed through the ingestion of spent ammunition fragments, though NSSF contends that no scientific evidence shows that wildlife populations are being affected.

In August after considering the CBD's petition, EPA denied the request, saying it did not have the legal authority to regulate the production and distribution of traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976. Congress expressly exempted ammunition from being regulated by this law. Some weeks after the agency's decision on traditional ammunition, EPA also denied the other half of CBD's request to ban fishing tackle. This one-two punch no doubt prompted CBD to file its lawsuit.

"We knew that this fight was far from over even after we gained that early victory," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "The CBD petition and now this lawsuit are clearly attacks on the right of hunters to choose the ammunition that best suits their hunting and target shooting needs, and they are attacks on hunting as well."

Launching a strong grassroots campaign in response to the

CBD petition, NSSF mobilized the sporting and gun-owning

community to make its support for traditional ammunition clear to the EPA and its administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, via e-mailed comments and by contacting their lawmakers.

NSSF continues to stress the following in the debate over traditional ammunition:

• There is no scientific evidence that the use of traditional ammunition is having an adverse impact on wildlife populations.

• Wildlife management is the proper jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the 50 state wildlife agencies.

• A 2008 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on blood lead levels of North Dakota hunters confirmed that consuming game harvested with traditional ammunition does not pose a human health risk.

• A ban on traditional ammunition would have a negative impact on wildlife conservation. The federal excise tax that manufacturers pay on the sale of the ammunition (11 percent) is a primary source of wildlife conservation funding.

• The bald eagle's recovery, considered to be a great conservation success story, was made possible and funded by hunters using traditional ammunition � the very ammunition organizations like the CBD are now demonizing.

• Recent statistics from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that from 1981 to 2006 the number of breeding pairs of bald eagles in the United States increased 724 %. And much like the bald eagle, raptor populations throughout the United States are soaring.

Carp Czar: Three Years for Plan to Surface

EAST LANSING -- Asian Carp was the topic at a summit at Michigan State University last week, and participants learned from Carp Czar John Goss that it will take three years to come up with the plan to contain the invasive species in the Mississippi river basin and protect the Great Lakes.

Goss said the carp are a threat, but only one of many.  "In terms of invasive species, this is probably in the top three or four," Goss said.

Kelly Smith with the Michigan DNR said the fact that Carp DNA

and at least one fish has been found beyond the current barriers makes this an urgent matter.  "How many are actually above the barrier, no one knows.  But there is evidence there are at least some above the barrier, and that's the concern," Smith said.

Attendees also learned the federal money set aside to fund whatever plan they come up with could be gone by 2013 if Republicans in Congress decide they need to squeeze future funding to cut the deficit.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Nov. 26, 2010

Weather Conditions

A frontal system moved through the Great Lakes basin in the early part of the week and another one is arriving over the next few days.  Monday's precipitation fell as a mix of rain and snow, with snow falling farther north and rain falling in the south.  The week started with warm temperatures which have fallen significantly.  Temperatures will continue dropping over the next couple of days, especially in the western part of the basin.  Mixed precipitation is expected to continue through Friday with clearer weather arriving Saturday and Sunday.  Chances of precipitation will return in the early part of next week.

Lake Level Conditions

Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are 6 to 13 inches below last year's levels, while Lake Ontario is equal to its level of a year ago.  Over the next month, Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are expected to decline 3 and 2 inches, respectively.  Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are predicted to decline 1, 1, and 3 inches, respectively.

Forecasted November Outflows/Channel Conditions

The outflows from Lake Superior into the St. Mary's River and from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River are expected to be below average in November.  The Detroit River's flow and the Niagara River's flow from Lake Erie are also predicted to be below average this month.  The flow in the St. Lawrence River

is forecasted to be above average throughout November.

Alerts

The water levels of both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are currently below chart datum and are forecasted to remain below datum over the next six months.  Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Meeting to review spotted musky plan for Green Bay Dec 2

GREEN BAY -- Anglers have an opportunity to help shape the future of spotted musky in Green Bay and Lake Michigan: a Dec. 2 meeting in Green Bay offers them a chance to review and comment on the draft management plan developed through public input over the last year.

The meeting runs from 6 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay.

"The re-establishment of musky has been very successful. We�ve created a world-class musky fishery and brought a previously decimated species back to Green Bay," says David Rowe, the Department of Natural Resources fish biologist who led the planning process.

"We've worked with anglers over the past year on management of the fishery, and we think this draft plan reflects that desire. Now we want to hear again from anglers to confirm what they think."

Last February, interested anglers attended a public meeting to hear about the status of the restoration program and to share their thoughts about the effort. Five goals for the musky population were established by consensus with DNR fisheries staff and participating stakeholders, Rowe says.

Those five goals are:

• Sustain the sport fishery and trophy potential of fishery.

• Re-establish a naturally reproducing population.

• Establish a viable population with sufficient genetic diversity.

• Reduce hooking and handling mortalities and increase compliance with regulations.

• Restore/rehabilitate habitat in Green Bay to support ecosystem functions.

Rowe says the draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery.

Spotted musky, also known as Great Lakes strain musky, disappeared from Green Bay and Lake Michigan by the 1930s,

the result of water pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing and other factors that took their toll, Rowe says.  DNR, in cooperation with several local musky clubs and the Musky

Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin, launched efforts in 1989 to reintroduce the Great Lakes strain muskellunge to the Green Bay waters of Lake Michigan. The need to re-establish a native inshore predator fish species had been identified in several planning efforts including the Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan and the Lower Green Bay Remedial Action Plan.

At the time, DNR fish biologists drafted a three-phase plan to re-establish a self-sustaining population of muskellunge in Green Bay. That plan called for DNR to identify an appropriate egg source, collect eggs, and successfully hatch, rear and stock fish; establish an inland lake broodstock population; and develop a self-sustaining population in Green Bay.

The first phase has been very successful; fish were first stocked into Green Bay in 1989 and later into the Winnebago system, which is in the same basin. The fish have grown very fast in the favorable conditions of those large waters and are now accounting for a large proportion of the trophy muskies caught in Wisconsin. The contribution of big fish from Lakes Michigan and Superior to the Muskies Inc. registry has increased from 2 percent in 2004 to 24 percent in 2009.

The second phase, establishing broodstock, has had mixed success because of troubles bringing in fish from areas that still have Great Lakes strain fish. Money and disease concerns with the fish have hampered the process.

The third phase of that original management plan, developing a self-sustaining population, is still unfolding. To date, there has been no significant natural reproduction of muskellunge documented in Green Bay or the Lower Fox River, Rowe says. However, in 2008, two young of the year muskellunge were collected from the Lower Menominee River and in 2009 young of the year muskellunge were captured in both the Lower Menominee River and in Sawyer Harbor, Sturgeon Bay. Tissue samples have confirmed these individuals are genetically consistent with Great Lakes spotted muskellunge, confirming this as the first evidences of natural reproduction, he says.