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DNR Park offers State Fair visitors a “Passport to Fun”

MILWAUKEE - Young visitors to the Department of Natural Resources Park at the 2008 Wisconsin State Fair will find a “Passport to Fun” awaiting them.

Over the years, visitors to Wisconsin State Fair Park have come to depend upon the DNR exhibit area as a place for family – friendly activities that are both fun and informative. That tradition continues with “Passport for Fun.”

The Wisconsin State Fair runs July 31 through August 10 at State Fair Park, located just west of Milwaukee, off South 84th Street in West Allis. DNR Park is located in the southeast corner of the park, adjacent to the Wisconsin Exposition Center.

Children visiting the DNR Park will receive a special passport with 10 placeholders guiding them on a series of adventures around the DNR exhibit areas. At each exhibit area, they must complete an activity and then present their passport for a special stamp. Those who complete at least seven adventures will have their passports certified for a special prize. All DNR programs are participating in the “Passport to Fun” activity.

The impact of aquatic invasives will be featured as a “Passport to Fun” activity at the Law Enforcement exhibit area where children will learn how to stop the spread of invasive species in Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers. They will learn to identify plastic invasive weeds attached to a boat and trailer and pull them off to receive a sticker.

At the Fisheries Management exhibit area, young anglers can earn their stickers by identifying Wisconsin’s state fish.

Young explorers who visit the Wisconsin State Parks exhibit area will be challenged to complete a “Get Outdoors Wisconsin!” activity. They can take part in a backyard nature search answering riddles that serve as clues as to what animal is hidden in the woods adjacent to the exhibit area. At another stop they can make “super duper outdoor lookers” from bathroom tissue rolls, to try and spot a fox snake or an ornate turtle.

Most children recognize Smokey Bear and know he stands for “only you can prevent wildfires,” but how many know what a forester does? That’s the question they must answer to earn a stamp at the forestry exhibit area. Forestry staff will provide nursery information and an animated Smokey Bear will offer tips on campfire safety in Smokey’s Schoolhouse from 10 a.m-5 p.m. daily.

The Wildlife Management exhibit area will focus on birds of Wisconsin. The future ornithologists need to identify Wisconsin’s state bird to earn their passport stamps. After that, they can take part in a nest building challenge using tweezers to simulate a bird’s beak or take part in the “Feed Me” game, where the object is to get eight worms into the mouth of a an artificial bird -- in one try -- from a height of 12 inches.

In addition to the “Passport to Fun” activities, visitors can take the opportunity to purchase fishing and hunting licenses. T-shirt printing will again be available at the activities tent. Members of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program will coordinate this program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. On Wednesday, August 6, budding wildlife artists can design a wetland T-shirt using stamps of cattails, frogs, turtles and fish.

A new feature at DNR Park this year is an outdoor play area, where parents can relax while the children take part in free play activities.

More information on the 2008 Wisconsin State Fair is available on the State Fair Web site [exit DNR].

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcus Smith (414) 263-8516

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Proposed rule would classify prohibited and restricted invasive species

Public hearings will be held around state in August

MADISON – A proposed rule aimed at slowing the spread of invasive species into Wisconsin by restricting the sale, planting or release of the most troublesome invaders will be the topic of public hearings statewide in August.

The rule would establish two categories of invasive species of plants, animals and nonagricultural plant pests: “prohibited” and “restricted,” and make it illegal to import, transport, buy, sell, plant or release the listed species in Wisconsin.

“Prohibited species are those not yet in the state, or only known in a few locations,” according to Tom Boos, a member of the Department of Natural Resources invasive species team that is developing the proposal. “For these species the goal is eradication and containing their spread before they become troublesome. Restricted species are those already too widespread to realistically expect to contain statewide, so the goal is to minimize further spread.”

“There are a number of species that are close to our doorstep, including kudzu and Asian carp species, and a number of others that are just starting to get established in the state. These are the species proposed as ‘prohibited.’ Those already widespread are generally proposed as ‘restricted,’” Boos says. “We hope a comprehensive classification system will prevent new introductions of invasive species from occurring and slow the spread of those already here.”

People who have restricted species on their property would not be required to control them. For those few locations where prohibited species are located, the department will work with landowners and others to try to contain them.

Public listening sessions were held in January where Department of Natural Resource staff gathered public comments on a range of possible rule options suggested by the Wisconsin Council on Invasive Species and DNR staff. Those sessions led to the draft rule proposal the state Natural Resources Board approved for public hearings.

Public hearings on the proposed rule will be held on the following dates at the locations listed:

• August 14, Madison - 10 a.m.; Gathering Waters/ Glaciers Edge conference room, DNR South Central Region Headquarters, 3911 Fish Hatchery Rd., Fitchburg.
• August 14, Milwaukee - 3 p.m.; Room 141, DNR Southeast Region Headquarters, 2300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
• August 15, Green Bay - 1 p.m., Lake Michigan room, DNR Northeast Region Headquarters, 2984 Shawano Ave.
• August 19, La Crosse - 1 p.m., Room B19 &B20, State Office Building, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road.
• August 20, Spooner - 2:30 p.m., large conference room, DNR Northern Region Headquarters, 810 W. Maple St.
• August 26, Wausau - 1 p.m., DNR Wausau City Hall, Council Chambers, 407 Grant St.

Invasive species already proliferate in state

Invasive species are plants, animals and pests from other regions or countries that proliferate and have few natural enemies in Wisconsin to keep their populations in check. Invasive species generally crowd out native species, which in turn harms wildlife that depends on native species for food and habitat. Invasives also can interfere with recreation -- as Eurasian water milfoil does when thick mats of the plant tangle in boat propellers -- and they can affect industry and cost taxpayers and consumers money. For example, buckthorn and honeysuckle, by preventing forest regeneration, can cause short- and long-term damage to Wisconsin’s $22.6 billion forestry and forest products industry.

More than 180 aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, round gobies and spiny water flea have entered the Great Lakes in the last century, and more than 130 non-native invasive plants have been documented in Wisconsin. A new study by Notre Dame found that invasive species cost the Great Lakes economy $200 million per year.

More information on the public hearings and the invasive classification proposal is available on the DNR Web site. People will also be able to submit comments on-line or in writing through the Web site or they may send them to: NR 40 Comments, ER-6, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921.

This rule is one piece of a comprehensive strategy, including increased grants to local communities to fight aquatic invasive species that was included in Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2007-09 state budget.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Boos (608) 266-9276 or Kelly Kearns (608) 267-5066

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Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area closed due to heavy flood damage

BARABOO – Parfrey’s Glen, Wisconsin’s first State Natural Area, is closed indefinitely due to extensive damage caused by floodwaters last month.

Encompassing 480 acres, Parfrey’s Glen is a spectacular gorge cut deeply into the south flank of the Baraboo Hills near Devil’s Lake State Park in Sauk County. A popular 1-mile long hiking trail offered outdoor enthusiasts an excellent opportunity to interpret the geographical history of the hills, culminating with a waterfall at trail’s end.

“Succinctly, the trail through the gorge doesn’t exist anymore,” said Rich Evans, parks supervisor for DNR’s South Central Region.

Heavy rains during the June 14 weekend rushing down off the bluffs above the gorge turned normally placid Parfrey’s Glen Creek into a roaring torrent of water which dislodged boulders weighing several tons, uprooted trees, washed out a wooden boardwalk, and strewed rocks over part of the trail.

Parfrey’s Glen Creek also shifted its stream channel to form a new path over the remainder of the trail, gouging a bed in some areas down to a depth of four feet.

“Clean-up will be extensive and will take a long time,” said Evans, who couldn’t predict when the natural areas will reopen.

Plans call for a work crew of up to 10 people who will soon commence removing debris and constructing a new trail, possibly on higher ground.

“We are looking at routing a new trail west of the stream channel through the woods, up to the waterfall at the beginning of the gorge,” he added.

Parfrey’s Glen SNA was established in 1956, and like its counterparts across Wisconsin, represents one of the last vestiges of the state’s native landscape as it existed prior to the 1830s, before intensive European settlement. SNAs are also established with an eye towards education, scientific research and for the long-term protection of Wisconsin’s biological diversity.

See Wisconsin Flood Water Photo Gallery for photos of the damage at Parfrey's Glenn.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich Evans, Regional Parks Supervisor, Fitchburg: 608-275-3276

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Bonus antlerless deer tags, state park permits on sale beginning noon August 23

MADISON – Hunters planning on harvesting antlerless deer in one of Wisconsin’s “regular” deer management units or in one of Wisconsin’s 12 limited access state parks should mark August 23 on the calendar. That is the day unit-specific antlerless deer tags and state park deer hunting access permits go on sale at noon.

Tags and permits can be purchased over the Internet through the Online Licensing Center; by calling toll-free 1-877-WI LICENSE (1-877-945-4236); or at license sales locations. DNR service centers are closed Saturdays, but the permits may be purchased during their regular business hours (check service center link for hours of operation, which vary by service center; service centers).

Twenty-two of Wisconsin’s 134 deer management units (DMU) are designated as regular units in 2008. Regular units are 7, 10, 28, 29A, 29B, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 49A, 49B, 50, 52 and 52A. (Unit 52A is Council Grounds State Park, so hunters who are successful in purchasing a permit for the park who want to harvest antlerless deer must purchase the additional $12 antlerless tags.)

Regular units are those that are close to prescribed deer population goals and deer managers are limiting harvest of antlerless deer in those units to keep populations stable. For these units, hunters must purchase a unit-specific antlerless deer harvest tag. These tags are limited in number. They cost $12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents and can be purchased one per day until the unit’s supply is sold out.

State park deer hunting

Anyone wishing to hunt deer in one of Wisconsin’s 12 state parks with limited deer hunting access must purchase a State Park Deer Hunting Access Permit for that park. The permits cost $3 for both residents and non residents and also go on sale Aug. 23 at noon.

Hunters who wish to purchase a State Park Deer Hunting Access Permit, must first purchase a deer hunting license. Hunters who wish to hunt in these parks are advised to be familiar with each park’s hunting season dates and weapon restrictions, as they may be different from the season framework of the surrounding DMUs. This information can be found on the DNR Web site at dnr.wi.gov The 2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations will show which parks require an a Deer Hunting Access Permit. All deer hunters who park in a State Park must display a State Park sticker on their vehicle.

New for 2008 in state parks

• Lake Wissota State Park (DMU 59E) will only allow the harvest of antlerless deer during the 9-day November gun season (Nov. 22-30). Hunting in the park also requires State Park Deer Hunting Access Permit and the park is designated as a shotgun area.
• Brunet Island State Park (DMU 23A) will only allow the harvest of antlerless deer during the 9-day November gun season (Nov. 22-30), and is designated as a shotgun area. Brunet Island will also allow archery deer hunting with a State Park Deer Hunting Access Permit from Dec. 1, 2008 – Jan. 4, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Fleener- (608) 261-7589

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2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations Available

MADISON - The 2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations are now available on the DNR Web site. Most notable changes in the regulations are related to the 4-day October Antlerless deer season in many deer management units, and the new CWD rules and seasons, which were recently approved by the Natural Resources Board and thelegislature. See the “What’s New” section on page 3 of the regulations for other changes in 2008. The deer regulations will be available in hard-copy format at license sales locations throughout the state and DNR Service Centers in mid August.

Hunters can find important information in the regulation pamphlet. Deer management units are outlined in a map in the center of the pamphlet. This will assist them in determining if they are in a regular, herd control, earn-a-buck or chronic wasting disease unit in 2008. Once they have found their unit and the unit type, they can go to pages 18 through 26 to find the season dates, the carcass tags that can be used and the harvest limit for the various deer hunting seasons in their unit. This pamphlet also covers the basic deer hunting regulations that hunters should be familiar with.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Fleener- (608) 261-7589

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Lost buck harvest authorization stickers may now be replaced

MADISON – Deer hunters in Wisconsin who have lost or did not initially receive their buck harvest authorization stickers will be able to get replacement stickers starting this year, state wildlife officials have announced.

“Starting this year, hunters will have the opportunity to pick up a replacement buck sticker if they lost a sticker which would still be valid, or did not receive one from the registration station in 2007,” said Jason Fleener, assistant deer ecologist with the state Department of Natural Resources. “But replacements are limited to only one per year, regardless of how many the customer claims to have lost or did not receive from the deer registration station.”

Hunters must visit a designated DNR Service Center in person to receive the placement, and they are required to provide information about the antlerless deer they claim to have registered from the 2007 deer season. DNR customer service staff will look up their registration records to confirm the customer's claim. he customer will fill in and sign a sworn affidavit, before they are given a sticker.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Fleener - (608) 261-7589

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Oak wilt disease starting to show up in southern Wisconsin

Infected trees may appear as they might in October instead of July

MADISON – The first signs of oak wilt, a tree-killing fungal disease, are now appearing in infected trees in counties in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin.

Oak wilt plugs the water- and nutrient-conducting channels in the tree, and affects trees in both the red oak and white oak groups.

“The first symptoms of oak wilt are branches with wilted leaves and leaves on the ground in summer when you wouldn’t expect to see them,” said Kyoko Scanlon, a forest pathologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. “These are not the brown, dry leaves you see in the fall. These are partially green to bronze-green and are not completely dry.”

Once a tree is infected with oak wilt, water and nutrients can’t move upward from the root system, causing the tree’s leaves to wilt and fall and eventually killing the tree. Oaks in the red oak group, including northern red, northern pin, and black oaks, are particularly vulnerable to this disease. Once symptoms become visible, a tree loses most of its leaves, typically from the top down, and dies very quickly, often within a few weeks.

“Anyone with an oak tree that is rapidly losing its leaves may want to have the tree examined for oak wilt by an arborist or forester or send in a sample for a laboratory test,” said Don Kissinger, a DNR urban forester. “A person should take immediate steps to protect other nearby oaks on the property if they value those trees.”

The University of Wisconsin’s Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic can help verify the presence of oak wilt. A sample must be sent to the clinic and a small fee is charged for the service. The clinic can be reached at (608) 262-2863 or via the Internet at Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic [exit DNR].

Most often, oak wilt spreads from one oak to another through root grafts between neighboring trees. Removing a diseased or dead tree may not be enough to stop oak wilt from spreading. Forest health experts recommend using a vibratory plow or trencher to sever existing root grafts prior to removal of diseased trees. Contacting an urban forestry consultant to determine placement of the root graft barriers is a good idea, as placement will vary depending on tree size and the distance between infected and healthy trees along with the soil type.

“There are also fungicide treatments available, but they are most effective as a preventative, and repeated applications are necessary for success,” Scanlon said.

Some instances of oak wilt are caused by insects that carry the oak wilt spores to healthy trees. To prevent oak trees from being infected with oak wilt transported by insects it is very important not to prune or wound oak trees from April through July, and to take a cautious approach, avoid pruning until October. Pruning or injuring the tree causes it to release sap, which attracts the fungus-transporting insects.

It’s not always oak wilt

Symptoms similar to oak wilt may be caused by an infestation of the two-lined chestnut borer.

“The two-lined chestnut borer is an opportunist,” Scanlon said. “It will attack weakened trees, favoring red and white oaks more or less equally.”

The borer frequently shows up in areas where a forest tent caterpillar or gypsy moth outbreak or drought has weakened trees.

The adult insect lays eggs under the bark. When the larvae emerge, they eat their way through the fluid-conducting tissues of the tree, stopping the flow of nutrients to the leaves.

“The leaves turn uniformly brown, but often remain on the tree for a while,” Scanlon said. “Unfortunately, an infestation of two-lined chestnut borer and oak wilt can occur at the same time on the same tree.”

Maintaining vigorous healthy trees is the best defense against the insect. Watering, mulching, fertilizing properly, and avoiding physical damage to trees should be practiced.

Wisconsin communities may be eligible to participate in a cost-sharing program to help combat oak wilt. The Urban Forestry Grant Program is not available to individual property owners. But property owners with oak wilt are encouraged to contact their municipal forester or other local official to pursue a grant. Applications for the program are due by October 6. If a community is interested in applying for a grant, contact the Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator in your area.

Additional information about oak wilt and other forest health issues can be found on the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kyoko Scanlon (608) 275-3275 or Don Kissinger (715) 359-5793.

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Six State Park friends groups receive grants for summer naturalist programs

MADISON – Six Wisconsin state parks friends groups have received grants that will allow them to fund summer naturalists programs at their sponsored park from the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.

The groups will use the funds to hire summer naturalists or conduct naturalist programs at their parks or forests during 2008.

The board of the statewide friends group awarded the grants from proceeds the organization earned through its State Parks affinity card program in 2007. More information on this program or on opening a card is available on the organizations Web site: Friends of Wisconsin State Parks [exit DNR].

Parks that received the grants include

• Friends of Governor Dodge State Park – $1,000 for programs that support the park’s 60th anniversary.
• Friends of Peninsula State Park – $1,000 to expand interpretive programming as well as prepare for the 2009 centennial park celebration.
• Friends of Pattison & Amnicon Falls State Parks – $500 to allow naturalist work to be extended and expanded.
• Friends of Hartman Creek State Park – $500 to support a summer naturalist give at least 10 programs throughout the summer.
• Friends of Point Beach State Forest – $500 to increase current naturalist wages and expand public education outreach at the forest.
• Friends of High Cliff State Park – $500 to support a summer naturalist and aid in time constraints for materials and curriculum production.

As part of its mission, the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks supports the work of its local groups around the state and assists them to protect our natural resources. It remains the only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Wisconsin DNR by enhancing, preserving, and protecting unique and beloved state parks and trails.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Zurlo-Cuva, DNR State Park System Operations Coordinator – (608) 266 7617