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Walleye bag limits revised on 255 northern lakes

MADISON – Daily walleye bag limits will increase May 22 on 255 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory to reflect spring spearing harvest by six Wisconsin bands of Chippewa Indians.

A daily bag limit of one or two walleye will increase to two or three walleye per day on 92 lakes. In addition, 163 lakes will go from an initial bag limit of one or two walleyes per day to the state daily bag limit of five, according to Joe Hennessy, who coordinates the treaty fisheries management program for the Department of Natural Resources.

Anglers should consult the 2009-10 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations, signs at boat landings, and the 2009-2010 Revised Ceded Territory Walleye Bag Limits pamphlet for lake-specific information.

As part of a 1983 Federal Appellate Court decision affirming Chippewa off-reservation hunting, fishing, and gathering rights, the six bands of Wisconsin Chippewa set annual harvest quotas for off-reservation lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory. To assure the combined tribal and recreational angler harvest does not exceed a sustainable level, the state sets recreational bag limits in lakes declared for harvest by the Chippewa bands.

An administrative rule passed by the state Natural Resources Board in 1998 allows the department to adjust initial bag limits annually to reflect actual spring spearing harvests and projected summer harvests.

Of the 258 lakes with bag limits less than five, 78 lakes will have a bag limit of two walleye per day, and 180 lakes will have a daily bag of three walleye per day. The six Chippewa tribes together declared a harvest of 53,706 walleye for 2009 and had harvested 32,198 as of May 15, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Hennessy - (608) 267-9427

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Gypsy moth spraying begins this week in eastern Wisconsin

MADISON – Aerial spraying to protect trees and forests from gypsy moth is expected to begin as early as Thursday, May 21 in eastern Wisconsin. Spraying will not occur on the Memorial Day holiday.

Trained pilots will treat approximately 10,800 acres in 23 counties in the 2009 gypsy moth suppression program, coordinated by specialists at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at the request of local officials where spraying will take place.

Wisconsin counties to be treated by the 2009 suppression program include: Adams, Brown (including three sites in De Pere), Columbia, Dane (including sites in Madison, Middleton and Monona), Fond du Lac (including two sites in the city of Fond du Lac), Green Lake, Jefferson, Kenosha (including two sites in the city of Kenosha), Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee (including sites within the city of Milwaukee), Outagamie (including three sites in Appleton), Racine, Rock (including two sites in Beloit and 1 in Janesville), Shawano, Walworth, Washington (including two sites in West Bend), Waushara, and Winnebago (including UW Oshkosh).

Spraying is also planned within the Dells of Wisconsin State Natural Area and in portions of the following state parks: Big Foot Beach, Devil’s Lake, Governor Thompson, Lake Kegonsa, Mirror Lake, Roche-A-Cri, and Rocky Arbor.

Spraying typically begins in southern Wisconsin in mid-May and ends in northern Wisconsin in early June., but “only Mother Nature can say for sure when spraying will begin,” said Mark Guthmiller, Regional Coordinator for the suppression program. “It all comes down to the weather.”

The caterpillars must be of a certain size and the leaves on which they feed must also be large enough so that there’s a good cover to ‘catch’ the spray when it comes down. Both of those factors are influenced by the weather.

“Then, when the caterpillars are the right size and the leaves are big enough, we have to have the right weather conditions just to get the planes in the air,” Guthmiller added. “This week, we’ll start looking at the possibility of spraying on a day-to-day basis.”

Spraying typically begins in the early morning when weather conditions are generally most favorable, but it can happen at any time of the day if the wind is light and there’s no rain in the immediate forecast. “The spray is not harmful to people or pets, but it can be sticky,” said Andrea Diss-Torrance, Suppression Program Coordinator with the DNR. “To avoid direct exposure, residents in treatment areas may wish to stay indoors with the windows closed or avoid areas to be sprayed while spraying is taking place.”

Because spray schedules are flexible, the DNR offers two ways for residents in treatment areas to stay notified of plans:

Call the toll-free information line at 1-800-642-MOTH (6684). Menu option # 1 is updated daily during the spray season.

Subscribe to receive e-mail notification of spray activities by visiting Wisconsin Gypsy Moth [exit DNR]. Scroll down to the “Who To Contact Box,” click on the link for email notification, and follow the instructions on the next page. Maps of all spray areas are also available at that website.

For more information about gypsy moth, visit the website above, call 1-800-642-6684, menu option # 2, or email dnrfrgypsymoth@wisconsin.gov (response is not immediate).

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Andrea Diss-Torrance (statewide), (608) 264-9247; Bill McNee (northeast and central Wisconsin), (920) 360-0942; Mark Guthmiller (southern Wisconsin), (608) 275-3223

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‘Universe in the Park’ kicks off at three parks Memorial Day Weekend

First of 38 star-gazing opportunities at Wisconsin State Parks this summer

MADISON – Visitors to three Wisconsin State Parks this Memorial Day weekend will have expanded opportunities to view the celestial sky as the University of Wisconsin - Madison Department of Astronomy kicks off its “Universe in the Park” program for 2009. The program is scheduled to run 38 times this summer at state parks across the state.

Universe in the Park [exit DNR] began in 1996 as a way of introducing the general public to astronomy outside under dark skies, according to Prof. Eric M. Wilcots, who coordinates the program.

The programs typically begin just after sunset with a 20 to 30 minute talk and slide show about astronomy. Each particular topic for a session is left up to the speaker, but usually includes a broad overview of astronomy as well as recent astronomical news. At the conclusion of the talk, if the sky is clear, volunteers set up a telescope and provide park visitors the opportunity to view whatever astronomical objects are available.

A question-and-answer period takes place around the telescopes. The sessions run as long as there are people interested in looking through the telescope. During the height of the summer, Wilcots says, the sessions can attract audiences of 70 to 80 people.

Visitors can show up for the slide show and question-and-answer period even if it is cloudy and the sky cannot be viewed through the telescope. The sessions are held if it is raining only if there is a shelter available.

Universe in the Park events themselves are free, but visitors to Wisconsin State Parks and Forest must have a daily or annual vehicle admission sticker.

Universe in the Park programs will be held this Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 23 at Blue Mound State Park and on Sunday, May 24 at Governor Dodge and Lake Kegonsa state parks. The complete schedule of programs is available on the Universe in the Park Web site [exit DNR].

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Wisconsin State Parks – (608) 266-2181

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Two southeastern Wisconsin schools first in state to ‘reach higher” for Green & Healthy Schools

EDITOR'S ADVISORY:This article has been updated with corrections from a previously posted version.

MADISON – Two southeastern Wisconsin schools have become the first Wisconsin high school and elementary school to reach the highest level of the Green & Healthy Schools Program, by taking concrete steps to make the schools healthier for students and the planet.

Berlin High School in Berlin and Meadowbrook Elementary School in Waukesha are the first schools to achieve “Reaching Higher” status of the Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools Program, a voluntary program available to all Wisconsin public and private elementary, middle and high schools designed to support and encourage schools in their quest for a healthy, safe and environmentally-friendly learning environment.

“By participating in the program, students learn about the environmental, health and safety challenges facing our state, and are given skills to address these challenges throughout their life,” said Tessa Jilot, who coordinates the program for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Green & Healthy Schools is a three-step program. The first step involves forming a Green Team and signing a pledge form. In the second step, the Green Team completes an initial assessment of their school and its operations to determine where they can make improvements in areas like energy and water use, waste and recycling, transportation, school facilities and grounds, community involvement and indoor air quality. Since its inception in 2004, Jilot says, 21 Wisconsin schools have completed the first step.

The third step involves the school taking action to address the issues found in the initial assessment. After schools have completed this step they will be recognized as an official Green & Healthy School by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Instruction. Since its inception in 2004, Jilot says, 21 Wisconsin schools have completed all three steps. An optional fourth step of the program allows students, teachers and school officials to target a specific aspect of their school’s environment not covered in the initial assessment and develop a project around that topic.

“Berlin High School and Meadowbrook Elementary School are the first schools in the state to complete all the steps necessary of the ‘Reaching Higher’ level to make their schools’ learning environments healthier and more productive and sustainable for the Earth,” she said.

Students and staff at Meadowbrook Elementary chose to focus on recycling/waste reduction and transportation. The school began two-sided copying with leftover paper and paper donations from businesses changing their letterhead.

“Their actions cut the school’s annual paper costs in half,” Jilot said.

Students also visited Waukesha County’s materials recycling facility, learned how to recycle cans and bottles in the lunchrooms, and worked to reduce the amount of waste created from school lunches. A transportation committee evaluated traffic patterns in the school parking lot and developed an alternate plan for student drop-offs and bus loading that has reduced the amount of idling and improved visibility across the parking lot.

Berlin High school completed all ten topic areas in the Green & Healthy Schools program and worked to involve students, staff and community members in the process.

“They focused on incorporating environmental topics into their curriculum and reducing water use, energy use and waste. By installing light sensors and changing the way their gym is heated, Berlin High School achieved major energy savings. To reduce waste and promote healthy habits, students have been encouraged to carry their own reusable water bottles to class and the school launched a lunchroom composting program this spring,” Jilot said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tessa Jilot, 608-267-7622

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Make safety skills a habit at shooting ranges

MADISON - Wisconsin hunters must add safe practices to the list of skills they want to hone as they head to the more than 400 public and private shooting ranges across the state, according to the state hunter education administrator.

“It’s been said it takes 2,000 repetitions of anything before it becomes a habit. But most hunters don’t handle their firearms that many times each year,” said Conservation Warden Tim Lawhern, who coordinates the Department of Natural Resources hunter education program. “Practicing safety each time you handle your firearm should be second nature. But, it is hard to create a habit if you’re not handling your firearm that often.”

While there are general safety rules that apply at all times, Lawhern said, shooters must take time to acquaint themselves with the special rules that apply to the specific range they are shooting on.

“Follow them to the letter,” he said.

In addition to those special site-specific safety rules, Lawhern offers these to use no matter when you are handling your firearm:

• Do not shoot tracers, incendiaries or armor-piercing ammunition. These can cause fires and damage property.
• Never shoot at someone else's target. Your bullet could end up where you don’t want it.
• Keep guns pointed down-range.
• Do not put your finger on the trigger before your sights are on target and you are ready to fire.
• Never leave a loaded firearm unattended on the bench.
• Do not uncase a gun behind the firing line. Instead, take the cased gun to the bench, take it out of the case, making sure the muzzle is pointed down-range.
• Never assume you can do something because you watched another do it.
• Obey the posted rules at the range you are shooting on.
• Keep your actions open when you are not shooting. Even using a “chamber flag” will help others see your firearm is not loaded.

“Remember, amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong,” Lawhern said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, DNR Hunter Education Administrator - (608) 266-1317

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Lawhern elected president of International Hunter Education Assn.

MADISON - For the second time in his 20-year career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Hunter Education Administrator Tim Lawhern has been elected president of the International Hunter Education Association.

“It is significant for Wisconsin,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank of Lawhern’s unanimous election to lead the 60-year-old association whose members include New Zealand, Peru, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and the United States. “It shows we have a tremendously respected program with good oversight and leadership since Day One.”

A Tennessee native hired as a DNR game warden before being named hunter education administrator in 1994, Lawhern is the only member of the international association to be elected president twice. It is the professional association for 67 state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies and 70,000 volunteer instructors.

The Denver, Colo.-based international association develops curriculum standards and training methods, hosts a national academy for hunting incident investigations, and an academy for administrators among its varied duty list.

Lawhern said the two biggest challenges he wants to tackle during his two-year term as president involve revamping the association’s communications practices and adopting standards for hunter education for basic and advanced training to be used worldwide.

“The worldwide trend of youth involvement (in hunting) is down,” Lawhern said, adding the association must revamp its communications to involve social networking and other electronic methods to reach today’s youth. “We will focus on communications and relationship-building.”

A benefit of worldwide standards for training will mean reciprocity -- meaning a student who completes the course in Peru will be recognized under Wisconsin requirements.

One big reason Lawhern was asked by the association’s members to seek the office for a second time is the fact there are 5,000 volunteer hunter education instructors in Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin is blessed to have the greatest and largest volunteer instructor corps for hunter education in the world,” Lawhern said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, DNR Hunter Education Administrator - (608) 266-1317