DNR News
April 18, 2006
The DNR News is updated every Tuesday at noon. Click on the current issue link at left to reach the most current issue.
Previous DNR News are also available on-line.
Edited by Paul Holtan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707
(608) 267-7517
Fax: (608) 264-6293
E-mail address: paul.holtan@dnr.state.wi.us
This Week's Articles
- Inland fishing season opens May 6
- Whooping cranes returning to Wisconsin have been seen in 35 counties
- Rule proposals to affect largest 150 farms’ manure management
- Red oak tree to be planted at State Capitol on 123rd Arbor Day
- Stop pruning oaks now to avoid “wilt” disease
- Owners of property with wetlands may receive tax break
Inland fishing season opens May 6
MADISON – Anglers should be “knocking on wood” that warm weather holds for the opening of Wisconsin’s 2006 regular fishing season on inland waters, state fisheries officials say, because if it does they should enjoy a gangbusters opening day.
Reports from fish biologists and their fish survey results indicate that fish populations are in good shape statewide, thanks to Wisconsin’s incredible naturally sustaining fisheries and to management efforts to conserve and improve habitat. Regional fishing reports can be found in the 2006 Wisconsin Fishing Report, available on the DNR Web site.
As always, however, whether anglers land that shore lunch or a bragging size musky depends a lot on weather in the remaining weeks before the May 6 opener, says Steve Hewett, section chief for the Department of Natural Resources fisheries management program.
“We’ve gotten a lot of rain in the last few weeks in parts of the state and water temperatures are warming up nicely, so if all goes well the fish are going to be spawning soon and ready to start feeding heavily by opening day,” Hewett says. “If that happens, anglers will see some good action.”
Fish don’t feed much when they’re spawning – they’re paying attention to other biological needs. Water flows are still low in some parts of the state despite recent rains so there’s some concern that walleye and northern pike, a species which particularly relies on flooded fields for spawning grounds, won’t be done spawning when the season opens, making them more difficult to catch.
Spawning is triggered by a combination of temperature and time; “often the fish are very sensitive to flow levels when it’s close to spawning time.”
People fishing Wisconsin waters catch a lot of fish, Hewett says, citing a 2000-01 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point survey of Wisconsin anglers that estimated they catch 69 million fish. They keep about one-third of that total, or 31 million, and release the rest of the fish to fight another day. Walleye and bass are the most popular targets, but anglers catch more panfish -- bluegill, yellow perch and crappie – followed by walleye and largemouth bass. That statewide angler survey is being repeated during the 2006-2007 fishing season.
Wisconsin typically sells 1.4 million fishing licenses, and state fisheries officials figure the number of anglers swells significantly higher when children and adults who aren’t required to have a license, including military personnel on active duty or furlough, are figured in. A recent DNR survey of adult recreational participation (pdf; 185 kb) revealed that 48 percent of Wisconsin adults fished, and that figure climbed to 60 percent for northern Wisconsin residents.
Wisconsin trails only Florida in the number of days non-resident anglers spend fishing here. Altogether, these anglers fish 22 million days in Wisconsin, generate $1.2 billion in retail sales, a total economic impact of $2.3 billion, and $90 million in tax revenue for state and local governments, according to the American Sportfishing Association. A report is available on the association’s Web site at <http://www.asafishing.org/> (exit DNR).
Season dates and regulations
The game fish season opens May 6 on inland waters for walleye, sauger, and northern pike statewide. The 2006-07 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations (pdf; 293 kb) are available at all license outlets and on the DNR Web site. The largemouth and smallmouth bass southern zone opens May 6, while the northern zone opens for catch and release only from May 6 through June 16. From June 17 to March 4, 2007, there’s a minimum length limit of 14 inches with a daily bag limit of five fish in total. The northern zone is the area north of highways 77, 64 and 29.
The musky season opens May 6 in the southern zone and May 27 in the northern zone, with Highway 10 the dividing line.
The seasons for rock, yellow and white bass, panfish, bullheads and rough fish, catfish, cisco and whitefish are open all year. Check the 2006-2007 Guide To Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations for special regulations listed by county, for regulations on the Great Lakes and boundary waters, and for tributary streams to Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
Fishing licenses
Wisconsin residents and nonresidents 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Residents born before Jan. 1, 1927 do not need a license, nor do people who exhibit proof they are in active service with the U.S. armed forces and are a resident on furlough or leave.
People can buy licenses in three quick and convenient ways:
- Call toll free at 1-877-945-4236
- Go online to www.wildlifelicense.com/wi
- Visit any license agent location or DNR service center
Fish consumption advisory
State health officials urge all people who eat fish more than once a week – regardless of whether it was bought at a grocery store or restaurant or caught by an angler in a lake or stream – to keep track of what they eat and select species low in mercury.
“The benefits of eating fish usually outweigh the potential risk from contaminants that may be in the fish, but recent studies underscore that people need to make sure they follow our advice for the number of meals and species they can safely eat,” says Dr. Henry Anderson, chief medical officer for the state Division of Public Health’s Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health.
Recent surveys and studies have shown that 83 percent of all Wisconsin adults eat fish, with some people exposing themselves to unsafe amounts of mercury by eating too much of the wrong kind of fish. Panfish, young fish and light tuna have lower amounts of mercury while canned white tuna, swordfish, and game fish like musky and walleye have more.
The fish consumption advisory contains recommendations for how many meals of certain fish people can safely eat from Wisconsin waters to gain the benefits of eating fish while reducing exposure to environmental contaminants. Wisconsin's advisory, which the Department of Natural Resources issues with the Department of Health and Family Services, also contains recommendations regarding consumption of store-bought fish, according to Candy Schrank, a DNR toxicologist who coordinates the advisory.
Wisconsin’s fish consumption advisory, “Choose Wisely - a health guide for eating fish in Wisconsin,” is available at DNR service centers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796 or Steve Hewett - (608) 267-7501
Whooping cranes returning to Wisconsin have been seen in 35 counties
Four crane pairs already nesting this spring
MADISON -- Wild whooping cranes released in Wisconsin as part of an effort to restore an eastern migratory population of this endangered species have been observed in 35 of the state’s 72 counties, indicating the birds are feeling at home and spreading out in search of optimal habitat for new nesting territories.
The whooping cranes, members of a growing 64-bird flock, have been primarily found within the lower two-thirds of the state along major Wisconsin rivers and wetlands, in addition to the core reintroduction area of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.
“Cranes are using wetlands along the lower Wisconsin River, more than 25 state wildlife areas, Horicon Marsh and numerous private wetlands, which undersroces the value of wetland ecosystems in this state,” said Beth Goodman, whooping crane coordinator with the state Department of Natural Resources, one of the agencies in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
Whooping Crane Observed Locations 2002-2005
Sighting one of the bright white adults, which stand up to 5 feet tall, can be a rewarding experience say those lucky enough to see one.
“Today I was greeted by the call of a whooping crane…beautiful! What more can I say?” was the sentiment expressed recently by Mary Brazeau Brown, of Glacial Lake Cranberries Inc, located in Wood County.
Brown has been an enthusiastic supporter of whooping cranes since 2001, the first year of partnership efforts to restore whooping cranes to Wisconsin and eastern north America.
In 2001, WCEP project partner Operation Migration’s pilots first led whooping crane chicks conditioned to follow an ultralight aircraft from the Necedah refuge to wintering grounds in Florida. Each subsequent year, biologists and pilots have released additional young birds hatched in captivity from Wisconsin’s International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey Wildlife Research Center in Patuxent, Md.
“What I first thought were swans, on second glance turned out to be five whooping cranes, so I quickly hunkered down and practically crawled out of there on my belly, in order not to disturb them,” noted Greg Kidd, a wetland monitoring biologist for the Wetland Reserve Program for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. He found the cranes on a privately owned Dane County wetland easement scheduled for a prescribed burn this spring.
“It turned out these five birds stayed for only six days, but their presence signaled a sign of habitat investigation by young birds recently back from wintering in Florida,” Goodman said. “Last summer these four birds and others investigated wetlands along the lower Wisconsin River from spring through July. In future years, these individuals will be mature enough to establish territories and may one day be seeking out nesting territories in places established in their memory banks throughout the state.”
Already there are four nesting pairs this year at Necedah and another nest has been observed at Meadow Valley State Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin, say biologists.
“This is a significant step forward in the success of this project,” says Goodman. “We hope that up to 10 pairs may build nests yet this spring.”
Biologists and project staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Crane Foundation and Wisconsin DNR track and monitor the cranes in an effort to learn about their habitat choices and evaluate project success. Natural predators also play a role in nesting success. Eggs from two nests have been destroyed by predators this spring but biologists say that in cases like this the adults can and may lay more eggs.
Anyone who encounters whooping cranes in the wild is being asked to report their sighting to the local DNR wildlife biologist and to please give cranes the respect and distance they need.
“It is important these birds do not become accustom to humans. Do not approach cranes in a vehicle within 600 feet or, if on a public road, within 300 feet,” Goodman said.
Optimal viewing opportunities are available at a public tower overlooking wetlands on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Goodman – (608) 266-3219
Rule proposals to affect largest 150 farms’ manure management
NRB to consider changes at May meeting in Sheboygan
MADISON – Work is wrapping up on what state water quality officials say is a critical component of efforts to reduce the manure-related problems that have been occurring every year and contaminating drinking water, killing fish and polluting lakes and streams.
A final version of proposed changes in rules governing manure management by 150 of Wisconsin’s largest farms – those with at least 1,000 animal units and which can generate up to 6 million gallons of manure a year plus other wastes – will be going to the state Natural Resources Board in May for final consideration, a month later than originally scheduled. The changes are triggered by recent changes in federal rules governing such large-scale operations, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs.
Bringing the rules to the board in May allows Department of Natural Resources staff the time needed to thoughtfully review and consider public comments on the earlier version of changes proposed for Chapter NR 243 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, says Gordon Stevenson, who leads DNR’s runoff management section. The later date also allows DNR to brief interested individuals and groups, so they know what the proposal contains before the board considers it for final adoption. The proposed NR 243 rules can be found on the DNR Web site.
“We all want clean water, good fishing and prosperous farms, and our staff wanted to make sure these rules can help deliver all three,” Stevenson says.
The rules affect only a tiny proportion of Wisconsin’s 30,000 farms, and most of these very large farms already take the prevention measures we want them to take, he says. Getting the changes in place is very important, however, because of the sheer volume of manure the affected farms produce can present a significant threat to public health and the environment if the manure’s not managed properly, Stevenson says.
A single cow generates as much organic pollution as 18 people, so a 1,000 animal farm would generate as much organic pollution as the City of Wisconsin Rapids.
The proposed revisions would affect the very largest 150 farms in Wisconsin, those that now have, or have pending, water quality permits from the state, and an additional 10 to 15 farms brought under regulation due to changes mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to Tom Bauman, who coordinates Wisconsin’s agricultural runoff program and leads the rule revision effort.
Under the current rules, farms with 1,000 animal units or more, the equivalent of 700 milking cows, 1,000 beef cattle, 2,500 pigs or 55,000 turkeys, must get a state water quality permit. The proposed revisions will keep the same 1,000 animal unit threshold for getting a permit, and will count all animals toward that total in the same manner as they are calculated under current rules. The state also will require calculations using the revised federal method.
Most of the affected farms already take many of the steps called for in the proposed revision. For example, 80 percent are estimated to already have storage capacity to hold 6 months-worth of liquid manure. The changes would bring operations that lag behind in their practices up to the same standards to reduce the likelihood of manure incidents that can contaminate private wells, pollute streams and lakes and kill fish, Bauman says.
Other major changes call for a ban on spreading liquid manure on frozen or snow covered ground unless it’s injected or immediately incorporated into the soil, and a ban on applying solid manure on frozen or snow covered ground during February and March.
Data collected by Wisconsin’s Discovery Farm program show that February and March are the riskiest months for applying manure on Wisconsin fields. In 2005, DNR documented 30 manure-related incidents during February and March from farms of all sizes. The vast majority of those incidents involved manure that had been spread on fields and ran off into nearby waters, and the incidents polluted lakes and rivers, contaminated drinking water wells, and caused fish kills. Very large farms with water quality permits were involved in some of the 2005 cases.
The Natural Resources Board will meet May 23 and 24 in Sheboygan. Public comment on NR 243 will be taken on Wednesday, May 24. To sign up to speak before the board, people need to call the board’s executive staff assistant at (608) 267-7420, by 4 p.m. Friday, May 19, and preferably after the agenda’s schedule has been set and posted on the DNR Web site. The agenda is posted at least two weeks before the meeting.
Information about large scale operations and the proposed changes to rules governing these operations can be found on DNR’s Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gordon Stevenson (608) 267-2759 or Tom Bauman (608) 266-9993
Red oak tree to be planted at State Capitol on 123rd Arbor Day
MADISON – On Arbor Day, Friday, April 28, Wisconsin schoolchildren will assist State Capitol Park groundskeepers and staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry in planting a 15-foot tall red oak near the corner of Pinckney and Mifflin streets.
The planting at 10:30 a.m. will celebrate the 123rd year of Arbor Day outreach by school children and kick off efforts to replace mature trees around the Wisconsin State Capitol. Trees that presented safety concerns for park visitors were recently removed.
Trees and planting services are being donated by the Wisconsin Nursery Association and The Bruce Company. Local musician Ken Lonnquist will perform the composition titled "Little Tree" written with second graders celebrating Arbor Day.
Chief State Forester Paul DeLong will act as master of ceremonies. Following the planting, Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton will join DeLong in recognizing winners of the statewide fourth grade Arbor Day essay contest and the fifth grade poster contest in the Senate Parlor. The statewide winners with their parents and teachers are expected to attend.
“Arbor Day offers a unique opportunity to highlight for students, their families and the people of Wisconsin the value and care of our trees and forests,” said DeLong. “The simple act of planting a tree can accomplish many things…trees add beauty, create wildlife habitat, clean our air and water and help conserve energy in our communities.”
Established in Nebraska in 1872, this will be the 134th anniversary of National Arbor Day and Wisconsin’s 123rd celebration of the value trees have in our lives and communities. Arbor Day is recognized in all 50 states.
In 1979 the legislature passed and the governor signed a law directing the Department of Natural Resources state nurseries to provide a free seedling to each fourth grade student in Wisconsin. Each year the state nurseries distribute nearly 80,000 Arbor Day seedlings to fourth grade pupils.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Genny Fannucchi - (608) 267-3120
Stop pruning oaks now to avoid “wilt” disease
MADISON – People who don’t want to run the risk of losing precious and valuable oak trees should not prune them starting in mid-April until the end of June. Spring and early summer pruning makes oak trees vulnerable to oak wilt, a serious and almost always fatal fungal disease of oaks.
Care should also be taken to not accidentally wound a tree during this time. Any action that might provide an opening into the tree – carving initials, attaching a birdfeeder or clothes line, etc. – could also provide an opportunity for the fungus to invade and establish itself in the tree.
“While the risk of spreading oak wilt is low after July, to be on the safe side you should avoid pruning oaks until the fall,” said Kyoko Scanlon, forest pathologist with the Wisconsin DNR. “If you have to prune oaks between now and October, you should apply a wound dressing or paint on the cut surface as soon as the wound is created because waiting even half an hour can be enough time for the beetles that transmit the disease to land on a fresh wound and infect your tree.”
If a wound is left alone, a new oak wilt pocket may begin in a location where oak wilt did not previously exist and will radiate to other oaks through the connected root systems. If no management steps are taken, the pocket could continue to expand year after year. Once oak wilt exists in an area, control of the disease is costly. The prevention of oak wilt is the best approach. Wounds that occur in the late fall and winter require no painting or sealing.
“Oak wilt can spread from a diseased tree to a healthy tree through a connected root system and by insects. Very small sap-feeding beetles transport fungal spores by landing on fungal mats found beneath the cracked bark of trees that died the previous year,” Scanlon said. “The spores are then transmitted from the beetle on to the fresh wounds of a healthy oak tree while the beetle is feeding at the pruned or damaged site.”
The beetle that transmits oak wilt disease is not capable of boring into a tree. Any tree that is not pruned or damaged during the recommended time should remain free of the disease from beetle infestation.
Oak wilt is commonly found in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin. Every year, this disease kills many oaks in the state by interfering with the tree’s water and nutrient conducting systems, essentially starving it. The leaves begin to wilt and the tree may eventually die. Those in the red oak group, such as northern red and northern pin oak, are especially vulnerable and once wilting symptoms become visible, the tree loses most of its leaves and dies very quickly, often within weeks.
Trees in the white oak group – those with rounded or lobed leaves – are more resistant to oak wilt and the disease progresses much more slowly, often one branch at a time. White oaks could live with oak wilt for many years, and some trees may recover from the disease.
“Besides oaks, pruning deciduous trees in general should be avoided in the spring as this is the time when tree buds and leaves are growing and food reserves are low,” said Don Kissinger, Urban Forester with the Wisconsin DNR. “The best time to prune any deciduous tree is winter, followed by mid-summer after leaves have completed their growth.”
For more information on proper pruning techniques contact your community forester, UW-Extension agent or DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyoko Scanlon - (608) 275-3275 or Don Kissinger (715) 359-5793.
Owners of property with wetlands may receive tax break
MADISON –Property assessment notices arriving in mail boxes across Wisconsin, and property owners with wetlands are encouraged to make sure eligible lands are properly classified to allow them to get a tax break.
Under a 2004 change to the Wisconsin property tax code, wetlands and other lands previously categorized as “swamp and waste” are now classified as “undeveloped lands” and are to be assessed at 50 percent their fair market value for purposes of calculating taxes on the land.
A free guide describing the tax treatment for undeveloped lands, including details on when wetlands should be classified as undeveloped lands, has been developed by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association and funded by the Department of Natural Resources. “What Does It Cost to Own a Wetland” is now available at the association’s Web site: <www.wiscwetlands.org> (exit DNR).
Jeff Bode, who leads the DNR lakes and wetland section, hopes the tax guide can help Wisconsin protect and restore remaining wetlands. About 5.3 million acres of wetlands remain from the 10 million estimated at statehood, with more than 75 percent privately owned.
DNR has also been working with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and Wisconsin Wetlands Association to remedy a current situation that penalizes property owners who have restored wetlands or have implemented other conservation practices such as installing stream buffers, on land previously categorized as agricultural land.
Current tax law assesses agricultural lands at a fraction of their fair market value. Even with the 50 percent property tax reduction, lands in a conservation use are often assessed substantially higher than adjacent agricultural lands, making it financially less feasible for farmers to restore wetlands or buffers along streams or lakes, says Erin O’Brien, Wisconsin Wetland Association’s wetland conservation and policy specialist.
“The 2004 tax break for wetlands is a step in the right direction for removing economic barriers to wetland protection and restoration, but if it’s still three to five times more expensive to hold conservation lands than farmlands, farmers have no choice but to keep every square inch of their land in a use eligible for agricultural tax breaks,” O’Brien says. “We think landowners should be rewarded, not penalized, for caring for these lands on behalf of their community.”
Voters at the 2006 Spring Wildlife and Fisheries Hearings held statewide April 10 overwhelmingly agreed. They supported by a 3,345 to 674 margin a Conservation Congress advisory question calling on DNR to request a legislative review of farm conservation lands to “identify and implement sensible and fair solutions to these concerns.”
DNR has been partnering with the wetland association in recent years to achieve the goal of reducing the property tax burden for wetland owners and to encourage wetland restoration and preservation through tax breaks and other incentives.
O’Brien and Bode encourage people who own wetlands to review the tax guide and carefully review the details of their notices of assessment to ensure their eligible lands were properly categorized and assessed. Previously, if someone’s wetlands weren’t properly categorized as “wastelands,” it wasn’t an issue because those lands were assessed at 100 percent of their fair market value, and taxed accordingly.
“Now, with wetlands or ‘undeveloped lands’ being assessed at half their value, there is good reason to examine the fine print on your property tax bill,” Bode says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Bode - (608) 266-0502 or Erin O’Brien, Wisconsin Wetlands Association - (608) 250-9971
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