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.
WDNR Photo
"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 Department of Natural Resources. "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:
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 INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Hewett 608-267-7501 or Mike Staggs, director of fisheries, 608-267-0796
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MADISON -- Three years after the idea was first proposed in a citizen resolution during voting at Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring meetings, rifles will be allowed statewide for firearm deer hunting as of Nov. 1, 2013 - unless a local municipality has enacted a more restrictive ordinance
"Hunters are strongly urged to check with the local officials to see if rifles will be allowed for the November nine-day gun-deer hunt," Scott Gunderson, assistant deputy secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, said of the law change which will not be in effect when the youth gun-deer hunt is held on Oct. 5-6.
Gunderson said this law change has attracted much public debate in the three years since it was first suggested.
"After the first statewide vote on this proposal at the Conservation Congress in 2011 when 61 counties supported it, the Department of Natural Resources held hearings in each county," he said. There was a citizen resolution offered in 2010 with the statewide advisory question the following year. "We again found widespread public support for this rule change in 2013."
This means that unless there is a local ordinance that restricts the use of rifles in the town you will be hunting, you will be able to use rifles of calibers legal for hunting deer statewide in 2013. People need to contact their local unit of government to determine if there is such an ordinance.
The DNR did not enter into this decision lightly, Gunderson said, and no matter the type of weapon a hunter chooses to use, they are reminded to follow the four rules of firearm safety.
T = Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
A = Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
B = Be certain of your target and what's beyond it.
K = Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
"The department has not identified any safety-related advantage to shotguns and there is no deer herd management purpose for the old regulation," said Conservation Warden Todd Schaller, chief of the DNR's Bureau of Law Enforcement's Recreational Enforcement and Education Section. "The key to safe hunting is that the safety rules must be followed with all types of firearms.
The new regulations will be a simplification. Under previous rules, the department was frequently asked if people could use high-powered rifles for other species outside of the firearm deer season, if they could use muzzleloaders, or if they could use high-powered rifle and other cartridges in handguns during the firearm deer season. The answer to all of those was yes, even in shotgun-only areas, which sheds some light on the fact that the old rule was really not needed for safety related purposes.
During 2002-2007, rifles were authorized within former shotgun-only portions of Dane, Green, Lafayette, Rock and Walworth counties contained in the Chronic Wasting Disease Eradication Zones with no increase in shooting incidents.
"Rifles are firearms that are designed to fire a single projectile through a barrel that has lands and grooves, called rifling, which spin the bullet - providing accuracy and efficiency. Shotguns are designed primarily to fire a large number of small projectiles, called pellets, in a single shot and they are normally used for shooting birds in flight or small game. However, shotgun shells can be loaded with a single slug and used for deer hunting. Given the choice many, if not most, firearm deer hunters prefer to use a rifle because of the improved accuracy and great variety of calibers and guns."
To learn more about hunting in Wisconsin - including enrolling in a hunter safety course - please visit: dnr.wi.gov, search keyword, "hunting."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Conservation Warden Todd Schaller, Chief of the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement's Recreation Enforcement and Education, 608) 267-2774; Joanne Haas, DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement public affairs manager, 608-209-8147.)
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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 INFORMATION CONTACT: David MacFarland- 715-365-8917
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MADISON - Fall is the perfect time to take in the sights from one of the many lookout towers located on Wisconsin State Park properties, but Peninsula State Park in Door County offers the best view from a tower, according to results of the 2013 Gold Seal Award contest sponsored by the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.
The statewide Friends of Wisconsin State Parks organization runs the Gold Seal Award program each year to highlight Wisconsin's parks, trails, and forests. The award winners have been announced, but the actual award presentations will take place October 11 at the annual Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Awards Banquet and annual meeting to be held at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitors Center.
"A record number of votes were cast by the public for this year's Gold Seal Awards, with more than 200 individual votes were completed online at The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks website," (exit DNR) said Patty Loosen, Wisconsin state park friends group coordinator.
Categories for the Gold Seal Awards changed each year based on topics nominated by the more than 80 friends groups around the state that are part of the umbrella organization.
The, the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks have named the following winners:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Patty Loosen - 608-264-8994 or Paul Holtan, state parks and forest recreation public affairs manager - 608-267-7517
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MADISON - Grants to 31 communities to help them prepare for or respond to emerald ash borer, monitoring showing that Asian carp haven't expanded their range in Wisconsin waters, and development of a state strategic plan are among the highlights of the past year's efforts to prevent, detect, contain and control invasive species in Wisconsin, according to a newly released report.
"Invasive species management has been growing as a state priority over the past decade and we've made great progress in the past year as our partnerships to prevent, detect, contain and control invasive species have expanded," says Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp. "Our work together is making a big difference for our lakes, woods, wetlands and local economies."
The 2013 Invasive Species Report [PDF] highlights many of these partnerships as well as the successes and challenges facing the statewide invasive species program.
There are now 13 regional invasive plant groups helping organize and implement efforts to prevent, contain and control terrestrial invasive plants. These regional groups encompass 38 counties and thousands of volunteers.
In the world of aquatic invasive species, the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, Wisconsin River Alliance, and county aquatic invasive species coordinators provide a foundation of cooperation across the state. As of 2013, there are 47 counties, hundreds of lake organizations, and thousands of volunteers actively participating in AIS prevention, containment and control efforts.
Highlights from this year include:
Emerald ash borer:
Terrestrial plants:
Asian carp:
Aquatic invasives
Strategic plan:
The report also highlights the challenges facing the invasive species program and where additional efforts are needed in order to protect Wisconsin lands and waters from some of the worst invaders. To learn more about these efforts and to read the full report, go to the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, and search for "invasives."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Chrystal Schreck (608)264-8590
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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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Eggold, DNR fish supervisor, Milwaukee, 414-382-7921; David Boyarski, DNR fish supervisor, Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-2865
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KEWAUNEE, Wis. - Lake Michigan trout and salmon are starting their spawning runs, and open houses in October at two state egg collection facilities along Lake Michigan let the public see these fish up close as well as watch state fish crews collect eggs from the fish to produce the next generation of fish to test anglers on the big pond.
The third egg collection facility, Strawberry Creek Weir outside Sturgeon Bay, does not have an open house per se but all three facilities are open to the public during times when DNR crews are processing fish. Egg-collecting began earlier this week at Strawberry Creek.
Egg collection at the three facilities is an important part of keeping the fishery strong on Lake Michigan and its tributaries. Lake Michigan trout and salmon do not reproduce in the wild in Wisconsin waters, so eggs collected at the facilities are hatched in Wisconsin hatcheries and stocked out in the spring.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Besadny Facility: Mike Baumgartner (920) 388-1025; Strawberry Creek, Nick Legler (920) 746-5112; Root River, John Komassa (608) 275-3315
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MADISON -- With the arrival of The Wildlife Society's conference starting Oct. 5 in Milwaukee, wildlife management professionals from Wisconsin and North America will convene to discuss an issue that extends far beyond Wisconsin borders, wolves.
The session titled, Brave New World: Conservation landscapes of recovered wolves, aims to pull together ideas and research results from experts in the U.S. and Europe to inform wolf management policies. The recent delisting of wolves as an endangered species has been marked as a conservation success, but it brings with it a new dynamic of population management for both wildlife and people.
"The wolf session will be a great opportunity for DNR staff to collaborate and share ideas on wolf management with others who are also dealing with the complex issue," said Adrian Wydeven, wildlife biologist. "We're looking forward to hearing what other agencies are doing."
Following the opening of the main wolf session, Wydeven will give a presentation on wolf conservation efforts from then and now. Wydeven's presentation is part of a series of other wolf related talks covering a wide-range of themes including: effects of wolf predation, wolf harvests and the coexistence of wolves and people.
The wolf plenary session begins Oct. 8, three days after the start of The Wildlife Society annual conference. The wolf sessions also tie into the overall theme of this year's conference promoting science communications, and researcher's involvement in communicating their work with the public.
For more information visit The Wildlife Society's website at wildlifesociety.org (exit DNR).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Martin, Wildlife and forestry research section chief; 608-224-7138 karl.martin@wisconsin.gov
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MADISON -- If you are looking for higher property values, more shoppers walking in your business and improvements in your health and safety, get to know the Urban Forestry Council.
Never heard of them? They've been around since 1991. They're a hard-working group and maybe a bit on the quiet side. Yet, they may have more of an impact in your day-to-day life as an urban resident than you may realize.
How's that? It's trees. This is the group of experts and organization representatives who develop recommendations to help guide how the DNR urban forestry program can best help communities in supporting this valuable natural resource which offers a lot of benefits. In fact, one piece of research shows a 250 percent return on the investment of a city tree.
And while Wisconsin is known nationally as a farming state with lots of working cows and cheese factories, the 2010 U.S. Census tells us there are more of us Wisconsinites living in cities, villages and towns than in homes on the rural roads and hillsides. Make that 70 percent urban to 30 percent rural.
You've heard of the city mouse meets the country mouse. It's not that different for trees - there are urban trees and rural trees. And this group offers guidance and support to help communities looking to make their urban trees a living piece of the infrastructure that all citizens may enjoy and benefit.
An urban tree is right in the thick of activity and that makes its care and life different from its rural cousin, DNR Urban Forestry Team Leader Jeff Roe says.
"Trees in the city are dealing with people pressures - pollution, restricted root spaces - even people tearing off branches," he says.
A tough life for something that offers so much.
Roe says the state's urban and community forest resources totals 26.9 million trees and is valued at $10.9 billion.
So what's in it for you? A lot according to study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and the Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Their 2004 study shows a large tree in the Midwest provides $3,790 in environmental and other benefits over its lifetime - a 250 percent return on your investment.
If all things go the way they should considering care, a healthy tree means healthy people!
100 large mature street trees:
Plus a tree-filled neighborhood, the scientists says, report lower levels of domestic violence, reductions in body and mind stress and is more sociable.
You'll also save about $31 in home heating costs each year from one well-placed big tree.
Trees also boost the resale value of houses - by one percent for each large front yard tree.
Businesses in tree-lined commercial areas report more shoppers, longer shopping trips, readiness to purchase more goods and a willingness to pay more for parking.
That's a pile of benefits, which is another reason why the Urban Forestry Council is important to you.
DNR Chief Forester Paul DeLong says the Urban Forestry Council seeks to help the trees be all that they can be to a community. "Most of us know trees are pretty, are home to birds and breezes," DeLong says. "Research shows trees bring financial, property value and personal health benefits.
"And it is this group that keeps an eye on the research, trends and what communities may need."
The council members are appointed to serve by the DNR secretary. Nominations for membership is through the Urban Forestry Council nominations committee. To learn more about the Council, visit their webpage. http://dnr.wi.gov/; search keywords urban forestry council.
Four new members have been named to serve on the 27-member council. They are:
Individuals reappointed to the Urban Forestry Council are:
Retiring Urban Forestry Council members include:
Those members who are continuing to serve terms are: Dr. R. Bruce Allison of Verona, Todd Chwala of Eau Claire, Christopher Deegan of Madison, Thomas Dunbar of Amherst, Daniel Green of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Lief Hubbard of Madison, Thomas Landgraf of Madison, Shirley Brabender Mattox of Oshkosh, Daniel Siewert of Rhinelander, David Sivyer of Milwaukee, Jordon Skiff of Fond du Lac, Blake Theisen of Madison, Jeffery Treul of Waupaca, Les Werner of Stevens Point and Kevin Westphal of Cedarburg
Additional information about the council and the work they do can be found on the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov by searching keywords "urban forestry council."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Wyatt, DNR urban forestry council liaison, 608-267-0568; Joanne Haas, public affairs manager, 608-209-8147
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MADISON - Wisconsin's air quality has not only improved in the last 30 years, it's now also easy to see from your smart phone and tablet, thanks to the Department of Natural Resources.
The agency has made its new air quality maps viewable from the popular hand-held devices, making it easier for the public and businesses to look at current air quality conditions, check the latest information on Air Quality Advisories or learn about special Air Quality Notices.
"We're always looking for better ways to share real-time air quality information with the public," said DNR Air Program Director Bart Sponseller. "Our new maps are not only more user-friendly for your computer, you can now quickly access them away from home, on the go, wherever you are."
In addition, Sponseller noted the maps have helpful graphs of hourly pollutant measurements at each DNR air monitoring site. The maps are also available on the Air Program website airquality.wi.gov/StateMapping.aspx and allow users to access air monitoring data around the clock.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Good 608-266-1058
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MADISON -- The October/November issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine gets into the fall spirit with stories ranging from hunting to haunted places.
The cover story, "Whoo's in my woods," introduces readers in a big way to Wisconsin's tiniest owl, the northern saw-whet. A feature, "Getting sidetracked," offers advice to get new riders started mountain biking Wisconsin trails and helps experienced riders up their game.
"Steering the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks" (FWSP) looks inside the group that assists people around the state in caring for state parks, trails and recreation areas. In December watch for the FWSP 2013 photo contest winners who will be featured in a calendar inserted in Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
Read about the DNR's Secretary to China and what it means for fostering environmental cooperation and commerce in "DNR Secretary builds Wisconsin-China relationships through youth and education."
In "Give now. Enjoy forever," the Natural Resources Foundation launches an endowment to care for state lands called the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund.
Hunting stories are featured in "The Blanchardville buck," "Nine days in November" and "Who says you can't take it with you?" Learn about a recently retired Wisconsin conservation warden who has devoted his career to making hunting safer.
The DNR's K-9 warden program takes center stage in "Creature Comforts." Then make sure you read "Wisconsin Traveler" with the lights in - scary stories and legends from state lands will thrill and chill.
An insert to the magazine tracks the history of the DNR's deer research program and gives props the volunteers at the heart of the agency's efforts.
Remember to consider Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine as a thoughtful and inexpensive gift that gives all year. Share what you value about the outdoors with family, friends, customers and professional colleagues. Six colorful issues are delivered to reader's doors all year for less than $1.50 a copy. Year-round the magazine shares ways and place to enjoy the Wisconsin outdoors for only $8.97. Subscribe toll-free at 1-800-678-9472, online at www.wnrmag.com or by mail. Subscription blanks and single issues are also available from our circulation office at P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Natasha Kassulke at (608) 261-8446.
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