Saturday, October 9, 2004

Strawberry Creek update Here's the latest report on the ongoing chinook egg harvest from Paul Peeters, DNR fisheries biologist at Sturgeon Bay.  Remember, there is a story on this operation on my home page. Later... On Wednesday we emptied Strawberry Creek pond.  We took out over 1,200 chinook.  We have now harvested in excess of 6,000 fish at Strawberry Creek this fall.  We have already harvested more this season than all of the 2003 spawning season.  We now have somewhere around 50% of the hatchery eggs collected for the 2004 season. The pump is still running and fish are already beginning to enter the pond.  By Monday we should have a pond full of chinook salmon. We next plan to harvest salmon, with hatchery egg production, on Monday October 11th.  As usual, we plan to get going (fish being processed) by 9:00 AM and will probably finish up somewhere between noon and 2 PM. As always, please advise if you are bringing a group for a tour, or plan to volunteer your help for the day. Paul Peeters Lake Michigan Fisheries Biologist peetep@dnr.state.wi.us We were all awakened, one night... by the thunderous crash;... but since it had not hit us, we all went back to sleep. Man brings all things to the test of himself, and this is notably true of lightning.                -Aldo Leopold 10:11:10 PM    comment []

Hunt for the Hungry on record pace According to Lee Dudek, of Paul's Pantry in Green Bay, hunter donations of venison and other game are arriving at a record pace. Pasted below is the message I got from Lee yesterday. This is a great program that has helped thousands of people statewide. For a list of donation centers where you can drop off deer or other game, click here. Later... Hello Media Professionals and Supporters of HFTH! The record setting momentum from the bow deer season continues to add to our totals. As of Wednesday, October 6, 2004, 462 donated deer have arrived. Many of those donated deer are being brought in by generous bow deer hunters who are filling their Earn-A-Buck requirements. In addition to donated deer, over 28,000 pounds of packaged wild game meat, birds, and fish have come into Paul's Pantry in Green Bay. More is on the way as hunters and fishermen clean out their freezers and drop off these donations. This season's donated deer are being processed into an average of 40 pounds of ground venison per deer. The total for all donations so far is 46,480 pounds. The 2004 totals are far ahead of any previous year of the program. I will keep you updated on our progress. We anticipate a big surge in donated deer numbers when the gun deer hunters hit the woods to Earn-A-Buck during the October Zone-T hunt in our area, scheduled for October 28th - 31st. Keep checking our website www.huntforthehungry.com for more details. Thanks again for your support and professional assistance in reporting on and promoting the Hunt For The Hungry program Lee Dudek, Founder and Volunteer Coordinator, Hunt For The Hungry 10:02:15 PM    comment []

Interior to stop oil and gas development along Rocky Mountain Front Here's a message I received from the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Sounds like good news from Interior, which has been rare these days. Later... TRCP Info Gram Dear Dan, The Partnership is welcoming news from the Department of Interior (DOI) regarding one of our top policy priorities. Tuesday in Billings, Montana, Assistant Interior Secretary for Land and Minerals Rebecca Watson announced DOI would indefinitely stop work that could have led to oil and gas development in the Blackleaf area along the Rocky Mountain Front. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Steve Williams announced a new effort to establish an easement program to conserve wildlife on private land in the area. Watson's announcement in particular responds directly to concerns the TRCP and its partner organizations have expressed about several unique sections of public land in the western United States that have been under consideration for oil and gas development. The Rocky Mountain Front holds a very special place in the hearts of American hunters and anglers, whether they live near it or not. Commonly referred to as "America's Serengeti," the region is inhabited by incredibly rich and diverse fish and wildlife populations. To travel there is the lifelong dream of many American sportsmen and women. Leaders from various hunting, fishing and conservation organizations working together through the TRCP consistently have stated that there are certain areas, like the Rocky Mountain Front, that are so pristine and so valuable as fish and wildlife habitat, that they should not be opened for drilling. The TRCP's energy development working group has also made it clear that sportsmen's groups are not opposed to developing energy on public land in the west. They simply want to ensure that exploration and extraction is done with a minimal impact on fish and wildlife. There is consensus among government officials, conservation groups and energy industry representatives that this is possible. The TRCP and its partners stand ready to offer guidance on how to achieve this. TRCP Chairman Jim Range today said "the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana is one of several special places that should not be drilled. Today's announcement was absolutely the right call. We look forward to continuing to engage with Interior officials about other ways we can make sure energy development on public land is done the right way, in the right places." The Partnership looks forward to working towards positive conservation outcomes similar to today's announcement, for other areas of the American West that already are being drilled or are under consideration for energy development. Apart from setting aside unique and important areas as was done today, the TRCP, led by partner organizations including Boone and Crockett, Trout Unlimited, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and North American Grouse Partnership, the Izaak Walton League of America and the American Sportfishing Association have discussed energy leasing policy ideas with DOI officials, including: Affirming more balanced multiple use management of federal lands in leasing decisions Conducting more thorough analysis of potential development impacts on fish and wildlife Taking a more conservative approach to leasing Maintaining more federal control and management flexibility of leased land Revisiting leases issued without sufficient data Evaluating impacts of decisions to waive protective permit conditions Ensuring adequate financial resources for reclamation Increasing federal and state agency resources for evaluation of lease and permit applications Apart from driving towards more fish and wildlife-friendly energy development on public land, the TRCP and its partner organizations this year also have been focusing on improving and strengthening one of the best conservation tools available to us today: conservation easements. USFWS Director Williams' announcement today regarding a new plan encouraging private land easements in the Blackleaf area highlights how important it is to make sure easement tax incentives remain an attractive option to private landowners. To learn more about all of the conservation initiatives the TRCP and its Partner Organizations are currently addressing, click here. 9:42:10 PM    comment []