Archive for the 'Outdoor and DNR Legislation' Category

Save the River…Save the World

gengberg January 2nd, 2009

****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****Save the River… Save the World!

2009 has been officially declared as “The Year of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway” by Governor Doyle. Twenty years after its inception the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway is an outstanding example of what can be done to protect and preserve our natural world alongside development and use by humans. The Riverway and surrounding areas are a microcosm of the challenges the rest of the world faces. Everything we do here can be an example of how to fix problems elsewhere.

“Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway”, (FLOW), has been a very active group of people involved in all matters concerning the Riverway. We have had significant influence upon the decisions of authorities in several instances. FLOW volunteers have worked countless hours assisting flood victims and others in need over the last few years. The group also hosts recreational and educational activities ranging from group paddling events and sandbar campouts; to hikes through prairies in the summer and snowshoeing to the tops of our scenic bluffs in the winter.

Having grown to around 300 members, it is time to incorporate the group into an official non-profit entity. This is truly a ground floor opportunity for you to get involved in the formation of an organization that will work to prevent “Nature Deficit Disorder” as we “Leave No Child Inside”! We can work on everything from developing “Sustainable Communities” to eliminating “Light Pollution”. We can team you up with like minded persons to help you pursue your passion. Everyone is invited to respond by email or U.S. Mail now with your thoughts about what you would like the organization to be involved in and the nature of the capacity in which you would like to function. It’s ok if all you want to do right now is be on the free email list, but commitments are needed to help with the nuts and bolts of managing an organization.

“Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” President-elect: Barack Obama

Friends of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway

E5392 Jones Road

Spring Green, WI 53588

Phone: 608-575-0325 Email: wisriverfriends@yahoo.com

Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway website: www.geocities.com/wisriverfriends

Click the link below to read an article about FLOW:
http://www.newspubinc.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1939&SectionID=6&SubSectionID=7&S=1

U.S. Sportsman Alliance on Target Newsletter December 17, 2008

gengberg December 17th, 2008

December 17, 2008Making the News:

National Wild Turkey Federation Names Kennamer Chief Conservation Officer (Click Here For More)
USSA Congratulates Long-Time Friend
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) announced on December 16, 2008 that James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., has been named the organization’s Chief Conservation Officer.

New Name Mentioned for Obama’s Interior Secretary (Click Here For More)
Colorado Senator Reportedly Offered Job by President-elect Obama
After a week in which grassroots supporters for two different candidates to become President- elect Obama’s Secretary of the Interior battled, a new name has emerged for the position. On Wednesday, December 17, Colorado Senator Ken Salazar was nominated to the position.

HSUS Trying to Overturn Elk Management Plan in Rocky Mountain National Park (Click Here For More)
The nation’s largest anti-hunting group has joined a federal court case to block volunteer hunters from helping to control elk populations in Rocky Mountain National Park. The case could lead to a political precedent dangerous to federal wildlife managers’ ability to involve the public in hands-on wildlife management programs.

Get a Job Doing What You Love (Click Here For More)
Work for the USSA in 2009
Do you want to share the outdoor lifestyle with thousands of families and be instrumental in the fight to protect hunting, fishing and trapping? The USSA needs you!

Forward this Message! Do you find this newsletter helpful? Forward it to friends and encourage them to Sign up for the USSA E-mail Network.
On Target Sponsor
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U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation
The Situation Room:
Issue Watch and Alert Center
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

to receive a free Sportsmen’s Defense Kit and other great member benefits.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) in 2008 served over 2.8 million sportsmen nationwide. These organizations provide legislative, legal defense and public education services to defend and advance sportsmen’s rights in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states.

Contact Us:

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, 801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229

Ph: (614) 888-4868 Fax: (614) 888-0326

E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org Website: http://www.ussportsmen.org/

Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications - glawson@ussportsmen.org
Sharon Hayden, Assistant Director of Communications Data - shayden@ussportsmen.org

Wisconsin Wildlife Federation EPS Forces Wisconsin to Adopt Weak Permit for Invasives

gengberg December 17th, 2008

Wisconsin Wildlife Federation ● National Wildlife FederationEPA Forces Wisconsin to Adopt Weak Federal Permit on Invasive Species

DNR to Use State Permit to Add Protections for Wisconsin Waters

MADISON, WIS. (December 16, 2008)-To meet an unreasonable federally-imposed deadline that could have shut down shipping in Wisconsin waters, the Wisconsin DNR yesterday withdrew its proposed improvement of an EPA invasive species permit and allowed the original ineffective EPA permit to go forward unchanged. At the same time, the DNR committed to issuing a state permit that contains the protections against invasive species that the EPA measure lacked.

“Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states are being dealt a tough hand due to the U.S. EPA, which for decades neglected its responsibility to protect U.S. waters from invasive species, and now has issued at the 11th hour a weak permit that does little to stop the introduction of those species,” said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office. “While we would prefer to have a tough, national EPA permit, we believe our best chance for protecting Wisconsin’s waters is to encourage the state to use whatever authority it has to prevent invasive species.”

The state action comes days before a court-imposed December 19 deadline, by which time EPA required states to certify a water quality permit issued by the EPA intended to address aquatic invasive species introduced by ballast water discharge. EPA had sent a letter to the DNR threatening enforcement action against ships in Wisconsin waters after December 19 if the DNR maintained its efforts to improve the EPA’s permit.

“We look forward to working with the DNR to protect Wisconsin’s waters much more effectively from ballast water discharges of invasive species,” said George Meyer. “A state permit, if done right, can give the state the protections it needs. The EPA permit certainly does not.” Continue Reading »

Public Hearing on Discharge of Water into the WiscoonsinRiver

gengberg December 15th, 2008

Thanks to the efforts of FLOW members and other concerned citizens… there WILL be a chance for everyone to share to their concerns with the DNR pertaining to this matter. See the attached file for details. I’ll keep you updated as our efforts are coordinated with other entities. Your thoughts are welcome! Read the hearing notice on this site.

Timm Zumm Co-chair: Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW)
Phone: 608-575-0325

Open House and Public Hearing for the Crystal, Fish, and Mud Lake Discharge Permit to the WisconsinRiver

gengberg December 15th, 2008

STATE OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
PUBLIC NOTICE OF OPEN HOUSE AND INFORMATIONAL HEARING TO REISSUE A WISCONSIN POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (WPDES) PERMIT No.WI-0049964-02-0 AND TO AMEND WISCONSIN STATUTES CHAPTER 30 STRUCTURE, DIVERSION PERMIT 3-SC-2002-13-4127LW
Permittee: Crystal, Fish, Mud Lake District, 9203 County Ave. Y, Sauk City, WI 53583
Facility Where Discharge Occurs: SE ¼ of Section 4, T9N, R7E of Dane County
Receiving Water and Location: Wisconsin River near the SW ¼ of Section 6, T9N, R7E of Dane County
Brief Facility Description: The Crystal, Fish, Mud Lake District pumps 550 gallons per minute (1-2 cubic feet per second) of excess lake water from Mud, Fish and Crystal Lakes in the Town of Roxbury, Dane County, via a pump located in Fish Lake County Park (SE1/4 of section 4, T9N, R7E, Town of Roxbury, Dane County) , through a 2.5 mile long pipe to its outfall at the Wisconsin River, opposite the City of Prairie du Sac. The Wisconsin River, at the permittee’s outfall, has a flow rate, during dry periods, of 2200 cubic feet per second. Pumping of this water is necessary in order to correct a public health problem for home owners near the shore of Fish Lake whose private septic systems are not operational due to historically high lake levels. Because the permittee proposes to increase the discharge rate to 900 gallons per minute and because this discharge is necessary to correct a public health problem the Department is proposing revised limits in the draft permit based on water quality standards more commonly used by the Department for discharges to streams and rivers - those classified as Fish and Aquatic Life Waters. (Use of these standards is required by Wis. Administrative Code Ch. NR 207, for increased discharges to Exceptional Resource Waters such as the Lower Wisconsin River.) The effluent limits proposed in this permit for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids are 20 parts per million (ppm) and 40 ppm, respectively, which are less restrictive than those in the current permit.
Permit Drafter: Robert Liska, DNR, SCR Headquarters, 3911 Fish Hatchery Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53711, (608) 275-3288, robert.liska@wisconsin.gov
Basin Engineer: Richard Edwards, DNR, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711, (608) 275-3281, richard.edwards@wisconsin.gov
Date of Public Notice of Intent to Reissue Permit: November 6, 2008, in the Sauk-Prairie Star
Issues to be Considered at the Hearing: Reissuance of the discharge permit for the Crystal, Fish, Mud Lake District to discharge water from Mud, Fish and Crystal lakes to the Wisconsin River and the resulting modifications to the previously issued Chapter 30 structure permit to ensure consistency between the applicable water permits.
Date, Time, and Location of Open House and Public Informational Hearing: Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 4:30pm - 6:00pm for the Open House followed by the Public Informational Hearing at 6:30 pm, in the Town of West Point Town Hall, (608) 592-7059, at N2114 Rausch Road, Lodi, Columbia County.
Hearing Officer: Andy Morton, DNR, 1500 N. Johns Street, Dodgeville WI 53533, (608) 935-1937.
The Department of Natural Resources, has scheduled an Open House at the time and place listed above, for the purpose of giving all interested persons an opportunity to learn more about the draft WPDES wastewater discharge permit proposed to be reissued to the Crystal, Fish, Mud Lake District for the discharge of excess water from these lakes to the Wisconsin River. Department staff will be available to answer questions regarding the various DNR permit requirements that apply to the proposed permit. Citizens can submit written comments on the draft permit during this time. Continue Reading »

Clarification of Boater/Angler Compliance VHS Aquatic Invasive Species Rules

gengberg December 10th, 2008

Hello — just a heads up that a UW release we linked to yesterday in our release on ice fishing and VHS transposed results regarding compliance with new rules regarding use of minnows as bait. The correct figure is that 58 percent of anglers and boaters polled said they followed the new rules. We alerted UW and they have corrected the release: http://www.news.wisc.edu/16040 Continue Reading »

The Aldo Leopold Foundation The Outlook eNewsletter December 2008

gengberg December 7th, 2008

Calendar

Dec.15:
Deadline for Land Stewardship Intern application

Jan. 17:
Wildlife Management for your Woodland

Jan. 24:
Winter Sleuths

Feb. 13-14:
Leopold Southwest Conference

The Woodland School

Woodland School classes make great holiday gifts! Give a friend or loved one a chance to learn a new skill to take care of the land in the new year. Choose from chainsaw safety, prescribed fire, birding, and more. Register online today for any of our classes!

Give a Gift Membership!

Introduce a friend to the work of the foundation and become a key partner in helping us spread the land ethic, advance the science of land health, preserve the Leopold shack and farm, and train new leaders for the future of conservation. They will receive our bi-annual magazine, The Leopold Outlook. Give the gift of membership today!

Go Shopping in Our Bookstore

Looking for something you can wrap? Check out our bookstore for an array of gifts for the Leopold fan in your life. Want a very special holiday gift that can become an heirloom in your family? Give a Pines Edition A Sand County Almanac this year (with free shipping during the holiday season).

The Outlook eNewsletter December 2008
As the Year Ends, Invest in the Work of the Foundation for the Future

“Our bigger-and-better society is now like a hypochondriac, so obsessed with its own economic health as to have lost the capacity to remain healthy. -Aldo Leopold, Foreword to A Sand County Almanac (1949)

The turbulence of this past year has painfully brought into focus one of the most profound aspects of Leopold’s land ethic: that material wealth will always be ephemeral when not connected to the land community, undergirded by an ethic that acknowledges, accepts, admires, and respects this true fountain of wealth. Leopold even went so far as to question the need for a “little healthy contempt for a plethora of material blessings.”

It is with a humble sense of irony that we now call on your generosity of spirit to invest some of your “material blessings” in the work of the Aldo Leopold Foundation. We need your help to continue to build the requisite intellectual framework, skill set, and emotional support network necessary to retain and restore our nation’s capacity for true ecological, social, and economic health.

As we approach a new year, we have stepped back to think anew about where the world is heading and what we can uniquely offer to strengthen the rising interest in sustainability. We have defined four strategic areas that build upon our past accomplishments: Catalyzing a Land Ethic, Advancing Land Health, Cultivating Leadership for Conservation, and Building Organizational Capacity. Success in each of these areas will garner more widespread support for Leopold’s values and vision and fundamentally reshape our future.

Leopold understood that a change in values and viewpoints was not a quick and easy venture; rather it is a long and difficult process that requires equal parts of patience, persistence, skill, and foresight. As we confront economic uncertainty, global climate change, and unparalleled extinction of species, now is the time to redouble our individual and collective efforts to weave a land ethic into our society as a solution to the problems that threaten the health and well-being of present and future generations. Continue Reading »

Outdoor Card Required to Hunt and Fish in Ontario

gengberg December 4th, 2008

OUTDOORS CARD REQUIRED TO HUNT AND FISH IN ONTARIO
Province Adds Non-Residents To Licensing System
NEWS December 2, 2008
Anglers and hunters from outside Ontario who want to hunt and fish in the province will need an Outdoors Card effective January 1, 2009.
Non-resident anglers and hunters will be required to purchase the card in addition to an Ontario fishing or hunting licence, except for one-day fishing licences. The new requirement is one more step in the effort to improve the hunting and fishing licensing system.
The card is available wherever Ontario hunting and fishing licences are sold.
By 2010, the government will be moving to a fully automated system that will allow all anglers and hunters to purchase licences from home using the Internet or a toll-free automated phone service, in addition to over 1,800 licence issuers across the province.
QUOTES
“We’re moving forward in our efforts to modernize Ontario’s system for licensing hunters and anglers,” said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “The improved system will help us provide better customer service by making it easier to get multi-year licences and ensure the sustainable management of our natural resources.”
QUICK FACTS
• The Outdoors Card is a wallet-sized plastic card valid for three years. The cost of the three-year card is $9.00 Canadian.
• The paper application that non-residents fill out at a licence issuer serves as a temporary Outdoors Card until the permanent card is received in the mail.
• There are two types of Outdoors Card: the Fishing Outdoors Card which can only be used with fishing licences, and the Hunting/Fishing Outdoors Card which is valid for hunting and fishing.
• Ontario residents have been required to obtain an Outdoors Card to purchase hunting and fishing licences since 1993.
LEARN MORE
• Visit Ontario’s 2008-2009 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary (ontario.ca/fishing) and 2008 Hunting Regulations Summary (ontario.ca/hunting).
Ivan Langrish, Minister’s Office, 416-314-2212
Barry Radford, Communications Services Branch, 416-314-2123
ontario.ca/natural-resources-news

Environmental Review of Tentative Grant Awards

gengberg December 4th, 2008

DATE: November 28, 2008
CONTACT:
Tom Blotz, Community Assistance, 414-263-8610
Dan Kaemmerer, Community Assistance, 414-263-8704
Gene Park, Community Assistance, 414-263-8676SUBJECT: Environmental Review of Tentative Grant Awards
MILWAUKEE - The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is soliciting public comment on several outdoor recreational grant applications that have tentatively been selected as potential grant recipients. These potential recipients have been chosen from among more than 30 applications totaling nearly $3 million. Requests are submitted annually from numerous local units of government in southeastern Wisconsin.
The Department of Natural Resources will eventually award approximately $1.1 million in grants to local governments for the acquisition of land for nature-based parks and trails or for the development of nature-based parks and trails through the following programs: Stewardship - Aids for the Acquisition and Development of Local Parks and the federal National Recreational Trails Act.
“DNR is proud to be able to provide resources to Southeastern Wisconsin communities so they can enhance recreational opportunities for their citizens,” said Tom Blotz, Community Assistance Supervisor.
Grant awards are subject to acceptance by the local unit of government and may require additional reviews by state and federal agencies such as the Wisconsin State Historical Society, the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Office of the Governor.
The following park development projects have been tentatively offered grant awards at this time:
Ozaukee County
• Town of Grafton to construct a non-motorized boat launch facility on the Milwaukee River ($19,715). Continue Reading »

2009 Year of the Riverway Proclaims the Governor

gengberg December 4th, 2008

LOWER WISCONSIN STATE RIVERWAY BOARD
202 N. Wisconsin Avenue
P.O. Box 187
Muscoda, WI 53573
(608) 739-3188 or 1-800-221-3792
NEWS RELEASE
NOVEMBER 26, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOVERNOR DOYLE PROCLAIMS 2009 “YEAR OF THE RIVERWAY”
MUSCODA…..Governor Jim Doyle has proclaimed 2009 as the Year of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, according to Mark Cupp, Riverway Board Executive Director. The gubernatorial proclamation was issued to recognize the 20-year milestone of the project. The Riverway law was signed into law by former Governor Tommy G. Thompson on August 3, 1989, following years of public meetings and controversy. The legislation created the Riverway project along the final 92 miles of the Wisconsin River and also created the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, a new state agency responsible for administration of the unique and innovative scenic protection regulations.
Cupp said, “The Riverway is one of the most significant natural resources in southern Wisconsin. The magnificent scenic quality and relatively undeveloped bluffs and shoreline enable the river user to enjoy a high quality outdoor experience. The tens of thousands of acres of public and private lands include tremendous biodiversity and a rich array of flora and fauna. The amazing cultural resources tell the story of Wisconsin from the glacial period forward, beginning with the hunters of the Boaz mastodon through the effigy mound builders of 1000 years ago to the early missionaries, explorers, fur traders and on to the settlement era and statehood.” Continue Reading »

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