State waterfowl management plan approved
Northern pike fishing heats up
Ice anglers adjusting to VHS rules
State seek to hire new foresters
Awards to recognize shoreland stewardship
Pipeline reconstruction may result in incidental taking of rare snake
Natural Resources Board approves state waterfowl management plan
MADISON – A plan to provide a framework for managing waterfowl and waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin over the next 10 years received approval by the state Natural Resources Board at its meeting in Madison on Dec.5.
Approximately 85,000 people identify themselves as Wisconsin waterfowl hunters, which puts the state in the top three in the nation. The Wisconsin Waterfowl Strategic Plan [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/plan/waterfowl.htm] was developed over two years with participation from hunters and numerous conservation groups including the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, Department of Natural Resources. biologists and field managers and representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and the US Department of Agriculture. Many hunters and other interested citizens provided valuable comments and feedback through a series of public meetings, open houses and workshops. Overall, thousands of people were involved in the process to create this plan.
“I’m excited over the board’s approval and support for a long-range waterfowl management plan,” said Kent Van Horn, DNR waterfowl biologist. “It was my pleasure to work with a great group of folks to put this plan together; they have great enthusiasm for maintaining Wisconsin’s strong waterfowl hunting heritage.”
Waterfowl hunters have always shown strong support for conservation efforts that benefit not only huntable waterfowl species but all wildlife that depend on wetland habitat. Wisconsin duck hunters spend an estimated $48 million per year on their sport. Waterfowl hunters fund important habitat work here and in Canada through purchase of licenses, state and federal duck stamps and excise taxes paid on firearms, ammunition and other hunting equipment.
“We’ve got a solid foundation to launch this plan,” said Van Horn. “Wisconsin’s resident total duck and Canada goose breeding populations are increasing, as apparent by long term trends, and we have effective programs and partnerships for restoring and managing waterfowl habitat. We also have enjoyed a stable to slightly increasing population of waterfowl hunters over the last 25 years.”
Plan Objectives
The plan outlines 6 major objectives:
• Continue to provide waterfowl habitat.
• Monitor and evaluate waterfowl populations, especially in fall.
• Improve the waterfowl hunting experience.
• Manage Canada goose populations at a level that balances conflicting perspectives.
• Develop new strategies for waterfowl hunter education and recruitment.
• Continue to refine our understanding of breeding and migration habitat needs and waterfowl diseases.
“Some aspects of the plan we can begin implementing in the next few months,” said Van Horn. “We’re committed to keeping Wisconsin waterfowl enthusiasts updated every step of the way.”
In the next few months Van Horn plans to begin work on several fronts including:
• New Wisconsin waterfowl habitat management priorities in cooperation with the Upper Mississippi River Great Lakes Joint Venture plan.
• Continuing spring breeding waterfowl surveys [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/waterfow/WaterfowlSurv.pdf] and summer banding efforts while planning for new fall surveys.
• Conducting a new waterfowl hunter survey. It will be mailed out to a randomly selected group of Wisconsin Waterfowl Hunters in January, 2008.
• Developing an ad hoc committee with the Conservation Congress to explore open water hunting opportunities
• Planning for creation of a few quality duck hunting areas in the state with specific property regulations to improve the hunting experience.
• Evaluating new Canada goose hunting season structures.
• Providing education and assistance on local Canada goose management strategies.
• Continuing research into the breeding habitat needs for blue-winged teal and avian influenza monitoring.
“The future of waterfowl populations and waterfowl hunting is in our hands,” said Van Horn, “Both hunting and non-hunting fans of waterfowl are important partners in this effort. Anyone can buy a waterfowl stamp, which contributes to the resources we have to work with. We have healthy populations now and with the long range vision of this plan, we can maintain them and improve waterfowling experiences along the way.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841
Northern pike fishing heats up
VHS limits on dead bait and minnows spur new approaches
SPOONER – Get ready for some of the year's best fishing for northern pike.
Anglers and their quarry both find “early ice” a great time to get a bite to eat. Unlike many other game fish species, northern pike are most active when the water is cold. And when fish are feeding, anglers are in hot pursuit.
“Pike readily bite in the winter, and to ice fish you don't need to have a boat to reach the best spots,” says Terry Margenau, a Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor who has studied northern pike angling. They’re also accommodating to anglers, biting best during daylight hours.
The combined effect is that northern pike, which are widely distributed across Wisconsin with the exception of southwestern and southeastern Wisconsin, are the only game fish species in which anglers catch and harvest more fish during the winter than at any other time during the year.
Margenau’s 2003 study found that fully 54 percent of the pike caught during winter are kept, significantly higher than the 20 percent harvest rate during the open water season. These rates are very similar to those from a 2000-2001 mail survey of Wisconsin anglers.
The northern pike ice fishery is more of a food fishery compared to the open water fishery. says Margenau. “It’s often largely resident anglers, compared to the open water season when vacationing non-resident anglers contribute to the total catch.”
More information can be found on a special featured web page, Ice Fishing in Wisconsin. [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/faq/icefis.htm/]
Following VHS rules when fishing for northerns
The use of dead bait, usually smelt or cisco (herring) is a popular method of fishing for northern pike during winter, most commonly using a tip-up. New rules effective Nov. 2 to prevent the spread of a new fish disease, however, may require anglers who traditionally use dead bait to fish for northern pike to make some changes in how and where they fish.
The same may be true for anglers using live minnows and other live bait fish if they traditionally buy large quantities that they don’t use up in one trip.
As far as dead bait goes, under the VHS rules, anglers can use dead bait only in the same lake or river where it was caught. They may use dead bait elsewhere if it has been preserved by a method other than freezing or refrigeration, neither of which kills the virus. Research is going on to figure out what other treatments will kill the virus.
And finally, anglers may use dead bait in Green Bay and Lake Michigan, where VHS has been documented in fish.
Margenau, an avid ice angler himself who uses dead bait in combination with artificial bait, is finding that the restrictions on dead bait use are spurring him to try some other approaches to catch northern.
He has been successful in catching bluegill and yellow perch to use on the same day, same water, to catch northern pike. “Bluegill and yellow perch are natural forage for pike in most waters,” Margenau says. “Bring a jig pole along and catch your bait from the lake you are fishing.”
He’s also maintaining dual bait buckets: a main bucket in his truck on shore and a secondary bucket to transfer smaller numbers of bait onto the lake. “This allows you to leave with the unused minnows in your vehicle at the end of your trip,” he says.
Meanwhile, Margenau continues to experiment with using commercially made rubber minnows. “I have been unsuccessful at this point – I’m O for 4 – in tricking a pike into thinking a rubber minnow is a food item,” he says. “Perhaps they are smarter than I gave them credit for. I haven't given up and will certainly send you a picture when it happens.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Margenau (715) 635-4162
Ice anglers adjusting to VHS rules
Strategies to comply but still fish with minnows and dead bait
MADISON – Buy only the minnows you need to fish that day or leave the bulk of them in a container in your vehicle in the parking lot or another location away from the water, bank or shore and return to the vehicle to resupply if the fishing action heats up.
These are some of the strategies that Wisconsin ice anglers are using this winter to comply with new emergency rules aimed at preventing the spread of a new fish disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS for short [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html], according to Conservation Warden Tom Van Haren, policy officer for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“People are starting to figure out ways to deal with the new rules,” he says. “Their minds are starting to click: if I can’t do what I have always done in the past, what can I do?
“Some of these strategies can save a few trips back to the bait store when the fish are biting good, and not require you to drain the water from all the minnows you purchased when the fishing is slow.”
VHS spreads fish to fish, or when infected fish or infected water are transported by people to a new water, so the emergency rules prohibit anglers from taking away water or live fish, including bait fish, from the shore or bank of any lake or river in Wisconsin.
The emergency rules also limit the use of dead fish as bait, which can harbor the VHS virus. Dead fish can be used as bait only on the water it originated from, or on Lake Michigan or Green Bay, (waters where VHS has already been found) or if the bait was preserved by means that do not require refrigeration or freezing.
Here are other strategies for fishing with minnows or other bait fish that comply with the rules:
• Waterfront property owners or those staying at accommodations with shoreline frontage can keep their minnows in a bait container attached to a dock or boat on that waterbody, with their name and address clearly marked on the container when left unattended. As long as the minnows are not being transported away from the water, bank or shore they may be kept live for later use on that waterbody. This option will not always be available in winter when the waters are covered with ice.
• Ice anglers can submerge a bait container under the ice of a permanent ice shanty and can then use those minnows at a later date on that waterbody. Remember, however, that ice fishing holes can be no more than 12 inches in diameter or square.
• Anglers who don’t use the previous strategies and who have leftover minnows must drain all water out of all containers, including those holding their minnows, before they leave the bank or shore and may not attempt to revive the fish later. If there is a trash can at the boat landing or access point, they may be able to dispose of the minnows there. Otherwise, they can take the minnows home and dispose of them in the trash or compost them or use them in a garden. Another option: water-free, dead minnows can be taken home and treated for 11 days with Borax and/or salted for that duration and then used at a later date. Michigan Department of Natural Resources tests have shown that the 11-day treatment regiment is sufficient to kill the VHS virus in dead fish.
• Anglers can still trap their own minnows for use as bait, but may not transport any such live minnows away from the water where caught. All minnow traps must bear the owner’s name and address and must be checked and the contents removed at least once every 48 hours. The possession limit for minnows is 600 unless you are a licensed bait dealer.
• Bait dealers can apply for a wild bait harvesters permit, which allows them to transport live minnows away from a water body. However, anglers tempted by this option should understand that they will need to file paperwork describing exactly where and when they will be harvesting to get the permit, keep records of where the bait ends up, and have a qualified veterinarian perform a health inspection of the minnows before any of them can be used. No minnows possessed by fishing with hook and line equipment may be transported away from the water where used live.
A brochure that answers more of the questions anglers have asked about the new rules is now available online. [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/documents/vhs_baitanglers1107legal.pdf.]
VHS is not a threat to people or pets but it’s a significant health fish health disease and can cause fish to bleed to death. VHS has demonstrated in other countries and Great Lakes states the potential to cause large fish kills, long-term reductions in wild fish populations, and severe economic impacts.
VHS was first detected in Wisconsin in fish from the Lake Winnebago System in early May. Since that time, the fish disease has not been detected beyond the Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan systems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Van Haren (608) 266-3244
State seek to hire new foresters
Application deadline for 2008 Forester Class is January 4
MADISON – People interested in working to foster and protect Wisconsin’s forestry resources have until Jan. 4, 2008 to apply for entry-level forestry positions with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The DNR Division of Forestry is planning to hire eight to 12 entry-level foresters.
Successful candidates will have an opportunity to “turn their passion for forestry into their life’s work,” according to Wendy McCown, director of the Bureau of Forestry Services. “They will be joining the many dedicated men and women who are currently working to protect and sustainably manage Wisconsin’s forests.”
Top candidates will be contacted the week of Jan. 21 for interviews in Rhinelander in mid-February. The anticipated starting date for the Forestry Class of 2008 is June 9.
McCown said the individuals hired for these forester positions should have a wide range of duties and responsibilities. Depending on the assignment, a new forester will have some combination of private forest management, public lands management, and fire management duties. In addition to having skills as communicators, problem-solvers, a strong service ethic, and the ability to work well with people from various backgrounds, McCown said successful forester candidates will have a 4-year Society of American Foresters-accredited degree in forestry (or an approved equivalent).
McCown said candidates who are invited to join the department will participate in a comprehensive nine-month training program. During the 18-month probationary period, the new forester will be working with a mentor who will help guide their initial assignments. Freshmen foresters will also have an opportunity to travel throughout Wisconsin and will receive an in-depth orientation to the broad range of programs and services provided by Forestry Division staff.
“The candidates who complete the training are well-prepared to become valued members of one of the country’s leading Forestry programs,” McCown said.
Forestry Division staff are responsible for developing and implementing programs to protect and manage Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forest land, 70 percent of which are privately owned.
Detailed information about the positions (including salary and benefits) as well as information on submitting an application can be found on the DNR’s Web site at [http://dnr.wi.gov/employment/fte/].
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Emaan Abdel-Halim, 608.264-9237.
Awards to recognize shoreland stewardship
MADISON - Waterfront property owners who maintain a natural, low maintenance landscape or restore their shoreline with native plants and trees can now get rewarded for the care they show Wisconsin lakes and rivers.
A new, voluntary awards program will annually recognize property owners’ exemplary practices to keep Wisconsin waters healthy, clean and beautiful. It’s modeled after a program in Maine in which award winners have subsequently enjoyed a substantial increase in their property values, according to Gregg Breese, the Department of Natural Resources Shoreland Program manger who created the awards program.
“We wanted to find a way to recognize people who are good stewards of their lakes,” Breese said. “The Shoreland Stewardship Program does that, and we believe it also can help award winners further improve their property and potentially their property values.”
While “Shoreland Stewardship Award” winners selected through a site evaluation receive a certificate and some small gifts, perhaps the most valuable for homeowners are suggestions for other changes they can make to better protect their lake.
Such environmentally friendly landscaping and maintenance practices can help protect a lake or river by reducing the amount of polluted runoff, by providing important habitat for wildlife and fish, and by protecting scenic beauty, Breese says. A variety of studies in Wisconsin, Minnesota and elsewhere have shown that preserving or restoring the natural character of shorelands increases property values.
Property owners can nominate themselves or can be nominated by someone else.
Interested property owners fill out a nomination form and submit some photographs to help describe and illustrate efforts they are making on their shoreline property. The nomination form includes a rating scale to note the lake protection practices to counter the effects of: hard surfaces such as roads, driveways and rooftops; structures and septic systems, lawn and recreation areas, and shoreline area.
Points are awarded for installing rain gardens, improving natural shorelines and other rehabilitation. The award evaluation process involves a site visit by a DNR Water Management Specialist or other qualified expert.
Nominations are due by Dec. 31 each year. Applications, including photos of the nominated properties, will be reviewed, and winning property owners will receive plaques.
The DNR will notify property owners early in the year if they have won the award.
The nomination form and more information on the program can be found online at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/dsfm/shore/SSAwards.htm].
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregg Breese (608) 261-6430
Pipeline reconstruction may result in incidental taking of rare snake
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Wisconsin’s endangered species law (s. 29.604, Wis. Stats.) requires the Department of Natural Resources to notify the public when it proposes to authorize the incidental taking of a state endangered or threatened species.]
MADISON -- The rebuilding of an existing transmission line between substations in Saukville and St. Lawrence in Ozaukee and Washington counties may result in the "incidental taking" of a rare snake, under an authorization the Department of Natural Resources proposes for the project.
American Transmission Company (ATC) plans to rebuild the existing transmission line by replacing poles, insulators and conductors along the 19.1 mile route. The line is located between the Village of Saukville, Ozaukee County and Hartford Township, Washington County. The corridor includes mostly upland habitat with some wetland areas.
The presence of the state threatened Butler’s gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri) has been confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR has determined that the species is likely present due to the presence of suitable habitat and that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some snakes. However, DNR staff have concluded that the proposed project will minimize the impacts to the snake by adhering to conservation measures; is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of the state population of these snakes or the whole plant-animal community of which they are a part; and has benefit to the public health, safety or welfare that justifies the action.
The project will entail construction in the wetland areas and will primarily occur during the winter months (November through March). The project will employ construction mats to minimize habitat disturbance, snake exclusion fencing, snake removals as needed, and restoration of habitats to pre-activity condition. Some compaction of the soils and vegetation will still result but the impacts are expected to be minimal and the habitat is expected to return to its previous condition.
The conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the threatened species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization. Copies of the conservation measures, background information on the Butler’s gartersnake, and the jeopardy assessment are available upon request from Rori Paloski, Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources, 101 South Webster, Madison, WI 53707, (608) 264-6040. Public comments will be taken through January 10, 2008 and should be sent to Ms. Paloski at the above address.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Rori Paloski, DNR, Bureau of Endangered Resources, 608/264-6040 or P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921
OUTDOORS CALENDAR
*Indicates date remains the same each year, except some permit deadlines may be extended one day if they fall on a Sunday or Federal Holiday.
September 15 through December 31
• Illegal during this time to shine for wild animals between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
September 15 through First Saturday in May
• From Sept. 15 through the first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise in all Lake Michigan tributaries except the Oconto River and its tributaries and the downstream portion of the Peshtigo River (see regulations for details).*
December 5
• Muzzleloader deer season closes.
December 12
• Bobwhite quail season closes.
December 14
• Canada goose season closes in the south exterior zone. Check current waterfowl regulations for subzone season dates.
December 16
• Horicon zone Canada goose hunting periods 3 & 4 close.
December 27
• Canada goose season closes in the Mississippi River Subzone
December 31
• **CORRECTION**The ruffed grouse season does not closes in the Northern Zone until Jan. 31, 2008.
• Pheasant season closes.*
• Hungarian partridge season closes.*
• Bobcat hunting and trapping season closes.*
• Fisher trapping season closes.*
• Frog season closes.*
January 6
• Late archery deer season closes.
January 19
• Winter crow season opens, through March 20.
January 31
• Squirrel season closes.*
• Raccoon season closes*
• Ruffed grouse seasons closes in zone A (northern zone).*
DNR Public Hearings and Meetings
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call the contact person listed for the meeting or hearing with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.
Hearings
December 18 & 19 - Pursuant to §§ 227.11(2)(a) and 285.11(1) and (16), Stats., interpreting §§ 227.11(2)(a), 227.14(1m)(b), 285.11(1) and (16), Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold public hearings on revisions to chs. NR 405, 407, 408 and 484, Wisconsin Administrative code, relating to major source definition and affecting small business. The State Implementation Plan developed under § 285.11(6), Stats., is revised. The proposed rules will amend the definition of “major stationary source” in § NR 405.02(22)(a), such that ethanol production facilities that produce ethanol by natural fermentation are not included in the Chemical Processing Plant category of the North American Industry Classification System. The other changes are to §§ NR 405.07(4)(a)20., 407.02(4)(b) and 408.02(21)(e), which will state that fugitive emissions from these ethanol production facilities will no longer be included in determining whether a facility is considered a major source. This rule package is initiated because of similar federal rule changes published May 1, 2007. In addition, a federal rule clarifying two elements of the major source permitting program was promulgated on Jan. 6, 2004. The first is the additional of a definition of replacement unit and the second clarifies a component of the emission calculation used when determining emissions under a plantwide applicability limitation (PAL). U.S. EPA has required permitting agencies to add these elements during the next reopening of the permit program regulations. DNR staff have made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code. The proposed rule and supporting documents, including the fiscal estimate may be viewed and downloaded and comments electronically submitted through the Wisconsin Administrative Rules Web site [http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov/] (exit DNR - search this Web site using the Natural Resources Board Order No. AM-34-07). Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted until December 21, 2007via U.S. mail to Mr. Paul Yeung, Bureau of Air Management, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 or by e-mail to Paul.Yeung@wisconsin.gov. More information or a copy of the proposed rule and supporting documents, including the fiscal estimate may be obtained from Robert Eckdale, Bureau of Air Management, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 or by calling (608) 266-2856. The hearings will be held on:
December 18, Wisconsin Rapids - at 1 p.m. in Conference Room 124A and B, State Office Building, 1681 Second Avenue South.
December 19, Madison - at 1 p.m. in Room 413 of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison
Meetings
December 11 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – Technical Advisory Group will meet by conference call 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 724 of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison. For more information, or if you need special accommodations to attend this meeting, contact Nick Sayen, DNR, at (608) 267-2466 or nick.sayen@wisconsin.gov
December 13 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will conduct a public meeting to receive comments on a proposed series of cleanup design changes at an ongoing cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediment in Appleton, Wis.’s Little Lake Butte des Morts. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Lawrence University’s Youngchild Hall, Room 121, 421 E. College Ave., Appleton. Little Lake Butte des Morts is known as Operable Unit 1 of the Lower Fox River cleanup effort, which is a proposed Superfund National Priorities List site. Cleanup work began at the lake in 2004 and is expected to continue into 2009. The proposed changes all involve work that has yet to be completed. Operable Units 2 through 5 include the stretch of the river from Appleton to Green Bay. EPA and DNR are proposing cleanup changes based on new technical information collected since the original 2002 cleanup decision for Little Lake Butte des Morts. The proposed plan is equally protective of human health and the environment and will take less time to complete, create less noise and truck traffic. It is also easier to implement because it uses a combination of dredging, sand covers and engineered capping in areas where dredging would be extremely difficult. Both the original plan and the proposed revisions set a cleanup goal of 0.25 parts per million for average PCB levels in river sediment. Different approaches would be used to address varying levels of contamination. A detailed fact sheet with a comment form, along with additional information about the Lower Fox River cleanup effort has been posted at
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/foxriver. For more information contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Susan Pastor at 800-621-8431, Ext. 31325.
December 13 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – Technical Advisory Group will meet from 9 am to 3 pm at the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC), 431 Charmany Dr., Madison, room to be decided. For more information, or if you need special accommodations to attend this meeting, contact Nick Sayen, DNR, at (608) 267-2466 or nick.sayen@wisconsin.gov
December 13 and 19 - The Department will meet with interested individuals on issues discussed at this summer’s public hearings related to NR 115, the state’s Shoreland Management Program. The meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Memorial Union - 800 Langdon St.- Madison (check the ‘Today in the Union’ sign when entering the building for exact room location). For more information contact Toni Herkert at – (608) 266-0161.
December 14 - The Wisconsin Diesel Workgroup will meet 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in room 349 of GEF 3, 125 S. Webster St., Madison. The group will continue discussions of voluntary strategies for reducing mobile diesel emissions in Wisconsin. For information contact Jessica Lawent, DNR, at (414) 263-8653.
December 14 - The DNR NR 151 Rule Revision for Non-agricultural Performance Standards Advisory Committee will meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Room 3B of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce building at 201 W. Washington Ave in Madison. This is the third of three meetings to discuss proposed revisions to subchapters I, III and IV of NR 151, Wis. Adm. Code. Additional information on the rule revision process, including materials the advisory committee is using are available on the DNR website at: [http://dnr.wi.gov/runoff/admrules.htm]. For more information contact Mary Anne Lowndes at (608) 261-6420.
December 15- The Chronic Wasting Disease Stakeholder Advisory group will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Gathering Waters and Glacier's Edge conference rooms at the DNR South Central Region Headquarters, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg. The group will continue to draft recommendations for strategies to manage CWD. For more information, contact Alan Crossley, DNR CWD project manager, at (608) 266-5463 or Alan.Crossley@Wisconsin.gov.
December 18 - The Wisconsin Council on Forestry will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Forest Products Lab, One Gifford Pinchot Dr., in Madison to discuss the Wisconsin Forest Sustainability Network, the potential for Wisconsin forest carbon markets, and other topics listed on the attached agenda. Contact Mary Brown at (608) 261-7599 for more information.
December 19 - The Department of Natural Resources Air Permit Information Technology (IT) Stakeholder Group will meet at 10 a.m. in the Gathering Waters Conference Room at the DNR South Central Region Headquarters, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg. This meeting is an update on the status of the new on-line air permit processing system and will provide participants with an opportunity for questions and discussion. The DNR Bureau of Air Management has been designing and creating this new system to be make submitting permit applications, processing permits, and subsequest notifications, all more efficient and workable over the Internet, for both applicants and DNR permit staff. The Air Permit IT Stakeholder Group was formed to provide input into the design of the new online permit application system which is due to go online in July of 2008. For more information or to participate contact Barbara N. Pavliscak, DNR Air Permit Engineer at (608) 267-7540 or by e-mail at [Barbara.Pavliscak@wisconsin.gov].
December 20 - The DNR Public Land Management Specialist Committee will meet at 9:15 a.m. at the DNR Wausau Service Center, 5301 Rib Mountain Rd., Wausau, regarding: policy on public land management, and handbook updates. For more information, contact Jeff Barkley – DNR Division of Forestry at (608) 264-9217.
Wisconsin DNR News
Edited by Paul Holtan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707-7921
(608) 267-7517
Fax: (608) 264-6293
E-mail: paul.holtan@dnr.state.wi.us
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/
