Wisconsin DNR News 2.19.08
Anglers mail survey: 88 million fish caught, 31 million kept in 2006-07
Deer management unit information meetings set
Increased number of black bear hunting permits available for 2008
Spring wildlife and fish rules hearings April 14
2008 draft impaired waters list available for public comment
Anglers mail survey: 88 million fish caught, 31 million kept in 2006-07
MADISON – Anglers caught 88.2 million fish in Wisconsin during the 2006-07 license year of which they released nearly two thirds – or 55.1 million – according to results of a statewide mail survey of anglers.
Anglers spent more than 71 million hours on the water, and although walleye was their most targeted species, they caught more panfish than anything else, according to Brian Weigel, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries researcher who analyzed the results.
Anglers reeled in an estimated 57.7 million panfish, 10 million bass, 7 million walleye, 3.1 million northern pike and 1.6 million trout. They also caught 777,094 catfish and 233,101 musky.
“The ultimate measure of the success of our program is how many fish people are catching,” says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin’s fisheries director. “The numbers emphasize how good fishing is in Wisconsin – a lot of people catch a lot of fish.”
The surveys were sent out every two weeks to 2,500 anglers randomly selected from the automated database of current license holders. Anglers were asked if they fished during the two-week period, what fish they primarily fished for, and other general information like whether they belong to a sportsman’s club or other conservation group.
Anglers were also asked to fill in a grid with the date, county and lake or stream they fished, and for each species, the number of fish they caught and the number they kept.
The survey also delivered these interesting tidbits:
• Lake Michigan was the most popular water to fish, with 6 percent of angler trips to the “big pond,” followed by Lake Winnebago, the Mississippi River and the Wisconsin River.
• The top 10 waters accounted for only 26 percent of angler trips, meaning nearly three-quarters of anglers’ trips were made to other waters, hinting at the diversity of fishing in a state with 15,081 lakes and 42,000 perennially flowing miles of river.
• Bass and musky were the fish released most often, with only 5.4 percent and 5.59 percent of those species harvested, respectively.
• Ice anglers spent 15.2 million hours fishing, caught 14 million fish and kept nearly half of them, or 6.5 million.
The angler catch and harvest information complements statistics Wisconsin gets on fishing participation from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. That nationwide telephone survey occurs every five years, and results from the most recent survey were released in fall 2007.
That 2006 survey estimated that 1,394,000 anglers 16 years and older fished nearly 21 million days in Wisconsin in 2006 and spent $1.6 billion. Nonresidents comprised 381,000 of the licensed anglers and accounted for nearly 3.8 million days fishing. Wisconsin consistently finishes among the top states nationally in every category of sport fishing along with Minnesota, California, Texas, and Florida.
Additional analysis of the USFWS information by the American Sportfishing Association indicated that fishing in 2006 supported 30,164 Wisconsin jobs, generated a total economic impact, or “ripple effect” of $2.75 billion, and $196 million in tax revenues for state and local governments.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Weigel (608) 221-6326; Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796
Wisconsin statewide mail survey 2006-2007
Top targeted fish, by fish group
# of fish caught # of fish harvested
All panfish 57,728,758 25,732,346
Walleye 7,068,112 2,155,626
All bass 10,073,286 550,335
All trout 1,615,190 497,783
Muskellunge 223,101 12,493
Northern pike 3,158,927 621,700
Catfish 777,094 535,658
Other 7,580,707 2,983,290
Total fish 88,228,175 33,089,231
Deer management unit information meetings set
MADISON – Hunters and others and will have a chance to get the most up to date deer management unit information, preliminary deer population estimates and find out what the 2008 deer hunting season structure may look like in a series of public meetings across the state. Local wildlife biologists will be on hand at each meeting to provide information and answer questions.
“These meetings are intended to inform hunters and the public about Wisconsin deer management, and how it is applied in the local management units where they hunt, live or recreate,” said Keith Warnke, big game ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. “Many of these meetings will have formal presentations by local DNR wildlife biologists, followed by a question and answer period. Others will use an open house style format allowing folks to stop in anytime over a two hour period.”
Other topics attendees can expect to learn more about include: CWD; October antlerless-only gun hunting opportunities; local buck and antlerless harvest histories; the Sex- Age- Kill (SAK) deer population estimation process; and deer population estimates, distribution and abundance.
Additional information about white-tailed deer management in Wisconsin is available on the Department of Natural Resources Internet page at
www.dnr.wi.gov.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke, Madison (608) 264-6023Area biologists listed in meeting locations below
2008 Wisconsin Deer Management Information Meetings
NOTE: Deer management units overlap county lines. Be sure to look for your management unit of interest in determining which meeting to attend.
DNR Northern Region
Tuesday, March 11
• Oneida and Vilas counties, DMUs 29B, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38 - 7 p.m., Rhinelander Airport Terminal, Lower level, 3375 Airport Road, Rhinelander; contact Ron Eckstein: 715-365-8999 or Linda Winn: 715-358-9207
Thursday, March 13
• Ashland and Bayfield counties, DMUs 3, 6, 7, 28, 78 - 7 p.m., WITC, Room 306, 2100 S. Beaser Avenue, Ashland; contact Todd Naas: 715-685-2914
• Lincoln and Langlade counties, DMUs 32, 42, 43, 52 - 7 p.m., DNR Service Center, 223 E. Steinfest Rd., Antigo; contact Rick Weide: 715–536-4763
Monday, March 17
• Florence and Forest counties, DMUs 39, 40, 44, 50 -7 p.m., DNR Natural Resources Center, Lower Level, Hwy 101, Florence; contact Jeremy Holtz: 715-528-4400 x119
• Iron County, DMUs: 28, 29A, 34 - 8 p.m. Mercer Town Hall, 2657W Railroad Street, Mercer, contact Bruce Bacon: 715-476-7843
Tuesday, March 18,
• Barron and Polk counties, DMUs 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 22A, 23 - 7-9 p.m., Turtle Lake High School Library, 205 Oak St.; contact Kevin Morgan: 715-637-6867 or Michelle Carlisle: 715-485-3518
• Price County, DMU 14, 20, 25, 29A, 30 - 7 p.m., Price Co. Courthouse, Co. Board Rm., 126 Cherry Street, Phillips; contact Pat Beringer: 715-762-1340
• Rusk County, DMUs: 18, 19, 23, 24 - 6-8 p.m., Ladysmith High School Cafeteria, 1700 E. Edgewood Avenue, Ladysmith; contact Mark E. Schmidt: 715-532-4369
• Washburn and Burnett counties, DMUs 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 - 7 p.m., St. Croix Tribal Clinic, Hertel, Hwy 70 west of Little Turtle Express; contact Nancy Christel: 715-635-4091 or Pete Engman: 715-463-2896
Wednesday, March 19
• Douglas County, DMUs 1, 1M, 2, 4, 8, 9 - 6-8 p.m., Superior Public Library; contact Greg Kessler: 715-372-8539, ext. 115
Thursday, March 20
• Taylor County, DMUs 25, 26, 27, 32 - 6-8 p.m., Taylor County Fairgrounds Multipurpose Building, 845 E. Broadway, Medford; contact Mark E. Schmidt: 715-532-4369
Monday, March 24
• Bayfield and Douglas counties, DMUs 2, 3, 6, 9 - 7 p.m., Iron River Community Center, US Highway 2, Iron River; contact Greg Kessler: 715-372-8539, ext. 115
Tuesday, March 25
• Sawyer County, DMUs 13 and 9, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20. - 7 p.m., Hayward High School Auditorium, N. Greenwood Lane; contact Laine Stowell: 715:634-9659 Ext. 3527
DNR Northeast Region
Tuesday, March 18
• Fond Du Lac and Winnebago counties, DMUs 66, 68A - 6:30-8:30 p.m., J.P. Coughlin Building, 625 E. Co. Rd. 'Y', Oshkosh, UW Extension Meeting Rooms A & B, Presentation followed by Q & A; contact Mark Randall: 920-424-7896
• Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca counties, DMUs 47, 51B, 62B, 63A, 63B, 65B, & 66 - 4-7 p.m. Open House, Clintonville Community/Senior Center, 30 S. Main St, Clintonville, in Rm. 101; contact Steve Hoffman: 715-258-4778, Dick Nikolai: 920-832-1804 or Kay Brockman-Mederas: 715-526-4226
Wednesday, March 19
• Brown, Calumet, Door, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties, DMUs 80A, 80B, 80C, 81, 82, 64, 64A, 64M and 63B - 4-7 p.m., Open House, Brown Co. UW-Extension Building 1150 Bellevue St., Green Bay; contact Dick Nikolai: 920-832-1804 or Aaron Buchholz: 920-755-4983
• Marinette and Oconto counties, DMUs 41, 44, 45, 49A, 49B, 50, 51A, 51B, and 63B - 4-7 p.m., Open House, Crivitz Village Hall, 800 Henriette St., Crivitz; contact John Huff: 715-582-5047
Tuesday, March 25
• Green Lake, Marquette, and Waushara counties, DMUs 65A, 65B, 67A and 67B - 4-8 p.m., Open House, Neshkoro Elementary School, Hwy 73, Neshkoro; contact Jim Holzwart: 920-361-3149 or Paul Samerdyke: 920-787-4686 x3012
DNR West Central Region
Monday, March 10
• Jackson and Trempealeau counties, DMUs 55 and 59C - 7 p.m., Hixton American Legion, Hixton; contact Michele Windsor: 715-284-1403
Tuesday, March 11
• Clark County, DMUs 27, 57B and 58 - 7 p.m., Greenwood High School, Greenwood; contact Michele Windsor: 715-284-1403
Wednesday, March 12
• Marathon County, DMUs 57, 57A, 33, 46, 62A - 6-8 p.m., John Muir Middle School, 1400 W Stewart Ave., Wausau; contact Cortney Schaefer: 715-359-6405
• Wood County, DMUs 53 and 56 - 5:30-7:30 p.m., Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, Hwy X, Babcock; contact Wayne Hall: 715-884-2437
Thursday, March 13
• Pierce and St Croix counties, DMUs 60A, 60B, and 60M - 7-9 p.m., Baldwin DNR Service Center, 890 Spruce St., Baldwin; contact Harvey Halvorsen: 715-684-2914 ext.113
Tuesday, March 18
• Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe and Vernon counties, DMUs 59D, 59M, 71, 72, 74A, and 74B - 4-8 p.m., Westby VFW Post 8021, 205 N Main St., Westby; contact Dave Matheys: 608-637-3938, Ron Lichtie: 608-785-9992 or Tim Babros: 715-284-1423
Wednesday, March 19
• Adams and Juneau counties, DMUs 54A, 54B, and 54C - 6-8 p.m., Mauston City Hall – Community Room, 303 Mansion St, Mauston; contact Jon Robaidek: 608-339-4819
• Buffalo County, DMU 61, 7 p.m. Alma School Gym, State Hwy 35 north, Alma; contact Kris Johansen: 608-685-6222
• Dunn and Pepin counties, DMUs 22A and 59B - 2-5 p.m., Dunn County Fish and Game Clubhouse, 1600 Pine Ave., Menomonie; contact Jess Carstens: 715-232-1519
Thursday, March 20
• Chippewa and Eau Claire counties, DMUs 23, 24, and 59A - 7-9 p.m., DNR Service Center, 1300 West Clairemont Avenue, Eau Claire; contact Michelle Woodford: 715-839-3771
Tuesday, March 25
• Portage County, DMUs 57C, 62A, and 65A - 6-8 p.m., Portage County courthouse Annex, Conference room #1, 1462 Strongs Ave., Stevens Point; contact Greg Dahl: 715-421-7818
DNR South Central Region
Tuesday, March 18
• Dane, Green, and Lafayette counties, CWD DMUs 75A, 76, and 76M - 5-7 p.m., Open House Fitchburg Community Center - Oak Hall conference room, 5510 Lacy Road, Fitchburg; contact Maureen Rowe: 608-275-3331 or Doug Fendry: 608-275-3230
• Grant County, DMUs 73A, 73B and 73D - 4-8 p.m., Grant County Youth and Ag Building - South room, 916 East Elm St., Lancaster; contact Bruce Folley: 608-575-9288 or Bill Ishmael: 608-935-1918
Wednesday, March 19
• Columbia, Richland and Sauk counties, CWD DMUs 54B, 70, 70B, 70E, 70F, 70G, 71 - 5-7 p.m., Open House, UW Baraboo – Sauk County Campus, 1001 Connie Rd., Baraboo; contact Becky Roth: 608-588-2591, Sara Kehrli: 608-635-8123 or Bill Ishmael: 608-935-1918
• Dodge, Jefferson and Rock counties, CWD DMUs 76A and 77A - 5-7 p.m., Open House, Black Hawk Technical College - Central Campus, 6004 S County Road G Janesville; contact Charlie Kilian: 920-648-3054, Mike Foy: 608-273-6275 or Tim Lizotte: 262-574-2120
Thursday, March 20
• Dodge County, DMU 68B - 5:30-7:30 p.m., Presentation and Q&A, Horicon DNR Field Station, 1210 North Palmatory Street, Horicon; contact Brenda Hill: 920-485-3007
• Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette counties, CWD DMUs 70A, 70C, 70D, 73B, 73E, 75B, 75C, and 75D - 5-7 p.m., Open House Dodger Bowl, 318 King St., Dodgeville; contact Bruce Folley: 608-575-9288 or Bill Ishmael: 608-935-1918
DNR Southeast Region
Wednesday, March 12
• Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington, and Waukesha counties, DMUs 69, 69C, 77M, 77C, 77E, 77D, & 68B - 7-9 p.m., presentations followed by Q&A Henry S. Reuss Ice Age Visitor Center, N2875 Hwy 67, Cambellsport (just west of Dundee); contact Dale Katsma: 920-892-8756, Tom Isaac: 262-670-3409 or Dan Weidert: 920-892-8756
Tuesday, March 18
• Kenosha, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties, CWD DMUs 77B and 77C - 5-7 p.m., Open House, Big Bend/Vernon Fire Station No. 3, W223 S7475 Woodland Lane, Big Bend; contact Brian Glenzinski: 262-574-2116, Marty Johnson: 262-884-2391 or Tim Lizotte: 262-574-2120
Increased number of black bear hunting permits available for 2008
MADISON – The number of available black bear hunting permits for the Sept. 3 through Oct. 7, 2008 Wisconsin bear hunting season has increased slightly to 4,660 from the previous season’s 4,405.
Successful permit applicants will receive notification by U.S. mail and may purchase their Class A bear license after March 10, 2008. Hunters can check their drawing status and verify their mailing address by logging onto the Department of Natural Resources On-line Customer Service Center at [dnr.wi.gov], by calling 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463) 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, seven days a week, or by visiting any DNR Service Center. DNR customer ID numbers are necessary to check drawing status. Applicants are encouraged to update their mailing address, if necessary, which can be done through any of these methods.
Available permits by hunting zone
Black Bear Management Zone B saw the largest harvest permit increase, up 38 percent to 850 from 615 offered in 2007. Zone C increased 6 percent, up to 1,650 from the 1,560 offered in 2007, and Zone D increased 6 percent to 720 permits, which is 170 more than in 2007.
Only Zone A experienced a decrease in permit levels with 1,440 harvest permits available in 2008, a decrease of 14 percent, from the 1,680 offered in 2007.
Hunters are reminded that for the 2008 bear season, Subzone A1 was renamed to Zone D. With this change, Zone A permit holders will no longer be able to cross over into Subzone A1, now called Zone D.
The proposed change was supported by people attending the 2007 Spring Fish and Wildlife rules Hearings and was later approved by the Natural Resources Board.
“This will give wildlife managers a much better handle on the number of bear hunters hunting in what was Subzone A1,” says Linda Olver, assistant DNR big game biologist. “Before this change, any hunter who possessed a permit for Zone A could also hunt in Subzone A1 making it difficult to accurately predict the number of hunters in the zone and hence, manage the harvest at sustainable levels. Because biologists anticipate an increase in the Zone A hunter success rate for 2008, permit numbers were decreased slightly.”
The bear harvest permit, or Class A bear license, is awarded through a cumulative preference system. In 2007, the average number of preference points required to draw a harvest permit was 7 points for Zone A, 9 points for Zone B, 5 points for Zone C, and 7 points for Zone D.
Information on bear hunting, hunting seasons, and links to online application information is available at the bear hunting page of the DNR Web site or at any DNR Service Center or license vendor.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023 or Linda Olver (608) 261-7588.
Spring wildlife and fish rules hearings April 14
Hearing questionnaire now available on DNR Web site
MADISON – The public will have an opportunity to comment on proposed rules that regulate fishing, hunting, trapping and other outdoor recreation activities in Wisconsin by attending the 2008 Spring Wildlife and Fisheries Rules Hearings on Monday, April 14.
The hearings, held annually in every county of the state, are combined with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings during which residents can introduce their solutions to natural resources related issues, as well as elect fellow county residents as delegates to represent them on the Conservation Congress.
All hearings begin at 7 p.m. The Spring Rules Hearing agenda, questionnaire, meeting locations, and more information is available now for review on the Spring Rules Hearings pages of the Department of Natural Resources Web site: [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring%20hearings/index.html].
At the hearings, people’s comments on proposed rules are recorded. Results of votes on proposed rule changes, along with written comments on proposed rules, are presented to the state Natural Resources Board to advise them on hunting and fishing matters only.
Some of the key wildlife rule changes proposed include extending the raccoon trapping and hunting seasons by 15 days to coincide with the closing of the coyote trapping and fox hunting and trapping seasons, establishing a new population goal for bobcats, and prohibiting paintball activity on DNR managed lands except when approved by the department.
Fisheries management questions include extending the open season for musky from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31 in waters south of U.S. Highway 10 and modifying rules for anglers targeting flathead catfish tin the Winnebago system. As a result of the 2007-09 state budget passed by the legislature, fisheries management is obligated to establish a catch-and-release season for musky in inland waters north of U.S. Highway 10, and require that anglers use barbless hooks while fishing for musky during that catch-and-release season.
The state Natural Resources Board has an advisory question on extending the fall turkey season. The question asks if the turkey season should be extended to include the Monday following the nine-day gun deer season through Dec. 31 in turkey management zones 1-5 for a period of two years. Zones 6 and 7 in northern Wisconsin would be excluded.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Thiede, DNR Conservation Congress liaison, (608) 266-0580 or Kari Lee-Zimmerman, legal associate, (608) 266-2952.
Wisconsin presents its draft impaired waters list for 2008 to the public for comment
MADISON – The draft 2008 list of Wisconsin lakes and rivers with documented pollution problems is available for public comment beginning today, Feb. 19, 2008. To comply with the Clean Water Act, the Department of Natural Resources must submit the list to the federal government.
The draft 2008 list and other associated information can be found at: [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/wqs/303d/303d.html].
Public comments will be accepted through March 19, 2008, and can be mailed to the Wisconsin DNR Impaired Waters Program - WT/3, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, or e-mailed to DNRImpairedWaters@wisconsin.gov.
“This list reflects the best information available to us at this time,” says Bob Masnado, who leads the Department’s Water Evaluation Section. “We’ll use it to set priorities for our work in restoring lakes and rivers. We encourage you to read the list and the methods we used to evaluate our waters, and give us your feedback in writing.”
The federal Clean Water Act requires states to submit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a list of impaired waters every two years that identifies the reason(s) why the lake or river segment is not supporting a quality fish community, swimming or many other recreational uses. The DNR is required to identify those pollutants causing water quality problems and their sources and then set the maximum amount allowed to still support a healthy water body.
Wisconsin’s draft 2008 list notes a change in status for an additional 50 lakes and river segments out of the state’s 15,081 lakes and 42,000 miles of perennially flowing rivers, according to Masnado.
Scuppernong River in Waukesha County is proposed to be removed from the list because of improved water quality. DNR removed an earthen dam in 1993 and the agency’s subsequent stream habitat restoration work has brought trout back to the area.
Thirty-five waters will be added to the list for the first time, largely reflecting increased beach monitoring and identification of waters with degraded water quality caused by sediment and phosphorus pollution.
Airborne mercury from power plants and other sources remain the most common pollutant; this is why Gov. Jim Doyle has pledged to reduce mercury by 90 percent in Wisconsin and has directed DNR to develop rules to achieve that goal.
“Sedimentation,” is the second most common pollutant. It occurs when soil carried in runoff from farms, construction sites and urban surface areas decreases water quality, covers fish spawning beds and causes other problems.
The third most common pollutant is excessive levels of phosphorus and other nutrients in the water. Such pollution can result from natural causes, or from human activity such as fertilizing fields or lawns, and it can cause nuisance algal blooms.
Accordingly, in the most recent budget, Governor Doyle increased bonding to give the state increased resources to address critical run-off problems.
Waters added for the first time largely reflect increased beach monitoring
DNR proposes adding two dozen beaches to the list, including nine beaches on the Madison chain of lakes, based on a trend of elevated bacteria levels in monitoring results from 2005, 2006 and 2007.
“Adding these beaches to the 2008 list is merely a reflection of how increased monitoring has helped document what’s probably been a historical bacteria problem at these beaches,” Masnado says. He notes local and state officials have already taken action to address this and other water quality concerns. Just last week, Dane County, the City of Madison, and DNR announced the Yahara Clean initiative to address the water quality of the Madison Lakes.
Wisconsin was the first state to meet federal requirements for regularly monitoring coastal beaches for bacteria. Since 2003, state and local governments in Wisconsin have been regularly testing about 115 public beaches on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior for bacteria as part of the federal BEACH Act of 2000.
Another group of additions to the impaired water list reflects efforts by the DNR and local leaders to lay the foundation for developing a management plan to address degraded water quality in Lower Fox River basin waters. Waters there are impaired by soil and phosphorus pollution.
New fish data spurs changes to listings for waters previously identified as impaired
New fish contaminant data is reflected in three major changes and more than a dozen minor changes to the list.
• Robert’s Lake in Forest County is proposed for removal for mercury because recent mercury testing verified that concentrations of mercury in fish are adequately covered by the statewide general fish consumption advice.
• Spider-Clear Lake in Sawyer County is proposed to be added for the first time because recent testing found high mercury levels in fish. Since 2006, people eating fish caught from the water have needed to follow specific, more stringent consumption advice than the statewide recommendations. [link to
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/consumption/].
• Pools 3, 4, 5, 5a and 6 on the Mississippi River, already on the impaired waters list for other pollutants, have an added pollutant problem from a chemical used in products to resist heat, oils, stains, grease and water. Levels of this chemical, perflourooctane sulfanate, found in fish required Minnesota and Wisconsin to strengthen fish consumption advice in 2007.
More than a dozen other waters are proposed to have mercury or PCBs removed from the list as a pollutant because of changes in how DNR determines which waters are on the impaired waters list and how it issues consumption advice, not necessarily that contaminant levels in the fish have decreased, Masnado says. Fish from these waters still carry the general statewide consumption advice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Masnado (608) 267-7662
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 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).*
February 20
• Ice fishing shelters must be removed from Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters.*
February 24
• Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season closes unless season is closed earlier due to spearers reaching harvest caps.
February 28
• Cottontail rabbit season closes in northern and southern zones.*
• Mink trapping season closes in the northern, central and southern zones.
March 1
• Early catch-and-release only trout season opens statewide, with exception of spring ponds and Great Lakes tributaries; barbless hooks required. Season runs to midnight April 29.
• Ice fishing shelters must be removed from Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters.*
• Lake trout season opens on Lake Michigan, Green Bay & Lake Michigan tributaries through Oct. 31.*
March 2
• The fishing season for all game species closes on inland waters that do not remain open all year. Check the current fishing regulations for waters that remain open to fishing.
• The game fish season closes on tributary streams and ditches of Green Bay and the Fox River up to the first dam or lake (except yellow perch is open until March 15). There is an exception to this closure for portions of 9 major Green Bay Tributaries. Check the current fishing regulations for waters that remain open to fishing.
March 5
• Ice fishing shelters must be removed from inland waters south of Highway 64.*
March 10
• 2008-2009 hunting and fishing licenses go on sale.
March 15
• Ice fishing shelters must be removed from Lake Michigan, Green Bay, Lake Superior, inland lakes north of Highway 64, and Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters.*
• Yellow perch season closes on Green Bay and its tributary streams and the Fox River from the mouth up to the De Pere Dam.*
• Beaver trapping season closes in the Mississippi River zone.
March 20
• Winter crow season closes.*
March 28
• Remaining permits not issued through the spring turkey permit drawing will be available for sale beginning at 10 a.m. on a first-come, first served basis through license sales outlets, and DNR service centers. In addition, licenses can be purchased on line through the DNR Web site or by phone at 1-877-945-4236.beginning at noon. A complete list of units with the number of permits is available on the DNR Web site at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cs/springturkey/index.html].
March 31
• Hunting, fishing, sports, and conservation patron licenses expire.*
• Otter trapping season closes in central and southern zone.
• Trout season opens on designated sections of some Lake Superior tributaries. See the current Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide for more information. NOTE: There is an error in the 2007-2008 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide pertaining to the open season date for some Lake Superior tributary streams. Those streams listed under the "Specific Waters Listed By County" section for Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, and Iron Counties that show an "Open Season" date of March 21 are incorrect. The correct Open Season date for these streams should be March 31.
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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
February 20 – Pursuant to § 283.49, Wisconsin Statutes, an open house and informational hearing regarding the proposed issuance of Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit WI0063771-01 for Didion Ethanol LLC will occur at the Cambria Community Center, 115 W. Edgewater St., Cambria. The Open House is 4:30 to 6 p.m. and the Informational Hearing is at 6:30 p.m. Didion Ethanol LLC (Didion) proposes to construct an ethanol production facility located at State Highway 146 and Cabbage Road, part of the NE1/4 of the SW1/4, Section 5, T12N, R12E, Town of Courtland, Columbia County, Wisconsin. Discharge would be to a tributary to the North Branch of Duck Creek, in the Duck Creek and Rocky Run Watershed (LW20), Lower Wisconsin Basin. Didion proposes to process 18.2 million bushels of corn annually and produce 50 million gallons of denatured fuel grade ethanol and 165,000 tons of dried distillers’ grain with solubles per year. The ethanol production process will require Didion to use an average of 315 gallons per minute of water to be supplied from two new high capacity wells. A portion of this water will be directed to a multimedia filter followed by a reverse osmosis (RO) System which will supply purified water to the start of the ethanol production process. Water from the high capacity wells will also supply the non-contact cooling water towers. Didion proposes to discharge non-process wastewater, composed of an estimated maximum of 11,520 gallons per day (gpd) of filter back wash, 70,560 gpd RO system reject water and 128,160 gpd of cooling tower bleed, to an unnamed tributary of the North Branch of Duck Creek. The proposed new wastewater discharge to surface water requires a WPDES individual permit, which is a Type II action under NR 150, Wisconsin Administrative Code, requiring preparation of an Environmental Assessment. Department staff will be available to answer questions regarding the various DNR permit requirements that apply to the proposed project. Citizens can submit written or verbal comments on the Environmental Assessment at the Open House. They can also submit written comments on the Draft WPDES permit during this time. The purpose of the informational hearing is to give all interested persons an opportunity to make an oral statement or submit a written comment regarding the Draft WPDES permit for the proposed new wastewater discharge. For information contact Keri Behm, DNR Bureau of Watershed Management at (608) 266-3291.
February 25 - A public informational hearing for the purpose of giving all interested persons an opportunity to make a statement with respect to the proposed reissuance of Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit No.WI-0020745-8 for the Algoma Wastewater Treatment Facility located at 179 N. 6th St., Algoma will be held at 1 pm at the Kewaunee Administration Center, 810 Lincoln Street, Kewaunee. Discharge is to the Ahnapee River in Kewaunee County. The City of Algoma owns and operates a wastewater treatment facility that receives domestic wastewater as well as waste loads from three industries. The facility is designed to treat an annual average flow of 1.0 million gallons per day (MGD) and currently discharges 0.48 MGD on average. Treatment is provided by an activated sludge process followed by tertiary filtration. Phosphorus removal by alum addition and year round disinfection by ultraviolet radiation are also provided. Sludge is anaerobically digested and stored on-site until land applied. People wishing to comment on or object to the proposed permit action are invited to do so by attending the public hearing or by submitting any comments or objections in writing to the Department of Natural Resources. More information, including a copy of the proposed permit, is available for downloading at the WPDES Public Notices web page:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/ww/drafts/pubnot.htm and for inspection at the Department of Natural Resources, Northeast Regional Headquarters, 2984 Shawano Ave., PO Box 10448, Green Bay, WI 54307-0448; or contact Richard Sachs at (920) 662-5176, or by e-mail at richard.sachs@wisconin.gov.
February 27 - A contested case hearing in the matter of the application for an expansion of a loading apron on Lake Michigan by Washington Island Ferry Line, Inc., Town of Liberty Grove, Door County, Wisconsin will commence at 9 a.m. in the Friend’s Room (Basement) at the Door County Library, 107 South 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay. It will continue, if necessary, on February 28, 2008, at the same location. For information contact the Division of Hearings and Appeals at (608) 266-7709.
Meetings
February 19 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – The full Task Force will meet from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the Main Conference Room at Wisconsin Public Power, Inc., 1425 Corporate Center Drive, Sun Prairie. The agenda includes: a discussion of the Interim Report, a presentation on the modeling process, updates from ad-hoc and work groups and a review of next steps. 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.
February 20 - The DNR Division of Forestry’s Private Land Management Specialist Team will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center, 473 Griffith Ave., Wisconsin Rapids, regarding: discussion and decisions on revisions to the Managed Forest/Forest Crop Law Cutting Notice and Report Form, report out on Cooperating Forest Sub Team meeting and the annual Cooperating Foresters meeting, methods for notifying DNR and Cooperating Foresters of recent handbook and rule changes relating to and other private forestry related issues. For more information contact Carol Nielsen, Private Forestry Specialist, at (608) 267-7508.
February 21 - The Wisconsin Department of Administration and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will hold a town hall meeting to help develop the scope for a comprehensive feasibility study to analyze the way the state heats and cools state agency buildings and the UW-Madison campus. The meeting will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in Room G09, GEF 2, 101 S. Webster Street, Madison. Last November the Department of Administration and the University of Wisconsin entered into agreements with the Department of Natural Resources and the Sierra Club to complete a feasibility study on the Charter Street Heating Plant and other power plants in Madison. The agreements were filed with the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (Case Number 07-C-0251). The state-owned power plants include the Charter Street Heating Plant, the Walnut Street Heating Plant, the West Campus Cogeneration Facility and the Capitol Heat & Power Plant. MGE’s Blount Street Plant will also be considered in the study. The state-owned facilities mainly provide steam to heat and cool state agency buildings and the UW campus in Madison. The public is invited to provide input and help develop the scope of the study. The town hall meeting will include a formal presentation, displays regarding different options and an open forum for the public to provide comments. The agenda includes: 5 p.m. self-guided review of displays; 5:45 p.m. informational presentation; 6 p.m. open forum; 7 p.m. revisit displays; 7:45 p.m. wrap-up. Any questions regarding the town hall meeting should be directed to the Department of Administration at (608) 266-1855 or the University of Wisconsin at (608) 262-9406.
February 22 – The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at UW-Stevens Point in Dreyfus Student Union (Building 40) Room 378, Stevens Point. The Council will be discussing best ways to preserve, protect, expand and improve Wisconsin’s urban and community forest resources. For more information contact Laura Wyatt at – (608) 267-0568.
February 25 – A meeting to discuss citizen recommendations aimed at improving waterfowl management and the quality of waterfowl hunting on the George W. Mead Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the new Stanton W. Mead Education and Visitor Center located on the Mead Wildlife Are, seven miles north of Milladore at S2148 County Highway S. Waterfowl hunters and other interested individuals will have an opportunity to review and discuss changes to the waterfowl harvest and refuge management program that were recommended at a public meeting held in April 2007. The meeting will include a review of the recently approved Wisconsin Waterfowl Strategic Plan and discussion of possible methods to increase migratory waterfowl use, increase the diversity of protected feeding areas, hold birds longer, reduce hunter concentrations and to provide a higher quality hunting opportunities on the Mead Wildlife Area. Participants will also discuss setting up work groups to finalize their recommendations for potential implementation. For information contact Tom Meier, DNR wildlife biologist, at 715-457-6771.
February 27 - The DNR Division of Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Water Quality Advisory Committee will be meeting from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the 2008 BMP monitoring cycle, review mapping of vernal pools and discuss resulting adaptations to forest management in Kettle Moraine State Forest. For more information, contact Carmen Wagner at 608-266-16677 or Carmen1.Wagner@Wisconsin.gov.
March 4 – The second meeting of the Phosphorus Criteria Advisory Committee will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street in Madison. The specific room will be listed the day of the meeting in the Memorial Union’s “Today in the Union” announcements. The purpose of the committee is to advise the Department on promulgating phosphorus criteria for water quality standards that will apply to Wisconsin lakes, reservoirs, streams and rivers. Development of these criteria is required by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. For more information, please contact Jim Baumann (608) 266-9277.
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/
