Wisconsin DNR NEWS January 22, 2008Winnebago sturgeon spearers look forward to a good season
Proper preparation is key for comfort camping in the cold
State parks, forests offer variety of winter camping options
Conservation area for endangered butterfly may be reduced
Winter a good time to prune trees
Winnebago sturgeon spearers look forward to a good season
OSHKOSH, Wis. – Sturgeon spearers are hoping the ice cover created on the Winnebago pool lakes by December’s cold weather will hold and provide good travel conditions for the Feb. 9 opening day for the two spearing seasons, the Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes seasons.
Travel conditions on the ice and water clarity are the two primary factors that affect spearer success rate, according to Ron Bruch, Department of Natural Resources fisheries team supervisor stationed in Oshkosh.
As of Jan. 12, Lake Winnebago had an average of 11 inches of ice and the Upriver Lakes had 13 to 15 inches. Some areas have less than 2 inches of ice exist due to under-ice currents, shoals and the January thaw. People venturing on the ice are advised to be extremely careful and make sure they know exactly how much ice exists in the area they plan to travel.
Early reports indicate that water clarity ranges from excellent to fair, although spearers will be more interested in water clarity reports the week before the seasons begin at 6:30 a.m. Feb. 9. Spearers are allowed to cut their holes and set their shacks beginning Feb. 7. Season regulations are available on the fishing regulations pages of the DNR Web site at
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/regulations/2008 Up River lakes season
The 2008 spearing season will also include the second annual lottery spear fishery on the Upriver Lakes -- Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Poygan -- upstream of Lake Winnebago. Participation in this fishery is limited to 500 spearers selected through a random drawing from applicants. During the inaugural season in 2007, the 485 people who purchased an Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing license enjoyed a 65 percent success rate in a very high quality fishery.
“Spearers were very happy in 2007 with the new Upriver Lakes sturgeon lottery fishery, and with the full 16-day season on Lake Winnebago,” Bruch said. “The ice and water clarity conditions were just right to give the spearers a nice long season without resulting in an overharvest.”
The great experience of those who participated in the 2007 Upriver Lakes lottery fishery encouraged significantly more people to put their name in the hat for the 2008 season. There were a total of 3,902 applicants for the 500 spots, up from the 2,795 who applied for the 2007 season.
The Upriver Lakes system also runs through Feb. 24 unless the pre-set harvest cap for the Upriver Lakes is reached or the pre-set Winnebago System-wide harvest cap is reached, whichever comes first.
Lake Winnebago season
License sales for the fishery on Lake Winnebago are not limited because the overall harvest can be effectively managed by the harvest cap system. The DNR sold 8,759 spearing licenses for the Lake Winnebago 2008 sturgeon fishery including 130 non-resident licenses. This is up 10 percent from the 2007 season when 7,902 licenses were sold for Lake Winnebago. System-wide, Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes harvest caps for the 2008 season are 556 juvenile females, 556 adult females, and 1,000 males.
The Lake Winnebago season runs through Feb. 24 unless the pre-set harvest cap for the system is reached or for Lake Winnebago alone is reached, whichever comes first.
The lake sturgeon population in the Winnebago System has been improving over the last 15 years as the result of a series of regulation changes designed to maintain the annual harvest at a safe level and to allow the number of large adult female fish to expand after a period of serious overharvest in the early 1990s.
“We are very proud of the world-class fishery we have been able to maintain here for lake sturgeon on the Winnebago System,” Bruch said. “Our sturgeon program is considered a world model for effective sturgeon population and harvest management.”
The DNR has maintained a proactive sturgeon population and harvest assessment program on the Winnebago System since the 1940s. The long-term data base is invaluable for monitoring sturgeon population trends over time related to harvest and population management decisions.
VHS not found in sturgeon from Lake Winnebago system
Sturgeon spearing participants will be glad to know that a new fish disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia or VHS for short, hasn’t been found in sturgeon from the Lake Winnebago system. VHS, which is not a human health threat but can cause fish to bleed to death, was discovered last May in drum from the Lake Winnebago system. To date, lake sturgeon have not been found to be vulnerable to VHS, although more than two dozen North American fish species are vulnerable to the disease.
DNR staff tested 40 lake sturgeon in February 2007 for VHS and all tests were negative, as was the result for an additional sturgeon tested in August. “We will be testing another 40 or so fish again during the 2008 spearing season for VHS,” Bruch says.
He adds that the DNR “has not seen any unusual numbers of dead or dying sturgeon in the Winnebago System since we found VHS in drum last May.”
There are new statewide rules to stop the spread of VHS. [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs/vhs_rules.html] These rules will not impact sturgeon spearing since no fish or bait are moved live from the lakes.
Spearers are reminded it is illegal to possess a fishing pole, hook and line, angling equipment or other similar devices in an ice fishing tent, shanty or other ice fishing enclosure with ice holes larger than 12 inches in diameter or square.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Bruch, DNR fisheries biologist - (920) 424-3059 or Todd Schaller, DNR law enforcement supervisor - (920) 424-3055
State parks, forests offer variety of winter camping options
MADISON -- Having a state park campground nearly to oneself may sound like a dream to someone accustomed to visiting their favorite park on a summer weekend, but for those hearty enough to try their hand at winter camping, park officials say, it is more the norm.
More than 30 Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreational areas offer winter camping opportunities, ranging from backpack camping to family campsites with or without electricity.
All the parks open to winter camping have water available and open toilet facilities; some parks offer electrical hookups. Campers can check the winter camping page on the Department of Natural Resources Web site
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/reservation/winter.htm or contact the parks directly to see if they offer electrical sites in the winter. At some park and forest campgrounds, campsites are plowed out to provide access to recreational vehicles, other parks just plow roads through campgrounds.
During winter, most campsites are available on first come, first served basis, but others may be reserved ahead of time. The winter camping page indicates which parks accept reservations, which can be made by calling 1-888-WI-PARKS (1-888-947-2757).
Both the northern and southern units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest offer primitive campsites with shelters. The shelters have a roof and three sides with dirt or gravel floors. Campers must carry in their gear and water. Many campers ski or snowshoe to the shelters. Anyone interested in staying in one of the shelters must register at the forest offices and pay a camping fee. Interested campers should reserve a shelter at least a week in advance for a nominal reservation fee to ensure an opening, because the shelters are often full on weekends, even in winter.
For those who truly want a rustic winter camping experience, several of the northern state forests -- such as the Northern Highland/American Legion, Flambeau River and Brule River -- issue backpack camping permits that allow campers to venture out to find their own ideal site to camp. For their own safety, all backpack campers must register at the main office for the forest in which they intend to camp before beginning their excursion. Most forest offices are closed on weekends during the winter.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Wisconsin State Parks – - (608) 266-2181
Proper preparation is key for comfort camping in the cold
By James Bishop, DNR public affairs manager and avid winter camper, Spooner
SPOONER, Wis. -- With the right equipment and clothes winter can be a great time for camping. There are no crowds or bugs, and there's the fun of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, animal tracking, bird watching, and ice fishing. Preparing to winter camp starts with the shelter.
Specialized “four season” tents designed for winter can be purchased or a summer tent will serve the purpose but not as well. The tent should be the “free standing” type as pounding stakes into frozen ground can be difficult. Only use heavy metal spikes for staking, not plastic. Campers can push snow around the sides of the tent to hold it in place.
Keep the tent open and vented, as body moisture will condense ice crystals on the walls, which can be a nuisance when they fall.
A good sleeping bag system is a must for any winter camp. Winter campers can either purchase a goose down or synthetic sleeping bag rated to at least minus 30 degrees or they can put one heavy summer sleeping bag inside of another. If the summer bags do not have a mummy type hood and drawstring campers should wear a hat and gloves.
A closed-cell sleeping pad underneath the sleeping back will help insulate the sleeper from the cold ground, and a plastic or waterproof sheet under the pad will keep any water or snow away from the bag.
A couple of chemical hand warmers tossed into the bag before crawling in can also make the difference in getting a good nights sleep. They will pre-warm the bag and can be used on cold spots in the night.
Preparing meals also poses special challenges in the cold.
Winter campers should plan easy to prepare meals. As no refrigeration is needed, meat and vegetable based meals can be wrapped in tin foil and cooked or re-heated on a fire. Pre-made pasta and cereal dishes placed in special “boiling bags” can be reheated in hot water. With tin foil and boiling bag meals, there are also few dishes to wash – just remember camping etiquette and be prepared to pack out all waste.
Cooking gear need only consists of a one or two gallon pot for boiling water, an insulated mug, a spoon, and a bowl. For those who dislike cooking over wood fires there are pack-able fuel stoves. Bring extra fuel as it takes about ten cups of snow to yield a cup of water.
Stay hydrated and warm
Dry winter air means it is especially important to keep the body hydrated. Water can be kept from freezing by carrying it in either a wineskin type bota or a plastic bottle placed inside of a jacket either on a shoulder strap or in an inside pocket. Make sure the container has seal tight cap.
Keeping warm depends on clothing, and the key word for winter camping is "layering." Start with polypropylene or other synthetic underwear tops and bottoms. Next a wool shirt and pants followed by a nylon wind jacket and pants. Lastly have a parka or heavy coat.
Layering allows winter campers to shed clothes when physical activity demands and to add warmth when relaxing. It is best to bring several hats, gloves and mittens to replace those that get wet. Chopper mitts are required for extreme cold and work well for holding hot foods.
Purchase the warmest and lightest boots available and big enough for two pair of heavy wool socks. Take along a spare pair of boots.
Other winter gear includes a headlamp with extra batteries, pack saw, sunglasses, pocketknife, waterproof-windproof matches, 12-Hour chemical handwarmers, and a lightweight shovel.
Unless you drive to a campsite you will pack all gear on your back or on a sled or toboggan. Even with a 50-pound load a toboggan is an easy pull across snow and ice.
Winter camping, whether in a campground or remote wilderness at minus 20 below zero or 30 degrees above, can be fun, but only with the right preparation and gear.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Bishop – (715) 635-4242
Monitoring finds area covered by endangered butterfly conservation plan can be reduced
MADISON – The amount of land that needs to be managed to protect habitat for the Karner blue butterfly – a species listed as endangered federally, but that has one of its largest concentrations in Wisconsin – could be substantially reduced without harming conservation efforts for the species, according to state and federal officials.
The Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan
http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/karner/, completed in 1999, was a successful, groundbreaking conservation agreement pioneered by the Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous public and private land managers to protect this rare butterfly.
The goal of that plan is to protect the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly while allowing land managers to continue operating in and around important Karner blue butterfly habitat provided they modify their activities to minimize incidental loss of the butterflies, according to David Lentz, who coordinates the conservation plan for Wisconsin.
Although the species is rare nationwide, it is relatively common in central and northwestern Wisconsin, especially where pine barrens, oak savannas, and mowed corridors support wild lupine, the only food of the Karner blue caterpillar.
A key element of the plan was a management strategy that would continue to monitor the butterfly’s population and adjust the original area of protection, if justified.
After eight years of monitoring populations under the plan and following completion of a population study by the University of Wisconsin’s Forestry Landscape Ecology Lab, state and federal officials are proposing to reduce the so-called high potential range (HPR) from the original 9 million acres to 1.9 million acres.
“We now have much better and more complete population information than we did in 1999,” Lentz says. “We recognized that we didn’t have all the information we would have liked when the conservation plan was written but we needed to act in order to head off possibly losing this species forever.”
Lentz said the conservation plan included an adaptive management strategy from the start.
“It was understood all along by all the partners that we would adjust the area covered by the plan if it was justified,” he says. “We’re doing that now with full confidence that this adjustment won’t impact our conservation efforts but will maximize use of our resources.”
The 1999 agreement the area originally protected was drawn broadly in order to be sure all possible areas where the endangered butterfly might exist were included according to forestry officials. Once widely distributed across a number of northeast and Great Lakes states, central Wisconsin in 1999 supported the largest known remaining population of the butterfly and presented the best opportunity for preservation and eventual recovery of the species.
Comments on the High Potential Range can be sent to Dave Lentz, Wisconsin DNR, Division of Forestry, PO Box 7921, Madison WI 53707-7921
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Lentz, HCP Coordinator (608) 261-6451
Winter a good time to prune trees
Pruning while trees are dormant can help reduce the spread of oak wilt.
MADISON – Snow shoveling isn’t the only winter yard work home and landowners may want to undertake. Winter is a good time for tree pruning especially on oak trees. Winter pruning greatly reduces the likelihood of spreading oak wilt and other tree diseases and minimizing pruning stress on trees, according to tree health experts.
“I tell people the best time to prune trees in Wisconsin is during the winter, when the tree is dormant, which is before April, for a number of reasons,” said Don Kissinger, an urban forester with the Department of Natural Resources in Wausau. “Insects and diseases that could attack the open wound aren’t present in winter and without leaves, broken, cracked or hanging limbs and branch structure are easy to see and prune.”
Timing is especially critical for pruning oak trees in order to limit the spread of oak wilt, a devastating fungal disease of oaks that has been present in Wisconsin for probably a century or more, according to forest health specialists. The oak wilt fungus spreads from tree to tree by hitchhiking on sap feeding beetles that are attracted to freshly pruned or injured trees and root grafts between neighboring trees.
“Oak wilt causes the water and nutrient conducting channels in the tree to plug up and fail,” explains Kyoko Scanlon, DNR forest health specialist in Fitchburg. “Once a tree is infected, water and stored nutrients can’t move upward from the root system, causing the tree’s leaves to wilt and fall. The tree dies shortly afterward in some species of oak.
“Red oaks, which include red, pin and black oak, are particularly vulnerable to this disease. Once wilting symptoms appear, trees in the red oak group die very quickly, often within a month.”
Oak wilt is found mainly in the southern two-thirds and in the extreme northeast corner of Wisconsin. Prevention is the best defense against this disease say tree experts as the only other treatment options are costly fungicide applications or trenching between healthy and infected trees to sever connected roots
DNR foresters recommend people stop pruning, wounding, or cutting oak trees in the urban setting from April through July (April, May, June, July). A more cautious approach limits pruning until Oct. 1.
“The most critical time for oak wilt infection through insects is the spring and early summer,” Scanlon said. “In some years, spring comes much earlier than we expect. If daytime temperatures begin to reach the 50 degree Fahrenheit mark, stop pruning oak at that time, even if it’s still the middle of March.”
Pruning can be beneficial for trees
Before planning any tree pruning, tree owners should consider some rules designed to help further the health of their trees. Trees should be pruned throughout their entire life, with more attention paid during the first 10 years -- every other or every third year -- to foster strong structural or “scaffold” limbs. Once proper structure is established, pruning can occur less often -- about every five years -- to maintain the structure and remove larger pieces of dead wood.
“Pruning should not take more than 25 percent of the live crown of a tree while the lower third of established trunks of deciduous trees should be free of limbs,” Kissinger said.
Kissinger offered these tips for pruning shade or deciduous trees:
• Remove limbs growing toward the ground.
• Remove limbs that are crossing, rubbing or growing parallel to one another, competing for the same space in the tree crown.
• Remove limbs growing vertically or toward the interior of the tree.
• Remove broken, cracked, diseased or dead limbs.
• Maintain one central trunk or “leader” for as long as possible.
• Never remove so many interior branches that leaves are only present at the outside edge of the tree.
• Never prune a branch flush to the trunk as the large wound reduces the tree’s natural barrier to decay. The cut should begin just outside the branch bark ridge and continue at a slight outward angle until completed.
• Never “top” your trees or allow any tree service to do the same. This leaves the tree vulnerable to decay, sucks energy from the tree and leads to an early tree death.
Communities where oak wilt disease is a problem include Adams, Baraboo, Black River Falls, Durand, Eau Claire, Fort McCoy, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Menomonie, Mosinee, Onalaska, Richland Center, Shawano, Stevens Point, and Waupaca.
Additional information on oak wilt and tree pruning can be found on the DNR’s Forestry Web pages at
http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Kissinger: (715) 359-5793 or Kyoko Scanlon: (608) 275-3275.
OUTDOORS CALENDAR
7*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).*
January 31
• Squirrel season closes.*
• Raccoon season closes*
• Ruffed grouse seasons closes in zone A (northern zone).*
February 15
• Coyote trapping season closes.*
• Red and gray fox gun and trapping seasons close.*
February 9
• Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Season opens. Season runs for 16 days or until the harvest level is reached. Season hours are 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. The season will close after one day if one of the harvest caps is reached. Sturgeon must be registered by 1:30 p.m. the day they are harvested. There are separate, annual spearing seasons for Lake Winnebago and for the system’s upriver lakes of Butte des Mort, Winneconne and Poygan. Previously the Upriver Season occurred only once every five years but was open to anyone who wanted to participate in it and bought a license. Spearers who wanted to participate in the Upriver Lakes season had to submit an application by Aug. 1, 2007. Licenses for the upcoming season must have been purchased by Oct. 31 of the previous year.
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.
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
January 25 & 28 - Pursuant to §§ 227.11(2), 281.15, 283.13 and 283.17, Stats., interpreting §§ 281.15, 283.13 and 283.17, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on the repeal of ch. NR 209, revisions to ch. NR 102 and the creation of subchs. V and VI to ch. NR 106, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to thermal standards for Wisconsin surface waters. The proposed rule will establish water quality standards for temperature (in ch. NR 102) and procedures to calculate water quality-based effluent limitations (in ch. NR 106) to regulate the discharge of heated wastewater to prevent adverse impacts to fish and other aquatic life. Two new subchapters will be created in ch. NR 106: subch. V entitled Effluent Limitations for Temperature and subch. VI entitled Alternative Effluent Limitations for Temperature. Subchapter V specifies data requirements, variance procedures, methods for determining the necessity for and calculation of water quality-based effluent limitations, application of and compliance with the limitations in WPDES permits, and other related limitation and permitting issues. As a primary means of assuring the limitations are water quality-based, the proposed rule takes into account the ambient temperature and flow of a receiving water in the calculation of effluent limitations. The effluent limitation calculation incorporates a mass balance equation, making it equivalent to other codified limit calculation procedures. The mass balance approach enables the determination of the amount of heat that a receiving water can assimilate without adversely affecting fish and aquatic life. Supplemental limits, including those of 120°F to prevent incidental injury (scalding) to humans and of 95°F to protect wetlands, ephemeral streams, and other limited aquatic life waterbodies, are also proposed. Additionally a “cap limit” is to be applied simultaneously with the calculated limit to prevent excessive acute mixing zones. Subchapter VI specifies procedures to determining alternative effluent limitations that may be established for point source discharges with limitations calculated under subch. V that are demonstrated to be more stringent than necessary to assure the protection and propagation of a balanced indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife in and on the body of water into which the discharge is made. The subchapter includes application, compliance schedule and public notice procedures, among others. Subchapter VI replaces ch. NR 209 which is proposed to be repealed. The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted at the following Internet site:
http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov. Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Michael Wenholz, Bureau of Watershed Management, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Comments may be submitted until Feb. 28, 2008. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings. More information or a copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Wenholz. The remaining hearings will be held:
January 25, Madison - 1 p.m. in Room G09, GEF #2 State Office Bldg., 101 S. Webster St.,
January 28, Green Bay - 1 p.m. in the Lake Michigan Room, DNR Northeast Region Hdqrs., 2984 Shawano Ave.
January 30 - 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-0003239-08 for Dairyland Power Coop Genoa located at S4651 State Road 35, Genoa, in Vernon County. Discharge is to the Mississippi River just south of Genoa, Wisconsin. Dairyland Power Cooperative operates an electrical power generating facility just south of Genoa, Wisconsin that consists of 2 units. The hearing will be held Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 5 p.m. in rooms B-19 and B-20, DNR Service Center, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse. Issues to be considered at the hearing are the proposed requirements and effluent limitations of the WPDES permit as they relate to protection of aquatic life in the Mississippi River and protection of the river user’s health and welfare. Pursuant to § 283.39 and 283.49, Wisconsin Statutes, persons 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, at the permit drafter’s address. More information, including a copy of the proposed permit, is available for downloading at the WPDES public notices page and for inspection at the Department of Natural Resources, WPDES Permits - 3nd Floor, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI 53707-7921; or contact Jeff Brauer at (608) 267-7643.
February 8 – The Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing from 1 – 2:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Waukesha Public Library, 321 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha, to provide information and receive public comments on the Opus North Corporation permit application and the environmental assessment to construct an air contaminant source in the City of Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The Opus North Corporation has submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources an air pollution control permit application (Permit Number 07-MF-332), including plans and specifications, for the construction and operation of a 54.75 acre retail development located north of West Sunset Drive and west of, but not adjacent to, Sentry Drive. The proposed development includes 15 retail buildings, four restaurants, and one bank. The total size of all fifteen buildings is approximately 477,393 square feet. Surface parking lots for the proposed retail center will have the capacity to accommodate 2,352 vehicles. An air pollution control permit is required pursuant to Chapter NR 411, Wisconsin Administrative Code, as the proposed development will exceed parking space equivalency standard of 999 vehicles and is located in a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). The DNR Bureau of Air Management analyzed information submitted by Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates, Inc. consultant to the Opus North Corporation for the construction of the 54.75 acre retail development and supporting surface parking area and has preliminarily determined that the project will meet applicable criteria for permit approval as stated in section 285.63, Wisconsin Statutes, including the ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide, and should, therefore, be approved. The DNR has prepared an environmental assessment for this project, pursuant to Chapter NR 150, Wis. Admin. Code, which identifies the anticipated impacts of the project. DNR has made a preliminary determination that this proposed project will not have an adverse effect on the environment and an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. This recommendation does not represent approval from other DNR sections, which may also require a review of the project. Information, including the applicant's plans and air quality analysis and the DNR's preliminary analysis and environmental assessment regarding this proposal, is available for public inspection at the Bureau of Air Management, Department of Natural Resources on the 7th floor of the State of Wisconsin Building, 101 South Webster Street, Madison, Wisconsin or the DNR Waukesha Service Center, 141 NW Barstow St., Room 180, Waukesha. In lieu of, or in addition, written comments will be accepted from the public regarding the proposed air control permit and/or environmental assessment for the construction of the Shoppes at Fox River retail development. These comments will be considered in the final decision regarding this project. Written comments will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the hearing. Interested persons wishing to comment on the preliminary determination and/or environmental assessment should submit written comments by Feb. 15, 2008 to: Mike Friedlander, DNR Bureau of Air Management, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. For more information contact Mike Friedlander at - (608) 267-0806.
Meetings
January 22 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – Technical Advisory Group will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Board Room, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation, 431 Charmany Dr., Madison. The agenda includes a review of the refined reference case, and a review and finalization of recommendations for data collection. 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.
January 22 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – Ad-hoc Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal Work Group will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in room 613 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.
January 22-23 - The State Natural Resources Board [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/agenda/index.html] will meet in Room G09, of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 South Webster St., Madison. For information contact Laurie J. Ross, Natural Resources Board Liaison, at (608) 267-7420.
January 23 - The first public meeting for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) will be held in the Board Room at the Grand Chute Town Hall in Grand Chute. There will be two available sessions to attend: 2:30 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m.. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the TMDL development process and proposed water quality targets for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay TMDL. There will be a short formal presentation, followed by an open house for people to ask questions. The public will have 30 days following the meeting to comment on the scope of work and water quality targets being considered for the TMDL. For more information, please contact Nicki Richmond at (608)-266-0152 or nicole.richmond@wisconsin.gov.
January 23 - The DNR Migratory Game Bird Committee will be having a meeting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Comfort Suites Hotel, N5780 Kinney Road, Hwy 78 South, Portage. The group will discuss mourning dove management and wetlands management, among other topics. For more information, please contact Kim Benton, DNR Assistant Migratory Game Bird Ecologist, at (608) 261-6458.
January 23 – Milwaukee River Revitalization Council Meeting 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Mequon Nature Preserve, Mequon. Agenda includes: Milwaukee Regional Partnership Initiative/MRRC Cooperation; Kinnickinnic River Remediation Projects, & Kinnickinnic River Sediment Cleanup. For more information, contact Matthew Aho at (414)-263-8586.
January 25 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming – The full Task Force will meet from 9 am to 2:45 pm in the Main Conference Room at Wisconsin Public Power, Inc., 1425 Corporate Center Drive, Sun Prairie. The agenda includes: presentation and approval of the reference case, status update on the Carbon Tax/Cap & Trade Work Group, reports from the Low Income, Co-Generation and Waste Recovery ad-hoc groups and on the Sustainability templates, review of outstanding issues for other Work Groups and discussion of an interim report. 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.
January 26 - The Chronic Wasting Disease Stakeholder Advisory group will meet from 9a.m. - 2p.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 finalize the report to the Department, evaluate the process used to develop recommendations, and discuss opportunities for participation in the rule making process. For more information, contact Alan Crossley, DNR CWD project manager, at (608) 266-5463 or Alan.Crossley@Wisconsin.gov.
January 28 - The Mid-Kettle Moraine Partners Group will meet from 9 a.m. until noon at the Village of Slinger Community Hall, 300 Slinger Road, Slinger. The Mid-Kettle Moraine Partners Group is a group of individuals representing governments, private nonprofit conservation agencies and others interested in the Mid-Kettle Moraine. The purpose of the meeting will be to continue to discuss activities related to the Partners Group education and outreach activities and to share information on members activities. For additional information please contact Paulette Harder at (414) 263-8525 or (262) 255-0227
January 30 - The Deer Committee will meet at 10 a.m. in the meeting room at the Wausau Gander Mountain store, 1560 County Trunk Hwy XX, Rothschild. The main topic of the agenda will be covering the steps in the Deer Management Unit (DMU) review process. Administrative Code calls for a review of DMU boundaries and population goals every three years. For more information, please contact Jason Fleener at (608) 261-7589.
January 31 - The DNR wolf science committee will meet from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin State Patrol office, 2805 Martin Ave., Wausau. The committee will discuss: wolf shooting permits and developing a new form for these; current use of proactive control areas; modifications or updates needed for depredation control guidelines; new wolf population modeling for Wisconsin; and questions on wolf management that will appear at the spring conservation hearings. For information contact Arian P. Wydeven, DNR Mammalian Ecologist/ Conservation Ecologist at (715) 762-1363.
February 1 – The Phosphorus Criteria Advisory Committee will meet for its first time from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in room G09 of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison. The purpose of the meeting 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.
February 6 & 7 - The DNR Silviculture Specialist Team will meet at 10 a.m. at the Prairie Inn & Suites, 3913 Circle Drive, Holmen, regarding chapters and issues pertinent to the Silviculture Handbook, including oak & central hardwoods chapters, deer management, marking guidelines, team progress/ work plan, and other issues. A field trip will look at timber management at Hardies Creek Demo Forest. For more information, contact Julie Peltier at (262) 670-3404.
February 8 - The Wisconsin Diesel Workgroup will meet 9:30 a.m. to noon in the WHEDA conference room (1st floor) of the Tommy Thompson Building, 201 W. Washington Ave., 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.
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/
