Friday, February 7, 2014
23rd annual Kids' Ice Fishing Clinics set for Saturday, Feb. 8
MILWAUKEE - Kids 15-years-old and younger can discover the fun of ice fishing at the 23rd annual Kids' Ice Fishing Clinics on Saturday, Feb.8, at park ponds and lagoons in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.
The free clinics will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants receive instruction on the proper use of equipment and techniques, knot tying, safety and much more. The clinics last 45 minutes and begin every hour on the hour starting at 9 a.m., with the last one starting at 2 p.m. If the weather and ice conditions allow, kids will be able to fish after receiving the classroom instruction.
"These clinics are an excellent way to introduce youngsters to the sport of fishing and a perfect opportunity for families that want to enjoy some of the outdoor recreational activities that Wisconsin has to offer," says Matt Coffaro, Department of Natural Resources urban fish biologist. "It's the dedication of volunteers from the local fishing clubs that make it all work."
The clinics represent a cooperative effort by the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, Milwaukee County Parks, the Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery, and the Department of Natural Resources.
No pre-registration is necessary for the clinics. Equipment and snacks will be provided and it's all free; just dress warm. As in past years, the classroom instruction will occur regardless of weather and ice conditions on Feb. 8, with the actual ice fishing portion of the clinics dependent on the day's conditions. For more information call the DNR Urban Fishing Hotline at 414- 263-8494 or DNR Urban Fish Biologist Matt Coffaro at 414- 263-8614. The locations for the clinics and the sponsoring fishing clubs follow:
Milwaukee County
Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave., hosted by Great Lakes Sport Fishermen & Milwaukee Casting Club
McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland, a wheelchair accessible site, with clinic hosted by Southside Sportsmen Club
McGovern Park, 5400 N. 51st St., a wheelchair accessible site, with clinic hosted by Okauchee Fishing Club
Scout Lake, 5902 W. Loomis Road, a wheelchair accessible site, hosted by Walleyes Unlimited
Wilson Park, 1601 W. Howard Ave., hosted by Wisconsin Fishing Club
Waukesha County
Menomonee Park/Lannon Quarry, Townline Road, (1/2 mile north of Good Hope Road, Menomonee Falls), hosted by Badger Fishermen's League
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Draft master plan for the Green Bay wildlife, fisheries and natural areas available for public input
PESHTIGO, Wis. - Protection of aquatic resources and habitats - including northern pike and sturgeon spawning areas - and high-quality and rare natural communities are among the objectives of a draft plan for the management and use of the Green Bay Planning group, a collection of Department of Natural Resources properties scattered along the west shore of Green Bay.
The public will have an opportunity to review and comment on the Green Bay Planning Group Draft Master Plan and Environmental Assessment at an upcoming public meeting scheduled for January 29 in Oconto.
The draft plan describes proposed future land management strategies, recreational opportunities, and boundary modifications for the properties, which include wildlife areas, fisheries area and State Natural Areas. The following properties are covered by the planning process: the 11 units of the Green Bay West Shore Wildlife Area - Charles Pond, Little Tail, Long Tail, Oconto Marsh, Peats Lake, Pecor Point, Pensaukee, Peshtigo Harbor, Rush Point, Sensiba and Tibbett-Suamico; the Badger Gift Lands, a 757-acre parcel adjacent to and north of the Peshtigo Harbor Unit of the Green Bay West Shore Wildlife Area that was given to the DNR as part of a 2002 consent decree with the Fort James Operating Company as part of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment for the Fox River; Bloch Oxbow State Natural Area; and other scattered wildlife and fisheries lands.
Highlights of proposed management include:
- Continued emphasis on management of coastal wetlands, including emergent marsh, sedge meadow, bottomland and swamp hardwoods, shrub swamps and riverine habitats.
- Protection and management of aquatic resources and habitats, including northern pike and sturgeon spawning areas, and game and non-game fisheries.
- Protection and management of high-quality and regionally rare natural communities such as southern sedge meadow, floodplain forest, northern dry mesic forest, Great Lakes barrens and oak woodlands that harbor rare species.
- Continued emphasis on traditional outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, fishing and trapping.
- Improvements to an existing shooting range.
- Identification and development of additional opportunities for shore fishing, accessible hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, paddling and cross-country skiing.
- Modifications to existing project boundaries including 335 acres of boundary contractions and 2,891 acres of expansions, 980 acres of which are already in DNR ownership.
- Continued collaborations with private landowners, local governments and conservation organizations on shared stewardship, management and recreation goals.
The DNR also has received a request from a local snowmobile club to route a connector trail from the Marinette County snowmobile trail network across a portion of the Peshtigo Harbor Unit in order to access Green Bay and is seeking public comment on this proposal.
A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 29 from 6-8 p.m. at the Oconto High School auditorium, 1717 Superior Avenue, Oconto.
The meeting agenda is as follows: open house with informational displays available and staff present for one-on-one questions and discussion, 6-6:45 p.m.; formal presentation providing an overview of the draft plan, 6:45-7 p.m.; formal question-and-answer period 7-7:15 p.m.; additional open house and one-on-one questions and discussion, 7:15-8 p.m.
The proposed action is not anticipated to result in significant adverse environmental effects. The DNR has made a preliminary determination that an environmental impact statement will not be required.
The Draft Master Plan and Environmental Assessment, along with maps and other background information, will be available for viewing at the public meeting. They can also be viewed online by searching the DNR website dnr.wi.gov, for keywords "Green Bay master plan."
The Draft Master Plan and Environmental Assessment will also be available for review at the DNR Green Bay Service Center, DNR Peshtigo Service Center and at the Peshtigo Public Library, Farnsworth Public Library in Oconto and Brown County Library, Weyers-Hilliard Branch, in Green Bay.
Comments or questions about these documents can be offered at the public meeting, online through the master planning page of the DNR website or submitted to: John Huff by mail at 101 N. Ogden Road, Suite A, Peshtigo, WI 54157, by phone at 715-582-5047, or by email at john.huff@wisconsin.gov; or Yoyi Steele by mail at 101 S. Webster Street, WM/6, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, by phone at 608-266-8169, or by email at yoyi.steele@wisconsin.gov
The public may submit comments through February 28, 2014.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
2013 WCSFO Fall Meeting Announcement
WCSFO members – mark your calendars now to attend the 2013 WCSFO Fall Meeting on October 19th at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Walleyes for Tomorrow Office located at 224 Auburn St. Fond Du Lac, WI. More information will follow.
The Council has two meeting per year, one in Spring and one in Fall.
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