February 13, 2009 - TOP STORIES
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Lake Mille Lacs safe harvest levels set
Minnesota adults fish free with kids during holiday weekend
Partners receive grant to focus on Mississippi River
Firearm sales continue upward in January
New regs for Inguadona, Rice
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Lake Mille Lacs safe harvest levels set
Every year fisheries experts from the Minnesota DNR and the eight Chippewa bands meet in January
DNR News
Safe fish harvest levels have been set at Lake Mille Lacs for the 2009 fishing season.
The safe harvest of walleye has been set at 541,000 pounds, up from 430,000 pounds last fishing season. The state’s allocation is 414,500 pounds, up from 307,500 pounds last year.
Indian bands that signed the 1837 Treaty will be allocated 126,500 pounds of walleye this fishing season, up from 122,500 pounds last year.
The state’s 2009 walleye harvest may include an overage allowance of up to 5 percent.
The yellow perch and northern pike safe harvest levels are the same as last year. The yellow perch level is 270,000 pounds; the northern pike level is 25,000 pounds. The state’s allocation is 135,000 pounds of yellow perch and 12,500 pounds of northern pike.
Due to low abundance and low incidental harvest in both the tribal and angling fisheries, quotas will not be set for tullibee and burbot. Instead, these species will be monitored, and safe harvest levels will be discussed in the future if abundance, harvest, and fishing interest increase.
Every year fisheries experts from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the eight Chippewa bands meet in January to share information and determine safe harvest levels. “Now that we know what the State’s walleye quota is for 2009, we can evaluate where the winter fishery stands and can evaluate if our current regulation will keep us within our allocation,” said Ron Payer, Minnesota DNR fisheries chief. “And once we have done that, we will meet with the Mille Lacs Fisheries Input Group.”
The current Mille Lacs regulation allows anglers to keep four walleye up to 18 inches, which may include one trophy over 28 inches. Anglers are required to release all walleye from 18 to 28 inches.
Total walleye angling harvest was 76,000 pounds in 2008. The safe harvest level was increased from last year due to low total harvest in 2008.
Minnesota adults fish free with kids during holiday weekend
DNR News
Adult Minnesotans (18 and older) can try ice fishing without purchasing a license if they take a child younger than 16 fishing during Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Weekend, Feb. 14-16.
“This is an opportunity to get outdoors and connect with nature,” said Mike Kurre, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) mentoring program coordinator. “You’ve got the chance to try something new and you just might find something for the frying pan.”
The MinnAqua program also works with the “Ice Team”, a group of manufactures who help educate anglers by providing expert volunteers, hands-on activities and providing equipment for schools, events and mentoring organizations. They also provide ice fishing tips, helpful links, basic ice safety information and fun stuff for kids to keep them busy on the ice.
“There’s no better time to introduce somebody to the world of ice fishing than the long holiday weekend,” Kurre said. “Help a youngster enjoy the beauty of a Minnesota winter and make a lasting memory.”
For more on the MinnAqua program, go to http://mndnr.gov/minnaqua.
There is also a podcast available featuring with DNR’s Mike Kurre and Mike “Smitty” Smith, executive director of the Ice Team, at http://mndnr.gov/news/podcasts. The topic of the program is kids, mentoring and ice fishing. Smith shares his passion, experiences, traditions, ice fishing expertise and discusses his working relationships with mentoring groups, including the MinnAqua program
For more on the Ice Team, go to http://www.iceteam.com
Unlike summertime shore fishing, ice fishing presents some unique challenges. Here are key tips from the DNR’s MinnAqua program http://mndnr.gov/minnaqua/icefishing, which is designed to teach angling recreation and stewardship as well as the ecology and conservation of aquatic habitats.
• Dressing in layers is the best way to deal with winter’s icy chill. Layers keep you warm in even the coldest conditions by creating pockets of warm air and helping moisture evaporate.
• Follow your mom’s advice and wear a hat. Almost 90 percent of your heat escapes through your head.
• Plopping an ice shelter down in the middle of ice shack city on a nearby lake doesn’t guarantee success. Noise and traffic often spook fish, so find a private hole off by yourself. If that’s not an option, keep to the outside ring of these “cities on ice.”
• The only rule of how to fish is that there are no rules. Be willing to try different options. If a slow, methodical jigging motion isn’t working, try an aggressive one - or try a lift-and-drop technique.
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Partners receive grant to focus on Mississippi River
Benton Soil & Water Conservation District &
Natural Resources Conservation Service Reports
A collaborative of public and private organizations has been awarded a $130,000 grant to help communities along the Mississippi River between St. Cloud and the Blanchard Dam near Royalton to develop plans for working together to protect the area’s unique natural resources while allowing for growth.
Gerry Maciej, manager of the Benton County SWCD states, “This grant from the McKnight Foundation will allow us to hire a river community coordinator to bring together the communities adjacent to the river. We have great working relationships here in Central Minnesota between units of government, the business community and the community at large. We are looking forward to deepening these relationships by forming this collaborative to focus on the River.”
“The Mississippi River represents a boundary between counties and cities. When the river is thought about in that way, communities don’t always take ownership” said Mark Hauck, Community Assistance Specialist with the MN Department of Natural Resources. Hauck has been continuing the work on this part of the river since the project was initiated by the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District in the mid 1990s and was later dubbed the “Mississippi River Renaissance”. This program is focused on a 31-mile stretch between the dam at 10th Street South in St. Cloud to the Blanchard Dam in Morrison County. Hauck added, “Turning our attention to the river now will help ensure that communities can grow while keeping natural communities healthy for future generations.”
The $130,000 grant will fund a staff position for two years and provide funds to facilitate activities of the collaborative. The grant received support from Minnesota Waters, the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, the Mid-MN Mississippi River Resource Conservation and Development Area, and the Central Minnesota Initiative Foundation. The Initiative Foundation has provided an additional $10,000 grant to local units of government to support collaborative activities between counties for river stewardship.
“This is a very different process that we are about to begin. Many communities in Central Minnesota have made strides to show that communities can grow along with the natural resources that are in their community. We want to take it to the next level for the Mississippi,” said Maciej.
For more info: www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov, www.soilandwater.org
Firearm sales continue upward in January
NSSF Reports
Despite a weak economy and slumping retail sales, firearm sales continued to increase in January, continuing an upswing that began after November’s election.
Data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) show background checks on the sale of firearms jumped 28.8 percent in January when compared to January 2008. The increase follows a 24 percent rise in December and a 42 percent jump in November, when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.
FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. These checks serve as a strong indicator of actual sales.
“Since the election, sales of firearms -- in particular handguns and semi-automatic hunting and target rifles -- are fast outpacing inventory,” said Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. “Americans are clearly concerned about their ability to be able to purchase these products in an uncertain future.”
NICS reported 1,213,885 checks in January, up from 942,556 in the same month a year ago. Last year, a total of 12,709,023 background checks were reported, up 14 percent from 2007.
NSSF, founded in 1961, is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition and recreational shooting sports industry. It promotes the safe ownership and responsible use of products its members make and sell. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.
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New regs for Inguadona, Rice
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Mark Holsten recently approved new special fishing regulations for Inguadona and Rice lakes, located near Longville in Cass County.
The new regulations, scheduled to take effect April 1, change possession limits on both lakes from 10 crappie and 20 sunfish to five crappie and 10 sunfish.
The new rules, which have broad support from local anglers and the lake association, will maintain or improve the average size of crappies and sunfish available for anglers by preventing over-harvest of larger fish.
Questions regarding the special regulations may be directed to Harlan Fierstine, Walker area fisheries supervisor, at 218-547-1683 or Harlan.Fierstine@dnr.state.mn.us.
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