May 22, 2009 - TOP STORIES
Fed Duck Stamp value could go up
DNR assumes management of state's wolf population
Minnesota River offers mystery, diversity
Scientific and natural area proposed for Siseebakwet Lake
Fed Duck Stamp value could go up
DU calls on Congress to protect sportsmen’s investment
WASHINGTON – Ducks Unlimited Chief Biologist Dale Humburg recommended a change to a popular and effective conservation initiative to the House Natural Resources Committee: increase the value of the Federal Duck Stamp.
The price of the stamp has not increased since 1991, when it was set at the current level of $15. However, skyrocketing land prices have greatly diminished the buying power of the stamp in recent years, prompting several attempts to adjust the price. The most recent proposal from Congressmen John Dingell (Mich.) and Rob Wittman (Va.) would increase the price to $25 for the 2010-11 waterfowling season.
“Raising the price to $25 brings the cost of the stamp about equal with the buying power of the $15 stamp in 1991, once you adjust for inflation,” said Humburg. “Compare that to the 300% increase in land values that we are seeing in Minnesota, one of the breeding hot spots.”
The Federal Duck Stamp, which is required for all waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, was introduced in 1934. Funds from sales of the stamp have conserved more than 5 million acres of waterfowl breeding, migrating, and wintering habitat across the United States.
“Waterfowlers have invested more than $760 million into the Federal Duck Stamp – and it needs to remain a viable conservation tool if we are going to protect that investment into the future,” said Humburg. “In order to ensure that we can continue to protect waterfowl habitat, there must be an increase to the buying power of the Duck Stamp.”
“If we increase the stamp by, $10 we could conserve an additional 16,000 acres of prime waterfowl habitat in just the next year,” said Humburg.
DNR assumes management of state's wolf population
DNR News
Minnesota’s wolves have been removed from the federal endangered species list, allowing the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to manage the state’s wolf population.
Wolves in Minnesota, considered part of the Great Lakes population of wolves, were delisted in March 2007, but a federal court ruling last September reinstated the wolf’s status as threatened, based on technical questions about procedural aspects of the delisting rulemaking. After re-examining its legal authority, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reissued its delisting decision in March 2009 with an effective date of May 4.
“After the initial 18 months of state wolf management, Minnesota demonstrated the effectiveness of ensuring long-term survival of the wolf in Minnesota and resolving conflicts between wolves and humans,” said Dave Schad, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director. “Wolf recovery is a great conservation success story.”
Minnesota’s wolf management plan is designed to protect wolves and monitor their population while giving owners of livestock and domestic pets more protection from wolf depredation. It splits the state into two management zones with more protective regulations in the northern third of Minnesota, which is considered the wolf’s core range.
“The major change with state management is that it allows individuals to directly protect their animals from wolf depredation, subject to certain restrictions,” said Dan Stark, DNR wolf management specialist.
“In addition, the state-certified gray wolf predator control program will be available to individuals as another option to deal with livestock depredation.”
Minnesota’s management plan establishes a minimum population of 1,600 wolves to ensure long-term wolf survival. The state’s wolf population, estimated at fewer than 750 animals in the 1950s, has stabilized at about 3,000 wolves. Under state law, no public hunting or trapping seasons on wolves is allowed for at least five years after delisting. Federal law also requires USFWS to monitor wolves in Minnesota for five years after delisting to ensure recovery continues.
Similar to federal regulations, the state plan allows anyone to take a wolf to defend human life. Pet owners also may shoot or destroy a gray wolf posing an immediate threat on any property as long as the owner is supervising the pet.
Owners of livestock, guard animals or domestic animals may shoot or destroy wolves that pose an immediate threat to their animals on property they own or lease, in accordance with local statutes. Immediate threat means the observed behavior of a gray wolf in the act of stalking, attacking or killing livestock, a guard animal or a domestic pet under the supervision of the owner.
In the southern two-thirds of the state (Zone B), a person may shoot a gray wolf at any time to protect livestock, domestic animals or pets on land they own, lease or manage. For a detailed description of Minnesota’s wolf management zones go to .
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/wolves/mgmt.html
Regardless of location, a person shooting or destroying a gray wolf must protect all evidence, report the incident to a DNR conservation officer within 48 hours and surrender the wolf carcass.
Unlike federal regulations, state regulations allow harassment of wolves that come within 500 yards of people, buildings, livestock or domestic pets. Activities that discourage wolves from contacting people and domestic animals are allowed, but wolves cannot be attracted or searched out, and harassment activities cannot cause physical harm.
To ensure a seamless transition from federal to state wolf management and to address immediate conflicts between wolves and livestock, the long-standing wolf depredation control program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services office in Grand Rapids will continue under a cooperative agreement with the DNR.
Additional details as well as the complete wolf management plan, zone maps, population survey information and frequently asked questions are available online at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/wolves/mgmt.html
Subscribe to Outdoors Weekly Today!
Minnesota River offers mystery, diversity
At last count, 63 different species of fish were known to inhabit this 334-mile long river that begins at Big Stone Lake in western Minnesota and eventually joins the Mississippi River at Fort Snelling in St. Paul. From trophy-size flathead catfish to walleye and sauger, shovelnose sturgeon, white bass and more, anglers never know what type or size of fish might latch onto their bait when fishing this historic river.
Lee Sundmark, Department of Natural Resources Fisheries (DNR) supervisor at Hutchinson, said the Minnesota River has become increasingly popular with anglers and boaters in recent years.
“We have seen a tremendous amount of work by local citizens, organizations and agencies devoted to improving the river’s water quality in recent years,” Sundmark said. “As a result, more people realize what an outstanding resource the Minnesota River is and they’re taking greater advantage of it.”
From short stretches of white water to longer stretches of quiet water, the personality of the Minnesota River can change often. From Granite Falls to North Redwood, the river flows through an area of granite outcrops that date back some three billion years.
Stretches of the Minnesota River are included in the Minnesota Wild and Scenic rivers system. To be eligible for inclusion, the river or segment of a river and its adjacent lands must possess outstanding scenic, recreational, natural, historical, scientific, or similar values. Two segments of the Minnesota River between Lac qui Parle and Franklin are classified as scenic and one as recreational.
Anglers can fish by motorboat, by canoe or from shore and there are campsites and boat launching sites at various locations all along the river. Other than an occasional town or farm, long stretches of the river remain secluded and undeveloped.
“Years ago, the Minnesota River was basically a sewer system for towns built on its banks,” Sundmark said. “But eventually people discovered how wrong that was and what a valuable asset the river could be. Today, those same communities are embracing the river. They are building parks and trails and other amenities next to it, even holding festivals to celebrate the river.”
The Minnesota River was a major transportation route for Indians, settlers, explorers and fur traders. During the late 1800s, the Minnesota River was used to float logs and power sawmills and steamboats were once a common sight. For those interested in Minnesota history, there are numerous historical and cultural sites located along the length of the river, as well as the Minnesota River Scenic Byway for the auto traveler.
There are six state parks situated along or near the Minnesota River between Ortonville and Mankato. They are Big Stone Lake, Lac qui Parle, Upper Sioux Agency, Fort Ridgely, Minneopa and Flandrau.
The Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail includes 132 birding locations with the river’s watershed. Additional information on the trail can be found at www.birdingtrail.org, http://mn.audubon.org.
As with any river, high water currents can be potentially dangerous and navigation hazards can arise during periods of low water. However, during most of the summer and fall, the river is mild-mannered and peaceful. Information about current water levels, accesses, and camp sites can be found on the DNR web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.
“The Minnesota River is truly an amazing fishery,” Sundmark said. “It’s not uncommon for people to land 30 or 40-pound flathead catfish, along with some dandy walleyes. Spending a few hours in a lawn chair on a river sandbar or bank can be a great time.”
Gun shows under attack
Please Contact Your State Representative!
Anti-gun State Representative Michael Paymar (DFL-64B) intends to offer an amendment that would severely regulate the sale of firearms at gun shoes in Minnesota. His amendment would regulate the sale of all firearms at gun shows across Minnesota by forcing all private sales at gun shows to go through a background check. Gun prohibitionists, such as Representative Paymar, falsely claim that many criminals get guns from gun shows, but the most recent federal study puts the figure at only 0.7 percent. This effort is a stepping stone for anti-gun advocates seeking to ban all private sales, even among family and friends.
Please contact your State Representative immediately and urge them to oppose Representative Paymar’s “Gun Show” Amendment. To find contact information for your State Representative, please visit http://www.capwiz.com/nra/state/main/?state=MN&view=myofficials.
Scientific and natural area proposed for Siseebakwet Lake
DNR News
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Itasca County are seeking comments on a joint proposal to establish a Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) on the west end of Siseebakwet Lake.
SNAs are a state land unit, like a state park or wildlife management area, but with a different emphasis. The purpose of SNAs is to protect the best of Minnesota’s remaining natural heritage, like native prairies, old-growth forests, landforms and geologic features.
The proposed natural area on the west end of Siseebakwet Lake has several noteworthy natural features. One is an unusual, exceptionally well-preserved example of successive ancient beach ridges. These ridges were created when the lake level dropped sometime during the last 1,500 years, apparently due to a dramatic shift in the course of the Mississippi River.
The site also holds a complex of old-growth and old northern hardwood forest, side-by-side with an old-growth lowland white cedar forest. Nestled in the canopy of one of the old-growth trees is a bald eagle nest. The tract also contains a three-quarter mile stretch of undeveloped lakeshore and the lake’s only significant shoreline wetland communities.
The DNR and Itasca County are seeking comments on two possible exceptions to the rules: opening the SNA to hunting and dogs, with any limitations needed to protect the site; and identifying and marking shore “landing zones” to allow boat access from the lake without damaging beach ridges or other shoreline natural resources.
Comments must be submitted by June 1 to Steve Wilson, DNR SNA Program, 650 Highway 169, Tower, MN, 55790; call 218-753-2580 ext. 270, or e-mail steve.wilson@dnr.state.mn.us.
© 2009 Outdoors Weekly