Family-Outdoors

The USFWS is wanting to lead by example when building new facilities. In that light, they are proud of the new facility they have built at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa.  It received the 2016 Federal Energy and Water Management Award. It also has the virtue of being attractive. Relatively commonsense approached were used to achieve the results mentioned, such as conserving water using only native plants that thrive without watering (seems like a no-brainer at a USFWS facility) and solar power with LED lighting. These are but a couple of examples of the approaches and technologies utilized. Read more about this at https://goo.gl/y4Y9xx. The USFWS is trying to encourage endangered species recovery by maximizing use of federal money through Endangered Species Act Grant Program.  This year about $45 million will have been paid out in grants to twenty states.  One example is the states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin will receive $1 million under...

Have you made your plans for winter camping, or 2015 lodging at a state park? If not, now is a great time to do so before state park camping prices increase to match the consumer price index. Camping reservations (for RV and tent campsites) can be made up to 6 months in advance through the Central Reservation System at www.midnrreservations.com or by calling 1-800-44-PARKS (1-800-447-2757). Please note: lodges cannot be reserved through the Central Reservation System. Please call the state park directly to check availability and make a reservation. Overnight lodging reservations can be made up to one year in advance, and a variety of accommodations are available. Here's a quick breakdown of the overnight lodging options available at Michigan state parks: Mini-cabins: one-room heated cabins that sleep up to four people, with bunkbeds and mattresses provided. Reservation includes use of a picnic table and a grill or fire ring. Camper cabins: a step up in size from the mini-cab...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Anglers and waters About 1.5 million licensed anglers. About 500,000 people are expected to fish on opening day of the walleye and northern pike season, Saturday, May 10. Minnesota has 11,842 lakes, 5,400 of which are managed by DNR fisheries. There are 18,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams, including 3,600 miles of trout streams. Average annual expenditure per angler is about $1,500. 1 Although not every kind of fish lives everywhere, 162 species of fish can be found in Minnesota waters. Participation and the economy Fishing contributes $2.4 billion to the state’s economy in direct retail sales, ranking Minnesota fourth in the nation for angler expenditures. 1 Fishing supports 35,400 Minnesota jobs. 1 Minnesota ranks second in resident fishing participation at 32 percent, second only to Alaska. 1 Minnesota is the third most-popular inland fishing destination in the country. 1 Minnesota ranks sixth among states with the highest n...

Please note, due to the predicted cold temperatures we have rescheduled Kids Ice Fishing Day at Genoa National Fish Hatchery to  February 15 . Media are invited to enjoy a morning on the ice with excited youth as they gain ice fishing tips from the experts, and then put them into practice on a frozen stocked hatchery pond. You can expect to see roughly 200 area youth, ages 5 to 12, and their parents as they enjoy testing their new found ice fishing knowledge on a hatchery pond stocked with 2,000 10 to 14 inch rainbow trout. Interested media should contact Doug Aloisi, Genoa National Fish Hatchery Manager at 608-689-2605 to arrange a site visit. The event will be held at Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Genoa, Wisconsin from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.    The annual event is sponsored by the Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Fisheries Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s fishery program offices that they support. Local offices include the La Crosse Fis...

English: crop of File:Bgforhunting.jpg Taken by Dr. F Eugene Hester. Picture supplied by Fish and Wildlife Service Website. http://www.fws.gov/hunting/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, hosts the 17th annual Minnesota Waterfowl Symposium, Saturday, February 1st, at the Mall of America Ramada, 2300 East American Boulevard, in Bloomington. The one-day conference is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  A host of hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and natural resource managers are expected to attend and celebrate Minnesota’s waterfowl and wetland resources. The Minnesota Waterfowl Symposium is geared toward giving Minnesota’s waterfowl hunters and enthusiasts the opportunity to interact with waterfowl biologists and managers representing various conservation agencies and organizations. This 17th symposium will focus on blue-winged teal, an important species to Mi...

Anyone eager to get out cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling will find an abundance of opportunities at many Minnesota state parks and trails, thanks to this week’s heavy snowfall. “The recent heavy snowfall and the forecast for sustained cold temperatures offers prospects of substantial, enduring snow cover deep into the month,” said Greg Spoden, state climatologist at the Department of Natural Resources. “It will be the best start to the winter recreation season since 2010.” Staff from the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division and local clubs will be busy grooming trails in preparation for the upcoming weekend, but the DNR advises prospective park and trail visitors to check the website for trip planning tips before heading out to a winter recreation destination. Snow depth and trail conditions are updated every Thursday after 2 p.m. throughout the winter months at  www.mndnr.gov/snow . Many Minnesota state parks rent snowshoes, and several rent cross-country...

By Tom Landwehr, commissioner of Department of Natural Resources Hunting and fishing are such a valued part of our Minnesota heritage that they are forever preserved privileges under the state constitution alongside protections for freedom of expression and religious liberty. Our outdoor traditions are a part of our culture. Preserving that culture is critical. Hunters and anglers are the fiercest advocates for fish and wildlife conservation. By way of hunting and license fees, and because of excise taxes on fishing rods and firearms, they also provide the economic base to manage and protect the natural habitat and wildlife we all value. Unfortunately, this important group of environmental advocates is a shrinking group. A smaller and smaller portion of our state’s population is participating in hunting and fishing. The declining trend may be rooted in an aging population, increased disconnection from the out-of-doors and lower participation rates among minorities – portions...

Regional Director Tom Melius presented the Silver Eagle Award to Joe Duggan, Pheasants Forever, and recognized staff involved in that partnership that have brought the success of the President and CEO of Pheasants Forever, Howard Vincent, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region Refuge Supervisor , Jim Leach, Joe Duggan, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director, Tom Melius. Photo by USFWS. Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Grant and its resulting Waterfowl Production Area acquisitions. “Partnerships are the bread and butter of successful organizations, and ours with Pheasants Forever is an outstanding example of that,” said Melius.  “Pheasants Forever is a long-standing partner with the Service in our Midwest Region. Their willingness to act as our ‘realty agent’ using Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage dollars to acquire lands that will become Waterfowl Production Areas, has landed over $24 million in Minnesota, since 2009.” Pheasants Forever President/CE...

Michigan News The Michigan DNR reminds hunters that waterfowl applications are available through Aug. 28th.  Applications are available here . Results will be available at this same page on Sept. 17th. Minnesota News The USFWS has reported that the Minnesota DNR found a fungus dangerous to bats at Soudan Underground Mine State Park and Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park.  While perhaps not one of the more commonly appealing species, bats are a vital part of the ecosystem. The fungus is known to cause white-nose syndrome, a disease that has afflicted bats in many areas nationwide, often causing death. If you are interested in learning a bit more about upland bird hunting and are near enough to Rosemount, you might consider attending a clinic at the Dakota County Gun Club (Sept. 14th, 1-5 PM).  The signup details are here . South Dakota News The SD Game, Fish, and Parks Dept. has finalized the 2013 waterfowl season.  The details as reported in thei...

 (Photo credit: Ann Arbor District Library) Families will learn how to pitch a tent, hook a fish, paddle a kayak or canoe, scale a cliff and shoot a bow at nearly 200 “I Can!” programs offered this summer at Minnesota state parks and on state water trails. The newly expanded “I Can!” series of outdoor programs are designed to introduce kids to camping, fishing, paddling, climbing and archery. “We created the ‘I Can!’ series in response to research that showed declining participation in outdoor recreation by young families,” said Courtland Nelson, DNR Parks and Trails Division director. “These popular programs are designed to introduce the next generation to the outdoors.” Since the series launched in 2010, thousands of people have been introduced to outdoor recreation and Minnesota state parks and trails. Participation in “I Can Camp!” totaled 877 in 2012, up 51 percent from the 582 who participated the first year. “I had to drag my kids there, and now they won’t stop e...

Black Bear  (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Applications for Minnesota bear hunting licenses are available beginning Monday, April 1, and will be accepted through Friday, May 3, the Department of Natural of Resources (DNR) said. A total of 3,750 licenses are available in 11 permit areas. The number of available licenses for 2013 is about 35 percent fewer than the 6,000 licenses available in 2012. The 2012 bear harvest was 2,604. That was a 22 percent increase from 2011, despite 15 percent fewer bear quota licenses being available. The increase in harvest for 2012 was largely due to poorer fall food conditions, making bears more attracted to hunters’ baits. The DNR’s goal with the lower license quotas is to allow for a gradual increase in the current bear population. “Although the trends in the last few years indicate a stable bear population, DNR is reducing bear license numbers in the quota bear area to increase bear population numbers,” said Dan Stark, DNR large carni...

Ice fishing (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Maj. Roger Tietz, Minnesota DNR Enforcement Division The 2012 ice fishing season is drawing to a close. For those of you who spend time on the ice, there are a few things we can learn from this year’s ice fishing season. These are important lessons, life’s moments that will someday be the “I remember back during the winter of 2012” that will be ever etched in our minds. So, from an avid ice fisherman and a conservation officer for more than 30 years, here are “Lessons learned from the 2012 ice fishing season.” Putting a fish house on the lake requires dedication In Minnesota we enjoy the opportunity to put an ice fishing or spearing shelter on the lake. The law allows us to leave it on the lake unattended. To be clear, I’m not focusing on portable ice fishing tents or shelters that an angler sets up and takes home with them. I’m focused on the ones that anglers put out and leave on the lake overnight. In most cases, these are the hou...

Department of Natural Resources Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Landowners from 14 additional counties now can enroll land in the Walk-In Access program, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said. Walk-in lands provide public access to private land. Landowners, in turn, are paid for the access. The program now includes 35 counties in the western half of the state. “We’ve had many requests to expand the area of our Walk-In pilot program,” said Marybeth Block, DNR walk-in access coordinator. “As we enter our third year for the program, the time seems right to add some additional counties.” New walk-in counties include Becker, Blue Earth, Clay, Douglas, Faribault, Grant, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Otter Tail, Sibley, Traverse and Wilkin.  Walk-in targets privately owned parcels of 40 acres or more, which are enrolled in a conservation program such as Conservation Reserve Program or Reinvest In Minnesota. River bottoms, wetlands and other hi...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) Faced with a declining walleye population, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will change fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake in 2013 to protect the lake’s younger and smaller walleye. The agency shared potential regulation options with citizens Wednesday, Feb. 27, during a public input gathering at a town hall near Garrison. “We are fully committed to doing whatever is necessary to improve the walleye population as fast, fairly and efficiently as possible,” said Dirk Peterson, DNR fisheries chief. “Mille Lacs is one of the premier walleye lakes in Minnesota and continues to be a great place to fish. However, we need to reduce walleye mortality on certain sized fish and that will translate into different regulations for the upcoming season.” DNR fisheries experts are considering three length-based regulation options to ensure the state’s walleye harvest is below the safe harvest level of 178,500 pounds and combined state-tribal safe har...

The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) will hold its Environmental Congress on Friday, March 15, from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Bloomington. The goal is to shape a vision for the state’s environment and energy future. The Congress is the culmination of six citizen forums drawing hundreds of citizens held around the state late last year. Input gathered from the forums is the starting point for the Congress, where recognized experts and community leaders will develop recommendations for addressing Minnesota’s environmental and energy challenges and opportunities. These recommendations will help guide the EQB and the Dayton Administration to create short-term action steps and to set goals for the future. Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Chair Dave Frederickson said the top environmental issues citizens targeted at the forums included silica sand mining, copper-nickel mining, water quality and groundwater depletion, climate change and renewable ener...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Minnesota landowners have the chance to learn how to manage small or large forests during a March workshop in Grand Rapids, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said. The Up North Woodland Workshop is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Itasca Community College. “This will be a full day of presentations, discussions and questions and answers about Minnesota woods,” said Mimi Barzen, DNR forester. “The event is primarily for Minnesota family woodland owners, although others are also welcome.” The aim is to provide information to help landowners sustainably manage small or large woodlands. Classes will offer information on hardwood forest management, forest resilience, recreational trails, wildlife, owls, geology and more. “Private lands offer a tremendous public value in many ways,” Barzen said. “They provide habitat for wildlife, protect air and water quality, support rural economies and increase recreational opport...