ARKANSAS
A one-mile section of a heavily used access road on DeGray Lake is under construction by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). The hard-surface road leads to the popular Arlie Moore Recreation Area, one of the most heavily used access sites on the lake. The road begins at Arkansas Highway 7 in the Oak Bower community south of Bismarck in Hot Spring County. The project is one of seven major access works underway this summer, funded by Marine Fuel Tax monies.
FLORIDA
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved an $11.43 million budget for the agency's Division of Freshwater Fisheries for fiscal year 2004-05. The budget includes more than $10 million for aquatic habitat enhancements and more than $1 million for aquatic plant management. The budget also provides funding for 93 projects, including major undertakings on lakes Panasoffkee, Trafford and Josephine, totaling $2.4 million.
ILLINOIS
Delivering on an Opportunity Returns promise to advocate for federal funding for lock expansion and to address important environmental concerns, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointee to the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) urged Congress to move forward on a proposed plan for navigation improvements and ecosystem restoration on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. "Gov. Blagojevich, through his Opportunity Returns initiative to reinvigorate the economy, has strongly supported the need for an improved and modernized waterway transportation system that includes new and longer locks," said Gary Clark, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Office of Water Resources, who testified at the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment. Clark serves as chair of the UMRBA, which includes governor's representatives from all five basin states - Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Gov. Blagojevich is also pushing for an $18 million addition to the Corps' FY 2005 budget to initiate preconstruction, engineering and design of the navigation improvements. The Upper Mississippi River plan calls for an initial investment of $1.8 billion over 15 years for navigation improvements, and $1.4 billion for ecosystem restoration during the same time period.
KANSAS
As a representative of sportfishing in its home state, the Kansas BASS Chapter Federation was invited to attend the signing of the Governor's Proclamation declaring National Fishing and Boating Week when the event was held in June. Vice president Kent Craft represented the Federation as Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed the formal proclamation in her office at the State Capitol in Topeka.
LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has earmarked $819,340 for five projects in three parishes. In St. Mary Parish, Morgan City will receive $213,750 to construct boat slips at Lake End Park. The parish will receive $293,600 to increase parking at the Jessie Fontenot Boat Ramp. In Terrebonne Parish, the parish government will receive $27,397 and $113,344 to improve parking and boat docks at the Texas Gulf Road and Fire Station boat launches, respectively. The Lafourche Parish government will receive $171,249 to improve parking at the Golden Meadow Boat Launch.
MAINE
An independent, comprehensive review of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife revealed that the department is blessed with a dedicated and hard- working staff, but that it is understaffed and underfunded for its myriad responsibilities. The report states that the department staffing levels have remained level since the 1970s, but during that time, the legislature has broadened the department's responsibilities without funding additional staff. The report noted increased recreational enforcement duties, permitting, registration and other factors as causes for burdening the budget. The report makes several recommendations as to how the department could improve performance within existing staff and funding. However, the review also stated that the department needs a better source of funding, and that it needs an advocacy group that supports and lobbies for the department. The Audubon Society is on the recommendation list.
MARYLAND
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service biologists collected another northern snakehead in Dogue Creek. The June catch brings the total number of northern snakehead fish caught in the Potomac River since late April to five. Dogue Creek is in Virginia waters of the Potomac, opposite Marshall Hall, Md. DNR fisheries biologists were electrofishing in shallow water when the 14-inch fish was caught. Although the DNR, the Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are continuing to sample waters for additional northern snakehead fish, both states are also relying on recreational and commercial anglers to catch snakeheads in order to assess the number of fish and the corresponding threat. Anglers are asked not to release a northern snakehead fish and instead, kill it humanely, with a crushing blow to the head then get it on ice as quickly as possible. Anglers should report their catches to authorities immediately. In Maryland, contact the DNR at 410-260-8320, or toll-free at 877-520-8DNR, ext. 8230.
MASSACHUSETTS
As reported in the Boston Globe, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials are rewriting the state's wetland rules. Critics oppose the plan, saying it will lead to further destruction of the already vanishing wetland areas in the state. The proposed rules would do away with a wetland review process for most construction projects 50 to 100 feet from a wetland, make it harder to appeal some wetland decisions, and allow homeowners to more easily build home additions and pools in flood plains. The department, suffering from deep budget cuts, says the changes will allow staff members to stop spending their time on relatively minor cases and instead focus on landowners who are illegally filling in large chunks of wetlands. Environmentalists contend the relaxing of wetland protections will jeopardize water quality and wildlife habitat.
TEXAS
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has received proposals from seven entities vying to be the site of a new freshwater fish hatchery for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Proposals were received from San Augustine County, Jasper County, the South Sulphur River Development Association, the Newton First Committee, Tyler County and the City of Woodville, the Sabine River Authority and Dow Chemical Co. The hatchery proposals will be evaluated on technical merit and value-added criteria to provide anglers with the most value for the monies spent. Independent consultants will be utilized to fairly evaluate the proposals. The new hatchery will replace the present Jasper Fish Hatchery, which was opened in 1932 and has had no major renovation or modernization since. Funds for the new hatchery and for improvements at other hatcheries in the TPWD system will come from a $5 freshwater fishing stamp that will be required beginning Sept.1, and from local support.