Outdoor News Daily

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement partnered with The Center for the Inland Bays on a cleanup of the Inland Bays in Sussex County on Jan. 29 that netted more than 70 crab pots left in the water for the winter.

“Under Delaware law, all recreational crab pots must be out of the water between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28,” said Sgt. Gregory Rhodes, Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. “Among other problems, abandoned crab pots can pose serious navigational hazards to passing vessels, such as entanglement with engine props.”

“Crab pots need to be removed when not in active use, because derelict pots can entrap marine life other than crabs, such as the diamondback terrapin, a native turtle that makes its home in the Inland Bays,” said E.J. Chalabala, Center for the Inland Bays.
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Kentucky farmers can help carry on the hunting tradition and earn much-needed extra cash by enrolling in the Cooperative Dove Field Program. Enrollment is currently underway and will continue until mid-March.

“Under the new Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, increased payments are available for 2012,” said Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Cooperative Dove Field Program, which began in 1998, can generate up to $10,000 for a landowner who leases a field on their land for public dove hunting.
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Kansas landowners — and those from across the country — will receive free land-use management consultation at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic 2012, in the Kansas City Convention Center Feb. 17-19. The Landowner Habitat Help Room, sponsored by Best Buy and Geek Squad, will feature the latest technology to evaluate landowner needs.

A dozen work stations featuring large-screen monitors will provide a detailed look at each landowner’s property. The room is designed to give farmers and landowners site-specific information about conservation programs they can implement on their land. Biologists use aerial photography, topography, and soil information for individual planning. Landowners just need to bring the legal description of their property (township, range, and section). Through one-on-one consultations with leading wildlife experts, landowners have the opportunity to learn about conservation and habitat options on their land available through federal, state, and local programs.
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Join in the effort to Go Get Outdoors and protect critical dune, prairie and forest habitats stretching from Berrien to Muskegon Counties! State recreation officials announced the schedule of volunteer stewardship activities for the month of February as part of the new Volunteer Steward program in Southwestern Michigan state parks and recreation areas. Volunteering for these workdays is a great way to GO-Get Outdoors in many of our cherished state parks, breathe some fresh air, have fun and get a bit of exercise while enjoying beautiful scenery and precious landscapes.

Volunteers can make a big impact by removing invasive, non-native shrubs in natural areas within state parks and recreation areas. Targeted invasive species include: honeysuckle, autumn olive, barberry and Lombardy poplar. Removing them from the landscape will help to protect and restore the unique habitats by improving conditions for native species and restoring ecosystem function. In doing so, volunteers will be benefiting many species, some of which are threatened or endangered, while also learning about invasive species and management hands-on.
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