from the director

We’ve all heard about the license legislation (House Bill 208) passing this year’s General Assembly and Gov. Nathan Deal signing it into law in April.

Those changes take effect July 1. Which means our customers will have questions. To help answer questions you hear (or that you have), we will send a special “license” edition of this newsletter next week. We’re also creating a license information page on our new website, which debuts later this month.

But, let me briefly address a few key questions: why did we change our license prices and structure, and what will we use the money for.

First, we raised prices and changed the structure because our hunting and fishing licenses rated among the lowest-priced in the nation. Our resident license fees had not increased since 1992 -- 25 years ago! They will now be at a level consistent with the Southeastern average.

In the process, we also improved the customer-service side of buying licenses: We made purchases simpler, reducing the number of licenses required and combining some.

But as important, we strengthened Georgia’s share of federal excise taxes from sales of firearms, ammunition and hunting and fishing equipment, taxes dedicated for fish and wildlife. States draw those dollars based on a formula that largely considers the number of paid licenses sold. Free licenses don’t count.

The changes we’ve made will return to our state significantly more of the federal funds Georgians have already paid.

What will the money be used for? DNR will:

• Hire 40 new game wardens. Currently, 47 counties do not have one assigned.
• Improve wildlife habitat on WMAs and fish habitat in public waters.
• Increase staff presence with a focus on enhancing public lands.
• Add and upgrade shooting ranges.
• Expand and improve boat ramps, in fresh and saltwater.
• Increase youth education and outreach.
• Add access on WMAs.

Again, we will send you a licenses-only enews issue next week. Please don't miss it!

If you have a question you need answered sooner, let Marketing and Communications Manager Jenifer Wisniewski know. And one last point: Do not feel responsible for answering ideological questions about the intent or use of the legislation. Forward those to your supervisor or to Jenifer.

Thank you for all you are doing to make WRD great!

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DEER season DETAILS

Georgia’s estimated deer harvest for the 2016-2017 season topped 316,400 deer, with nearly half the 353,620 hunters bagging one or more, according to WRD’s annual harvest survey.

A decline in the total harvest -- down 21.7 percent from the previous season – was by design and done by reducing the number of either-sex days and changing their timing, writes state deer biologist Charlie Killmaster. The percentage of does killed dropped 5.7 percent compared to last year. Hunter success, the percentage of hunters who killed at least one deer, remained solid at 48.3 percent, less than 1 percent off from 2015-2016.

The estimates are derived from an annual survey of about 2,500 licensed deer hunters, combined with hunter totals from the license database. WRD uses the estimates to help develop regulations and maintain a quality deer herd.

More information and all annual harvest surveys are available online.

NEW SEASONS, REGS SET

DNR's Board of Natural Resources recently approved seasons and regulations for:

• 2017-2019 hunting seasons (read a summary).
• 2017-2018 waterfowl and migratory bird seasons (coming soon to www.georgiawildlife.com). These seasons maximize opportunity within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. One planning tip: Youth waterfowl days are Nov. 11-12.

All seasons and regs were recommended by WRD. The rules for the 2017-2019 hunting seasons have been transmitted to the Secretary of State for filing.

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A BASS SLAM FOR THE BOOKS

After kicking off May 1, the Georgia Bass Slam had its first slam by mid-month. Tyler Lipham of Augusta spent two weeks traveling the state with a fly rod, pursuing all the black bass Georgia offers. He capped his slam – catching five of the state’s 10 black bass species in a calendar year – with a Chattahoochee bass in Carroll County. Then he kept going to catch three other species! Not only did Tyler fish, he blogged. Read his posts starting here and continuing under the Fishing tab on WRD’s blog. On completing his slam, which also included shoal, smallmouth, spotted, largemouth, Bartram’s, Chattahoochee, Altamaha and Coosa bass, the fourth-year dental student and UGA grad said, “I can't thank you guys enough for creating a program that encourages others to fall in love with Georgia's fisheries just as I have. I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure … (and) I still plan on catching all 10 before the end of the year.” The Georgia Bass Slam was developed with a two-fold goal in mind: recognize anglers who have the knowledge and skill to catch different bass species in a variety of habitats across the state, and stimulate interest in the conservation and management of black bass. WRD appreciates Tyler’s enthusiasm and willingness to share about his adventures. Now we need you to tell your friends and our customers about the program, and get out there and land your own slam this summer! Back to top.

GOING BIRDY IN GEORGIA

Birds have been in the news lately. Headlines varied from a record year for bald eagle nesting in the state and WRD’s Birding Boot Camps to the release of a rehabbed bald eagle at West Point Lake and a chance encounter of British birders and DNR botanists at Big Hammock Wildlife Management Area.

Nature-based tourism is strong in Georgia, and much of that focus is on birds. Not counting international visitors, wildlife-watching here involved 2.4 million U.S. residents and rang up $1.8 billion in expenditures in 2011. Of those 2.4 million wildlife-watchers, nearly 80 percent were watching birds.

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noteworthy

Fisheries Management has been hard at work this spring. Nearly 3 million fish were produced, stocked and harvested April-May. Staff logged 60-plus stocking trips, not counting year-round trout runs. Since January, more than 5 million fish of 14 species have been produced and stocked from our warm-water hatcheries.

This is a vital team effort. Some Georgia fisheries depend on hatchery stocking, including trout, walleye, stripers in reservoirs and hybrid striped bass everywhere. DNR hatcheries also produce and stock Alabama and American shad, lake sturgeon, and white, shoal and smallmouth bass for species recovery and expansion.

Watch WRD's "Makin' Catfish" video.

Use of Kaput Feral Hog Bait in Georgia is kaput. After consulting with DNR and the state veterinarian, the Georgia Department of Agriculture denied a pesticide registration application for use of the toxicant in the state. The decision was based on concerns of secondary exposure to non-targeted species and insufficient safeguards to prevent contaminated meat from entering the human food chain.

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies have written letters asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to suspend or cancel registration of Kaput until formal consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are conducted.

What’s more popular than wildlife license plate T-shirts at a meeting of county tax commissioners and tag office employees? Not much. WRD’s booth at the annual Georgia Association of Tax Officials conference in Athens always draws a crowd – especially when Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center’s Pete Griffin arrives with live animals. But providing tag Ts to many of the 400-plus members who attended the May 9-11 event, GATO’s largest-ever conference, led to long lines even as staff and volunteer Robin Hill rushed to deliver and fill orders.

Tag office employees often wear the shirts on dress-down days, promoting the plates that help power nongame conservation, WRD’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative and trout management. Also at the conference, Nongame Conservation Section Chief Dr. Jon Ambrose gave a presentation to the full group about the work that tags make possible. Staff at the booth, including from the Coastal Resources Division, re-emphasized that connection between DNR tag sales and renewals and wildlife.

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names in the news

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service presented five DNR employees a Regional Director's Honor Award for Conservation Partners on May 11 (pictured from left, with Fish and Wildlife Southeast Regional Director Cindy Dohner): Nongame Conservation Section Chief Dr. Jon Ambrose, nongame Assistant Chief Matt Elliott, Real Estate Chief Steve Friedman, nongame Program Manager Jason Lee and Game Management wildlife biologist Brent Womack. The service said WRD has taken the lead on working with partners to establish new and expanded conservation lands at strategic sites, including adding to Paulding and Sheffield Forest wildlife management areas and “significant efforts” to expand the lower Altamaha River conservation corridor. Another recipient was retired WRD Director Dan Forster (not pictured). Now government relations director for the Archery Trade Association, Forster was lauded for his work on state, regional and national levels as “a guiding force in Southeastern species and habitat conservation."

WE ARE DNR

WRD’s We Are DNR recipients for April and May include the following, plus some comments from those nominating them:

Scott Hamlin, Bowens Mill Hatchery – After several pond owners said they didn’t receive cards notifying them when to pick up fish in the private waters distribution (they had given wrong addresses), Scott offered to come in on Saturday to provide their fish, turning customers’ error into a positive.

Katharine Hill, Fisheries, Fort Valley Region – While most might shy from a 29-hour work-week, Katharine has a can-do attitude, a willingness to learn and a work ethic nothing but impressive, resulting in her involvement in about everything a region can do and an approach that pushes others to do better.

Jessie Kriner, Dawson (Steve Cocke) Hatchery – After the hatchery manager resigned, Jessie took over day-to-day operations and has been instrumental in preparing ponds and stocking fish for summer production, while maintaining the grounds, collecting water-quality data and feeding fish as needed.

Stacy Rowe, Sapelo Island Visitor Center – Although visitors sometimes have demanding questions and not always happy attitudes, Stacy stays calm and courteous, exhibiting a professional manner to de-escalate difficult situations and treating customers (and co-workers) with a smile and matching attitude.

Doug Samson, Sapelo Island – Doug has an incredible work ethic and always goes well beyond the call of duty, providing excellent customer service, helping any co-worker or employee at any time, making sure DNR protocols and policies are followed and creating a team atmosphere for employees under his wing.

David Tannehill, Fisheries, Fort Valley – David completed the region’s newest river shock boat – starting with a hull he helped design and installing everything else, from wiring to booms he built – and helped remove oversized channel catfish from Flat Creek PFA’s KFE pond (including with a fish basket he made).

We Are DNR awards allow all WRD employees to recognize associates for exemplary work. Just click the button above and answer the brief questions.

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WRD CHAMPIONS

Also, the most-recent WRD champions, as chosen by section chiefs, are:

Fisheries Management:

• Marcus Zokan, who filled the gap during a program manager’s vacancy and proved instrumental in ensuring that the Stream Survey Team’s progress toward goals continued. Among other achievements, Zokan also assumed coordination for WRD participation in EPD’s water planning process.
  
• Don Harrison, who went above and beyond to provide excellent customer service by helping a customer whose vehicle became stuck on Dixon WMA.

Game Management:

• Gwen Medina, Charlie Killmaster, Dr. Tina Johannsen and Taylor Brown (Public Affairs), who showed professionalism and invested considerable time in launching the Georgia Coyote Challenge in March and handling the widespread and sometimes divisive interest from media and the public. The increase in email, comments, calls and posts required continually monitoring and thoughtful, timely responses.

• John Thrift, of the Private Lands Program, a Swainsboro resident who is the persona of a team player, helping train fellow biologists, working to improve WMAs such as Ohoopee Dunes and providing excellent outreach – from landowner field days to activities with local schools.

Nongame Conservation:

• Shan Cammack, who in addition to serving as the section’s fire safety officer and a prescribed burn boss has done a tremendous job organizing staff involvement in the West Mims Fire, coordinates fire training for WRD and Parks, and helps lead the Georgia Prescribed Fire Council and Interagency Burn Team.

Congratulations to all of these employees. Thanks to each for helping WRD excel at customer service and achieve our mission to conserve, enhance and promote Georgia's wildlife resources and outdoor heritage through science-driven research, management, regulation and education.

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personnel

Changes for mid-March through mid-May.

HIRED

• Faye Wall Bartlett, Central Region II Operations, administrative support 1
• Kellen McCormick Bridges, DJ Expansion, fisheries technician 2
• Linda Palmer Cumbie, Game Management (Albany), administrative support 1
• Taylor Chamblis Cumbie, Game Management (Albany), wildlife tech 1
• Dustin Vickers Exum, Game Management (Fitzgerald), wildlife tech 1
• Cortney Nicole Gulledge, Game Management (Calhoun), administrative support 1
• Chad Keith Kaiser, Headquarters Operations, fisheries biologist 2
• Colton Michael Nolen, Game Management (Fitzgerald), wildlife tech 1
• Marissa G. Peebles, Game Management (Fort Valley), administrative support 1

PROMOTED

• Bryant R. Bowen, Headquarters Operations, manager 2
• John E. Bronson, Game Management (Sapelo Island), wildlife tech 1
• James Christopher Woolsey, Fisheries Management (Go Fish Center), fisheries tech supervisor
• Craig Joseph Jacobs, Game Management (Sapelo Island), wildlife tech 1
• David Ross Morgan, Game Management (Sapelo Island), wildlife tech supervisor
• Russell G. Singletary, Game Management (Albany), wildlife tech 2

RESIGNED

• Katie Flowers, Public Affairs (Social Circle)

RETIRED

• Kenneth A. Riddleberger Jr., Game Management (Gainesville), manager 2
• Phillip Michael Carnell, Central Region II Operations, fisheries tech 2

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The mission of Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division is to conserve, enhance
and promote Georgia’s fish and wildlife resources and outdoor heritage through
science-driven research, management, regulation and education.
WRD's "We Are DNR" is a bimonthly employee newsletter. All rights reserved.

Volume 2, Issue 3