by DNR Deputy Commissioner Dave Schad
 Spring is a great time of year, and as Tom and I have traveled across the state the last several weeks to attend recognition award and listening sessions with staff, we have enjoyed seeing the Minnesota landscape come alive with warming temperatures. Unfortunately, spring also means the threat of ticks is with us again.
Last fiscal year, nearly 50 of your co-workers experienced a tick bite at work that resulted in medical treatment or lost time. I don’t tell you this to dissuade you from getting out in the field for work or play. Rather, it is a reminder that ticks pose a risk, and that we all need to take necessary precautions.
The good news is that we have taken a number of actions to help you avoid exposure to tick bites. Visit our tick page on the intranet for some great advice on tick protection and detection.
One of the most effective things you can do is wear Permethrin-treated clothing out in the field. This stuff works! You can either treat your clothing yourself (see instructions on the intranet tick page — and be sure to let it dry before wearing), send your clothes to a vendor for treatment, or purchase pre-treated clothing.
Commercially treated clothing will continue to repel ticks for up to 70 washings, while clothing you treat yourself will need to be re-treated every few weeks according to manufacturer instructions. Our tick page also includes a link to the latest information on the safety of Permethrin-treated clothing.
There are a number of other actions you can take to avoid tick exposure, including wearing light colored clothing for quick detection, using DEET on exposed skin and clothing, sealing sleeve and pant cuffs, using tick gaiters, and avoiding the most likely tick habitats if you are able. I would also urge you to take the time to conduct thorough tick checks when returning from the field, and daily for a week afterwards. Remove any crawling or embedded ticks promptly, and know the signs and symptoms of tick-borne diseases.
There are very real and effective ways to avoid tick bites and the many serious diseases that ticks carry. Please make tick avoidance and protection a priority this field season!
- Dave
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Several DNR southern region employees were recognized for their outstanding work in 2014 at the latest Annual Commissioner Recognition Awards celebration, held last week in Marshall.
The final awards celebrations/listening sessions take place tomorrow in Aitkin and Thursday in Chisholm.
Here are the employees who were recognized at last week's event:
Fred Bengtson
Conservation Enhancement Award
 Fred Bengtson successfully negotiated with private and public stakeholders so that Pelican Lake, a designated wildlife management lake in Wright County, could be enhanced by installing gravity and pump outlet structures, restoring stream banks and acquiring critical land along the lake’s outlet route.
The project represents years of effort, and it will benefit waterfowl that depend on this important habitat during breeding and migration.
Shallow Lakes Team
Conservation Enhancement
Members: Nicole Hansel-Welch (team leader), Ann Geisen, Tammy Baden, Todd Call, Steve Kittelson, Peter Borash, Melissa Thompson, Kati Miller, Nicole Kovar, Jessica VanDuyn, Bailey Peterson.
 L-R: Commissioner Landwehr, Steve Kittelson.
The Shallow Lakes Team has grown this important program substantially over the past decade, reaching a milestone last year with the designation of Minnesota’s 50th wildlife lake.
The team’s exceptional work contributes not only to wildlife habitat, but also provides many added benefits including flood control, groundwater protection and economic value. Shallow lake assessment, protection, and management benefits waterfowl hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in Minnesota, and throughout the Mississippi flyway.
Windom Fisheries Invasive Carp Defense Team
Conservation Enhancement Award
Members: Ryan Doorenbos (team leader), Nate Hodgins.
 L-R: Commissioner Landwehr, Ryan Doorenbos, Nate Hodgins.
The Windom Fisheries Invasive Carp Defense Team took urgent steps to prevent invasive sliver and bighead carp from entering Minnesota waters from Iowa’s Little Sioux River watershed. They worked collaboratively with citizens, agencies and partner organizations to locate potential pathways for the carp and install an electric culvert barrier, fish screen and other deterrents.
By July, they had accomplished an incredible feat by completing five large projects that essentially closed the door on invasive carp in southwestern Minnesota.
Randy Markl
Behind the Scenes Award
 Randy Markl is a resourceful and efficient supervisor whose work has greatly increased public use of wildlife management areas in the Windom area. His accomplishments have enhanced hundreds of acres of habitat annually, despite a limited staff.
He has partnered with conservation groups to acquire and improve state lands, providing wildlife habitat and excellent hunting opportunities in an agriculturally-dominated part of the state.
Benjamin J. Schaefer
Behind the Scenes Award
 Benjamin Schaefer was instrumental in acquiring thousands of acres of wildlife management area land in central and southern Minnesota. Most notably, his work on the Pelican Lake enhancement project furthered the DNR’s mission to protect and conserve vital wildlife habitat.
Lands acquired through his efforts will provide public hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities for years to come.
Pheasant Summit Planning Team
Behind the Scenes Award
Members: Mike Tenney (team leader), Scott Roemhildt, Kurt Haroldson, Mark Lindquist, Dennis Frederickson, Chris Niskanen, Grant Wilson, Jason Garms, Carmelita Nelson, Annie DuFresne, Olivia Ledee, Emmett Mullin, Greg Hoch, Katie Clower, Pete Takash, Cathi Fouci.
 L-R: Scott Roemhildt, Commissioner Landhwehr, Cathi Fouchi, Dennis Frederickson.
The Pheasant Summit Planning Team was rapidly formed following an announcement by Gov. Dayton to convene a December summit designed to develop an action plan for accelerating restoration of pheasant habitat.
With less than three months to plan the summit, the team secured a venue, coordinated with partner organizations, launched an online survey, invited participants and secured statewide media coverage to make this is a successful event. The summit identified specific opportunities and places to investment in grassland conservation that will yield effective and enduring results on the ground.
Minnesota DNR Permitting and Reporting System Team
Innovation Award
Members: Sarah Wren (team leader), Brent Pellinen, Greg Massaro, David Heitzman, Richard Erdman, Shelly Sentyrz, Bruce Abbott, Dave Sampson, Steve Lime, Jeremy Moore, Kate Lamers, Betsy Cotone, Julie Ekman, Tom Hovey, Sean Hunt, Tom Kresko, Jan Ouren, Lyn Bergquist, Princesa Hansen, Tom Hoyne, Fred Sasse, Tom Glancy, Molly Shodeen.
 L-R: Commissioner Landwehr, Tom Kresko.
The Minnesota DNR Permitting and Reporting System (MPARS) team developed a new online system for water appropriation, public waters work and dam safety permits used by more than 5,000 public customers and 3,000 DNR and partner agency staff.
MPARS allows the public to apply for preliminary well assessments and three permit types online, as well as request changes to existing permits, pay fees and report compliance data. This innovative alternative to the previous paper system will save the department $225,000 per year while providing a faster, more transparent process with round-the-clock access for permit applicants.
Dave Coahran
Customer Assistance Award
Dave Coahran assisted in shoreline searches of Green Lake in Spicer immediately after a new zebra mussel infestation was reported. He put other work duties aside to help with this high-profile event, both snorkeling the lake and fielding questions from the media as word of the infestation attracted considerable publicity.
By quickly addressing the situation, he demonstrated outstanding professionalism and commitment to the local community.
 The DNR welcomes Debbie Munson Badini as the new boat and water safety education coordinator.
Munson Badini is a Minnesota native and a skilled communications professional. She joins the DNR after working for more than six years at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, most recently as the agency's deputy public information officer.
She will oversee the statewide education, communications and marketing plan for the boat and water safety outreach program, with the broad goal of helping to reduce the number of boating and water fatalities in the state.
She will be the media spokesperson for many boat and water issues, update 20-plus safety publications, and participate in outdoor safety-related projects for the Operations Services Division.
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 Editor's Note: Forestry Division Director Forrest Boe received the following message regarding the new publication, "Standing Tall," which is available on the DNR website.
Forrest,
I spent all of last night reading the "Standing Tall" literature.
Congratulations! It is one of the best pieces of work I have ever seen. The content is pertinent, and the illustrations are amazing.
Very nicely done!
Sincerely,
Mike G.
If you receive a message of appreciation from a citizen or partner group/agency that you would like to share, please forward to: newsletter.dnr@state.mn.us.
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 Gov. Mark Dayton addressed more than 200 farmers, landowners and others at a town hall meeting in Austin April 2. DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr and Agricultural Commissioner Dave Frederickson joined the governor for meetings in Austin and Worthington last week to discuss proposed legislation that would require 50-foot buffer strips around Minnesota's lakes, rivers and streams. For more on the buffer initiative, visit the DNR website.
If you have a photo related to DNR field work, events or other subjects of interest, please send to newsletter.dnr@state.mn.us.
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