Angler Education Instructor Newsletter        Summer  2013 - Issue 2                                                 

News and Update I have news to share – I will be leaving my positions with Angler Education, Project WET and Project WILD  at the Wisconsin DNR in August to take on a new challenge. My husband Jason and I have been hired together as Operations Managers for Cave of the Mounds National Natural Landmark. We are very excited to have been selected for this important job. Some of you know that I worked at Cave of the Mounds NNL as the Education Supervisor for 5 years prior to coming to the DNR. I am excited to return in this new role to continue the development and   management of this beautiful, unique resource. Cave of the Mounds NNL is privately owned and has a partnership with the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark. National Natural Landmarks are selected for their outstanding condition, illustrative value, rarity, diversity, and value to science and education. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in both public and private ownership. Cave of the Mounds is proud to be a part of this program! If you find yourself out that way and you decide to stop by, please say hello! While the cave is a popular tourism attraction, the grounds are beautiful. The above ground trails are free to roam and explore at your leisure. You will see prairie, oak savanna, mixed deciduous forest, an intermittent stream and several sinkholes along the trails. Fox, woodchuck, deer, rabbits, and many species of birds can be seen at various times of the day as well. Soon, there will be a bike trail “spur” that will connect Blue Mounds State Park, Brigham County Park, Cave of the Mounds and the Military Ridge Bike Trail! I wanted to take the time to share this exciting news, to thank all of you for teaching me so much and for being so delightful to work with. I will take many valuable contacts and good memories with me to this new chapter in my life.

Directors and Coordinators Corner Together, we give our heartfelt thanks to Kim for the dedication and energy she put into our education programs. She brought the programs to many new audiences across Wisconsin through her work with afterschool groups and camps. She also created new and lasting bonds between our Angler Education program and Project WET and Project WILD through FIN, with recreation professionals, and in our marketing efforts. Kim will be dearly missed and we wish her all the best. In light of Kim’s departure, we will be working to recruit for these positions which may take a few months and then some training once the person is hired.  You can help make this transition go smoothly!  Please plan your next workshop and submit your proposal a minimum of three weeks in advance of the workshop date to receive materials on time.  As of August 1, there will be no back-up staff to place "emergency" orders, so please plan accordingly.

New Program E-mail

Please use our new Angler Education e-mailbox address for program proposals, communications and materials requests: dnranglereducation@wisconsin.gov . This is designed so that our new staff person will be able to access your emails immediately and respond quicker to your needs.  Please use this mailbox exclusively for workshop, clinic and communications about Angler Education.  Feel free to call Theresa if you have questions in addition to the standard processes (608) 266-2272.

Where You’ll See Us…

August 1-12     Wisconsin State Fair

September 25  Hi-Pines Campground, Eagle River, WI – Angler Ed Workshop

November 5-8  Wisconsin Parks & Recreation Association Conference

Please check the DNR website, http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/anglereducation/ for information about upcoming workshops and conferences.

Learn More About Wisconsin Lakes

Lake Superior - jointly funded Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP), Wisconsin Department of Tourism episode of Discover Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. The attached  document lists the channel and air times for various markets across the state.

Working with the Department of Tourism on this project that featured our shared partners and the good work they do was a rewarding process. In this production there are examples of WCMP investments in the communities that maintain the great quality of life for their residence, attract visitors and perhaps future employers. I think the sites visited are tremendous and the words and values expressed by those interviewed are insightful.  The full episode is available online at:  http://www.discoverwisconsin.com/Home.aspx

Learn to Fish License Waiver

We have recently revised our forms and procedures for the Learn to Fish license waiver. They are working their way through the approval process for posting to our web site. Look for them in a few weeks.

What it is:

A waiver of the fishing license requirement so that people ages 16 and older can have a fishing opportunity. The fishing experience must be tied to an educational fishing program such as the Department of Natural Resources’ Angler Education Program, a school-based program of your own design, or a group event that covers a range of topics including skills, fishing regulations, outdoor ethics, fish biology, aquatic ecology, and habitat investigation.

What it is not:

A waiver for schools, organizations and businesses to take groups fishing for free, just for fun. Fishing is indeed fun; that's why so many people do it. It's also a privilege and in order to maintain the fishery we need to sell fishing licenses that allow people the right to exercise the privilege. You want to have fun? Go buy a fishing license! J

You will need to complete two to three forms 15 days* prior to your fishing outing and one form two weeks after it.

More details will be posted along with the new forms, but in the meantime, here are a few particulars.

• Participants must be novices, that is, people who have less than two years of fishing experience.
• Participants must have a DNR Customer Identification Number. To obtain one, call toll free, 1-888-936-7463. Make this a homework assignment for your students or other participants.
• Mentors, the adults instructing or teaching the activity, must have fishing licenses.
• Participants must be engaged in a minimum of four hours of classroom and field instruction prior to the fishing activity. This is in addition to the fishing outing.
• All participants, mentors and volunteers must comply with fishing regulations unless specific exceptions are listed in the waiver application.
• A volunteer or chaperone without a current fishing license may assist, but must have a DNR Customer Identification Number and be enrolled as a novice participant if they fish.

Walleye Initiative

In May, 2013, Governor Scott Walker announced the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative, which aims to increase the number of walleye available in the state’s lakes by expanding production at state, tribal and private fish hatcheries.

 “We applaud Gov. Walker, the legislature, and the Department of Natural Resources for recognizing the value of walleye to the state. Investing in the fishery is also investing in Wisconsin’s sporting heritage, tourism, and local economies.” said Rob Bohmann, Chair of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

According to the 2008 report “Sportfishing in America,” nearly 1.4 million licensed anglers fish in Wisconsin each year. Angling in Wisconsin contributes an estimated $2.7 million annually to the economy and over 30,000 jobs.

“Walleye are a very popular game fish and we’ve come to a point where more fish are needed to meet all user needs,” said Bohmann. “We are glad that this need has been heard and that solutions are being found to move the needle on walleye production. It’s a win for all who have a stake in the health, harvest and enjoyment of the fishery.”

The $13 million boost to increase walleye production will allow the DNR to stock 6" to 8" fingerlings, statewide over a period of three years. The larger stocking size will increase the rate of survival, as smaller fish fall prey to other species of fish, such as bass.

FIN’terns Welcome All to the Water’s Edge

Recognizing the changing demographics of our state, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources launched Fishing in the Neighborhood (FIN), a program to welcome newcomers and low-income youth and their families to the water’s edge. It also carries with it a sense of urgency to help people of all ages unplug from the virtual world and plug into the resources in their communities that sustain us all. The hope is to spark a love affair with the natural world and become partners in stewardship.

A primary aim is to get children, particularly in communities of color, out to the water to learn, fish and have fun. The goal is to teach about the aquatic resource and the skills needed to participate successfully in the sport of fishing. Beginning anglers are encouraged to share their newly learned skills with family and other community members.

College interns (FIN’terns, as we like to call them), many of whom are bilingual, were placed this summer at five different organizations that serve low-income people of color: Urban League of Greater Madison, Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, Hmong Mutual Assistance Association in La Crosse and the Bad River Indian Reservation in northern Wisconsin.

The interns establish fishing clubs and recruit members who are taught basic fishing skills during nearby fishing trips and explore their local aquatic resources. The DNR supports the clubs with gear and FIN’tern stipends through the Sport Fish Restoration fund, generated by a federal excise tax on the sale of fishing equipment.  

An application process is being developed and potential future partners are encouraged to apply. Organizations should have a strong infrastructure that will allow a community fishing program to continue once the internship has concluded. The application is expected to be available by mid-November. For more information about the FIN program, contact Theresa Stabo at 608-266-2272 or Theresa.Stabo@wisconsin.gov. 

Theresa Stabo demonstrates fish fileting at the training retreat, held at the MacKenzie Center, while Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary FIN'tern Genaro Pacheco Rios looks on.

LaCrosse Hmong Mutual Assistance Association FIN'terns Pelli Lee and  See Yang serve up the day's catch at the MacKenzie Center.

Madison Urban League FIN'terns see what's biting at training in Pardeeville.

2013 FIN'terns!