By Topf Wells
CREEL CENSUS. Tim Parks, the DNR fish biologist for Grant and Lafayette Counties and the lower Wisconsin River, and his staff will conduct a creel survey on the Big Green River April 1 to June 15th. If they are not able to talk to anglers in person they leave a postcard on anglers’ windshields. If you’re lucky enough to fish the Big Green and find such a postcard, please fill it out and mail it in. Creel censuses are expensive and labor intensive. They help the DNR measure angler effort, catch, and harvest dynamics. The more responses the DNR receives, the more accurate and helpful is the creel census.
RESTORATIONS. Tim is off to a great start in his new area. The DNR Habitat Crew (Scott and Vince, who have done such great work on Black Earth and Hefty) will complete a major project on the Grant River this summer and the Big Green next summer. He’s working on the assessment of the Platte River watershed, which he previewed at last fall’s membership meeting.
IMPORTANT PLAN. Finally, he has joined the other fish biologists in our area to alert us to the DNR’s current planning process for the Western Coulee and Ridges Master Plan. That mouthful refers to much of the southern Driftless Area that we enjoy fishing. The plan will include revisions of the areas around trout streams in which the DNR can acquire land or easements. All those trout stream assessments we’ve been reading contain specific recommendations about creating or expanding such areas. An unpleasant surprise is that those areas are much more restricted than they should be. The result is that the DNR cannot even attempt to acquire easements where they’d be most helpful or, in some cases, from landowners who are interested in selling easements or land. AAAGH.
SWTU has commented in the first stage of the process to expand those fishery areas with reference to the fish biologists’ recommendations. Later this year as the planning process advances, we’ll ask all of you to support such improvements. Stay tuned.
Thanks to Tim for a great job.
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Last Updated: April 5, 2023 by Drew Kasel
News From Another Great Biologist
By Topf Wells
CREEL CENSUS. Tim Parks, the DNR fish biologist for Grant and Lafayette Counties and the lower Wisconsin River, and his staff will conduct a creel survey on the Big Green River April 1 to June 15th. If they are not able to talk to anglers in person they leave a postcard on anglers’ windshields. If you’re lucky enough to fish the Big Green and find such a postcard, please fill it out and mail it in. Creel censuses are expensive and labor intensive. They help the DNR measure angler effort, catch, and harvest dynamics. The more responses the DNR receives, the more accurate and helpful is the creel census.
RESTORATIONS. Tim is off to a great start in his new area. The DNR Habitat Crew (Scott and Vince, who have done such great work on Black Earth and Hefty) will complete a major project on the Grant River this summer and the Big Green next summer. He’s working on the assessment of the Platte River watershed, which he previewed at last fall’s membership meeting.
IMPORTANT PLAN. Finally, he has joined the other fish biologists in our area to alert us to the DNR’s current planning process for the Western Coulee and Ridges Master Plan. That mouthful refers to much of the southern Driftless Area that we enjoy fishing. The plan will include revisions of the areas around trout streams in which the DNR can acquire land or easements. All those trout stream assessments we’ve been reading contain specific recommendations about creating or expanding such areas. An unpleasant surprise is that those areas are much more restricted than they should be. The result is that the DNR cannot even attempt to acquire easements where they’d be most helpful or, in some cases, from landowners who are interested in selling easements or land. AAAGH.
SWTU has commented in the first stage of the process to expand those fishery areas with reference to the fish biologists’ recommendations. Later this year as the planning process advances, we’ll ask all of you to support such improvements. Stay tuned.
Thanks to Tim for a great job.
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