MINNESOTA DNR NEWS #75 Oct. 3, 2016
All news releases are available in the DNR’s website newsroom at http://www.mndnr.gov/news.
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IN THIS ISSUE
Apply by Oct. 13 for grant to help recruit and retain hunters, anglers
Proposed rule changes would improve northern pike fishing
Public invited to Mills Creek Gun Range dedication Oct. 14
Apply now to serve on DNR fish work groups
DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apply by Oct. 13 for grant to help recruit and retain hunters, anglers
Groups that will help people start hunting or fishing, or continue these pursuits, are encouraged to apply for grants from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by Thursday, Oct. 13.
The Angler and Hunter Recruitment and Retention Grant Program began this year gives priority to programs that are new and innovative and have an ongoing impact. Types of activities could include fishing and hunting educational programs, clinics, workshops and camps, and funding for fishing and hunting equipment and transportation.
Grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000, and require a dollar-for-dollar match of the state grant award amount, or else a match of the value of labor, materials or services of the state award. For this round of the program, the DNR expects to have over $100,000 to distribute, and projects must be completed in Minnesota and be finished by June 30, 2018.
To learn more about the DNR’s work in recruitment, retention and reactivation, and to find grant application requirements, visit http://www.mndnr.gov/r3.
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DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Proposed rule changes would improve northern pike fishing
Comment period for new rules opens Oct 3
New regulations for those who want to help manage northern pike in Minnesota will get another look by the public over the next month, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This follows several years of public outreach that has returned broad support for the proposed changes.
“We’ve had very positive and broad support for new pike fishing regulations since we started discussing this idea with anglers and interested groups in 2013,” said Don Pereira, fisheries section chief. “Now we’re going through the formal and required step of allowing comments on the proposal before moving forward with new regulations.”
Those interested in the proposal can comment on it from Monday, Oct. 3, through Monday, Nov. 7. The comment period is a formal step as part of a rulemaking process, and follows a public outreach process that included in-person meetings, online comments and very positive hearings at the Legislature and meetings with stakeholder groups.
The proposed regulations would divide the state into three zones, each with a set of regulations tailored for the zone. The changes could go into effect in the spring of 2017.
“The zone proposal is meant to address a serious problem in a number of lakes in the central and north-central part of the state plagued with small or ‘hammer-handle’ pike,” Pereira said.
In the northeastern part of the state, regulations will serve to maintain the potential for pike to grow large in many of the Arrowhead region’s waters. In the south, where pike abundance is often low but growth is fast, regulations will allow pike to reach an acceptable size before harvest.
“We heard the desire from darkhouse spearers to be able to take pike without fear of taking the wrong size, so we have accommodated that need after extensive consultation with spearing groups,” Pereira said.
More information about the pike proposal can be found at http://www.mndnr.gov/pike. People can view details on the proposed rule and how to submit comments or request a formal hearing by following the links on the DNR rulemaking page at http://www.mndnr.gov/input/rules/rulemaking.html.
Written comments can be submitted directly to Al Stevens, Minnesota DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155 or [email protected] by Nov. 7.
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DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public invited to Mills Creek Gun Range dedication Oct. 14
The public is invited to attend the dedication of a new community-built gun range 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, as part of the Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener in Montevideo.
The half-hour dedication ceremony will include comments from Gov. Mark Dayton, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr and others.
The range was the vision of the Tri-County Sportsmen’s Club to involve more people in shooting sports, said Jan Payne, a volunteer co-manager of the facility. But it took the broader community to help make the project a reality.
“When local resident Mike Andresen stepped forward with land that could be used for the site, we realized this range was a very real possibility,” Payne said.
Over the past year it has been a community project, made possible through countless donations by local citizens and businesses.
“We believed this could come true for the community,” Payne said. “And with cash and in-kind contributions from numerous businesses, individuals and organizations, it has become a reality.”
The range is home to the Montevideo High School trap and skeet teams. It features two combined trap and skeet fields, a pistol range and 200-yard rifle range, and state-of-the-art equipment.
“We have some features that are unique in this area, including a pay-as-you-go system for trap, professional lighting, new clubhouse and commercial grade throwers,” Payne said.
Mills Creek Gun Range is located 1.5 miles north of Montevideo on state Highway 29. More information can be found at http://www.millscreekgunrange.com or on Facebook by searching for Mills Creek Gun Range.
The dedication is part of the 2016 Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener. Gov. Dayton leads the weekend festivities, which highlight the many hunting, recreational, travel and local opportunities the Mankato area has to offer visitors. More information and updates on the event can be found at http://www.mngpho2016.com. Explore Minnesota and the DNR are assisting the Montevideo Area Chamber of Commerce in planning the event.
Montevideo has a population of 5,500 and is located 130 miles west of the Twin Cities at the intersections of U.S. highways 212 and 59, and Minnesota Highway 7. The city actively promotes hunting and outdoor recreation. Within 25 miles of Montevideo, there are 25 Walk-In Access areas totaling 3,335 acres, 16 Waterfowl Production Areas totaling 4,366 acres and 76 WMAs totaling 47,004 acres. All are open to public hunting.
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DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apply now to serve on DNR fish work groups
Volunteers can apply to join one of five citizen-agency work groups that will discuss how the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages fish. There will be individual work groups for bass, catfish, panfish and walleye, and one that will focus on both northern pike and muskellunge.
“Fisheries work groups help improve discussion between citizens and the DNR. Group members can talk about angler points of view and fisheries issues in detail, and these are valuable discussions,” said Don Pereira, DNR fisheries chief. “We want to have groups with a variety of viewpoints represented and members will work together to discuss topics including recreation, water quality, fish habitat and effects on local economies.”
Volunteers can apply to one of the five groups from Monday, Oct. 3, to Sunday, Nov. 6. Each group of about 15 people will include volunteers and DNR staff who meet two or three times per year to discuss new research, population, harvest trends and fisheries management. Meetings average three to four hours, not including travel time.
Participants will be selected by the DNR and can serve a term of either two or three years. The groups are advisory and do not make decisions on policy or fish management.
For more information or an application form, visit http://www.mndnr.gov/fishgroups or call
651-259-5182.