Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - New

Boat safely and keep Wisconsin waters clean

MADISON - With warming weather and the May 7 fishing opener luring more people to Wisconsin lakes and rivers, anglers, boaters, kayakers and canoeists are reminded to take steps to ensure their personal safety and to avoid accidentally spreading invasive species to new waters.

"Keep yourself safe, and keep the waters clean for future boaters and anglers," says Ron Martin, who coordinates Department of Natural Resources efforts to control aquatic invasive species.

The most common way that zebra mussels, Eurasian water-milfoil and other invasive aquatic species spread from infested waters to new waters is aboard boats, trailers or in live wells and bait buckets and other water recreational equipment. Cleaning boats and other water-related recreation equipment of any plant fragments or animals before launching and after the day is over can prevent new waters from becoming infested.

Tips for staying safe on the water

Cold water temperatures, unpredictable weather, and higher springtime water flows on Wisconsin rivers and streams all increase potential boating hazards at this time of year, boating and dam safety expert says. People particularly need to use caution around the 3,700 dams in the state, says Meg Galloway, DNR state dam safety engineer.

Safety around dams is such and important issues that Gov. Jim Doyle proclaimed the first week in May Dam Safety Awareness Week.

Even dams that are only a few feet high are extremely dangerous because of the hydraulics they produce. If a person capsizes a boat near them, they can be pulled to the dam and continue to be rolled over as they get trapped in the water hydraulics.

In 2004, 24 people died on Wisconsin waters in accidents involving motor boats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats, and personal watercraft, according to Bill Engfer, DNR recreational safety chief. Two of those fatalities involved incidents with dams. Already in 2005, Engfer says, five people have been killed in boating incidents.

Galloway and Engfer provide the following tips to help boaters stay safe on Wisconsin waters and near dams.

• Dress in layers that can be peeled off and put back on as the temperature dictates.
• Wear a personal flotation device.
• Be aware that river water levels will be higher and currents faster in spring. Boat within your capabilities and watch carefully for branches and other debris carried into the water by snowmelt or runoff and avoid anything that appears to be floating on the water.
• Be aware of weather conditions before leaving shore, and take along a weather radio or regular radio or tune into the marine band's weather channel. Return to shore if a steady increase in wind or thick dense clouds signal approaching storms.
• Be familiar with the waterbody on which you plan to boat, be aware of potential natural and manmade hazards. Check DNR's online maps showing the location of the state's, 3,700 dams. Go to DNR’s Web site at http://www.dnr.wi.gov, then use the drop down topic menu and click on Dam Safety.
• Obey all warning signs, barriers and flashing lights, horns and sirens by dams; .
• Leave your boat motor running to provide maneuvering power.
• Stay clear of spillways; changing currents and "boiling" waves can make boat control difficult near dams. Reverse currents occur below dams, they can pull a boat back toward the dam into the spillway and capsize it.
• Never anchor boats below a dam because water levels can change rapidly.

Tips to avoid spreading invasive species to your favorite lake or stream

Zebra mussels, Eurasian water milfoil and rusty crayfish are among the invasive species spreading to Wisconsin's inland waters and disrupting ecosystems and recreation. These aquatic invaders typically have no natural competitors, and so once established on a lake, can be very difficult to control, Martin says.

To date, 58 inland waters have been confirmed as having zebra mussel infestations, more than 400 lakes have Eurasian water-milfoil, the same number of lakes have rusty crawfish, 24 waters have rainbow smelt, and the Gile F1owage has spiny water flea, Martin says.

"The vast majority of Wisconsin's 15,000 inland lakes and 50,000-plus miles of perennial streams do not have zebra mussels, Eurasian water-milfoil and some of our other most publicized and problematic invasive species," Martin says. "We want to keep it that way, and the way you do that is by making sure that you don't launch your boat or leave a water with any plants or animals attached to it."

To avoid accidentally transporting invasive species to other waters, before launching your boat and after leaving the boat launch at the end of the day:

• Inspect and remove aquatic plants, animals, and mud from boat and equipment before leaving the water access;
• Drain water from boat and equipment (motor, bilge, live wells, and bait containers) before leaving the water access;
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash;
• Spray/rinse boats and recreational equipment with high pressure and/or hot tap water;
• Dry boats and equipment thoroughly for at least five days before launching into a different water body.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: on invasive species contact Ron Martin (608) 266-9270; on boating safety contact Bill Engfer (608) 264-0859; on dam safety contact Meg Galloway (608) 266-7014

Deer seasons set in CWD management zones

Natural Resources Board approves either sex hunting

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – Bow hunters will be able to harvest a deer of either sex during the early archery season in chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones, under rules approved April 27 by the state Natural Resources Board.

The bow season was included in a number of CWD hunting rule modifications the board considered during its regular monthly meeting, which was held at Prairie du Chien.

The decision to allow either sex hunting resulted from a compromise measure offered by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. Congress Chair Steve Oestreicher, Harshaw, said the “compromise modification” to the CWD rule “provides for both bow and gun hunters alike and gives both an either sex option equally.”

Under the department’s initial proposal, bow hunters in CWD zones would have needed to meet earn-a-buck (EAB) requirements during the early season, with the season framework switching to either sex beginning on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Bill VanderZouwen, Chief of the Wildlife and Landscape Ecology Section, also described the agency’s proposals as a compromise in light of the agency’s philosophy that “CWD control is more important than short-term recreational issues.”

Nevertheless, VanderZouwen told the board that the agency was not opposed to the Congress’ bow hunting season alternative and would incorporate it in the Department’s CWD deer season package. That package now includes either-sex bow hunting in the zones from Sept. 17 through Oct. 26; either sex hunting for both gun and bow from Nov. 19 through Jan. 3; and a short five-day season split of the gun season in the two Disease Eradication Zones (DEZ) prior to the Nov. 19 traditional gun deer season opening day.

Earlier, CWD project leader Alan Crossley, Fitchburg, gave the Board an update on CWD management in Wisconsin. Among the “challenges” facing wildlife biologists are carcass disposal costs, keeping hunters afield in the CWD zones, and deer “refuges” in the DEZs.

“Statewide surveys continue to show that 70 to 80 percent of Wisconsin hunters think CWD should be eliminated from the wild deer herd, but that doesn’t mean that 70 to 80 percent are in lock step with how we are going about it. We have to continue to learn and adapt,” Crossley told the Board.

Crossley said it is important to stay the management course towards eradicating CWD from Wisconsin’s wild deer herd because:

• There is no scientific evidence that CWD will burn itself out if left alone.
• Virtually all white-tailed deer in Wisconsin are genetically susceptible to CWD.
• A simulation model suggest that if left unmanaged over the next 10-30 years, CWD will spread throughout Wisconsin and disease prevalence will increase to more than 40 percent of adult deer.
• Deer hunter surveys suggest nearly half would stop hunting if prevalence increases to 50 percent.

The Board unanimously approved DNR’s proposed changes in the CWD hunting rules, incorporating the Conservation Congress bow season alternative. Among the approved changes are:

• Expanding the two DEZs in southwest and southeast Wisconsin around newly identified CWD positive deer.
• Removing most of the Richland County portion from the western DEZ.
• Expanding the CWD Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ) to include all of Deer Management Unit 76A.
• Creating a five day split in both DEZ gun seasons so that there is no gun deer hunting five days prior to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the ‘traditional’ deer season opener.
• Allowing an antlerless deer harvested in any EAB unit be used to earn an antlered buck hunting authority in any EAB unit.
• Establishing a deer hunting season for Belmont Mound State Park, which is located in the HRZ.

The bow and gun seasons for the DEZs and HRZ this fall are:

Gun Disease Eradication Zone

• Oct. 27 – Nov. 13 EAB
• Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 Either Sex

Gun Herd Reduction Zone

• Oct. 27 – Oct. 30 EAB
• Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 Either Sex

Archery Disease Eradication Zone and Herd Reduction Zone

• Sept. 17 – Oct. 26 Either Sex
• Oct. 27 – Nov. 18 EAB
• Nov. 19 – Jan. 3 Either Sex

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Vander Zouwen, Section Chief, Wildlife & Landscape Ecology, Madison - (608) 266-8840 or Alan Crossley, CWD Project Chief, Fitchburg - (608) 275-3242

Clean Air Month marks start of ozone season in Wisconsin

MADISON – The warmer, sunnier weather that ushers in the month of May can also bring the onset of the ground-level ozone season, which typically runs from May through September in Wisconsin. To spotlight the potential adverse health effects associated with increased ground level ozone, the American Lung Association has designated May as Clean Air Month.

“On hot, summer days, emissions from cars, power plants, large factories and other sources react in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone that is harmful to people’s health,” explains Larry Bruss, Ozone Section Chief with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “These emissions come from car exhaust and smoke stacks, and the evaporation of organic chemicals like gasoline and the solvents in paint, otherwise known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs.”

Ground-level ozone – the main component of smog – is chemically equivalent to the ozone in the upper atmosphere (called the ‘ozone layer’) that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Unlike the “good” atmospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is dangerous because it’s located at the surface where we can breathe it. High concentrations of ozone in the air we breathe can trigger health problems such as chest pain and coughing, and can aggravate conditions like asthma, bronchitis, heart disease and emphysema. Everyone is affected by poor air quality. Those who are especially at risk are children, people with existing respiratory problems, the elderly, and even healthy adults who spend a lot of time outdoors or engage in vigorous physical activity outside. Crops and other vegetation can also be damaged by ground-level ozone.

Air quality changes every day, but being informed so you can keep your family healthy and on the go is as easy as checking the weather page of the newspaper or calling Wisconsin’s Daily Air Hotline at 1-866-DAILY AIR to find out the Air Quality Index (AQI) for the day. The AQI is a color-coded scale that shows how much ozone and other pollutants, like fine particles, are in the air each day. The Wisconsin DNR uses the AQI to report air quality at monitoring sites around the state. When the AQI goes above 100, or into the orange range, the air quality is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” If the AQI goes above 100 at any monitor in Wisconsin, the DNR issues an air quality health advisory for the county where the monitor is located and any nearby counties that are experiencing the same air quality problem.

The DNR is now sending out e-mail notices of air quality health advisories. Notices are only sent out when monitoring equipment detects unhealthy pollution levels in one or more regions of Wisconsin. To sign up for the e-mail notification system, go to the DNR web site at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/health/listserv.html. The current air quality conditions as reported by DNR monitors can be found at: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/wisards/state.htm.

While Wisconsin’s air quality has improved dramatically since the late 1980s, there is still room for improvement. For the past ten summers, the DNR has been notifying people in southeastern Wisconsin of potentially high ozone levels. Meteorologists from DNR and its counterparts in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana forecast an Ozone Action Day (OAD) when weather conditions and ozone monitoring data suggest ozone pollution may reach unhealthy levels in the Lake Michigan region on the following day. Although the last few summers have produced fewer forecasts of OADs than a decade ago, there is no way of telling what this summer’s weather will be like.

When an Ozone Action Day is announced, everyone is encouraged to take steps to help reduce the production of ground-level ozone. Such steps include:

• filling vehicle gas tanks later in the day (when ozone is less likely to form);
• making sure the gas cap is on tightly; turning it until it clicks three to five times insures a good seal;
• car pooling instead of driving alone;
• combining errands to reduce driving time;
• riding the bus or a bike instead of driving;
• postponing lawn mowing and other gasoline-powered activities until evening;
• keeping gasoline engines well tuned; and
• conserving electricity as much as possible around the house and at work.

Each spring, students in southeastern Wisconsin schools have another way to promote ozone-reducing actions by participating in the “School + Business = Clean Air” program, and poster and poetry contest. The program, originated by the Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air, area teachers and the DNR, offers curriculum materials designed to teach children the value of clean air and how to preserve it. This year, 18 businesses, 14 schools and 375 students participated by entering posters in the contest. In the poetry contest, 30 students submitted entries. Nick R. of St. John Nepomuk School in Racine, won first place honors in the poster contest and Jenna C., from St. Mary School in Kenosha won the poetry contest. For more information on the School + Business = Clean Air program, contact Jessica Laub of the DNR at (414) 263-8367.

The Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air – a consortium of Wisconsin businesses, community organizations, schools, government agencies and citizens committed to improving air quality through voluntary actions – will be presenting their awards at a “Clean Air Extravaganza” on Thursday, May 19 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the new Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. The annual Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air Recognition Award honors outstanding voluntary efforts to keep the air clean, such as increasing opportunities for employees to use public transit and rescheduling industrial operations to help reduce ozone-forming pollutants. For more information about the 2005 Clean Air Extravaganza, contact Jessica Lawent at (414) 263-8653.

To check air quality in your county and to find out if an Ozone Action Day has been announced, call the DNR’s toll-free Daily Air Hotline at 1-866-DAILY AIR. For more information on air quality and Ozone Action Days programs nationwide, visit the Federal interagency air quality web site: http://airnow.gov.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Bruss - (608) 267-7543, or Jerry Medinger - (414) 267-7543.