Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - New

Whooping cranes find recently established state wildlife area to their liking
Habitat restoration efforts at Turtle Valley Wildlife Area paying off

ELKHORN, Wis. -- Three whooping cranes that have taken up at least temporary residence on a recently established wildlife area in Walworth County are providing wildlife officials with clear evidence of the value of establishing and protecting wetland habitat in rapidly developing areas of the state.

The cranes are members of the experimental flock being reintroduced to Wisconsin by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership(- Exit DNR). As juvenile birds, they were conditioned to follow ultralight aircraft whose pilots lead them from their central Wisconsin rearing grounds to Florida last fall. The birds return unassisted this spring and have settled for now at the 1,800-acre Turtle Valley Wildlife Area, according to Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists.

Turtle Valley Wildlife Area was established by the state Natural Resources Board in May 2000. Through the federal Wetlands Reserve Program (Exit DNR) the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchased a conservation easement for about 75 percent of the cost of the land. The state then used Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and funds from a local interest group to purchase the land.

"Without Stewardship, DNR would not have had the funds to create Turtle Valley", said DNR Secretary Scott Hassett. "It’s a perfect example of native wildlife, in this case a very endangered species, expanding into new areas once we are able to provide quality habitat."

DNR wildlife biologist Jim Jackley led the process of talking with local landowners and developing local support for the project.

"I always figured they would show up sooner rather than later," said Jackley, referring to the whoopers. As a wildlife biologist the opportunity to help recover an endangered species is always a special part of anyone’s career. The whooping crane is the most endangered crane in the world and one of the most endangered birds in North America, so the work we’ve done here on Turtle Valley is very rewarding."

DNR fish and wildlife managers and real estate specialists work regularly with other agencies and willing sellers to plan and investigate opportunities like Turtle Valley, according to Steve Miller, director of the DNR real estate bureau.

"Whenever we can, we work with federal agencies and conservation organizations that have cost-share money available, stretching our Stewardship dollars," Miller said. "Turtle Valley Wildlife Area provides nearly 2,000 acres of public land and permanently protected wildlife habitat in the fastest growing part of our state. In time, the project is slated to grow to 5,500 acres."

Turtle Valley is a prime example of a highly successful federal-state-local partnership, according to Pat Leavenworth, state conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which oversees the Wetlands Reserve Program.

"We are delighted that the Wetlands Reserve Program is contributing to the reintroduction of whooping cranes in Wisconsin," Leavenworth said.

Stewardship, WRP and local partners are proving to be a potent combination, Miller noted.

"Since creation of Turtle Valley Wildlife Area two other very notable wetland projects have been undertaken using the Wetlands Reserve program in Jefferson County only 20 to 25 miles ‘as the whooping crane flies’ north of Turtle Valley," he said.

Project partners Pheasants Forever and Madison Audubon obtained grants from DNR via the Stewardship Fund to partner with us and the Wetlands Reserve Program. The Pheasants Forever project helped fund about 1,800 acres just west of Jefferson and the Madison Audubon project funded 1,700 acres just east of Lake Mills.

"I’m sure whooping cranes will be using these marshes soon also," Miller said. "As long as Wisconsin has a program Like Stewardship we can actively work with partners to protect habitat and provide places for outdoor recreation. Whooping cranes using the restored wetlands of Turtle Valley are just one example of what conservation-minded partners can accomplish."

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tami Ryan (262) 574-2120

State seeks applicants for conservation warden training program

MADISON – Men and women who are passionate about the outdoors and the environment have an opportunity to help protect Wisconsin’s natural resources by applying to serve as a state conservation warden during a warden recruitment period that will run from May 31 through June 24.

The Department of Natural Resources is hoping to recruit 14 conservation warden trainees this year and an equal number next year in an effort to fill existing and anticipated vacancies in the state’s warden force.

“Many of our veteran wardens are at or nearing retirement,” says Darrel Waldera, training director for the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement. “By the end of 2006, we’ll have approximately 28 warden vacancies around the state. We’d like to fill half of those vacancies this year and the other half next year.”

Although the department’s budget has not been finalized, Chief DNR Warden Randy Stark says he is “cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to begin filling our vacancies.

“It’s important to start the hiring process now so we have trained people ready to place in local communities around the state after recruits complete their first year of training at the end of 2006,” Stark says.

“We have a lot of important work to do in the next couple of years recruiting, hiring and training quality candidates to be the next generation of wardens charged with providing public safety and protecting Wisconsin’s natural resources.”

What does it take to join the ranks of the Wisconsin Conservation Warden service?

“We need honest, dedicated, intelligent men and women,” says assistant training director Chris Wunrow.

But those aren’t the only criteria necessary to become a state conservation warden. Well-qualified candidates must meet some minimum requirements and be able to successfully withstand the scrutiny of a very thorough background investigation.

Applicants must have an associate degree or at least 60 academic credits and be at least 21 years old by their date of hire, which would occur Jan. 2, 2006 for the next new round of warden recruits.

Besides the educational requirements, a clean background and an interest in protecting natural resources, candidates must also have personal and communication skills needed to work with a wide variety of people from various cultures who use natural resources in a changing society.

“Much of a warden’s day-to-day work puts him or her in contact with people,” says Wunrow. “Whether checking people to see if they have the proper permits for certain outdoor activities, following up on a complaint or conducting a boating or ATV accident investigation, wardens must be skilled at putting people at ease, maintaining control of the situation and getting the job done professionally.”

The DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement’s mission statement calls for protecting, enhancing and promoting the safe and wise use of natural resources through enforcement, education and community-based wardening that guarantees fair and equal treatment.

“We need people who are forward-thinking, who can resolve conflict, solve problems and build community relationships to carry out this mission statement,” Wunrow says.

More information about the Wisconsin Conservation Warden service can be found on the DNR law enforcement Web pages.

Application and examination materials will be available online from May 31, 2005 until 4:30 p.m. on June 24, 2005 on the DNR Web site employment page. People without computer access may visit local public libraries or Job Service offices to access the examination through computers. The examination must be completed before 4:30 p.m. on June 24, 2005.

People with questions about the hiring process, contact Marilyn Howell at the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement by email at <marilyn.howell@dnr.state.wi.us> or call (608) 266-2174.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE POSITIONS, CONTACT: Darrel Waldera, (608) 266-2425 or Chris Wunrow, (608) 266-4539

Students, teachers work to make their schools ‘Green & Healthy’

Three new schools qualify for Green & Healthy Schools program

MADISON -- Encouraging girls to take shorter showers to save water, turning off lights in vending machines, and putting up weather stripping and plastic on windows were among the ideas students at three different schools proposed to make their schools “Green & Healthy.”

The Conserve School near Land O’ Lakes in Vilas County; Lakeshore Elementary School in Eau Claire, and Port Washington High School in Ozaukee County were recently named Wisconsin’s newest Green & Healthy schools. They follow DePere High School, which was the first in Wisconsin to become a Green & Healthy school in April.

The Green & Healthy Schools Program is a voluntary program available to all public and private schools in Wisconsin that encourages teachers, staff, students and parents to promote and apply healthy, safe and environmentally sound practices at their schools and in their communities. The program is sponsored jointly by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Instruction and was launched in 2004.

To qualify as a Green & Healthy School, schools complete a three-step process ending with actions that students, teachers, staff and parents take to improve health, safety and the environment at their school. Participants assess 10 key areas: waste reduction and recycling; energy; water; transportation; chemicals; school grounds & facilities; indoor air quality; mercury; integrated pest management; and community involvement.

“The students at these schools, working with teachers and staff, showed they could set health, safety and environmental goals and achieve them through direct actions,” said DNR Secretary Scott Hassett. “That’s an accomplishment they can be proud of.”

Among the actions the three new Green & Healthy Schools took:

• at Lakeshore Elementary lights were turned off in all soda vending machines to reduce energy;
• at Port Washington High School weather stripping and plastic was placed on windows to save energy;
• at Conserve School, which is a private boarding school, girls in the dorms were encouraged to take shorter showers to reduce water use. Conserve School students also conducted a three month waste study, then compiled and used the data to design a solid waste recycling program for the community.

Each school will receive a grant from the Department of Public Instruction to cover some of the costs incurred on its road to becoming Green & Healthy, along with a flag recognizing its leadership in environmental education in the community. Port Washington High School will receive $335; Lakeshore Elementary School will receive $1000; and Conserve School will receive $1000. DePere High School will receive $990.

People interested in learning more about or participating in the Green & Healthy Schools program can find more information on the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Christal Winters, DNR - (608) 264-8976 or Elizabeth Kane, DPI - (608) 266-2803

Scrapping burn barrels helps lead to cleaner air

MADISON – May brings spring weather and outdoor activities are starting to pick up, including yard work. With yard work comes the occasional smell of burning leaves or brush in the rural countryside. People have been burning yard debris, trash and household waste for as long as we can remember. According to Kevin Kessler of the DNR’s Air and Waste Division, “Even today, thousands of households, mostly in rural areas, small town and villages, still burn their trash and yard debris rather than recycling, reusing, composting or landfilling. In states like Wisconsin with strong rural traditions and attitudes, the practice of open burning is widespread.”

Over time, the composition of household waste has changed dramatically. In the past, more of it was paper and wood and the average household created less trash – mostly because there was less consumption, less packaging and more reuse. Today’s refuse contains many kinds of plastic and synthetics, coated paper, chemically treated materials and potentially dangerous chemical compounds that require recycling or safe and careful disposal. Combined with yard waste, these household items can turn outdoor burning into a real health concern. In fact, in Wisconsin it is illegal to burn household solid wastes including plastic, painted or treated wood, waste petroleum products and oily paper and rags, and rubber products like tires. The only exceptions to the rules are small amounts of leaves and yard waste, clean wood and clean waste paper not suitable for recycling. Homeowners also need to be aware that burning these things may be limited or prohibited by local ordinances and, in fire control and many other areas, permits are required that limit the days, times and seasons for burning.

Another concern with illegal backyard burning is that household waste tends to burn poorly at low temperatures. As a result, a toxic plume of pollutants is created, containing chemicals and small, sooty particles. Burning trash can also generate dioxins, which are highly toxic chemicals. The resulting ash often contains high levels of metals like lead and cadmium, or other chemical compounds, many of which are especially dangerous to small children. Individuals with respiratory illnesses like asthma may especially suffer from breathing this polluted smoke floating across their property. The smoke from open burning can even take a toll on the lungs of healthy adults and children.

Today, the DNR estimates that there are about 500,000 burn barrels in the state, mostly in unincorporated rural areas. Many households in these same areas also periodically burn yard debris and wood in open piles. Together, this open burning makes a significant contribution to air quality problems in Wisconsin.

Open burning is also the leading cause of wildfires in Wisconsin. About one-third of these preventable, costly, destructive and dangerous fires, like the blaze that burned nearly 3,900 acres near Big Flats in Adams County on May 5, can be attributed to private burning in barrels and piles.

Many people in Wisconsin and across the U.S. and Canada are increasingly concerned about the dangers of open burning to health, air quality, land use and safety. As a result, many states and communities have increased their efforts to promote awareness, education and encourage legal regulation of open burning and burn barrels. For more information on open burning in Wisconsin, go to the DNR’s Open Burningweb page.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Kessler – (608) 266-5207

Grant available to assist in training ATV safety instructors and trail ambassadors

MADISON – Nonprofit organizations interested in safe and responsible operation of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in Wisconsin have until June 13 to apply for a grant awarded to one organization annually to assist the state Department of Natural Resources in recruiting and training safety instructors and volunteer trail ambassadors.

“The purpose of the Wisconsin ATV safety training program is to promote responsible, safe and ethical ATV use,” says Bill Engfer, recreational safety section chief in the DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement.”

A major part of the safety program involves training volunteer ATV safety instructors, who in turn teach classes locally on safe and ethical use of ATVs. Wisconsin law requires all people who ride ATVs on public riding areas (trails, frozen waters, routes, permitted county and/or forest lands, etc.) who are at least age 12 and who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 to complete an ATV safety certification course. But recreational safety specialists encourage all people who will be operating ATVs to take the course.

Volunteer trail ambassadors are volunteers who are trained to help ATV operators while riding on the trail. Trail Ambassadors act as role models for other riders, distribute regulations and information, assist stranded ATVs and report violations if problems cannot be addressed through on site education. They also help keep trails safe by identifying problems and reporting them to proper officials. Trail ambassadors do not enforce ATV laws, but can assist ATV operators in understanding ATV rules and can report violations to DNR wardens.

The department will award the $250,000 grant to one qualified nonprofit organization that meets a number of requirements and objectives. The organization must be able to:

• Provide proof of the organization’s nonprofit status with supporting documents from the Secretary of State’s office.
• Provide a list of the board of directors showing each member’s name and address.
• Create and provide a business plan detailing the methods and approaches the organization will use to promote the operation of ATVs in a safe and responsible manner, in ways that do not harm the environment and in a manner that does not conflict with laws, rules and departmental policies relating to ATV operation.
• Show how the organization’s interest will be limited to the recreational operation of ATVs on ATV trails and other areas off highways.
• Outline how the organization will provide support to ATV clubs.
• Provide a mechanism on how the organization will collect ATV operation data in relation to trail operation.
• Describe how the organization will help the department locate, recruit and train ATV instructors.
• Show how the organization will attempt to increase participation by current and future ATV operators and owners involved in the program.
• Outline ways the organization will help the DNR and the Department of Tourism by creating an outreach program to inform local communities on appropriate ATV use in their communities and the economic benefits that may be gained from promoting tourism to attract ATV operators.
• Describe how the organization will improve and maintain its relationship with the DNR, the Department of Tourism, ATV dealers, ATV manufacturers, snowmobile clubs as defined in s. 350.138 (1)(e), snowmobile alliances as defined in s. 350.138 (1)(d), and other organizations that promote the recreational operation of snowmobiles.
• Detail how the organization will help recruit, assist and train, and provide support to a corps of volunteers (trail ambassadors) that will assist in providing instruction on the safe and responsible operation of ATVs given in the field to ATV operators.
• In cooperation with the DNR, publish a manual that will be used to train volunteers (trail ambassadors) in monitoring the recreational operation of ATVs for safety issues and other issues that relate to the responsible operation of ATVs.

The organization that receives the grant must be able to provide supporting documents such as reports, receipts and audits showing that the objectives have been met.

Organizations interested in applying for this grant should request additional information and application materials from William Engfer, DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, telephone (608) 266-0859. The deadline for submitting an application is 5 p.m., June 13, 2005.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: William Engfer, chief, Recreation Enforcement & Education Section, DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement, (608) 266-0859