Monthly Archives: October 2013

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endorses Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Lesser Prairie-chicken Range-Wide Conservation Plan

Range-wide plan provides model for state leadership in conservation of a species proposed for listing under the ESA

On October 23rd the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) endorsed the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Conservation Plan, a landmark, collaborative planning effort to conserve a species proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The range-wide plan (RWP) represents a dedicated effort by the five range states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma,Kansas and Colorado to conserve the lesser prairie-chicken. After an extensive review, the USFWS found the plan is consistent with criteria proposed last May for conserving the species, which is proposed for listing under the ESA. The plan calls for providing financial incentives to landowners who voluntarily manage their lands to benefit the species. It also includes a framework for mitigating the potentially harmful effects to lesser prairie-chicken habitat from development activity throughout its range.

“The unprecedented collaborative efforts of WAFWA and the five state wildlife agencies have produced a sound conservation plan for the lesser prairie-chicken,” said USFWS Director Dan Ashe. “We applaud the states’ commitment to lead conservation actions across the bird’s range.”

The endorsement is not a decision by the USFWS that implementing the plan will preclude the need to protect the lesser prairie-chicken under the ESA. The USFWS will carefully consider the plan, its implementation and effectiveness when it makes a final determination on whether to list the lesser prairie-chicken under the ESA in March, 2014.

Under the plan, agreements with participating landowners will aim to improve habitat conditions for the lesser prairie-chicken, increase populations and provide for long-term conservation of the species. The plan also establishes a framework for mitigating impacts from a wide range of activities with a goal of providing a net conservation benefit to the species.

“We are encouraged to see U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endorsement of the five-state, range-wide plan to conserve this iconic grassland bird and its native prairie habitat,” said Carter Smith, WAFWA president and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director, speaking on behalf of WAFWA and the five state agencies. “Years of due diligence have gone into this plan, guided by scientific research and monitoring, and developed with input from landowners, agriculture, wind and oil and gas interests and other stakeholders. We can now work at the local level to implement the plan, facilitate more conservation for the bird while allowing sustainable land use and responsible economic development, and hopefully preclude the need to list this species.”

In the coming weeks, the USFWS will revise the May 6, 2013, proposed 4(d) special rule for the lesser prairie-chicken to more specifically identify the range-wide conservation plan as one that, when implemented, will address the conservation needs of the species. If the USFWS ultimately determines that the lesser prairie-chicken should be listed as a threatened species, the revised 4(d) rule would provide a mechanism for ESA compliance. Linking the plan to a 4(d) special rule would offer participating landowners and industry participants regulatory certainty, as actions carried out in accordance with the plan would be in compliance with the ESA, even if the species requires ESA protection.

The lesser prairie-chicken is a species of prairie grouse commonly recognized for its colorful spring mating display and orange eye combs. Once abundant across much of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado (the five range states), the lesser prairie-chicken’s historical range of native grasslands and prairies has been reduced by an estimated 84 percent. The substantial decrease in the range of the species is primarily a result of habitat fragmentation and loss caused by development and conversion of the species’ native grassland habitat to other uses. Last year, the population declined by an estimated 50 percent, primarily due to drought conditions in the West.

America‘s fish, wildlife and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. The USFWS is actively engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species such as the Working Lands for Wildlife program. To learn more about the Endangered Species program, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

Trout Season Kicks off November 1

More than 200,000 trout will be stocked in select waters throughout the state this season

Outside temperatures may be cooling down, but for trout anglers, fishing season is about to heat up. From Nov. 1, 2013-April 15, 2014, anglers can enjoy some of the best fishing opportunities in the state as nearly 30 public fishing areas will be stocked periodically with this special species. Throughout a five-month period beginning Nov. 1 and ending March 31, over 202,000 trout will be stocked in select waters.

In Kansas, there are two types of trout waters: On Type 1 waters all anglers age 16 and older fishing during the trout season are required to have a trout permit, and on Type 2 waters anglers 16 and older who are fishing for or in possession of trout are required to have a trout permit. Anglers 15 and younger can fish for trout without a trout permit, but they may only keep two trout per day. The daily creel limit for anglers with a trout permit is five per day unless posted otherwise. All anglers age 16-74 must also have a Kansas fishing license. New for 2014, anglers fishing for trout in Meade State Fishing Lake will be required to purchase a trout permit.

Anglers fishing in ponds and lakes after April 15 may catch trout without a trout permit, but the limit of 5 trout a day and 15 in possession is still enforced. This does not include the waters that are stocked year-round, such as the Mined Land Wildlife Area Unit #30 (Cherokee County), which requires a trout permit year-round.

Some local governments in areas such as Topeka and Kansas City have their own trout stocking programs, which may require a fee, but the state permit is not required. Local city and county recreation departments should have details.

Trout waters and the total number of trout stocked at each throughout the season are listed below. To view a complete stocking schedule for a specific location, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Fishing/Special Fishing Programs for You/Trout Fishing Program.”

Region 1

Webster Reservoir Stilling Basin: 10,500

Bellville City Lake (Rocky Pond): 7,500

Glen Elder State Park Pond: 3,300

Kanopolis Seep Stream: 8,500

Cedar Bluff Stilling Basin: 4,250

Salina – Lakewood Lake: 6,000

*At this time Smoky Gardens (Sherman County) has water and will be stocked as water quality improves.

*At this time the Solomon River above Webster is dry and will not be stocked.

Region 2

Ft. Riley – Moon Lake: 9,000

Ft. Riley – Cameron Springs: 12,000

Topeka – Auburndale Park Stream: 1,505

Tuttle Creek – Willow Lake: 12,900

Clinton State Park – Lake Henry: 5,075

Holton – Elkhorn Lake: 3,000

Atchison City Lake #1: 3,000

Shawnee Co. – Lake Shawnee: 14,000

Region 3

Scott State Fishing Lake: 8,860

Cimarron Grassland Pits: 5,800

Pratt – Centennial Pond: 4,000

Great Bend – Stone Lake: 6,650

Dodge City – Lake Charles: 5,080

Syracuse – Sam’s Pond: 2,500

*At this time Sandsage Bison Range and Wildlife Area is dry and will not be stocked.

Region 4

El Dorado State Park – River Area: 6,350

Sedgwick Co. – Vic’s Lake: 14,076

Sedgwick Co. – Slough Creek: 10,944

Hutchinson – Dillon Nature Center: 5,785

Wichita – KDOT East Lake: 8,172

Region 5

Mined Land Wildlife Area – Unit #30: 15,895

Ft. Scott – Gunn Park East Lake: 4,725

Garnett – Crystal Lake: 3,000

NRCS Announces Deadline for EQIP Funding in Kansas

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Eric B. Banks announced an application evaluation cutoff date of November 15, 2013, for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

NRCS has provided over $26 million in financial assistance for fiscal year 2013 to helpKansas producers implement conservation practices through EQIP, the agency’s largest Farm Bill conservation program.   

“The Environmental Quality Incentives Program offers farmers and forestland managers a variety of options to conserve natural resources while boosting production on their lands,” Banks said.  “This conservation investment helps improve environmental health and the economy ofKansas’ rural communities.”

EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers through contracts up to a maximum term of ten years in length.  These contracts provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns and opportunities to improve soil, water, plant, animal, air, and related resources on agricultural land, such as cropland and rangeland, and non-industrial private forestland.

EQIP helps address the unique circumstances of socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers, who have natural resource concerns that need to be addressed on their land.  Qualifying Kansas producers compete separately and receive higher payment rates.

For more information visit the Kansas NRCS Web site www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs  or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center. To find a service center near you, check your telephone book under “United States Government” or on the Internet atwww.offices.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas.  

Kansas Red Fall Colors

Bleeding Kansas by Elby Adamson
The phrase bleeding Kansas usually refers to the violent period in the 1850s prior to the Civil War when Kansas was already a battleground between proslavery and free state forces. But those who love the outdoors can easily find a metaphor for bleeding Kansas as the fall foliage offers a definite sanguine appearance.

 

Garlands of blood red Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) wrap around golden cottonwoods and ash trees and even an occasional red cedar.

                                               Photo by Elby Adamson

Swaths of crimson paint the flanks of the Flint Hills where smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) displays the color of blood in the autumn sun.

                                                Smooth Sumac Photo by Ted Beringer

Woody vines and shrubs aren’t the only artists putting red in the landscape.  Species such as pigweed (Amaranthus palmeri), smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper)

                                            Smartweed Photo by Hans Toom

 and pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)offer fall colors with their scarlet stems and in the case of the pokeweed its purple-red berries as well.

The gooseberry (Ribes spp. Saxifragaceae) has leaves that stand out as bright red patches in riparian areas and the coral berry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) adds tiny bits of purple and red as its berries dot the fall landscape. 

                                          Coralberry Photo by Tony Presley
Many other plants ranging from rough-leaved dogwood to both big and little bluestem grasses offer tints and hints of purples and reds as well.

Late in the fall wahoo brings a bright red in both foliage and bright three-part berries described as fuchsia colored. But sometimes this plant is startling red to those who find it along rocky outcroppings and as an understory shrub or small tree. The color is another welcome relief as fall moves toward the drab grey of November.

                                  Photo courtesy of the Kansas Native Plant Society

While the original term bleeding Kansas evokes memories of violence and tragedy, the fall colors of many Kansas plants and trees simply remind us of the beauty of our states’ natural wonders.

State Park Cabins Serve as Ideal Base Camps for Hunters

Lodging at a comfortable state park cabin can save hunters money and time

Hunters have to factor in a lot of components when planning a hunt and one of the most important aspects focuses on timing. Whether you are figuring out what time to wake up, when to change locations, how soon to call an animal in, or even when you should shoot, it’s always better when a hunter has time on their side. State park cabins can offer hunters an affordable base camp that won’t require factoring in a ton of extra time for travel. Often located within just a few miles, some even within walking distance, of some of the state’s most popular public hunting areas, state park cabins are a great way to enjoy the outdoors long after shooting hours are over.

Offered in either “deluxe” or “sleeper” styles, state park cabins provide the flexibility that comes with lodging at a chain hotel, without the brand-name price. Depending upon the season and amenities offered, nightly fees vary from $35 to $110 and can sleep anywhere from four to ten adults. Deluxe cabins offer heating and air conditioning, a bathroom, shower, and often a furnished kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and coffee pot. Sleeper cabins are a little more rustic with fewer amenities, but are still equipped with heating and air conditioning, as well as electricity. Beds are included; however guests are required to bring their own linens.

Reservations can be made online at reserveamerica.com as far out as 364 days in advance and as soon as three days in advance. If booking on a Friday, cabins must be reserved for both Friday and Saturday, and cabins booked on a Saturday must be reserved for both Saturday and Sunday. Hunters wishing to make a reservation one to two days in advance my contact the nearest state park office for availability, or call (620) 672-5911 for assistance.

For more information on state park cabin locations and amenities, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “State Parks / Reservations.”

Treestand Hunters are Encouraged to Harness Up

Fall-restraint systems can be a life-saving tool when hunting from a treestand

The deer rut can be some of the best hunting all year for bowhunters, and in the whirlwind of activity that takes place during this special time, it can be easy to get lackadaisical about safety practices. Every year, a surprising number of treestand hunters fall from treestands, some suffering serious injury or death.

“I’ve found that approximately 50 percent of all treestand hunters do not use any form of fall arrest devise,” says Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism assistant hunter education coordinator Aaron Austin, “so it’s not surprising that up to 30 percent of hunters who hunt from treestands will have an incident sometime in their lives.” Since treestand incidents aren’t required to be reported the way firearm-related hunting incidents are, Austinbelieves the number is a lot higher.

“As a bowhunter, I feel that being 20 feet up in a tree is part of the tradition of deer hunting, but it is important for hunters to be aware of the dangers of treestand hunting,” says Austin. “There are some great products on the market that fix this problem such as the Hunter Safety System Lifeline used in conjunction with a safety harness. This system allows the hunter to stay attached to the tree from the ground to the stand using a simple Prusik knot that slides up and down the line while ascending or descending the tree.”

Apart from using a proper-fitting full-body fall arrest system, Austin recommends treestand hunters keep the following in mind to stay safe this season:

– Select a live, straight tree to hang a stand on, and never hang a stand on a power pole.

– While hanging a stand or climbing a tree for the first time, use a full-body fall arrest system that is equipped with a lineman style climbing belt. A climbing rope, such as a HSS Lifeline, can then be permanently attached above the stand and to the base of the tree so that the hunter is always attached to the tree.

– Permanent stands are particularly dangerous and should be avoided because nails always pull out over time.

– ALWAYS maintain three points of contact with your steps or ladder while climbing up or down the tree.

– Use a haul line to raise or lower hunting equipment instead of trying to carry it.

– While the hunter is seated, there should be little to no slack in the tether that secures the hunter to the tree. Failure to keep the tether above the hunter could result in the hunter being unable to reboard the stand platform after a fall.

– Cold weather can affect the body and mind in several ways, including a delayed down reaction time, tightened muscles, and numbness, therefore treestand hunters should take every precaution to stay as warm as possible while hunting.

– Hunters should be cautious of any surface on the treestand that is wet, frosty or muddy. Failure to take notice of this can cause a hunter to lose traction, creating a potentially serious hazard.

For more information, including videos and current statistics on treestand safety, visit www.projectstand.net.

Kansas Deer-Vehicle Collisions Peak during November

In 2012, nearly 8,700 vehicle accidents in Kansas involved deer

Deer can be spotted near our state’s roadways any time of the year. However, in the fall, motorists should be especially vigilant for deer crossing the highways. Deer breeding season peaks in mid-November, and this marks the period when deer-vehicle collisions are highest. That’s why the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), and the Kansas Highway Patrol are working together to raise awareness and help drivers avoid collisions with deer.

According to KDWPT biologist Lloyd Fox, the increase in deer-vehicle crashes is strongly influenced by the deer mating season, called “rut.” During rut, deer focus on mating; they travel more than in other seasons and pay less attention to hazards such as vehicles. Also during the fall, many deer move to more secure areas as crops are harvested and leaves fall from trees and shrubs.

Not only are deer more active during the fall, but shorter days mean dusk and dawn — when deer are more likely to be on the move — occur when commuter traffic is highest. According to KDOT spokesperson Steve Swartz, 15 percent, or 8,695, of all traffic crashes in 2012 involved deer. Two people were killed and 322 were injured in these crashes. Deer-vehicle collisions occur in every Kansas county. In most cases, counties with high human populations and high traffic volumes record the most deer-vehicle crashes. Johnson County recorded the most crashes with 304, followed by Sedgwick County with 293, and Reno County with 237. The good news is the number of deer-related accidents has continued to decline since 2004 when 9,954 accidents were recorded.

Motorists should observe the following tips to avoid deer collisions:

♦ Be especially watchful at dawn and dusk when deer are particularly active;

♦ Watch for more than one deer, as they seldom travel alone;

♦ Reduce speed and be alert near wooded areas or green spaces such as parks or golf courses and near water sources such as streams or ponds;

♦ Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer – the most serious accidents sometimes occur when motorists swerve and collide with another vehicle or run off the road and hit an obstacle;

♦ Heed deer crossing signs;

♦ Always wear a seat belt and use appropriate child safety seats; and

♦ Use bright lights and slow down whenever the reflective eyes of deer are spotted.

According to KHP Lieutenant Joshua Kellerman, if you hit a deer, slow down and pull onto the shoulder, turn on your emergency flashers, and watch for traffic if you have to exit your vehicle. If you have a cellular phone and are on a Kansas highway, dial *47 (*HP) for a highway patrol dispatcher, *582 (*KTA) for assistance on the Kansas Turnpike, or dial 911.

Anyone involved in a vehicle-deer crash resulting in personal injury or property damage that totals $1,000 or more is required to immediately report the crash to the nearest law enforcement agency. Failure to report any traffic crash is a misdemeanor and may result in suspension of driving privileges.

A salvage tag is required to remove a deer carcass from an accident site. Tags can be issued by KHP troopers, sheriff’s deputies, or KDWPT natural resource officers.

If you are involved in a non-injury crash on an interstate, U.S. highway, or any divided or multi-lane road in the state of Kansas, and if you are not transporting hazardous materials, you are required by law to move your vehicle out of the lane of traffic. This law is intended to help keep drivers and passengers safe by getting them out of the lane of traffic and away from oncoming vehicles.

Kansas Wildlife Federation receives Savage Rascal rifles.


These youngsters are shooting the Savage Rascal rifles that the “Kansas Wildlife Federation” recieved from a grant from the Friends of the  N.R.A. at the Lake Afton Hunter Education Clinic in Wichita Kansas.  The Lake Afton Clnic this year enrolled 760 students and tested 720 on Sunday.  The kids really liked the Rascal rifles.  They commented that they liked the peep sight better than the open sights on the other rifles. The instructors said it is easyer to explain a peep sight than it is open sights.  The K.W.F. is making these rifles available for Hunter Education, plus they will be used at the Outdoor Adventure Camp the first week of June. 


Great Plains Nature Center Invites Youth Submissions for Book

Kansas Critters gives youth a chance to become published artists or writers

The Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, is seeking submissions for an educational book entitled Kansas Critters: Wet ‘N Wild; A Wildlife Book Written and Illustrated by Kansas Kids. The book, which is modeled after several other popular “Kansas Critters” books, will be available next summer and will focus on 27 species of wetland animals found in Kansas.

Kansas youth K-8 attending public, private or home schools are eligible to participate and may submit poems, drawings, facts, paintings, stories, sketches, and more. All entries must be submitted no later than Feb. 15, 2014 to the Great Plains Nature Center, 

6232 E. 29th St. N, Wichita, Kansas 67220

.

Submissions must fall under one of the three categories listed below. Participants may submit one entry in each category. All submissions must be the entrant’s original work. Participants whose entries are selected will be invited to a special awards ceremony and reception at the Great Plains Nature Center.

Group 1

People enjoying wetlands activities such as fishing, hunting, boating, photography, or nature observation. Species: green-winged teal, plains minnow, channel catfish, diamondback water snake, common snapping turtle, bullfrog, mapleleaf mussel, or Graham’s crayfish snake.

Group 2

Species: beaver, white-fronted goose, bluegill, Topeka shiner, great blue heron, painted turtle, plains leopard frog, floater mussel, halloween pennant dragonfly.

Group 3

Species: mink, mallard, orangethroat darter, largemouth bass, American avocet, red-eared slider, kingfisher, northern crayfish, or black-crowned night heron.

For more information, visit www.gpnc.org, or contact program coordinator Lorrie Beck at (316) 683-5499, ext. 108.

This project is made possible by generous grants from The Lattner Family Foundation,

Cargill Cares, the Kansas Health Foundation and the Wichita Cultural Funding Committee.

Mercury Pollution Impacting Recreational Fishing

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Addresses Concert for the Climate Group

Environmentalism has emerged as our nation’s most important civil rights issue, says Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney and Waterkeeper Alliance president-at-large. Government’s role is to protect the commons, he maintains, because natural resources are the nation’s social safety net.

During his Sept. 29 keynote speech at Concert for the Climate overlooking the confluence of the Missouriand Kaw Rivers in Kansas City, Kan., Kennedy addressed fishing, a pastime he claims is victimized by powerful political entities, and focused on rising mercury levels in American waterway-caught fish.

“Last August the National Academy of Sciences released a 10-year study saying that every freshwater fish now has dangerous levels of mercury in its flesh. This mercury is coming from those coal plants. We are now living a science fiction nightmare where my children, every child in Kansas, and most of the children in United States of America can no longer engage in the seminal activity of youth, which is going fishing with their father and mother at the local fishing hole and coming home to safely eat the fish because of the political power of these coal plant.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, one of out every six women has dangerous levels of mercury in her womb. I fish a lot. I eat the fish. My levels were 10 times what EPA considers safe. I was told by Dr. David Carpenter, the national authority on mercury contamination, that a woman with my levels would have children with permanent brain damage. I said, ‘you mean she might have.’ He said, ‘no, science is certain.’ At my level, a child would be born with a permanent IQ loss of 5 to 7 points.

“So, today, according to CDC, there are 640,000 children born in this county every day exposed to dangerous levels of mercury in their mothers’ wombs that would cause them to lose an IQ point or have a grim inventory of other diseases including autism; blindness; mental retardation; or heart, liver, kidney disease. These are costs of coal imposed on us. They are telling us coal costs 11 cents a kilowatt hour. They are not telling us about these other costs we are paying because we are dependent on coal.”

Mercury contamination isn’t a new topic for Kennedy. But it’s one that has gained additional importance to him after this year’s international treaty negotiations regarding global emissions of mercury. In addition, a recent report by the Biodiversity Research Institute and IPEN, the network of 700 public interest organizations in 116 countries, documented mercury levels exceeding health advisory levels linked to pollution from coal-burning power plants, small scale mining, and other industrial sources.

In his weekly blog, Kennedy wrote: “The United States is only now starting to see progress in reducing mercury emissions. In America, citizen action forced EPA to adopt the first ever mercury and air toxics rule in 2012. This rule will prevent 90% of the mercury in coal burned at power plants from being emitted into the air.”

Read more from this blog entry (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/we-need-a-mercury-treaty-_b_2457376.html) and also Kansas’ 2013 revised fish consumption advisories (http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2013/01082013a.htm)  set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
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