Madison – The Natural Resources Board will meet in person on Wednesday, August 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the St. Casino. Croix at Turtle Lake. The Management Board will consider items 1-4 and 7-8 of the agenda included in NRB page on the DNR website. The public can watch the meeting on the DNR’s YouTube channel.
The deadline for registering public speaking requests and submitting written comments is Wednesday, August 7, at 11:00 a.m. Public testimony submitted remotely via Zoom may be accepted. Personal public appearances are also welcome.
During the August meeting, the council will consider a range of activities related to off-highway vehicles, air pollution, financial responsibility for solid waste disposal, revising deer management unit boundaries and public drinking water requirements.
The DNR will ask the NRB to approve the 2034 Elk Management Plan and approve proposed rules affecting Elk Management Chapter NR 10.
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Fun day at the Brule State Fish Hatchery, August 17
Brule, Wisconsin – The DNR, Douglas County Fish and Game League, Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, Wild Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Western Lake Superior Trollers Association will host their annual family fun day on Saturday at the Brule State Fish Hatchery in Brule, August 17 from 10:00 to 15:00
This free event will include stream shocking and fish filleting demonstrations, hatchery tours, fly tying, youth archery casting and lessons, junior firefighting classes and T-shirt painting. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in catch-and-release fishing and kayaking on the Brule River.
Brule Fish Hatchery raises Seeforellen brown trout to stock Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Although the hatchery is located on the Brule River National Forest, vehicle admission stickers are not required on the day of the event.
Registration is open to hunters with disabilities
Madison – Eligible hunters who wish to participate in the Disabled Hunters’ Gun Deer Hunt must contact the sponsor who owns the hunting land and confirm location by September 15. There are thousands of acres of land available for this year’s hunt on October 1. 5-13. Hunters should contact sponsors directly to participate in the 2024 hunt. Information is posted on the DNR website.
Grants available for restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin
Washington – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Eastern Region has announced two calls for proposals for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects. The Forest Service anticipates that, under an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, up to $6.2 million will be made available for reforestation, ecosystem restoration and forest improvement on non-federally owned lands in the Great Lakes basin in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Launched in 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative strategically focuses on the greatest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and accelerates progress toward long-term restoration goals.
Applicants may include state agencies, tribal nations, nonprofit groups, educational institutions, and local governments in the Great Lakes basin. All applications must be submitted to grants.gov by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18. More information: www.fs.usda.gov/main/r9/workingtogether/grants.
Apply for onX Adventure Forever grants by August 16
Missoula, Mont. — onX, a leader in outdoor digital navigation, announced that the deadline to apply for Adventure Forever grants is August 16. This program creates opportunities for nonprofits, land trusts, tribes and community groups to unlock funding for access and stewardship projects.
Since its founding in 2009, onX has been committed to preserving and preserving access to the natural landscapes that fuel adventure. From 2018 to 2023, the onX grant program helped protect and improve public access to 154,000 acres and support the maintenance and construction of 400 km of trails.
Projects considered for grants include those that: acquire and preserve, protect access roads, build trails that produce returns, support voluntary access to private lands, restore trails and riding areas, and develop stewardship communities. Grant amounts vary depending on the type of project and location, but typically range from $5,000 to $25,000. All fellows must be based in the United States.
To apply or learn more about the Adventure Forever Grants onX program, go to www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/ subsidies for access to outdoor recreation.
Iowa Pheasant Nesting Predictions for 2024: Fewer birds this fall
Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa’s pheasant population typically increases after delicate winters with drier and warmer springs than usual. While last winter saw average or lower snowfall, spring was wetter than usual, with May being the eighth wettest in 152 years of records.
Taking into account statewide information, the weather model predicts that pheasant populations will likely be lower during the 2024 season.
Forecasts are based on weather data, said Todd Bogenschutz, an upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR, and can be wrong. The August road survey, conducted Aug. 1-15, is the best gauge of what the upland population will be like this fall. Survey results will be posted on the DNR website around September 15.
