Trout Unlimited 819 W. Elsie St. Appleton, WI 54914-3774 ...wicouncil.tu.org/sites/default/files/2000 April.pdf · (#395): Herbert Hintze, 629 Hamilton St., Wausau, WI 54403 (715)

News and Views from Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

Wisconsin TroutSpring 2000

TROUT

UNLIMITED

Trout Unlimited819 W. Elsie St.Appleton, WI 54914-3774

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 79

MENASHA, WI 54952Visit Wisconsin TU online at www.lambcom.net/witu

In this issue...

Many critical of governor’s role in resource issues

Survey finds WDNR employees question agency politicsPolitics color scientific evalua-

tions and permit decisions to thedetriment of the state’s environ-ment, according to the results of arecent survey of all employees ofWisconsin’s Department of NaturalResources (DNR).

The survey, conducted by PublicEmployees for Environmental Re-sponsibility (PEER), also found

overwhelming support for remov-ing the governor’s power to appointthe DNR Secretary and for re-establishing the Public Intervenor’sOffice which was abolished by Gov-ernor Tommy Thompson in 1996.

This past December, PEERmailed out surveys to all of the ap-proximately 3,000 DNR employeesconsisting of questions written by

employees. That same week, DNR Secretary

George Meyer sent out an email en-couraging all DNR employees toparticipate. More than half returnedthe PEER questionnaires.

According to survey results, astrong plurality of employees regis-tered concerns about political influ-ence within the agency: • Nearly half of respondents feel

that scientific evaluations are in-fluenced by political consider-ations with less than a third indisagreement.

• More than half do not trust DNRadministrators “to stand upagainst political pressure in pro-tecting the environment.”

• More than two in five think thatbusiness “has undue influence onDNR decision-making.”Overall, nearly half of DNR em-

ployees believe Wisconsin’s environ-ment is not better protected nowthan it was five years ago, while littlemore than a third disagree.

The PEER survey also asked em-ployees to write essays identifyingthe “biggest problem” facing theDNR.

Continued on p. 14

Company now pursuing Big Spring location

Perrier pulls plug on Mecan springs siteBy John Welter

After a storm of public protestabout plans by the Perrier Group ofAmerica (PGA) to bottle and mar-ket water from the Mecan River wa-tershed, Perrier is now focusing on adifferent spring in Adams County.

TU leaders met with Gov. Tom-my Thompson and Perrier represen-tatives Rodney Allen and RobFisher on March 13. They were toldby Allen that under no circumstanc-es will PGA seek to obtain waterfrom the Mecan or its tributaries.

The TU representatives meetingwith Perrier included John (Duke)Welter, State Council Chair, SteveBorn, National Resource BoardChair, and Dave Beckwith, a mem-ber of the National Board of Trust-ees who arranged the meeting. TU’s water concerns

TU’s representatives stressed anumber of points, including:• full public disclosure of testing

procedures, data, and ongoingmonitoring results,

• planning for mitigation of im-pacts,

• testing by independent agencies,and

• support by Perrier of stream andspring rehabilitation efforts andacquisition of public rights incoldwater resources. PGA is currently investigating

the Briggsville area east of Wiscon-sin Dells. Perrier has hired crews todrill at least three test wells aroundBig Spring on privately owned farm-land containing several springs. County passes moratorium

Meanwhile, a moratorium onzoning changes was passed March15 by the Town of New Haven insoutheastern Adams County whereBig Spring is located. Presently noareas in New Haven are zoned for

industrial use.Town officials said they are not

against Perrier’s plans, but feel themoratorium will give local officialssome breathing room to examinetheir current land use practices.Central blows whistle

After Central Wisconsin Chaptermembers first blew the whistle inDecember on Perrier’s plans for theMecan River, Wisconsin TU joinedthe chapter in bringing public atten-tion to the threat to the watershed.

The protes t aga ins t PGA’sMecan River plans was led by TUand joined by hundreds of con-cerned citizens over the past threemonths.

Central Wisconsin Chapter lead-ers have expressed the chapter’scontinued opposition to Perrier tak-ing water from any springs wherethe removal would adversely affecttrout populations.

TU demanded the WDNR con-duct a full environmental impactstatement (EIS) and hydrogeologi-cal survey to determine baselineflows in the Mecan watershed be-fore Perrier pumped the first dropof water for bottling.

TU was joined in the demand bythe River Alliance of Wisconsin, Si-erra Club–John Muir Chapter, Wis-consin Wetlands Association, andthe Madison Audubon Society.

TU’s State Council also opposeduse of the Mecan Springs State Nat-ural Area as a well site by Perrier, ina resolution passed at its Februaryannual meeting.

The Natural Area received thatdesignation in recognition of its nat-ural values, which include severalspring ponds, rare wetlands, endan-gered species, and fish and water-fowl habitat.

Continued on p. 15

PERRIER’S PUBLIC MEETING FLOPSPerrier’s Valentine’s Day public meeting in Coloma was attended by an estimated 1,000 people. Local media reported that most left the meeting disappointed by the lack of a public presentation on the company’s plans.

New access law will help wading anglers

By John WelterAnglers will be able to walk le-

gally on exposed shore areas alongtrout streams this season, an expan-sion of the traditional advice to“keep your feet wet” to avoid tres-passing.

The change in state law becameeffective October 29, 1999, accord-ing to DNR lawyer Mike Lutz.

Continued on p. 11

Council honors six at awards banquet . . . . . . . . 5“Removing small dams” Pt. 3: tools . . . . . . . . . 6‘Trout Watch’ program started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Coalition urges repeal of 1867 cranberry law . . 8WSN tackling metallic mining issues . . . . . . . 10WDNR panel discusses restoration options . . 16

Page 2 Spring 2000

Wisconsin TU DirectoryState Council Leadership

Chairman: John Welter, 2211 Frona Place, Eau Claire, WI 54701- 7513 (715) 831-9565 (W); (715) 833-7028 (H); (715) 831-9586 (fax);[email protected]: Chuck Steudel, 1217 Cty. QQ, Mineral Point, WI 53565 (608) 987-2171; [email protected]: John Bethke, 118 Ver-non St., Westby, WI 54667-1122 (608) 634-3641Treasurer: Forrest Grulke, 1540 N. McCarthy — Apt. 7, Appleton, WI 54913 (715) 258-8450 (W); (920) 996-0025 (H); [email protected] Chairman: Bill Sherer, P.O. Box 516, Boulder Junction, WI 54512 (715) 385-0171 (W); (715) 385-9373 (H); (715) 385-2553 (fax), [email protected] Region Vice-Chair: Jim Hlaban, 1429 Silverwood, Neenah, WI 54956 (920) 722-4335 (H); [email protected] Development & Mem-bership: Jim Hlaban (see above)Education: Dale Lange, N2095 CTH “BB,” Marinette, WI 54143 (715) 582-1135Fund Raising & “Friends of Wis.

TU”: John Cantwell, 3725 Ken Ridge, Green Bay, WI 54313, (920) 865-4441. (920) 865-4442 (fax); [email protected] Counsel: Winston Ostrow, 335 Traders Point Ln., Green Bay, WI 54302 (920) 432-9300 (W); (920) 469-1596 (H); [email protected]: Jeff Smith, 7330 Old Sauk Rd., Madison, WI 53717-1213; (608) 266-0267; [email protected] Region Vice-Chair: Lloyd Andrews, 8764 Brunswick Rd., Minocqua, WI 54548 (715) 356-5738Publications: Todd Hanson, 819 W. Elsie St., Appleton, WI 54914-3774 (920) 954-9744 (phone & fax); [email protected] Policy & Rules: Bill Sherer (see above)River Restoration: Kevin Cooley, 653 8th St. N., Hudson, WI 54016-2309; (715) 386-0559Water Resources: Mike Swoboda, 1312 Ridgewood Dr., Chippewa Falls, WI 54729-1931; [email protected]: Andy Lamberson, 2104 Chestnut Dr., Hudson, WI 54016; [email protected].

Chapter PresidentsAldo Leopold Chapter (#375): Clint Byrnes, 921 S. Spring St., Beaver Dam, WI 53916-2831 (920) 885-5335Antigo Chapter (#313): Scott Henricks, 213 Mary St., Antigo, WI 54409-2536 (715) 623-3867Blackhawk Chapter (#390): John Miller, P.O. Box 893, Janesville, WI 53547 (920) 563-9085Central Wis. Chapter (#117): John Wahlers, 430 Broadway, Berlin, WI 54923-1761 (920) 361-0807 Coulee Region Chapter (#278): Cyrus Post, 2909 James St., La-Crosse, WI 54601-7661 (608) 788-1325Fox Valley Chapter (#193): Dean Simon, 1531 E. Harding, Apple-ton, WI 54915 (920) 734-8371;[email protected] Hornberg Chapter (#624): Jim Friedrich, 341 18th Ave. S., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495 (715) 423-0517; [email protected] Bay Chapter (#083): Pete Harris, 606 Night Ct., Green Bay, WI 54313 (920) 496-9556; [email protected] & Laura Nohr Chapter (#257): Charles Steudel, 1217 Cty. QQ, Mineral Point, WI 53565 (608) 987-2171Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter (#168): Brent Sittlow, 803 Kelly Rd., Hud-son, WI 54016-7640 (715) 386-0820; [email protected] Lakeshore Chapter (#423): Doug Leppanen, 2638 N. 20th St., She-boygan, WI 53083-4525 (920) 458-0707 (W), (920) 459-8139 (H)

Marinette Chapter (#422): Lyle Lange, N3368 River Bend Rd., Peshtigo, WI 54157-9588Northwoods Chapter (#256): Brian Hegge, 5077 Sunset Dr. — #2, Rhinelander, WI 54501 (715) 362-3244 (W), (715) 362-3244 (H); [email protected] River Chapter: Dave Brunner, 5473 Cardinal Rd., Gillett, WI 54124-9731 (920) 855-6669; [email protected] Chapter (#255): Jeff Bartynski, 6450 Whitetail Dr., Eau Claire, WI 54701 (715) 832-2632; [email protected] Chapter (#381): Will-iam Wagner, N4334 Willow Creek Rd., Shawano, WI 54166-9436 (715) 524-2426 Southeastern Wis. Chapter (#078): Chuck Beeler, 2954 S. Moorland Rd., New Berlin, WI 53151 (414) 486-1129 (W), (414) 789-6921 (H);[email protected] Wis. Chapter (#061): Tom Ehlert, 1817 East St., P.O. Box 11, Black Earth, WI 53515 (608) 767-2413 Wild Rivers Chapter (#415): Jef-frey Carlson, Route 1, P.O. Box 268, Mason, WI 54856-9794 (715) 765-4828Wisconsin River Valley Chapter (#395): Herbert Hintze, 629 Hamilton St., Wausau, WI 54403 (715) 842-1365 Wolf River Chapter (#050): Herb Buettner, N4297 Buettner Rd., White Lake, WI 54491 (715) 882-8611 (W), (715) 882-8612 (H)

New chapter leader? Let TU knowChapter leaders must inform TU National and the State Council when anew chapter president is elected. Send your name, address, phone num-bers, email address, and your chapter ID number to both:

1. TU National — Wendy Reed at (703) 522-0200, or mail your infor-mation to Wendy at Trout Unlimited, 1500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 310,Arlington, VA 22209. Or email to [email protected].

2. State Council — Todd Hanson at (954) 9744, or mail your informa-tion to Todd at 819 W. Elsie St., Appleton, WI 54914-3774. Or emailto [email protected].

WISCONSIN TROUTVol. 12, No. 2— April, 2000

Wisconsin Trout is the official publication of the Wisconsin Council ofTrout Unlimited and is distributed to the members of Wisconsin’s 21TU chapters. Nonmember subscriptions are $10/year. Publication anddistribution dates are the first weeks of January, April, July, and Octo-ber. Deadlines for articles and advertisements are the 10th of Decem-ber, March, June, and September. Advertising rate sheets areavailable, or you may download it at www.lambcom.net/witu.

Contributions and letters to the editor are welcomed. Submit articlesand returnable photos (color or b&w) to the editorial office:

Todd Hanson, editor819 W. Elsie St.Appleton, WI 54914-3774(920) 954-9744 (phone & fax)[email protected]

Change of Address Notices, including the member’s eight-digit mem-ber ID number, must be sent directly to TU National at:

Membership ServicesTrout Unlimited1500 Wilson Blvd. — Suite 310Arlington, VA 22209(703) 284-9400 (fax)[email protected]

Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited Officers

Chapter meeting times and locationsAldo Leopold: When needed or

called at Beaver Dam ConservationClub, Cty. G, Beaver Dam.

Antigo: Not listed.Blackhawk: Third Monday of the

month at 7:00 p.m. at the DNR of-fice in Janesville.

Central Wisconsin: Second Mon-day of the month at the BerlinBowling Lanes, Berlin. Board meetsat 6:30; program at 7:30.

Coulee Region: Every thirdThursday 7 p.m. at Whitetails, 5200Mormon Coulee Rd., LaCrosse.

Fox Valley: Third Thursday of themonth, 7:30 p.m., at the GordonBubolz Nature Preserve, 4815 N.Lynndale Dr., Appleton. No meet-ings June, July, and August.

Frank Hornberg Chapter: Sec-ond Thursday of the month 7 p.m.at Shooter’s Supper Club, Hwy. 51& 54, Plover. May-Sept. meetingsare evening stream work events.

Green Bay: First Thursday ofmonth (Sept.-Nov. and Jan.-May) atThe Watering Hole, 2107 Velp Ave.,Green Bay, 7:30 p.m. Christmasmeetings/awards dinner in Dec. atsite to be determined. No meetingsJune, July, and August.

Kiap-TU-Wish: First Wednesdayof the month at JR Ranch east ofHudson on Hwy. 12 north of 1-94.Dinner at 6:30 p.m.; meeting at 8:00.

Lakeshore: Second Monday ofthe month, 7:30 p.m. at The ClubBil-Mar, Old Hwy. 141, Manitowoc.

Marinette County: First Tuesdayof the month, 7:00 p.m., at TheDome Lanes, 751 University Drive,Marinette.

Harry & Laura Nohr Chapter:Not given.

Northwoods: Third Thursday ofthe month, 7:00 p.m. at AssociatedBank (Community Room), Stevensat Davenport Streets, Rhinelander.No meetings June, July, and August.

Oconto River Watershed: FirstWednesday of the month, 7:45 p.m.,at the Lone Oak Gun Club, Hwy. 32North, Gillett.

Ojibleau: Second Tuesday of themonth, 7:00 p.m., at the Eau ClaireRod & Gun Club, Eau Claire.

Shaw-Paca: Third Thursday ofthe month, 7:30 p.m., alternating be-tween Anello’s Torch Lite, 1276 E.Green Bay St . , Shawano, and

Mathew’s Supper Club, 155 8th St.,Clintonville.

Southeastern Wisconsin: FourthTuesday of the month. Dinner at6:00 p.m., meeting at 7:30 p.m. atthe Bavarian Wursthaus, 8310 Ap-pleton Ave., Milwaukee.

Southern Wisconsin: SecondTuesday of the month. Dinner at6:00 p.m., meeting at 7:00 p.m. Atthe Maple Tree Restaurant, McFar-land.

Wild Rivers: The chapter is cur-rently in the process of changing itsmeeting location. Contact Presi-dent Jeff Carlson for late details.

Wisconsin River Valley: FirstTuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m., atthe Wausau Tile Co.

Wolf River: Second Wednesdayof odd-numbered months, 7:00 p.m.,at the Wild Wolf Inn, Highway 55South.

Changing addresses the correct way

The following is the proper wayto inform TU of a new address.

Do not contact the State Coun-cil, your local chapter president, orWiscontin Trout. Only TU Nationalkeeps a database of member ad-dresses.

Following these procedures willensure you don’t miss any TU alerts,issues of Wisconsin Trout, or yourchapter newsletter.

1. Inform TU National. Call, write,or email TU National. (See thecontact information in the mast-head below.)

2. Include your ID number. YourID number is found on the upperleft-hand corner of mailing labelsattached to TROUT magazine oryour chapter newsletter.

3. Note new chapter affiliation. Ifyou are moving to a different cityin Wisconsin and wish to be affil-iated with the TU chapter in yourarea, make note of that, too. (Seethe chapter directory on thispage for the three-digit ID num-bers of Wisconsin’s TU chap-ters.)

Wisconsin Trout

Visit Wis. TU on-line: www.lambcom.net/witu

John Welter, Chairman2211 Frona PlaceEau Claire, WI 54701

Chuck Steudel, Vice-Chairman1217 Cty. QQMineral Point, WI 53565

John Bethke, Secretary118 Vernon St.Westby, WI 54667-1122

Forrest Grulke, Treasurer1540 N. McCarthy — Apt. 7Appleton, WI 54913

Page 3Spring 2000 Wisconsin Trout

LettersWhy jeopardize Mecan’s public investment?Editor,

I am very concerned about theplans of Perrier to extract waterfrom the Mecan Springs aquifer. Ihave enjoyed the many facets of theMecan river and surrounding areafor over 20 years and cannot believethat the State of Wisconsin wouldeven consider allowing Perrier to ex-tract water from this aquifer. Hav-ing been a tax paying citizen formany years it concerns me that anarea that has been entrusted to theState of Wisconsin and paid for withmy tax dollars is going to be openedup to private enterprise. This isclearly not the intended use ofMecan Springs.

Beyond the immediate threat toMecan Springs and the Mecan river,the precedent of exposing a publicresource to damage from a privateinterest is unsettling. What assur-ances do you have as secretary thatno damage to the spring, the fishery,the riparian environment, etc. willoccur? What remedy exists for dam-ages when they occur? Who willmonitor and at what expense to the

taxpayers? Are we to rely on thetesting by Perrier if and when theyare in production? Certainly youcannot believe that a corporationwill abandon or shut down an opera-tion after investing $35M even iftold to do so because of real damag-es?

Every scrap of information that Ihave seen indicates that the typicalmode of operation for Perrier is tofirst gain access and then begin pro-duction. Once this occurs the with-drawal levels are increased (withlittle or know monitoring or model-ing of impact) with damn little re-gard to the environment or otherusers of the aquifer.

An environmental impact state-ment here is clearly warranted. I amvery concerned and will follow thisissue to conclusion. I await your re-ply.

Forrest GrulkeAppleton

(Wisconsin Trout was copied this let-ter to WDNR Secretary George Meyer. -ed.)

Congratulations to TU on Mecan victoryEditor,

Congratulations on a victory forconservation! It was splendid tohear that Perrier has decided toleave the Mecan Springs area.

Although it was disappointing tolearn of the lack of protection thatour laws afforded a State NaturalArea and a beautiful trout stream,the energy and determination thatwas demonstrated by TU and othersto nip this project in the bud reallyillustrated the power of citizen in-volvement. And how nice to get aresolution to this issue in just a fewmonths!

I’ve been very impressed withTrout Unlimited’s organization anddrive. Having worked on motivatingand organizing people around envi-ronmental issues for a number ofyears, I know how difficult it is! Youmust have a great communicationnetwork set up to be able to mobi-lize so effectively.

Again, congratulations! Andthanks for your continued commit-ment to Wisconsin conservation.

Ann Finana, CoordinatorWisconsin Stewardship Net-work

Critical of Perrier’s back door U.S. tacticsEditor,

Perrier/Nestle is in a desperatesearch for spring water sources inthe U.S. Why so desperate? Manyof their plants are actually pumpingless than permitted, so why do theyask for increases of up to five timeswhat they need and why do theyneed new sources. Because they areexpanding their markets to the Car-ibbean. Because, the Asian bottledwater market is booming and Perri-er, Evian, etc. want our water forthese markets.

Asia’s demand is three times thatof the U.S. and growing. They havebecome desperate enough to risk re-cent protests at Crystal Springs andMecan River to do so.

While asking for a pumping in-crease at Crystal Springs, Florida,Perrier stated that the increase wasto supply growing markets locallyand would not be leaving the coun-try. We already know this statementto be totally untrue, citing advertise-ments for Zephyrhills Spring Waterin Trinidad/Tobago as well as at-tempts to distribute in CentralAmerica.

Perrier picks on small Mayberrylike towns that need the money andare not capable of fighting the law-yers of Perrier. Perrier promisesthem the world...how great life willbe when we take control of your wa-ter.

Perrier ran into unanticipated re-

sistance when they confronted thetrout fishermen of Wisconsin. No-tice how quickly they did an aboutface when they ran into a formida-ble opponent? Should less affluentregions of our country be subject tothese pressures and receive no helpfrom the federal government?

In every instance thus far, the cit-izens of these communities targetedby Perrier have been the last toknow about plans sometimes a yearin the works. In the case of CrystalSprings in Florida, Perrier and theowner of the property surroundingthe spring planned four years in ad-vance of when local citizens foundout. Even then, the land owner saidhe had closed their spring in orderto build a scientific research center,something which has to this day hasnot happened.

Nestle is after every spring watersource they can get their hands on inour country. They have planned thissince the early 1980s and have metwith little or no resistance until thepast few years. Still they are allowedand many times even encouraged bythe people we elect to represent us,not Perrier.

In Tampa, the mayor knew aboutand tried to assist Perrier even be-fore their request was known aboutby the water management district.On the Mecan River, local officialsand even the governor knew aboutand tried to assist Perrier before the

citizens of this community had aclue what was going on.

And just this past week, the com-munity of Big Spring found out theywere next on the hit list even though

the local officials already consideredit a done deal.

Terri Wolfe Save Our Springs, Box 133Crystal Springs FL 33524

Sees value in TU’s collective actionEditor,

As I reflect back on 10 years ofinternal bickering within WisconsinTrout Unlimited regarding the earlytrout fishing season (thankfully nowseemingly resolved by some creativeleadership and action by a numberof TUers and others), I’ve alwaysbeen disappointed and saddened bythe divisive “we vs. they” acrimoni-ous pos tur ing tha t occur redthroughout much of the controver-sy.

We all (chapters and individuals)have “home waters” that we love,work to protect, and fish most often.Too frequently, however, the earlyseason discussion degenerated to lo-cal parochial talk about our waters,as if all Wisconsin TUers didn’t careabout and have a stake in the con-servation and recreational/ecologi-cal values in all of the badger state’ssplendid coldwater streams and fish-eries.

The battles to protect the WolfRiver, the Mecan, and dam removalfights on several Wisconsin watersclearly show that the strength of TUis our collective strength. How suc-

cessful would an individual chapterbe waging a conservation battleagainst Exxon/successors, Perrier,corporate farms, and other inter-ests? Only by capitalizing on all ofTrout Unlimited’s organizational ca-pacity, resources and commitment— from local chapters to our StateCouncil to our national staff and or-ganization — can we successfullywage the efforts to protect and re-store our state’s and nation’s vulner-able coldwater resources.

Watching TUers rally to ensure ahealthy future for the Mecan Rivercan’t help but reinforce that point.It would serve all of us well to re-member that in the heat of a con-tentious issue — and there willalways be strongly held divergentviewpoints in a grassroots organiza-tion like TU — we need to be care-ful to act in ways that protect ourcollective well-being.

In the end, it is the strength ofthe whole, as well as the parts, thatwill enable us to achieve our goals.

Steve BornMadison

Feels mine tailings will lead to disasterEditor,

A February 12th AssociatedPress reported “In what may be Eu-rope’s worst environmental disastersince Chernobyl,” a cyanide spillwhere a dam at the Baia Mare goldmine overflowed contaminating amajor river has moved into Yugosla-via and destroyed all life in the wa-ter.

Water pollution from sulfidemining continues to poison thou-sands of miles of rivers and destroycommunities who rely on fish forsubsistence and economic prosperi-ty. In 1990, nearly 11,000 fish werekilled when heavy rains caused acontainment pond to breach at theBrewer Gold Mine in Jefferson,South Carolina, sending more than10 million gallons of cyanide-ladenwater into the Lynches River.

In May, 1998, a toxic mine sludgespill flooded rivers and farms insouthern Spain near the DonanaNational Park when a mine tailingsdam dyke ruptured leaving a poi-sonous path of heavy metals formore than 20 miles.

These horrific accidents under-score our determination to oppose

the Crandon project and shouldserve as a wake-up call to Wisconsinthat mining waste does not lie inert-ly in the environment. Exposed tothe elements, contaminants in minewaste material can easily leach outinto surface and groundwater, caus-ing serious long-term pollution.

Thousands of pounds of chemi-cals, including cyanide solutionwould be used at the Crandon siteto leach out desired minerals fromthe host rock. The proposed tailingspond, the size of 350 football fields,would be the largest toxic waste siteWisconsin.

The general public is fed up withthe egregious legacy of the miningindustry. We can not afford to risksuch special, pristine places of cul-tural and environmental signifi-cance such as our pristine WolfRiver.

Mining Impact Coalition of Wis-consin, a nonprofit (all-volunteerorganization) calls on all sports menand women to help stop the Cran-don mine.

Linda Sturnot, VPMining Impact CoalitionFranklin, WI 53132

Objects to ‘closed-door meeting’ chargeEditor,

I read with interest — and dis-may — an article by Dean Simon inyour fall 1999 issue entitled, “Peti-tioners trying to get DNR to writemining rules.”

According to the article, theState Natural Resources Board “inclosed meetings with mining compa-ny officials” determined state policyon how to implement the MiningMoratorium Law. Implied in the ar-ticle was that mining officials werebeing favored and were influencingpublic policy on a key environmen-tal issue. Nothing could be furtherfrom the truth.

I polled my fellow Board mem-bers on whether any of them hadmet behind closed doors with min-ing officials. None have.

Few issues have fueled publicawareness and debate like the pro-cess for licensing sulfide mining inWisconsin. I commend your publi-cation and the public for getting in-volved, providing information andparticipating in public debate. How-ever, you and author Dean Simonhave an obligation to report publicdebate with factual information. In

this case, you did not.Good, strong public policy comes

from factual information debated inthe full light of day, not in closedmeetings. I and the other membersof the State Natural ResourcesBoard are deeply committed toopen, public consideration of natu-ral resources policy. We do not en-gage in closed-door sessions. Wewill continue to seek out and consid-er every concern, opinion and view-point on the policy that we set fornatural resources in Wisconsin.

Herbert F. Behnke, ShawanoLand Management, Recre-ation and Fisheries/WildlifeCommittee ChairmanWI Natural Resources Board

(While the NRB may not engage inclosed-door meetings, it has demon-strated a disturbing tendency of ap-proving recommendations developedbehind the doors of the DNR and gov-ernor’s office. Example: the NRB vot-ed recently not to require that rules forthe Mining Moratorium Law be writ-ten, a step that always follows any se-rious new law. So much for “good,strong public policy.” -ed.)

Page 4 Spring 2000Wisconsin Trout

John Welter

From the Chairman

Perrier battle showed TU at its bestBy John Welter

Wisconsin TU ChairmanOver the past 10 weeks many

Wisconsin TU members have beenbusily involved with the controversyover Perrier’s proposal to pumpMecan Springs water into truckloadafter truckload of their bottled“product.” Our members wererightly concerned and have foughtfiercely to protect a river many re-gard as one of our state’s finesttrout watersheds.

My own first trout on a dry flywas caught just downstream fromthe site where Perrier has located atest well in Wedde Creek, one of thetributaries. Although I have notfished the watershed for almost adecade, many magical eveningsthere are as fresh in my mind as ifthey took place last night.

We have seen Perrier come intothe state with sweet-soundingwords, spoken only after their rep-resentatives and land agents tried tomuscle Coloma area residents intoselling their land, “because the plantis a done deal and if you don’t takethis offer you won’t get another.”

We have taken a close look at themonitoring they have done withtheir plants in other states and con-cluded that they have faced littlescrutiny about groundwater impactsin those states. People affected bytheir actions in Florida and Texashave told us about moves to dramat-ically increase pumping capacity af-ter they get their feet through thedoor and the plant built.

The final straw for many con-cerned folks was the February 14“public meeting” at the Coloma El-ementary School, where Perrier’sagents told the Waushara CountySheriff ’s Office not to let peoplewith signs inside, and where therewas no room for public questions tobe asked.

Instead, people were shunted in-to the second-grade classroomswhere the company’s shills sippedthe company product and gave pab-ulum answers to the hard questionsasked by the public.

The anger that meeting spawnedwas unavoidable. Here was a com-pany based on marketing more thananything else which was unable toanswer the public’s questions. “Wewill only communicate with youwhen we wish, in a way that we dic-tate,” was the message they sent.

At least the message from thepublic finally got through to them.

Out of the Perrier controversyhave come some truly remarkabledevelopments for Trout Unlimitedand the state.

First, the ill-advised scheme todrill a well into the Mecan SpringsNatural Area was abandoned. Notonly did this scheme threaten thenatural area, but if the DNR grant-ed permission it would have set adismal precedent for other naturalareas around the state.

Second, TU members from theCentral Wisconsin Chapter soundedthe initial alarm, led the way in gath-ering important information about

Perrier’s plans, and helped organizediverse groups in the area in re-sponse to Perrier. The TU messagewas consistent: If a full environmen-tal impact statement and hydrogeo-logical study shows any impact onthis watershed, No Way, Perrier.The chapter learned how powerfulit can be, and several membersshowed outstanding leadershipthroughout this dispute.

Third, Central Wisconsin Chap-ter leaders contributed immenselyto the formation of the first MecanRiver Watershed group, the Friendsof the Mecan. This group is expect-ed to continue to address problemsand threats in the watershed, bring-ing together a wide range of peopleand groups.

Fourth, the controversy haspointed up a significant weakness inthe DNR’s ability to deny an appli-cation for a high-capacity well per-mit, and led to legislative efforts bySen. Kevin Shibilski and Rep. Spen-c e r B l a c k , a m o n g o th e r s , t ostrengthen the DNR’s hand by al-lowing it to consider impacts ontrout and other water resources inconsidering such permits. The legis-lation has a good chance of passageby the end of March.

Fifth, through the efforts of TU’slawyer, former public intervenorWaltraud Arts, we built a legal caseurging the DNR to require an envi-ronmental impact statement be con-ducted before Perrier’s permit couldbe granted. This, coupled withgroundwater studies to be conduct-ed by the U.S. Geological Survey’snationally recognized Wisconsin wa-ter team, would have given us valu-able information about the aquiferunder the Mecan, and the likely ef-fects on the watershed and its floraand fauna from pumping opera-tions.

Sixth, we successfully coordinat-ed the efforts of chapter, regional,state, and national TU to get theword out about Perrier’s plans, andto send the message that we willfiercely defend our state’s coldwaterresources against those whose activ-ities would threaten or exploit thoseresources. We saw how valuable itcan be for all these levels to work to-gether, and I hope the lesson can benoticed by other TU groups aroundthe state and nation.

And finally, my law partners havetolerated my almost total absencefrom our office for much of the pasttwo months, and my wife, Kathy, hastolerated, among other things, mybeing 135 miles from home on Val-entines Day for the Coloma meet-ing. Neither have changed the locks,for which I am deeply grateful.

Throughout the debate we havereceived great support from Nation-al TU leaders and staff and fromother conservation groups, notablyincluding the River Alliance of Wis-consin. Many of the state’s majornewspapers recognized the threatsto the resources and cautionedagainst allowing economic develop-ment to outweigh protection of ourvaluable water resources.

Perrier may yet find a place to

build its plant in Wisconsin, andsources for sufficient quantities ofhigh-quality water to supply its op-eration. We have never said we are

against that. However, Perrier, thepublic and the state know that wewill be diligent in scrutinizing theirplans, and will work zealously toprotect coldwater resources fromdamage from such operations.

§And now, a word from our spon-

sors: Donations to the State Councilwill be gratefully accepted to coverthe costs engendered by this discus-sion, including, but not limited to,legal fees and newspaper ads.

§The first week of March, a con-

tingent of Wisconsin conservation-i s t s spent severa l days inWashington, D.C. to meet with ourcongressional delegation on H.R.701, which would set aside $3 billiona year in offshore oil leasing reve-nues to be used for conservationprojects in the states.

Wisconsin would receive over$28 million a year to be used forland and water conservation, out-door education, easement acquisi-tion, and other important tasks.

This i s the offspring of the“Teaming with Wildlife” proposal,which failed to pass but would haveimposed an excise tax on non-hunt-ing and fishing outdoor equipment.

We have received good supportfrom the delegation, with sponsor-ships from Reps. Petri, Green, Kind,Barrett, Baldwin, and Kleczka. Itwould be helpful for chapters intheir areas to voice appreciation fortheir support in public forums andthe media.

We hope the bill will pass theHouse by mid-April and move on tothe Senate, where we hope our sen-ators will support it as well.

§The spring state council meeting

will be held on Saturday, April 29, at10 a.m. at the Silver Springs TroutPonds near Sheboygan, sponsoredby the Lakeshore Chapter.

We will tour the chapter’s nearbyOnion River project, and may par-take of steelhead and trout fishingin the area.

Agenda items will be welcomedby me or Council Secretary JohnBethke through April 10.

State Council holds annual meeting

By John BethkeCouncil Secretary

The February 7 meeting of theState Council of Wisconsin TroutUnlimited was called to order 10:30a.m. in Oshkosh. Minutes from theSeptember 18 meeting were ap-proved.

Nominations for state council of-fices included:

Chair — John ‘Duke’ Welter Vice Chair — Chuck Steudel Treasurer — Forrest Grulke Secretary — John Bethke The entire slate of officers was

seconded and elected by voice vote.Treasurer Forrest Grulke said

banquet attendance and revenuesare down and costs up. Forrest isasking for more support from chap-ters by increased involvement andattendance. He would considerchanges in venue or location. Cop-ies of the treasurer’s report will bedistributed to each chapter. Reportapproved by voice vote.

At this point several items werebriefly discussed as follows.

Mike Brock has been appointedas National VP for our region. Na-tional has requested council finan-cial support of $1,000 from eachstate council in the region. This itemwas not voted on but it is assumedwe will ante up our share.

Clint Byrnes announced that theAldo Leopold chapter would pay$125 for the state council’s member-ship to the Wis. Wildlife Federation.

Laura Hewitt, who recently com-pleted work as project director ofthe Kickapoo Watershed Home Riv-ers Initiative, has been appointedUpper Midwest Regional Conserva-tion Director. She shares an officewith Sarah Johnson in Madison.They can be contacted by phone at(608) 250-3534. CongratulationsLaura, and welcome.

Steve Born reported that the TUNational convention will be held inSyracuse, NY, August 9-13. TU Na-tional will continue to emphasize or-ganizational development andleadership. The national conserva-tion agenda will emphasize dams,natives, salmon, acid rain, forestroads, and fisheries budgets. TUNational is decentralizing to betterconnect with chapters and statecouncils.

Larry Claggett of the WDNR re-ported on the consensus of the earlyseason task force of which he wasco-facilitator with Mike Reiter,Conservation Congress Trout Com-mittee Chair. The task force recom-mended a two-zone statewide earlyseason.

The DNR Board did not like theidea of the two zones, however, theyput forth a plan that accomplishesthe same thing but will require thelisting of open and closed waters bycounties. They are forming a ques-tion for inclusion at the April Con-servation Congress meetings. If thiscompromise does not pass the state-wide hearings, the early season willrevert to the rules as outlined forthe current early season.

Claggett further reported thatthe WDNR plans to update theBluebook of WI trout stream classi-fications in the next year. Thisproject has been on hold, pendingthe settling of early season issues.Stream reclassifications or up-grades must be documented and gothrough procedures. Chapters maywant to check with their local fishmanagers, to see the status of theirlocal streams and any plannedchanges. Trout stamp receipts andexpenditures have been reviewed

and a report will be out soon. There was a motion by Todd

Hanson seconded by Hlaban to en-courage the WDNR to allow ads(partnership statements) in thetrout regulation booklet. Thispassed by a voice vote.

A slide presentation was given byJana Grote from United WisconsinAnglers. Stu Grimstad and Grotegave a presentation outlining thescope and purpose of United Wis-consin Anglers, whose five common

interests are habitat, angler partici-pation, angler access, laws and regu-lations, and education. Stu will beworking as TU’s rep. with thisgroup. For further info. contact Ja-na Grote at (608) 265-3257, or [email protected]. Visittheir webs i te ht tp: / /c lean-wa-ter.uwex.edu/fish.

Education Committee ChairDale Lang requests that chapterssend info about chapter education-al activities to him. He says the

Cortland Co. is offering beginners’flyfishing outfits for educational usefor $505 per dozen. Contact PhilGenova at the Cortland Co.

Membership Committee ChairJim Hlaban noted that the Wiscon-sin TU currently has 3,363 mem-bers. This is an increase over lastyear. There was a discussion on howto build chapter membership. Jimalso presented samples of “Trout

Continued on p. 7


Council honors six for outstanding contributionsThe Wisconsin Council of Trout

Unlimited gave out six awards foroutstanding contributions to thestate’s coldwater resources at thestate council banquet in OshkoshFebruary 5.

The following text is adaptedfrom Awards Chairman Larry Me-icher’s comments at the awards cer-emony.Joan & Lee Wulff Award — Martin Hanson

Martin Hanson is a longtimeconservationist from Mellon. He isan avid photographer, angler, andhunter who holds several bow-and-arrow Boone and Crockett recordsfor sheep and grizzly bear.

Hanson was one of many keypeople who worked with GaylordNelson on the establishment of theApostle Islands National Lake-shore. For many years, he haspushed for strong enforcement ofthe state’s environmental laws. Hisdocumentation of lax enforcementof those laws led to the mid-1970sshake-up of the DNR.

His most prominent activities inrecent years have been playing a keyrole in promoting the reintroduc-tion of elk into northern Wisconsin.

Hanson has also served as chairof the Public Intervenor’s AdvisoryCouncil and as a member of thegovernor’s Forest Productivity Com-mittee. In the early 1970s —long be-fore the Wisconsin StewardshipNetwork — Hanson linked environ-mental groups together under thebanner of the Wisconsin ResourceConservation Council to give themsome political clout.

From a TU perspective, Han-son’s major contributions have beenrelated to support for reintroducingthe native coaster brook trout andfor leading the establishment of theWhittlesey Creek Wildlife Refugeon Lake Superior this past year. Heproduced a video on coasters andspoke to many local governmentaland civic organizations to build sup-port for coasters and the refuge. Heworked with congressman DaveObey and federal officials to takeaction to fund and acquire the need-ed lands, and helped with the landacquisition personally. He was thearchitect of the coaster brookie col-lectible print fund-raising initiative.

Hanson has been a major playerin the background, but one of thegreat forces for conservation in Wis-consin over past 40 years.Gold Trout Award — Tony Treml

Tony Treml of Neenah is a mem-ber of the Fox Valley Chapter. Hehas been the chapter’s stream im-provement coordinator for overthree years. Under his leadershipmember participation and atten-dance at the chapter’s projects hasincreased fivefold, and streamprojects now draw participants fromfour other chapters in addition tothe Fox Valley Chapter.

Treml has developed a reputa-tion with his motto of “We’ll bethere unless there’s a downpour ofcats and dogs all day long, so help usbuild that honey hole.” He helpeddevelop an improvement plan for anative brook trout restorationproject on the Whitcomb Creek inWaupaca County that the Fox ValleyChapter will be working on for anumber of years.

He also took the lead role for theCentral Region in the difficult job ofgetting easements from landownersalong the Waupaca River in PortageCounty that allowed the Central Re-gion’s work to proceed.

Many know Treml in anotherlight. In 1996 he was a cast memberin the State Council’s “ConsiderProper Release” video, where heplayed the worm fisherman who

couldn’t keep a trout because it wastoo small, but who knew better thanto pull the hook out of the deeplyhooked fish.Silver Trout Award — Harry & Laura Nohr Chapter

The silver trout award for chap-ter merit is being presented to theHarry & Laura Nohr chapter of theDodgeville area. Formed in the ear-ly 70s as the Southwestern Wiscon-sin Chapter, it was renamed theHarry Nohr chapter in 1976, and in1996 Laura’s name was added.

The chapter has been active inmany theaters, including a schoolgrant program, a student intern pro-gram, and youth classes.

But foremost in their accom-plishments was the purchase andthen resale of land along the head-waters of the Big Green River.While buying and selling propertymay not generally be considered aTU activity, it proved to be an im-portant event for the chapter.

On August 24, 1999, they con-cluded the sale of the Collins prop-erty on the Big Green River, aproperty that they purchased onlyfive months earlier. The DNR hadbeen unsuccessful in purchasing aneasement on the property. Theproperty was for sale, but the DNRwas restricted from buying it be-cause it had improvements. Thechapter took ownership on May 3,1999.

The next step was to negotiate afish management and conservationeasement with the DNR. It was thedesire of the chapter and Gene VanDyck that the easement should bebroad and comprehensive in cover-age — a contract that would protectthe land for perpetuity. The end re-sult was a contract that allowspresent and future generations tofish, hike, and cross-country ski inthe stream corridor. The DNR willbe permitted to do stream restora-tion work, build a parking lot, andprotect this important resource.

Through these financial transac-tions the Nohr Chapter has made aprofit to be used for future projects.

Aldo Leopold said in A SandCounty Almanac, “What was bigwas not the trout, but the chance.What was full was not my creel, butmy memory.” The Harry & LauraNohr Chapter has helped preservethe “chance” and the “memory” forothers that follow. Gold Net Award — Larry Doebert

Larry Doebert has been a long-time member of the LakeshoreChapter of TU. Within the last fiveyears, he has served as LakeshoreChapter’s vice president, member-ship chairman, and has served onthe chapter’s board of directors. Healso serves as the chapter’s delegateto the Sheboygan County Conserva-tion Association.

Doebert’s most impressive workhas been as the chapter’s streamproject coordinator . The f irstproject Larry supervised was onSheboygan County’s Mullet River.He worked with land owners andthe DNR to obtain permits and tosecure access to the river in order toperform on-stream improvements.He produced a video to help sell theproject. He then organized and su-pervised the actual work.

He is also the chairman of thechapter’s Onion River project,which is in its fourth year and hasthe mission of returning the river toa natural ly reproducing troutstream. Over the last three years,Deobert has organized and super-vised many work days totaling over1,300 man-hours. He also developeda slide show which has been given tovarious conservation associationsand has resulted in over $40,000 in

pledges for project purposes.Finally, and perhaps most impor-

tantly, Doebert was a key player indiscussions with a private benefac-tor which resulted in the purchaseof the Onion River’s headwaters toensure the future health of the river.Fisheries Manager of the Year — Roger Kerr

Roger Kerr has been one of thestrongest voices in southwesternWisconsin on behalf of wild trouthabitat. Kerr spent 20 years re-es-tablishing trout fisheries and count-less stream rehabilitation projects asan assistant fish manager.

Kerr now works with riparianlandowners to purchase conserva-tion easements in the most criticalwatersheds of the state. His workhas resulted in 100 trout streameasements on 59 miles of stream, 25smallmouth bass easements on 35miles of stream, and 72 public hunt-ing and fishing land purchases en-compassing over 6,000 acres. In anutshell, Kerr has purchased moreland than all the rest of the landagents in the WDNR combined!

He’s been very helpful to theHarry and Laura Nohr Chapter asthey designed a conservation ease-ment on property they purchasedadjacent to the Big Green River.Roger guided them in establishing a

new philosophy of healing the land-scape within this critical watershed.

He’s been very active to push theDNR to get involved in manurehandling policies. He was behindthe scene, but instrumental in theremoval of the Mt. Hope pond onthe Little Green. He’s been active inestablishing a policy to use wildtrout for stocking activities.

Kerr has been a consistent voiceagainst polluters who threaten ourstreams, and he’s not afraid to speakout against the policies of his ownagency when he sees poorly re-searched decisions work against thehealth of the coldwater habitat.Special Award — Forrest Grulke

Forrest Grulke was given a spe-cial UMVT award, the UnsungMost Valuable Trouter.

Grulke has been state counciltreasurer and secretary. He has alsobeen the main organizer of many ofthe state council’s banquets. Thatthis year’s event was a success is justone more tribute and reflection ofForrest’s unselfish efforts.

Forrest is always the guy whosees a need and then just quietlygoes ahead to take care of it. Chair-man Welter, as well as past chair BillSherer, can recount numerous sce-narios where Forrest has quietlykept the council in order.

2000 STATE COUNCIL AWARDEESPictured are Martin Hanson and Tony Treml (top), Chuck Steudel, representing the entire Harry and Laura Nohr Chapter, and Larry Doebert (middle), and Roger Kerr and Forrest Grulke (bottom).


Many tools available to pursue removalBy Stephanie Lindloff

Part three of this series introduc-es a variety of tools that can be usedin restoring a river through dam re-moval. Factors unique to your com-muni ty may present you wi thadditional tools you can tailor tohelp with a local dam’s removal.Economic issues

The cost of repairing or upgrad-ing a dam is commonly viewed as aone-time expenditure. But keepinga dam is an ongoing expense. Com-munities need to be made aware ofthe recurring expenses associatedwith keeping a dam, including:

1. Repair costs. These costsrange greatly, depending on thesize, type, condition. and location ofthe dam. It is increasingly commonfor engineering firms to estimateboth dam repair and removal costs.If public tax dollars will be used torepair a dam, residents have a rightto know early in the process if this isa fiscally responsible decision.

Make public the dam’s estimatedremoval costs compared to the re-pair costs. Provide removal and re-pair estimates and actual costs atsimilar removal sites.

This is especially important if theengineering firm estimating thecosts in your community is not expe-rienced in dam removal.

2. Operation and maintenancecosts. Maintaining and operating adam includes the ongoing costs oflabor, materials, and equipment.These costs vary widely dependingon the dam. In Wisconsin, thesecosts range from $5,000-60,000 peryear. Include these yearly costs inthe decision-making process.

The maintenance dam impound-ments can also create financial bur-dens and need to be considered inthe total cost of keeping a dam.Dredging costs are site-specific andrange from $1.00-12.00 per cubicyard.

Costs can rise into the hundredsof thousands of dollars, somethingdam owners or other property own-ers’ groups should know.

3. Liability costs. Dam ownersare legally required to do everythingnecessary to avoid injuring people(even trespassers) and affectingproperty upstream or downstreamof the dam. This includes keepingthe dam in good repair, postingsigns and warnings, and installingsecurity fencing in some situations.

Dam owners often choose topurchase umbrella liability insur-ance with very large deductibles.Sometimes dam owners are only ful-ly covered after the first $1 milliondeductible.

4. Abandoned or ownerlessdams. It is not uncommon for a damto be without an identifiable owner.Dams typically change ownershipseveral times during their lifetime.The WDNR tries to find the damowner, but when this cannot bedone, the option of dam removalbecomes especially attractive. From1992 to 1996, 12 dams were re-moved from Wisconsin waters withstate funds appropriated specificallyfor removing abandoned dams. Public safety laws

If public safety laws have trig-gered the need to repair or upgradea local dam, they can be used to en-courage the consideration of damremoval. Many dam owners do notface the decision to repair or re-move their dam until they are re-quired by a regulatory agency tobring the dam up to safety stan-dards.

The threat of dam failure be-comes an increasing concern asdams deteriorate and communitiesdownstream grow. This can be aparticularly valuable tool when adam is no longer economically via-ble and is in need of repair.The Public Trust Doctrine

The Public Trust Doctrine (PTD)grants states the right to hold thebeds of navigable waters in custodyfor all of its citizens. It is throughthis doctrine that states are obligat-ed to protect public rights in naviga-ble waters, with the upper boundarybeing the ordinary high water mark.

Wisconsin’s PTD is one of the mostfar-reaching in the country, with thelegislature delegating much of thestate’s authority and responsibilitiesunder the PTD to the WDNR.Chapter 31 of the Wis. State Stat-utes addresses the regulation ofdams.

It is currently unclear whetherand how the PTD can be used indam removal and repair decisions.In some cases the state has the rightto physically remove a nuisancefrom public waters, a circumstancethat might pertain to some dams.

Aggressive use of the PTD in adam removal or repair case, if legal-ly upheld, could significantly expandthe dam removal or repair decision-making process beyond the primaryconcern of public safety and createadditional legal tools to pursue fu-ture river restoration efforts. Environmental quality issues

1. Fish Passage. If a dam is re-paired and effective fish passage isinstalled, the resource will benefit.However, the requirement to builda fish passage structure may beviewed as cost prohibitive, makingthe generally less-expensive optionof dam removal an attractive option.

2. Endangered, Threatened, andRare Species. The Endangered Spe-cies Act (ESA) prohibits any federalactions that could jeopardize thecontinued existence of a listed en-dangered species or actions thatcould adversely affect their criticalhabitat. This does not necessarilytranslate into “the dam cannot bebuilt” (in the case of a new dam) or“the dam must be removed” (in thecase of an existing dam).

The requirement does mean thatthe activity must be determined tobe justifiable and that any negativeimpacts to the environment need tobe mitigated. Use of the ESA for adam’s removal is bolstered if thedam of concern is not economicallyviable.

4. Impaired Waters — 303(d)list. Under the Clean Water Act,each state is required to list “im-paired waters” that are too degrad-

ed to support their designated andexisting uses. If the stretch of river islisted on your state’s 303(d) list be-cause the dam is adversely impact-ing water quality or fisheries, theadded time, money, and effortneeded to improve water quality bychanging the dam’s operations mayencourage the dam’s removal.

5. Sediment concerns. Evidenceof negative impacts to a river due tosediment issues may be valuable in-formation in certain circumstances.If issues involving sediment can beshown to negatively impact a speciesof special interest, the informationcould be used to either: • change the dam’s operation to

lessen its impact, or • consider the dam’s removal be-

cause of its impact to a certainspecies or group of species. Please contact the River Alliance

of Wisconsin for more information.Phone (608) 257-2424 or send emailto [email protected].

(Stephanie Lindloff is the SmallDams Program Manager for the RiverAlliance of Wisconsin. The SmallDams Program is a collaborative ef-fort of the River Alliance and the Na-tional Office of Trout Unlimited. Itsgoal is to help improve decisions re-garding dams through public infor-m at i o n a n d e d u c a t i o n a n d b yencouraging citizen involvement inthese important decisions. -ed.)

Removing

Small DamsPart three in a Wisconsin Trout series on river restoration through dam removal

PART FOUR:Plan a Strategy

The “Removing Small Dams” series continues in the next is-sue of Wisconsin Trout with a 10-point strategy for increas-ing discussion and consider-ation of a local dam’s removal. This strategy is based on nu-merous experiences and ex-tensive knowledge of working with communities facing the decision of dam removal or re-pair.


State Council starts early season Trout Watch program

By Jim HlabanHave you ever felt there should

be more wardens out there enforc-ing fishing regulations during theearly season? If so, now there is away TU members to help.

Wisconsin Trout Unlimited hasinitiated a “Trout Watch” program.Participants can sport Trout Watchhats or bumper stickers, both ofwhich have the TU logo and warnpotential violators that they may beturned in if they are seen violatinga trout fishing regulation.

The program is an incentive forpeople not to violate. If someonesees t he Trou t Watch ha t orbumper sticker often, they may getthe message and understand that itis not just WDNR wardens who areconcerned about violations, buttheir peers as well.

The Trout Watch program hasbeen endorsed by the WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources.

“There never has been, nor willthere ever be, enough wardens toadequately protect the natural re-sources of this great state,” saidWNDR Chief Conservation War-den Tom Harelson.

“The job needs to get done bycitizens taking responsibility fornot only their own actions, but alsoof those who refuse to care. I amvery pleased to see such a great or-ganization as Trout Unlimited will-

ing to help with a service thatcannot be bought — people whocare about the resource.”

If you are interested in purchas-ing hats or bumper stickers, talk toyour chapter president. He or shehas samples for you to see, and itwill be less expensive if you ordersupplies for your whole chapter atonce.

Hats can be ordered f romHeartgraphics, 616 Main St. W.,Ashland, WI 54806. Phone (715)682-5307 or email them at [email protected]. Hats cost$9.50 each plus shipping of about$6/dozen.

Bumper stickers can be orderedin quantities of 100 for $21 plusshipping from TCSP Screenprint at(608) 782-6701 or email them [email protected].

If you want fewer than 100bumper stickers, write Jim Hlabanat 1429 Silverwood Ln., Neenah,WI 54956. Or call (920) 722-4335or email to [email protected].

Small orders of bumper stickersthrough Hlaban cost 21 cents eachplus shipping.

Hlaban will also be bringingsamples to the next state councilmeeting to be held April 29 at theSilver Springs Trout Ponds nearSheboygan.

TU members interested in theTrout Watch program should note

the program guidelines below forguidance in how to deter violators

without risking one’s own safety inthe field.

TROUT WATCH PROGRAM UNDERWAYNewly elected State Council Vice Chairman Chuck Steudel (left) and Central Region Vice-Chair Jim Hlaban show off sample “Trout Watch” hats at the February State Council meeting in Oshkosh.

Trout Watch guidelines for cooperators1. Trout Watch cooperators have

NO LAW ENFORCEMENTAUTHORITY and can notmake arrests or detain sus-pects. Trout Watch cooperatorsshould not approach violatorsin any way, but should only ob-serve and report violations.

2. DO NOT confront violatorsand place yourself at risk.

3. Cooperators should be familiarwith and follow current fishingregulations.

4. Trout Watch cooperatorsshould wear the Trout Watchhat while fishing and have aTrout Watch bumper sticker ontheir vehicle to indicate to oth-er fishers that illegal activitieswill be reported.

5. If you find violations, take thefollowing steps:

• Call DNR Hotline: 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367).

• Record detailed informationregarding violations, times, lo-cations, suspect descriptions,vehicles, etc.

• When leaving information withthe DNR, please identify your-

self as a Trout Watch coopera-tor. If you leave your phonenumber, a warden will call youwith the violation’s disposition.

6. Trout Watch cooperators arenot agents or employees of theWDNR and are not eligible forworker’s compensation or anyother benefits.

COUNCIL: Trout Unlimited holds annual meeting in Oshkosh Continued from p. 4

Watch” hats for delegates toshow to their chapters and take or-ders. The hats say Trout Watch inbold letters, and the words “I willreport violators” in smaller print.They cost $6 each and can be em-broidered with the TU logo on theback for an additional $3.50. Eachchapter can take orders and contactJim to place orders.

Water Resources Chair MikeSwoboda gave an update on theBloomer Dam repair-or-removalquestion which is still ongoing. Non-point pollution regulations are be-ing redesigned by a mixed input taskforce. The NRB has approved therules and drafts are available forpublic comment. All are encouragedto attend and make comments.

There was a lengthy discussionabout the Perrier Company’s inter-est in a water bottling plant inMecan Springs area. This, of course,could be detrimental to instreamflows in the Mecan and its feeders.Motion by Welter, second by Hla-ban, to have the executive commit-tee fo rmula te a s ta tementrequesting a full Environmental Im-pact Statement (EIS) and suggest-ing o the r more ben ig n watersources, etc. Passed by voice vote.

Friends of Wisconsin TU ChairJohn Cantwell reports that revenuesare continuing to increase moder-ately each year. Also says that ex-penses are running at about 10% ofincome, which is good. John also re-

ported that John Shillinglaw has do-nated 20 f r amed t rou t s tampcollections to Friends of WITU tobe auctioned off to raise funds. (Seethe story in this issue for details.)

Help was also requested for se-lecting friends proposals for fund-ing. Counci l President Welterappointed the four state regionalvice presidents to this task.

Publications Chair Todd Hansonreported that things are going wellwith Wisconsin Trout. However, hewould like to see more ads sold,andneeds contributions on chapterevents, issues, and other stories. Weall applauded Todd for his excellentefforts.

Legislative Committee Chair JeffSmith reports that a number ofitems are being tracked by the legis-lative committee, including budgetlevels of stewardship funding, Sen-ate Bill 336 repealing the exemptionof cranberry growers from laws reg-ulating and protecting public waters,and the defeat of a provision thatwould have allowed fish farming op-erators to divert stream water. New business

Bill Shearer suggested that ban-quets could be held in various re-gional locations. The idea would beto generate more interest and betterattendance. No action was taken.Bill will look into it further.

Jim Hlaban moved to ask BobMeyer to do a financial audit of thestate council. Motion seconded and

passed on a voice vote.Chuck Steudel moved to request

the DNR update the blue book ofWI trout streams within six months,and that this book be regularly up-dated. Motion seconded by Hlabanand passed by voice vote.

Jim Bereza of the Marinette Co.Chapter moved to transfer landsheld in trust by their chapter to theDNR. After some discussion, themotion was dropped. It was suggest-ed that the property could be soldwith stipulations that it not be devel-oped. A public access lease or otheralternatives could be explored. Itwas suggested that such alternativesbe explored and this be reintro-duced at the next council meeting.

Stu Grimstad reported on a con-servation initiative by the NationalAudubon Society concerning habi-tat protection for migratory birds.After discussion a motion passed tosupport the initiative in conceptsince the specifics of the initiativehave not yet been worked out. (Seestory on facing page.)

Gene Van Dyke suggested thatthe early season issue has draggedon too long. He asked that we get itbehind us.

Duke Andrews suggested thatthe TU mission to restore, protect,and conserve our coldwater resourc-es should be amended to include theword “enhance.” This was just foodfor thought. No action was taken.

Duke Welter mentioned thatprocedures at WI county Conserva-

tion Congress hearings have beenchanged. Local resolutions, and theelections of congress delegates, willnow be done at the beginning of thehearings. This is being done becauseoften many people had left the hear-ings by the time this business wasconducted at the end of the evening.

The next state council meetingwill be Saturday, April 29, at SilverSprings Trout ponds Sheboygan at10 a.m. This meeting is being hostedby the Lakeshore Chapter. They willshow us the work they have done onthe Onion River. They will also ad-vise on steelhead fishing or troutfishing on the Onion.

Please submit any agenda itemsto Duke Welter by Friday, April 5.

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Council endorses Audubon’s WI Bird Conservation InitiativeWisconsin TU chapters voted to

endorse the North American BirdConservation Initiative at the Feb-ruary state council meeting in Osh-kosh.

The initiative was brought to thecouncil’s attention by Stu Grimstadvia the Madison Audubon Society.

Early in 1998, the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service and the Interna-tional Association of Fish and Wild-life Agencies, working with non-governmental organizations andstate and provincial agencies, beganto develop what today is known asthe North American Bird Conserva-tion Initiative (NABCI).

This initiative attempts to uniteunder one umbrella both game andnongame bird management inNorth America.

A main objective of NABCI is tolink bird conservation efforts in theU.S. with similar efforts in Canadaand Mexico through existing initia-tives, such as the North AmericanWaterfowl Plan, Partners-in-Flight,the U.S. Shorebird ConservationPlan, and the North American Co-lonial Waterbird Conservation Plan.

On September 7, 1999, a draftp lan for NABCI (avai lable atwww.partnersinflight.org) was com-pleted.

The goal of the draft national ini-tiative is “to deliver the full spec-trum of bird conservation throughregionally based, biologically driven,landscape-oriented partnerships.”

The plan is still in the draft stage,but it conveys a state of urgency to

achieve significant bird conservationmeasures.

Quoting from the draft plan,“Between 1600 and 1900, 75 speciesof birds and mammals became ex-tinct; 75 more, approximately one/year, disappeared from the planetbetween 1900 and 1980.”Plan objectives

The following are the goals ofthe Wisconsin Bird ConservationInitiative:• Provide the full spectrum of bird

conservation in Wisconsin, in-cluding both game and nongame

birds, through ecological land-scape assessment and manage-ment, using the best availablescience.

• Keep common birds and theirhabitats common, so that theydon ’ t become endangered ,

threatened, or rare.• Conserve, protect, and restore

endangered, threatened, andrare bird species and their habi-tats so their populations areagain secure.

• Manage all birds and their habi-tats using ecological landscapesas the management unit and con-sidering the impacts of this man-agement on all flora and faunaspecies occupying that habitat aswell as on the social and econom-ic impacts on people.

• Conduct statewide assessmentsusing regional data to identify

management opportunities andneeds for bird species and habi-tats in Wisconsin and to priori-tize bird management.

• Develop ecological landscapeopportunities that identify howto conserve birds within Wiscon-sin using the best available sci-ence.

• Coordinate and integrate ongo-ing bird initiatives into these as-sessments to help implementother state, regional and nationalbird conservation initiatives.

• Develop and implement an in-formation and education strategydesigned to promote the conser-vation of breeding, migration,and wintering bird habitats out-side of Wisconsin for migratorybirds.

• Develop broad-based, coopera-tive partnerships to plan andhelp implement management op-portunities into existing and fu-ture land management plans.

• Encourage urban/suburban birdresearch, management, and edu-cational opportunities.

• Identify research and manage-ment priorities and pool resourc-es to accomplish priority work.

The goal of the draft national initiative is “to deliverthe full spectrum of bird conservation

through regionally based, biologically driven, landscape-oriented partnerships.”

Coalition urges repeal of 1867 cranberry law

A broad coalition of conserva-tion and sportsmen’s groups andtribal governments has organized tourge the Wisconsin legislature to re-peal the 1867 law exempting thecranberry industry from state publicwater regulations.

Coalition spokesman Jim Bur-gess, president of the Wisconsin As-s o c i a t io n o f L ak e s , sa id t h eproposed bill would do nothingmore than to put the cranberry in-dustry on equal footing with everyother industry in the state.

“Most cranberry operators con-duct their business in a way thatsafeguards our public waters,” saidBurgess, former publisher of theWisconsin State Journal in Madison.“But there are some who don’t. Theproposed legislation would ensurethat we have the same review andregulations for cranberry operatorsas we do of every other industry inthe state, from farms to factories.”

“Trout streams and other watersaround Wisconsin suffer from silt-ation, thermal impacts, and chemi-cal runoff from cranberry bogswhich are exempt from regulationunder the 1867 cranberry law,” ac-cording to Trout Unlimited ChairJohn Welter of Eau Claire. “Wis-consin’s fish and wildlife will benefitif cranberry growers are required tofollow the rules that protect our wa-ters,” said Welter.”Cranberry industry growing

Wisconsin is America’s leadingcranberry producer with a 1998 har-vest of nearly 2.5 million barrels offruit. The cranberry industry hasbeen expanding rapidly in Wiscon-sin in recent years, adding an esti-mated 700 acres of cranberry bedsin 1998.

Under the 1867 law, cranberryoperators are permitted to manipu-late water levels through the con-struction of dams and drainageways,and to divert water from publiclakes and streams without any statereview or approval.

All of these activities involvepublic waters and require permitsfrom the Department of NaturalResources, except if they are under-taken by cranberry growers.

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April 10 spring fish and wildlife hearings feature new trout plan

Citizens across the state will havethe opportunity to discuss and voteon a wide variety of proposed hunt-ing and fishing rule changes duringthe 2000 Department of NaturalResources Spring Fish and WildlifeRules Hearings that will be held inevery county of the state April 10.

Prominent in this spring’s hear-ings are proposals for a mourningdove hunt in Wisconsin and a per-manent early catchand release troutseason.

The hearings willalso have a ques-tion asking whetherthe Mecan water-sh e d sh ou l d b eopened for waterbottling.

The proposed Mecan questionreads: “Should the Natural Re-sources Board allow the use of thewild lands of the Mecan River Fish-eries Area (Waushara County), pur-chased with public money for thespecific purpose of their preserva-tion and use by the public, to beopened to allow their exploitationby withdrawal of its ground waterfor a commercial bottling facility?”

Results of the hearing votes andwritten comments will be consid-ered by the state Natural ResourcesBoard in making its decisions on theissues presented.

The annual hearings are held si-multaneously in each of the state’s72 counties in conjunction with theWisconsin Conservation Congresscounty meetings.

All hearings will be held Mon-

day, April 10, beginning at 7 p.m.and are open to the public.

“The spring rules hearings areunique to Wisconsin,” said DNRSecretary George Meyer. “No oth-er state that I am aware of attemptsto hold simultaneous public hear-ings in every county on this many is-sues at one time.”

Citizens may also introduce reso-lutions at local hearings. Anyone

wishing to do so is required topresent the resolution to the hear-ing examiner or the presiding mem-ber of the Conservation Congresspresent.

Resolutions will be read, dis-cussed and voted on following vot-ing on state and local DNR rulesand advisories and before Conserva-tion Congress advisory questions.

The meetings are organized bythe Wisconsin Conservation Con-gress and the Department of Natu-ral Resources. The ConservationCongress was created by the statelegislature in 1933 to advise thestate on conservation matters.

In the over six decades the con-gress has existed the rules hearingshave grown to include more thanchanges to or proposals for fish andgame laws.

In recent years, issues such as

mining, the status of the public in-tervenor, and authority to appointthe secretary of natural resourceshave appeared on the agenda.

Email comments will not be con-sidered as written comment or to-ward hearing vote totals.

Other wildlife proposals include:establishing a snowshoe hare hunt-ing season; allowing unfilled gundeer licenses to be used during the

muzzleloader sea-son; reduce the sizeof the area closed tocoyote hunting dur-ing the gun deer sea-s o n ; m o d i f y t h eopening and closingof hunting hours forbear, deer and smallgame; and a three-

year trial period allowing hunters toleave portable deer stands in placeon public lands throughout the gundeer and muzzleloader deer sea-sons.

Fishing proposals include: desig-nating additional stream reacheswhere Great Lakes Trout and Salm-on stamps would be required; estab-lishing consistent regulations forwalleye and northern pike on south-ern Lake Michigan; closure of theyellow perch hook and line seasonfrom April 1 to May 22 on Lake Su-perior and establishing a panfishdaily bag limit of 25 on Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters.

The full text of the hearing agen-da, proposals, and advisory ques-t ions and loca t ions fo r loca lhearings can be viewed on the DNRwebsite: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/nrboard/springhearings.

Hearing LocationsAdams; Adams Co. Courthouse, County

Board Room, 402 Main St., FriendshipAshland; Ashland High School, 1900

Beaser Ave., AshlandBarron; Barron County Courthouse Audi-

torium, 303 E. LaSalle, BarronBayfield; Bayfield Co. Courthouse Board

Room, 117 E. 5th, WashburnBrown; Franklin Middle School Auditori-

um, 1234 W. Mason St., Green BayBuffalo; Alma Area High School Auditori-

um, S1618 STH '35, AlmaBurnett; Burnett County Government

Center, 7410 Co. Rd. K, SirenCalumet; Calumet County Courthouse,

Room 025, 206 Court St., Chilton Chippewa; Chippewa Fal ls Middle

School, Auditorium A, 750 Tropicana Blvd.,Chippewa Falls

Clark; Greenwood Elementary SchoolCafeteria, 708 E. Division, Greenwood

Columbia; Columbia County Admin.Building, Basement, 400 De Witte St., Por-tage

Crawford; Crawford County Courthouse,Circuit Courtroom, Prairie du Chien

Dane; Dane County Expo Center, Madi-son

Dodge; Horicon Senior High School, 841Gray St., Horicon

Door; Door County Courthouse, RoomA150, 421 Nebraska, Sturgeon Bay

Douglas; Superior High School, 2600Catlin Ave., Superior

Dunn; Dunn County Fish/Game Club,1900 Pine Ave., Menomonie

Eau Claire; Eau Claire Co. ExpositionCenter, 5530 Fairview Dr., Eau Claire

Florence; DNR Natural Resources Cen-ter, Lower Large Conf. Room, Hwys. 2 & 101,Florence

Fond du Lac; Theisen Jr. High SchoolAuditorium, 525 E. Pioneer Rd., Fond du Lac

Forest; Crandon Elementary School,9750 U.S. Hwy. 8, Crandon

Grant; Lancaster High School, Hillary Au-ditorium, 806 E. Elm St., Lancaster

Green; Pleasant View Annex, Auditori-um, N3150 Hwy. 81, Monroe

Green Lake; Green Lake High School,Multi Purpose Room, 612 Mill St., Green Lake

Iowa; Dodgeville Elementary SchoolGymnasium, 404 N. Johnson, Dodgeville

Iron; Iron County Courthouse, HurleyJackson; Jackson County Courthouse,

County Board Room, 307 Main, Black RiverFalls

Jefferson; Jefferson Public Library, 321S. Main St., Jefferson

Juneau; Juneau County Courthouse,Courtroom, 220 E. State St., Mauston

Kenosha; Kenosha County Center Hear-ing Room, 19600 75th St., Bristol

Kewaunee; Kewaunee County Court-house, 613 Dodge St., Circuit Court Room212, Kewaunee

La Crosse; Onalaska High School Audi-torium, 700 Hilltop Pl., Onalaska

Lafayette; Darlington Community HighSchool Cafeteria, 11838 Center Hill Rd., Dar-lington

Langlade; Langlade County Courthouse,Courtroom, 800 Clermont, Antigo

Lincoln; Merrill High School, 1201 NorthSals St., Merrill

Manitowoc; UW Center-Manitowoc,Room E125, 705 Viebahn St., Manitowoc

Marathon; Marathon High School Audi-torium, 204 East St., Marathon

Marinette; Wausaukee High School Caf-eteria, N11941 Hwy. 141, Wausaukee

Marquette; Marquette County Court-house, 77 W. Park, Montello

Menominee; Menominee County Court-house, Basement Meeting Room, Keshena

Milwaukee; Nathan Hale High SchoolAuditorium, 11601 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis

Monroe; Sparta High School Auditorium,506 N. Black River St., Sparta

Oconto; Suring High School Cafeteria,411 E. Algoma, Suring

Oneida; James William Junior High, 915Acacia Lane, Rhinelander

Outagamie; Jefferson High School, 1000S. Mason St., Appleton

Ozaukee; American Legion Hall, 435 N.Lake St., Port Washington

Pepin; Pepin County Government Cen-ter, County Board Room, 740 7th Ave. W., Du-rand

Pierce; Ellsworth Senior High School Au-ditorium, 323 Hillcrest, Ellsworth

Polk; Polk Co. Government Center, 100Court Plaza, Balsam Lake

Portage; Ben Frankl in Junior HighSchool Auditorium, 2000 Polk St., StevensPoint

Price; Price County Courthouse, CountyBoard Room, Phillips

Racine; Union Grove High School, 3433S. Colony Ave., Union Grove

Richland; Richland County Courthouse,Circuit Court Room, Richland Center

Rock; Rock County Health Care CenterAuditorium, 3530 N. Hwy. F., Janesville

Rusk; Ladysmith High School Auditori-um, Ladysmith

St. Croix; WI Indianhead Technical Col-lege, Cashman Auditorium, 1019 S KnowlesAve., New Richmond

Sauk; UW - Baraboo Campus, A4 Lec-ture Hall, 1006 Connie Rd., Baraboo

Sawyer; Winter High School Auditorium,Winter

Shawano; Shawano Middle School,1050 S. Union St., Room LGI, Shawano

Sheboygan; Sheboygan Falls HighSchool Cafeteria, 220 Amherst Ave., She-boygan Falls

Taylor; Taylor County Fairgrounds, Multi-purpose Bldg., Medford

Trempealeau; Whitehall City CenterCommunity Room, 36245 Park St., Whitehall

Vernon; Viroqua Middle School, LargeLecture Room, Blackhawk Drive, Viroqua

Vilas; Plum Lake Community Building,Golf Course Rd., Sayner

Walworth; National Guard Armory, 401 E.Fair St., Elkhorn

Washburn; Agriculture Research Station,Hwy. 70E, Spooner

Washington; UW-Washington CountyCampus Theater, 400 University Dr., WestBend

Waukesha; Waukesha County ExpoCenter, 4848 Northview Rd., Waukesha

Waupaca; Baymont Inn and Suites, 110Grand Seasons Dr., Waupaca

Waushara; Waushara County Court-house, 209 S. St. Marie, Wautoma

Winnebago; Oshkosh North High SchoolAuditorium, 1100 W. Smith, Oshkosh

Wood; Pittsville High School Auditorium,5407 1st Ave., Pittsville

Early season plan identifies open Northeast WI watersTrout enthusiasts will have the

chance to vote April 10 on a pro-posed statewide permanent earlycatch and release trout season rec-ommended by a task force createdby the state Natural ResourcesBoard.

The proposed season will be oneof the questions featured during theDepartment of Natural ResourcesSpring Fish and Wildlife RulesHearings, which will be held April10 in all 72 counties in conjunctionwith the Wisconsin ConservationCongress’ county meetings. Proposal specifics

Under the proposal, the earlycatch and release season wouldopen March 1 on specific streams innortheast counties and on all troutstreams — with the exception of afew sensitive streams — in the restof the state.

Local DNR fisheries biologists innortheast Wisconsin recommendedstreams in their area that would bereasonably fishable using spin-cast-ing and fly-fishing equipment andeasily enforced. They also had theoption of closing sensitive streamsto protect spawning areas or con-centrated trout populations.

Anglers would be required to useartificial lures and flies, and to useand possess only barbless hooks.The season would close five days be-fore the regular season opener togive fish a rest and allow stockedfish to acclimate to the streams.

The proposed permanent seasonstructure was developed by the Ear-ly Trout Season Task Force, whichwas appointed by the Natural Re-sources Board in 1999 to come upwith a compromise to the currentearly season in effect since 1997.

“The task force worked hard todevelop a proposal that everyonecould live with,” said Larry Claggett,

task force co-chair and a DNR troutexpert. “Now anglers, particularlypeople who like to fish in the north-east part of the state, will want tolook at the list to see if they agreewith it and make their wishes knownat the spring hearings.”

The DNR supports making anearly catch and release season a per-manent part of Wisconsin’s out-doors ca lendar because manypeople enjoy having the additionalfishing opportunity and trout repro-duction isn’t affected, Claggett said.Northeast WI open water

Specific northeast Wisconsin wa-ters proposed to be open during thisearly catch and release season are:

Bayfield County — All troutstreams except the White River andits tributaries upstream from PikeRiver Road bridge;

Brown County — None;Calumet County — None;Door County — None;Florence County — Pine River; Forest County — Peshtigo River

downstream from U.S. Highway 8,Pine River downstream from STH55, and Rat River downstream fromScattered Rice lake;

Kewaunee County — None;Langlade County — Wolf River; Lincoln County — All trout

streams west of STH 51 and PrairieRiver downstream from CTH J;

Manitowoc County — None;Marathon County — Black

Creek, Black Creek (T30N,R3E),Grass Creek, McGinnes Creek,Fourmile Creek, Noisy Creek, andPlover River from STH 29 down-stream to STH 153;

Marinette County — NorthBranch Peme Bon Won River down-stream from STH 141, Peshtigo Riv-er upstream from CTH C, PikeRiver between CTH V and CTH K,and Rat River;

Marquette County — ChaffeeCreek downstream from CTH B,Klawitter Creek, Lawrence Creek,Lunch Creek, Mecan River up-s tream from STH 22, NeenahCreek, O’Keefe Creek, WeddeCreek and Westfield Creek;

Menominee County — None; Oconto County — North Branch

Oconto River downstream fromSTH 64 and South Branch OcontoRiver downstream from CTH AA;

Oneida County — All troutstreams west of STH 51 and Bear-skin Creek;

Portage County — Ditches 1through 6 downstream from Town-line Road and Tomorrow Riverfrom Amherst downstream to Du-rant Road;

Shawano County — MiddleBranch Embarrass River fromHomme Dam to STH 29, NorthBranch Embarrass River from Tille-da Dam downstream to LeopolisDam and Red River downstreamfrom Lower Red Lake Dam;

Vilas County — MishonagonCreek;

Wau pa c a Co u n t y — Nor thBranch Little Wolf River from CTHP to CTH J, South branch LittleWolf River and Waupaca Riverfrom Frost Valley Road to STH 54;

Waushara County — CarterCreek, Leola Ditch, Mecan Riverdownstream from 12th Avenue,Pine River downstream from CTHK to Poy Sippi Pond, Roche-a-CriCreek, Willow Creek from Black-hawk Drive to 29th Lane, and WhiteRiver from STH 22 to White RiverMillpond (lower); and

All other counties — All troutstreams in all other counties not list-ed above would be included in thisearly season EXCEPT portions oftributaries to Lake Michigan andLake Superior that are already opento harvest during this time period.

In recent years, issues such as mining, the status of the public intervenor, and authority to appoint the secretary

of natural resources have appeared on the agenda.


Dozens of groups working on many fronts

Wisconsin Stewardship Network tackling metallic miningBy Tom Wilson

Since its inception four yearsago, the Wisconsin StewardshipNetwork (WSN) has focused onstrengthening the rules regulatingmetallic mining in Wisconsin anddemanding fair and complete en-forcement of existing mining law.

The WSN has worked with andhelped coordinate the efforts ofmany groups, including:• The Mining Impact Coalition, • Ecologically Concerned Citizens

of the Lakeland Area (ECCO-LA),

• John Muir Chapter of the SierraClub,

• Wisconsin’s Environmental De-cade,

• The Menominee Nation, • Northern Thunder, • Wisconsin Resources Protection

Council, • Rusk County Community Action

Group, • Clean Water Action Council, • Protect Our Wolf River,• Town of Nashville Legal Defense

Fund, • Mining Moratorium Coalition, • Midwest Treaty Network, • Wolf Watershed Education

Project, • Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, • Four Rivers Headwaters, • River Alliance of Wisconsin, • Great Lakes Indian Fish and

Wildlife Commission, • Wisconsin Citizen Action.

In listing the following accom-plishments and initiatives, WSN isnot claiming all the credit or imply-ing that this work was the sole, oreven primary effort of our particulargroup.

Rather, we wish to demonstratethe vast array of mechanisms andstrategies applied by our associateorganizations in this vital area. It isour belief, however, that the WSN’sefforts at coordinating and publiciz-ing the works of all member groupshas been a major factor in the vari-ety of successes we have seen and amodel we hope to continue.1. Throughout 1997 and the first

part of 1998, the key statewideeffort was to build mass supportfor the Churchill Mining Mora-torium Law. Despite oppositionfrom Governor Thompson, in-dustry groups and mining compa-ny influence on many legislators,a strong bill was passed andsigned into law in April of 1998.

2. Despite that clear early victory,our allied groups were forced topetition the DNR to formulaterules implementing the Morato-rium Law. Faced with constantopposition and stonewalling bythe DNR administration, the is-sue of rules was finally broughtbefore the Natural Resources

Board. The Board essentially ig-nored all appeals to reason anddemocratic processes and rub-ber-stamped the closed-door defacto rules promoted by the min-ing company and the Depart-ment heads.

3. Nonetheless, groups are alsocontinuing to investigate and ex-pose the limitations of the threeexample mines offered by themining company to meet the re-quirements of the Churchill Min-ing Moratorium Law. Verytelling details have been discov-ered, indicating noncompliancewith the standards set by thislaw—even as defined by theDNR—and it is felt there can bea strong case presented at the fi-nal administrative hearing wherethis issue will be decided.

4. Associate groups have had limit-ed input to the Governor’s Sci-ence Advisory Board, raisinggeneral issues that it should beconsidering. Since this group haslittle or no legal decision-makingstatus it has been felt that itcould be counterproductive toexpend too much energy raisingdetails with them.

5. Communities all along the Wis-consin river expressed oppositionto the plan to pipe wastewaterfrom the proposed mine into thatbody of water. This opposition,along with complaints fromneighboring Great Lakes Statesand Provinces, resulted in themining company withdrawingthis as the primary wastewaterdeposition location. Since pro-jections of actual pumping ratesare still in dispute and may wellexceed absorption capabilities ofthe company’s seepage plan, wecontinue to be vigilant to the factthat the Wisconsin River pipelineas an alternative wastewater dis-posal system is still included inthe company’s plan.

6. Numerous supporting groupsregularly testified at legislativecommittee hearings to assure ad-equate funding of the Mine Di-saster Emergency Fund (the so-called Irrevocable Trust) with arealistic minimal per-ton fee forabove-grade and subsurface tail-ings storage facilities. Despiteadamant opposition from the in-dustry and the DNR, consistenttestimony from member groupsled the legislative rules commit-tee to insist on a minimal fee inthis trust. Joint committee ac-tion was anticipated, but due to atechnical oversight, the DNR de-clared the issue dead and arepromulgating rules contrary tothe expressed legislative intent.Nonetheless important languagewas included, requiring consider-ation of “worst-case” “reason-ably possible” scenarios beconsidered. It is not clear, how-ever, at what point in the permit-ting process the DNR will beforced to reveal their recom-mended funding levels for thisproject.

7. Groups challenged the DNR’sattempt to circumvent prohibi-tions against injecting toxicwastes and grouting materialsinto mine sites under well-pro-tection provisions through“housekeeping” modifications tothese rules, but once again, theNatural Resources Board rubberstamped the Department’s rec-ommendations.

8. At WSN’s request, several up-state hearings were held on rulesextending the loopholes in thestate’s groundwater law exempt-

ing mining wastes from federalhazardous waste laws and allow-ing 1,200 feet of groundwater tobe polluted before enforcementaction is warranted. The accep-tance of fairly lax rules by the de-partment despite significanttestimony to the contrary simplydemonstrates the inadequacy ofthe DNR’s commitment to ade-quate groundwater protection.

9. In the present legislative sessionNetwork groups are throwingsupport behind three Assemblybills relating to mining:

• AB 457 prohibits the DNR fromgranting rules exemptions forprospecting, mining and storageof mine wastes;

• AB 458 prohibits mining on StateDNR lands; and

• AB 459 strengthens “bad actor”provisions in the mining code.

10.We have supported the rights oftribes to establish air andgroundwater quality standardson reservation lands. The Stateof Wisconsin actually sued theEPA on this issue, but a recentFederal Court rejected the law-suit against the Mole LakeChippewa Band’s Treatment AsState (TAS) status.

11.We encourage the repeal ormodification of the local agree-ment law, restoring local controlof land use decisions. Unfortu-nately, the Decker Budgetamendment addressing this issuewas defeated in closed commit-tee in June of this year.

12.A legal challenge to the validityof a local agreement contractsigned by the former Town ofNashville Board has shown thatthis agreement was signed ingross violation of Wisconsin’sopen meetings laws. Despite sig-nificant pro-bono legal work pro-vided by the firm of Garvey &Stoddard, further legal actionwill require significant moral andfinancial support from almost allinterested groups across thestate. This and other legal courtchallenges will undoubtedly becentral to much of our statewideeffort in the coming year.

13.We have encouraged and assistednumerous county and local gov-ernments to institute their ownland use regulations, thus dis-couraging even initial explora-tion activities by companiesrealizing they must meet criteriaset by local authorities unbehold-ing to their corporate will. Vari-ous sample country and localzoning ordinances and relateddocuments are available in elec-tronic format for interested par-ties.

14.WSN staff and associate organi-zations and individuals success-fully challenged KennecottMineral’s attempt to changes theFlambeau Mine ReclamationPlan regarding revegetation,prairie restoration, fence remov-al, wastewater treatment facili-ties and long-term deposition ofstructures. April-August 1998.

15.In October of 1998, we publishedthe fourth in our series of DNRWatch monographs exposing theflagrant and ongoing bias ofWDNR in support of the metal-lic mining industry. This docu-ment outlined the wide range oftransgressions by the DNR todate and documented the trail ofcampaign contributions and oth-er influence that led to this sadstate of affairs.

Continued on next page

Cyanide for extracting mine’s mysterious gold a danger

By Dean SimonIf you’ve ever watched any old

spy movies, you know about thecyanide capsule sewn into the lin-ing of the jacket. If a spy wascaught and was about to be tor-tured for valuable information, heor she was to bite the capsule,thereby committing suicide.

Cyanide has also been in worldnews with the recent disaster onthe border between Romania andHungary. The Tisza River, whichempties into the Danube is nowessentially dead. The cause was acyanide spill at a gold mine wheregold was being concentrated by aflotation process.

Both the Tisza and the Danubeare the kind of rivers people writesongs and poetry about. They arethe equivalent of the Missouri andthe Mississippi in our country.

What’s frightening about allthis is that a disaster like the onein Europe could happen at theheadwaters of the Wolf River.

According to Steve Kircher,representative for Nicolet Miner-als Company, the Crandon orebody contains about.05 ounces ofgold per ton. That doesn’t soundlike much, unless you are awarethat the company plans to mineover 55 million tons of ore!

At current gold prices, thatequates to over $875,000,000 ingold alone! Other involved sourc-es say this figure may be an under-estimate since the company is notrequired by law to have their coresamples examined.

The fact that the Nicolet Min-erals has not scrapped the Cran-don project in spite of a depressedzinc market is proof enough formany that there are facts the pub-lic is not being made aware of, in-cluding the actual amount of gold.

Some of these facts are scary.By company estimates, 15-18 tonsof cyanide will be used in the flo-tation process that concentrates

the gold. Where will this wastego? How wil l the cyanide beshipped into the Crandon area?What steps have been taken toprevent a leak similar to the onein Romania?

These are questions that havenot been addressed by the compa-ny or the state. Moreover, whilethe company assures the publicthat they will do everything theycan to protect the environment,their lobbyists continue to pushthe state for relaxations of envi-ronmental standards.

What’s more, the state may noteven reap a tax benefit from thisgold. Since the ore will be shippedto Canada for final processing andsale, the state will have only com-pany records to indicate howmuch profit the company willreap. Since the state has no infor-mation about the actual gold con-tent and no audit procedureexists, the ore goes to Canada andthe state of Wisconsin gets whatthe company tells them it gets.

Finally, the Nicolet MineralCorporation is a subsidiary of RioAlgom. If an environmental prob-lem exists, the Nicolet MineralsCompany is liable, not the parentcompany. Although the companyis required to post a bond as theirfinancial security for reclamationof the mine, it may not be enoughif a major catastrophe occurs. Thelosses to the tourism industrywould be immeasurable.

The Rio Algom threat remainsin Northern Wisconsin, and envi-ronmental groups like Trout Un-limited must maintain a vigil.Cyanide is not a chemical that canbe taken lightly, and 15-18 tonsper month flowing into the Cran-don area is a disaster waiting tohappen.

Write your local assembly per-son and let them know how youfeel about cyanide in NorthernWisconsin.


MINING: WSN helping coordinate state’s environmental effortsContinued from p. 1016.WSN personnel exposed the

problematic environmentalrecord and the lack of local eco-nomic benefit derived from theFlambeau mine project. We tookthis message all the way to theApril 1998 Rio Tinto sharehold-ers’ meeting in London. Shortlythereafter, this company, whichhad essentially stolen a half Bil-lion dollars worth of gold andcopper from this economicallydepressed economy, canceled allof its exploration leases in West-ern Wisconsin.

17.In June of 1998, we supportedthe Jackson County Town ofCleveland in their successful ap-peal to the Mining Impact FundBoard in acquiring reimburse-ment from the Mining ImpactFund for expenses incurred re-sponding to the threat of mineralexploitation — even though thiscommunity declined to go alongwith the mining company initia-tives.

18.In coordination with GLIFWC,Four Rivers Headwaters andMining Impact Coalition, wehelped expose initial non-compli-ance of monitoring well test datafrom the reclaimed FlambeauMine, exposing both the inaccu-racy of the companies groundwa-ter modeling capabilities as wellas the inadequacy of the DNR’sregulatory rules and oversight ca-pability. We will be tracking thisproject very carefully over theupcoming months and years.

19.Many of these same groups alongwith representatives of the EPA,Menominee and PotawatomiTribes and others have been reg-ularly attending meetings andhaving input into groundwatermodels being designed on theCrandon mine by both the Wis-consin DNR and the ArmyCorps of Engineers. Althoughboth of these models are far fromcomplete, it is becoming obviousthat Nicolet’s projections of re-quired mine shaft dewatering arefar short of what is likely to oc-cur. This may well result in a re-quired major modification of theproposed mine plan includingpossible reversion to the Wiscon-sin River Pipeline plan.

Student rally set for April 2920.Following on the success of the

Wolf Watershed EducationProject’s 1996-97 statewidespeaking tour resulting in in-creased coordination betweentribes, sportfishing, and environ-mental groups, we are supportingtheir new Mining Speakers Tourfor Middle- High-schools andColleges which will culminate ina giant Student/Youth Rally toStop the Crandon Mine, Satur-day, April 29, 2000, in Madison

(all ages welcome!)21.Recognizing the essential con-

nection between a proposedpower line across Northern Wis-consin bring electricity from theflooded lands of the Cree Nationof Manitoba with the proposedmining operation in Crandonand the Bend exploration depos-it, we have called for a halt inthat construction and a renewalof least-cost demand side conser-vation strategies as a viable alter-native.

22.We have encouraged tax relieffor Wisconsin residents by de-manding that mining companiesprovide quantitative documenta-tion on all minerals extracted intheir operations, instituting rea-sonable resource extraction feeson those minerals and applyingstandard state corporate incometax to mining companies (nowexempted).

23.Through regular coordinationwith the Mineral Policy Center,our member groups and individ-uals have encouraged federallegislators to revise the 1872Mining Law and to defeat or atleast moderate various anti-envi-ronmental riders attached to var-ious spending legislation.Wisconsin’s own Senator RussFeingold has spearheaded manyof these reform initiatives.

24.We have also encouraged Feder-al legislators to revise EPA’s min-ing standards including theapplication of federal EPARCRA Sub.C hazardous wastecriteria to mining tailings facili-ties and most recently are callingfor removal of heap leach tech-nology as a legal option and anoutright ban on use of SodiumCyanide in mining operations inWisconsin.

25.Through links to groups such asMineral Policy Center, ProjectUnderground, London’s Min-ewatch and People Against RioTinto Zinc and other nationaland international organizations,we have used the internet andprint media to expose the gener-al abuse of power and environ-mental damage by the miningindustry all across the globe withspecial emphasis on companieswhich also do business in Wis-consin.

26.Through other links, we havesupported Senator Feingold’s al-ternative debt reduction legisla-tion, opposition to the so-calledNAFTA-for-Africa Bill, and oth-er World Trade Organization-style initiatives which would sim-ply assure continued global dom-ination of indigenouspopulations by internationalmining conglomerates exploitingoverseas resources. It is our be-lief that mining is not just a

N.I.M.B.Y. issue, but we mustraise the bar for environmentalresponsibility and social and eco-nomic justice related to resourceextraction wherever it occurs.

Upcoming challengesClearly, as the above list demon-

strates, the task of providing envi-ronmental oversight for a globalindustry which has declared Wiscon-sin to be “a whole new mining dis-tr ict ,” i s not one wi th c leanlydefined tasks with a beginning andan end. Rather the struggle is, of ne-cessity, ongoing and, most likely,never-ending.

Thus the goals and challengesthat have occupied us for the lastfour years are mostly still with usand will need to be reviewed and in-tensified as time goes on. Nonethe-less, the nature of the challengedoes change as various projects orlegislative initiatives evolve.

A major focus over the next cou-ple of years will be the permittingprocess for the proposed NicoletCrandon mine. To that end, we willcontinue to track the DNR’s evalua-tion of the Crandon Mine Plan inpreparation of their Draft Environ-mental Impact Statement (DEIS),assuring they consider all relevantissues and resources and not justcompany-supplied documentationand promises. As the provisions ofthe D.E.I.S. are revealed we willcontinue to evaluate limitations inthe company’s mine plan including,but not limited to:• compliance with provisions of

the Mining Moratorium Law,• above-ground tailings disposal,• pyrite removal and subsurface

sulfide waste storage,• groundwater modeling, • wastewater disposal through

seepage pit technology,• impacts to surface waters and

wetlands,• grouting technology,• toxic materials use, storage, and

transport risks, and• complicity in the corruption of

our public officials.Our methods will probably con-

tinue along the similar lines as in thepast, but further refined with the ex-perience and networking capabili-ties we have developed.

Despite overwhelming grass-

roots political support for our posi-tion on metallic mining in Wiscon-sin, an increasingly politicized andintransigent DNR is making mean-ingful regulatory intervention andenforcement ever less likely. Thismeans that many of our future vic-tories will likely have to be won inthe legislature and in the courts.

As in any environmental defensestruggle, it is unlikely that we willever be able to declare unmitigatedvictory against these megalithic, in-ternational mining interests as theywill undoubtedly plague us for yearsto come.

However we will certainly haveforestalled the immediate threat ofirresponsible exploitation, avoidedthe worst disasters associated withsulfide metallic mining, substantiallyraised the regulatory bar and donemuch to protect Wisconsin’s pristineenvironment, and, hopefully, by ex-ample, improved the standards formining activities the world over.

(TU member Tom Wilson is theNorthern Thunder representative tothe Wisconsin Stewardship Network.He serves as the WSN’s Western Wis-consin Hub Coordinator and Co-chair of the Metallic Mining SubCommittee. He admits he is probablya better organizer than a fisherman,but he hopes his recent move to theCoulee Region wil l improve hisrecord. -ed.)

WADING: law change allows greater streamside accessContinued from p. 1

Anglers may walk on “exposedshore areas” if they are below theordinary high water mark, under thenew law.

“Exposed shore areas” need notbe covered with water, but are theground between the water’s edgeand the ordinary high water mark(OHWM). The OHWM is de-scribed by Lutz as “the point on thebank or shore where the water ispresent often enough to leave a dis-tinct mark.”

“Erosion, destruct ion of orchange in vegetation, or other char-acteristics may indicate the mark,”

Lutz said in an informational sheetpublished by the DNR.

“Determining the OHWM is of-ten difficult without special training,and users should respect landown-ers’ rights and avoid trespass charg-es by staying in or as close to thewater as possible,” said Lutz.

“On most streams the ordinaryhigh water mark represents howhigh the spring flood waters climbduring a normal year,” Lutz said.

If the OHWM was wet in April,the same mark can be used to definethe limit of access in July. Courtswill have to define what constitutesa “distinct mark” in cases under thenew law.

The new law does not change anangler’s obligation to obtain permis-sion to cross private land to get to astream (except at a bridge crossing).Lutz cautioned anglers not to crossprivate lands without permissionand not to park in a way that blocksa farmer from entering his land.

Lutz told Wisconsin Trout thatobstructions along streams can re-quire anglers to portage aroundthose obstructions, and that wheredams or fences cross streams, an-glers must be allowed a right of por-tage.

State law also allows anglers whoare harassed by property ownersalong streams to complain to the lo-

cal district attorney, who will decidewhether to charge the harasser witha violation of the state’s anti-harass-ment statute. In some incidents,landowners claiming trespass andanglers claiming harassment haveboth brought complaints to districtattorneys.

Easements are owned by thestate or other units of governmentalong many state streams. While theDNR suggests that most easementsare signed, experience across thestate suggests that signing of ease-ments is a hit-or-miss process.

Check with your local fish man-ager if a question arises about ease-ment locations.

WDNR revises its mining site

The WDNR has revised its min-ing website.

Check under the programs sec-tion of the Integrated Science Ser-v i c e s D i v i s io n ho m e p a g e a twww.dnr.state.wi.us/org/es/science/mining.

Or use the pulldown menu fromthe DNR home page and look for“metallic mining.”

At the site you can find informa-tion on mining regulations, the per-m i t t i n g p r o c e s s , u p c o m i n gmeetings, and environmental im-pact statements (EIS).

The Draft and Final EIS for theCrandon Mine will be placed herewhen it is done.

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Central Wisconsin Chapter

Cen t ra l Wi sc ons i n TU haschanged its meeting place to BerlinBowling Lanes at 123 N. Pearl St.,Berlin (920-361-9959). We will stillmeet on the 2nd Monday of themonth, but note that this month wewill meet on April 3.

The board meeting will start at6:30 p.m. and the program will fol-low at 7:30. We think that combin-ing the board meeting with theprograms will increase interest andreach out to our members.

Our banquet, under the able di-rection of Chairman Dan Colligan,gave all TUers and friends of TU areal thrill and an exciting evening atthe Ramada Inn in Oshkosh March25th.

Our work days have suffered be-cause of our commitment to the ac-tion on the Mecan River. We will bestarting our effort again on the Lit-tle Pine River northeast of Dakotaon Czech Ct. We will continue towork on s t ream improvementthrough brushing and building bankcover structures. Our chapter feelsthat we’ve restored a major sectionof this river and hope that it will

again become the brook troutstream that it once was.

Our Fly Fishing School sched-uled for the weekend of June 2-4will give every fly fishing enthusiastan opportunity to learn the ways ofthe trout and how to catch the warybeast. If you’re interested, call DanHarmon at 920-235-1761 or emailhim at [email protected].

The school will be held in a newsetting, and we think that this will bemore available and better situatedfor participants. We thank all thechapters and the state council — es-pecially the leadership of John Wel-ter — in marshalling our forces totake on the mega corporation Nes-tle that owns Perrier.

The battle may be forcing Perrierto consider alternatives, but we’llhave to keep up the pressure if weare to win the war.

Also the letter to the editor inthe Sunday Northwestern by JohnGremmer got interest from fourpeople who wanted petitions andTU membership forms. What a wayto gain interest and commitment.

Fox Valley Chapter

The busiest time of year is hap-pening now in the Fox Valley Chap-ter. If our upcoming banquet onApril 4th at the Darboy Club inDarboy and Awards Night on April20th at the Forester Club in Apple-ton were not enough. the Perriercompany decides to hold a publicforum on Valentine’s Day!

The Perrier meeting was well at-tended by our members, and ourvoices were heard.

Last month was our Fun Night,arranged by chapter member DarrelToliver and John Nebel of the WolfRiver Chapter. We had good atten-dance considering the weather.

Our March meeting will feature

Al Niebur, fisheries managementspecialist from the DNR, to recapthe progress on our joint streamprojects.

Our banquet preparations aregoing well and the new format hasbeen drawing a great deal of inter-est. We have moved the banquet toa weeknight so more people areable to attend. It should be a greattime.

We have also separated the chap-ter awards from the banquet/fund-raiser. Our feeling is that morefocused recognition is deserved forthe people who work hard to makeour chapter successful.

Frank Hornberg Chapter

The Frank Hornberg Chapterhad an interesting January. For ourregular meeting, we had a presenta-tion by Sarah Draak and Steve Bra-dley of the Tomorrow/WaupacaRiver Priority Watershed Project —a good opportunity for both sides tofamiliarize ourselves with what wedo and ways we may be able to helpeach other.

Also in January, the chapter hada low-key fly tying day, focusing inparticular on problem solving andspecial techniques.

Our February workday was spenton the Tomorrow River at Nelson-ville installing a brush mat intendedto increase the effectiveness ofstructure we completed last fall. Itwas kind of chilly, but we still man-aged to have some fun.

The chapter had a very good turnout for Rich Osthoff’s Flyfishing theRocky Mountain Back Country slide

presentation for the chapter’s gen-eral meeting in February. Now howto find time to do some of this?

Also in February, the chapterhad several of our members attendthe Perrier whitewash meeting inColoma. Glad to see some goodfrom it all, even if the fight scenehas shifted elsewhere.

The chapter’s March generalmeeting featured DNR fish manag-er Al Niebur, with a fine slide pre-sentation on completed and futureDNR projects in the area. Al alsopresented data on such things as thepositive effects of several habitatprojects, and the deleterious effectsof the Amherst dam.

And lastly, by the time you readthis, the chapter will probably havehad its Saturday workday on the To-morrow River off Welton Road atNelsonville. You should have beenthere — bet it will be a good time.

Harry & Laura Nohr Chapter

Our next Board of Directorsmeeting is set for Tuesday, April18th at Blackhawk Lake RecreationArea between Highland and Cobb.All interested parties are welcometo attend. We have decided to usethe third Tuesday of every month forour meetings with the place floating.One month we have a board of di-rectors meeting and the next amembership meeting.

Our banquet is set for Fridayevening, May 5th at the Dodger

Bowl in Dodgeville — cocktails andtall tales at 6:00. Ticket costs are$20.00 for adults and $10.00 foryouth. Our banquet is a family affairwith lots of gifts and prizes for ladiesand every youth goes home with aprize. For ticket info, Chuck Steudelat (608) 987-2171 or Bill Wisler at(608) 623-2603.

We have announced the award-ing of our school grant awards. Atotal of $3,833 was awarded toschools in Platteville, Dodgeville,

Aldo Leopold Chapter

After learning the TU StateCouncil was no longer a WisconsinWildlife Federation member, theAldo Leopold Chapter will fill thisvoid.

Twenty years ago, under theleadership of Mitch Bent, WisconsinTU became an state affiliate of theWWF. Back in 1980 TU was madeup of 13 chapters, and has nowgrown to 21 chapters. Ron Ahner(Southern Wisconsin) was statechairman, Jim Kalhofen (AntigoChapter) was vice chairman. TU hasbeen affiliated off and on for thepast 20 years. WWF now totals 93clubs and organizations.

Through its affiliation with theNational Wildlife Federation, theWWF has direct contact with U.S.senators and congressmen, as wellas input to regulatory branches suchas Forest Service and the Fish andWildlife Services.

Steve Hill, chapter member fromWatertown, put on a TU programfor Watertown Lions Club on March6. He showed TU’s The Way of the

Trout and talked about CPR in gen-eral terms as it could apply to allspecies of fish.

Chapter CPR activities includedplacing CPR signs and brochures to:• Herter’s, Beaver Dam.• WWF headquarters, Oshkosh.• The Fly Shop, Milwaukee.• Gander Mountain, Appleton.• Krueger’s True Value, Neenah.• Dick’s Sporting Goods, Apple-

ton.• Stark’s Sporting Goods, Prairie

du Chien.Thanks to Ross Mueller, Beaver

Dam native and 25-year member ofTU for including a very clear pictureof our CPR sign on page 22 in hisnew book, Fly Fishing MidwesternSpring Creeks.

The CPR Committee would alsolike to thank Steve Born, Jeff May-ers, Andy Morton, and Bill Sognog-n i , c o - autho rs o f Exp lo r ingWisconsin Trout Streams, on theiroutstanding chapter on catch andrelease.

Antigo Chapter

Our annual fund-raising ban-quet was held Saturday, March 25,at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

We have applied for a $1,700grant from Miller’s Friends of theField program for a habitat projecton the East Branch of the EauClaire River for this summer.

We are planning our annual kidsfishing day for the first Saturday in

June. Fish tank, prizes, food, raffles— it should be a great day for thekids and mom and dad.

We are funding the fuel oil costsfor the DNR’s dredge on WillowSprings. With help, we are alsofunding some money for a land pur-chase by the state on DeBrouxSprings of approximately 80 acres.

Blackhawk Chapter

The Blackhawk Chapter haselected new officers for 2000:

John Miller, presidentJoe Putsch, vice presidentDon Studt, treasurerBill Karduck, secretary.The chapter is also holding its

meetings at a new location — theDNR office in Janesville. Meetingswill still be the third Monday ofeach month at 7:00.

The January meeting was hostedby Ross Mueller of Appleton, WI.Ross presented a slide program onfishing spring creeks in Wisconsin.

John Beth of Reedsburg, WI,presented the February programwith a slide presentation on fishingin Alaska.

The chapter’s eight fly tying dem-onstrations and classes at the Hed-berg Library in Janesville were a

success. The classes ran from Janu-ary through February under theguidance of Don Studt. New mem-bers were enrolled and the studentsenjoyed their time at the vise.

The chapter has given $7,000 forspawning and habitat work on Tim-ber Coulee. This will be a showcasefor educational purposes for juniorhigh and high school students, whowill learn the dynamics of crib place-ment and various methods to im-prove trout habitat.

The annual conservation fund-raiser banquet will be held in Janes-ville at the Ramada on April 24,2000. Contact Terry Vaughn for tick-ets at (608) 362-4295.

ALDO LEOPOLD MEMBERSHIP JOINS WWFClint Byrnes presents a check for the Aldo Leopold Chapter’s membership in the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation to Oshkosh office supervisor Jeane Lind.


Chapter NewsTROUT

UNLIMITED

On Feb. 19th six member bravedthe cold and trimmed a number oftrees on the Oconto River betweenSuring and Hintz. Participating were

Mike Soper, Ron Rank, Don Wag-ner, Dave Brunner, Jim Trochta,and Dale Halla.

Southern Wisconsin Chapter

The chapter’s monthly Januarygeneral meeting was a night of flytying demonstrations by chaptermembers. Flies tied during the dem-onstration were then raffled off.

The chapter also held its annualTrout Massacre dinner and Ice-breaker events. The dinner featuredthe two Icebreaker speakers —Dave Hughes and Stanley Szczytho.A fine artwork door prize was givenaway at the dinner. The next day be-gan with chapter members sharing abreakfast before they began to helpat the Icebreaker.

The icebreaker itself was verysuccessful. Fly tying demonstrationsattracted much interest, the speak-ers were well received, numerousdoor prizes were given away, andnumerous items were raffled off.Items included a bamboo rod, sixgraphite rods, reels, a Leopoldbench, a handmade fly tying desk,assorted fly fishing and fly tyinggear, and guided fishing trips.

In Feb ruary , th e chapter ’ smonthly general meeting featured apresentation by Bob Blumenreichon spey rod techniques and generalfishing strategies for Great Lakessteelhead and salmon. After themeeting a lucky member won a $100gift certificate to a local sportinggoods store.

The chapter set up a booth at theannual Madison Fishing Exposi-tion. Chapter members manned thebooth, distributed brochures, dem-onstrated fly tying, and assisted inselling tickets to the event. Proceedsfrom this event are given to charita-ble, mostly fishing related, causes.

During this time period the chap-ter contributed $500 in matchingfunds for members’ contributionstoward conservation efforts for FishLake.

The March general meeting fea-tured the chapter’s annual auction.

SWTU general meetings are heldthe second Tuesday of each monthat the Maple Tree restaurant in Mc-Farland.

Upcoming events for the chap-ter include:• April 15 will be the chapter’s an-

nual casting clinic (the rain dateis April 22),

• April 22 has been set aside forclearing up wind damaged treesand brush from dikes around thesprings so access is improved,and

• April 29 is Spring cleanup day onBlack Earth Creek.Those interested in helping in

project work should contact JohnSerunian at (608) 277-9295 or sendan email to [email protected].

Wolf River Chapter

Since the advent of a new millen-nium, our chapter officers havebeen very busy attending weekendmeetings. We are involved in thenewly formed Langlade Co. Water-ways Assn., which should give dueregard to protection to prevent deg-radation and the high cost of at-tempted enhancement.

Members Herb Buettner andGeorge Rock spoke at the Jan. 27meeting of the Twin Cities Rod &Gun Club giving an update on thestatus of the Crandon mine permit-ting process.

We also attended the Oct. 1-2,1999, workshop at Devil’s HeadCenter at Baraboo on “Building andMaintaining a Sustainable Organi-zation for River and Watershed Pro-tection” sponsored by TU and theRiver Alliance of Wisconsin.

We represented our chapter atthe Wisconsin Stewardship Net-work annual conference Jan. 28-29

at Stevens Point and at the StateCouncil meeting Feb. 5 in Oshkosh.

Also attended were the Wolf Riv-er Watershed Educational Projectmeetings, Crandon mine hearings,and presentations to students atCrandon and White Lake highschools.

Our chapter is continuing toevaluate its rainbow trout reintro-duction program in the Wolf River,and to do another in-bed habitat im-provement project with emphasis oncreating deep sheltered spring-fedpool to increase the river’s trout car-ryover ability.

We will continue our beaver re-moval subsidy on the river and itsfeeder streams and hope to concen-trate on membership recruitmentand program development to createa more sustainable TU chapter.

We are planning a fall fund-rais-ing banquet.

River Rige, Iowa Grant, Highland,and Boscobel schools. Some of thefunds will be used for in-streammonitoring, library books, fieldtrips, Earth Day celebrations, andeven for a field trip to the Exxonmine for an environmental group tostudy the Crandon Mine issue.

Our group has awarded thesegrants for the last three years toschools to use for specific environ-mental projects. We feel that we aremaking a significant impact on a lotof youth with this project. Projectleader this year is John Lund.

The Swiss Valley Farms cheesefactory discharge permit into theRountree Branch in Plattevilleseems to be working out very well.The DNR permit process has beenchanged in southwest Wisconsin dueto the incredible foul-ups in this sit-uation. Swiss Valley seems to bemaking considerable changes intheir discharge and may in the endactually improve the stream. DaveCanny has done an excellent job ofmanaging this project.

Our stream monitoring programis looking very good for next sum-

mer and beyond. We will have atleast six school classes and teachersinvo lved in mon i tor ing a reastreams, everyone working with sim-ilar tools and getting similar data.

The Kickapoo project has helpeda lot. A training session is being setup at the Collins property on theBig Green River for May 20. Thiswill be an intensive, all-day sessionon the techniques and equipmentwe will be using.

It is the intention of the club thatall the data we get will be relevant inthe upcoming reclassification of ar-ea ‘warmwater’ streams. Dave Fritzat (608) 943-8454 is in charge.

The last thing that we are work-ing on is the funding of our studentsummer intern at UW–Platteville.Last year Aaron Wunderlin did agreat job of monitoring three Plat-teville area streams and with theSwiss Valley problem. His researchturned out to be very important.This year we are considering two in-terns to study streams that the cluband DNR feel are important in thatthey face development and agricul-tural pressures.

Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter

The ‘100 Anglers for $100’ fund-raising campaign was successfullycompleted this past month. Thankyou to all contributors, and especial-ly the Twin Cities Chapter of TroutUnlimited, who made it possible totopple the goal. The extra dollarsraised will be spent on improvingthe habitat or facilities at the Swing-ing Gate property.

This successfu l complet ionmakes Kiap-TU-Wish and evenstronger partner with the Kinni Riv-er Land Trust for permanent pro-tection of sensitive lands in theKinni Watershed.

The DNR offices in West CentralWisconsin have recently resolvedthe zoning and permitting stalematewith St. Croix County. This break-through opens the door for Kiap-TU-Wish to resume bushing and

stream habitat work on the Kin-nickinnic River.

Kiap-TU-Wish is eagerly awaitingan aggressive work project scheduleon the upper Kinni to make up fortwo years of lost time to evasive boxelder growth.

The Army Corps of Engineers isplanning modifications to Eau Galleimpoundment which could improvetemperature regimes in the EauGalle River. New data collected thissummer will hopefully lead to habi-tat improvement projects the fol-lowing construction season.

Recent program speakers for thechapter were Dr. Clarke Garry onaquatic sampling of the Kinnickinn-ic River, and author Jim Humphreyon Trout Steams I’ve Known andLoved.

Lakeshore Chapter

Formal work days have resumedon the Onion River, with chaptermembers spending two Saturdaymornings in March on stream im-provement activities.

The chapter received an Em-brace-A-Stream Grant of $1,250 tostudy and monitor progress on theOnion River.

The Lakeshore Chapter cap-tured the Manitowoc County Fishand Game Conservation Award asOrganization of the Year at theirMarch 2nd banquet.

Our annual Conservation Ban-quet will be held on Saturday, April8th, at the Club Bil-Mar in Manito-

woc. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.; din-ner served at 7:00. Tickets are$20.00 each. Contact Jeff Preiss forinformation at (920) 208-1135.

Recent chapter programs fea-tured Eric Fehlhaber of the She-boygan County Land ConservationDepartment who gave a presenta-tion on Sheboygan County’s bufferstrip program, and the chapter sec-retary Jack Gehr, who gave a slideshow on his Western fly fishing ad-ventures.

Chapter members also partici-pated in the Flyfish Wisconsin eventheld in Green Bay on February12th.

Northwoods Chapter

Dave Brum from the WDNRprovided a very informative discus-sion on the work the WDNR is con-ducting in Forest County on BruleCreek and the Elvoy at our Januarymeeting.

The Bearskin River Stream Im-provement Committee has obtainedenough discarded Christmas trees tokeep a work crew busy for at least aday or two on the Bearskin this next

summer. The chapter’s fund-raisingbanquet was March 28 at the Rhine-lander Café & Pub.

The chapter will host our annualkids fishing day on the 1st Saturdayafter the 4th of July.

We have a busy schedule thiscoming summer with three workdays scheduled on the Bearskin, theannual kids fishing day, and at leasttwo upcoming fly tying workshops.

Oconto River Chapter

WDNR Secretary George Meyerwill be the feature speaker at themeeting of the Oconto CountySportsmens Alliance April 13. Our

chapter is hosting this meeting at7:30 at the Lone Oak Gun Club lo-cated one mile north of Gillett onHwy 32 just past Hwy. H.

HARRY & LAURA NOHR MEMBERSThese members of the Nohr Chapter were present at the State Council banquet in Oshkosh Feb. 5 to receive the Silver Trout Award for their chapter’s efforts. Pictured (l to r) are Gene Van Dyck, Dave and Kay Fritz, Chuck and Sue Steudel, Jeff and Cleo Ware, and David Canny.


SURVEY: DNR employees critical of agency’s directionContinued from p. 1Governor’s influence felt

By far, the most consistent an-swer — constituting more than one-third of all employee essays — waspolitical interference and the role ofthe governor.

As one employee wrote, “Bigbusiness now runs the WisconsinDNR. Our governor has done tre-mendous damage to Wisconsin’sreputation as an environmentalleader.”

On agency structure, employeesentiment was even more definitive: • In excess of nine out of 10 think

that the WDNR secretary shouldnot be appointed by the gover-nor, with more than eight in 10favoring the return of this ap-pointment power to the NaturalResources Board; and

• More than two-thirds of respon-dents want the Public Interve-nor’s Office restored, while lessthan one in 10 disagree. “DNR employees themselves are

doubtful about their effectiveness inpreserving Wisconsin’s natural heri-tage,” stated PEER national FieldDirector Eric Wingerter.

“Many employees are angry andfrustrated from what they perceiveto be political interests obstructingsound science and environmentalstewardship.”

The survey asked employees toassess conditions within the agency: • Nearly two-thirds believe that

DNR lacks “sufficient resourcesto adequately perform its envi-ronmental mission”;

• Nearly three-fourths say that em-ployee morale is poor; and

• More than one in six fear retalia-tion or know of instances of re-prisal against employees whoadvocate stronger environmen-tal protection.

Meyer seen as ‘handicapped’A majority of survey respondents

agreed that Secretary Meyer wasdoing a “good job,” but similar per-centages raised doubts about the

performances of other top agencyadministrators.

“Employees believe that Secre-tary Meyer is holding up under tre-mendous pressure,” said Wingerter,citing another employee essay whichread: “The biggest problem is to‘free George Meyer’ by letting theNatural Resources Board appointthe Secretary and restoring the Pub-lic Intervenor’s Office. This will giveGeorge Meyer all his ‘teeth’ back.”Survey questions and results

The following are the exact ques-tions asked in the PEER survey,along with their responses.RESOURCES1. The DNR has sufficient resourc-

es to adequately perform its envi-ronmental mission. 4% stronglyagree; 23% agree; 8% no opin-ion; 46% disagree; 19% stronglydisagree

2. DNR efficiently uses the re-sources available to it. 9%strongly agree; 43% agree; 11%no opinion; 28% disagree; 10%strongly disagree.

3. Wisconsin’s environment is bet-ter protected now by DNR thanit was five years ago. 8% stronglyagree; 26% agree; 17% no opin-ion; 33% disagree; 15% stronglydisagree.

DECISION-MAKING4. DNR administration does not al-

low the needs of individuals andbusinesses seeking permits totake precedence over serving thegeneral public and the resource.6% strongly agree; 31% agree;27% no opinion; 27% disagree;9% strongly disagree.

5. In my experience, scientific eval-uations are influenced by politi-cal considerations at DNR. 13%strongly agree; 35% agree; 22%no opinion; 23% disagree; 7%strongly disagree.

6. The regulated community hasundue influence on DNR deci-sion-making. 10% strongly agree;32% agree; 27% no opinion;26% disagree; 5% strongly dis-agree.

STRUCTURE7. The DNR Secretary should con-

tinue to be appointed by the gov-ernor. 1% strongly agree; 3%agree; 4% no opinion; 21% dis-

agree; 70% strongly disagree. 8. The DNR Secretary should be

appointed by the Natural Re-sources Board. 51% stronglyagree; 33% agree; 8% no opin-ion; 6% disagree; 3% stronglydisagree.

9. The Public Intervenor’s Officeshould be re-established. 41%strongly agree; 28% agree; 24%no opinion; 4% disagree; 3%strongly disagree.

ENFORCEMENT 10.DNR administration is commit-

ted to enforcement of environ-mental laws. 15% strongly agree;54% agree; 16% no opinion;12% disagree; 3% strongly dis-agree.

11.I think that DNR law enforce-ment tends to focus dispropor-tionately on small violators,rather than large violators. 6%strongly agree; 15% agree; 34%no opinion; 34% disagree; 11%

strongly disagree.

12.I have been directed by a superi-or to overlook environmental vi-olations. 3% strongly agree; 6%agree; 22% no opinion; 28% dis-agree; 42% strongly disagree

LEADERSHIP13.I trust DNR’s top administrators

to stand up against political pres-sure in protecting the environ-ment. 8% strongly agree; 26%agree; 12% no opinion; 34% dis-agree; 20% strongly disagree.

14.George Meyer has done a goodjob as DNR Secretary. 12%strongly agree; 38% agree; 18%no opinion; 23% disagree; 9%strongly disagree.

15.At DNR, administrators are se-lected on who they know ratherthan what they know. 15%strongly agree; 30% agree; 32%no opinion; 19% disagree; 4%strongly disagree.

MORALE16.Employee morale at DNR is

good. 1% strongly agree; 17%agree; 7% no opinion; 43% dis-agree; 32% strongly disagree.

17.I know of a situation in which aDNR superior has retaliatedagainst a staffer for doing his orher job “too well” on a contro-versial project. 6% stronglyagree; 12% agree; 35% no opin-ion; 27% disagree; 20% stronglydisagree.

18.I fear job-related retaliation foropenly advocating enforcementof environmental regulations.4% strongly agree; 11% agree;25% no opinion; 34% disagree;25% strongly disagree. Public Employees for Environ-

mental Responsibility (PEER) is anational alliance of local state andfederal resource professionals.

PEER’s environmental work issolely directed by the needs of itsmembers.

Selected written comments from PEER surveyThe following are some respons-

es to the PEER survey’s open-end-ed question, which read: “In myopinion, the biggest problem facingthe DNR is. . .”POLITICAL INFLUENCEFrom Governor Thompson. . .

“Governor ‘Toxic Tommy’ Th-ompson. Gov. Thompson has along resume of opposing efforts toclean up and protect the environ-ment except when there is politicalbenefit to him personally.”

“I grew up in Michigan andchose to work for the WisconsinDNR 25 years ago because it wasand has been one of the best envi-ronmental agencies in the US. Thatis changing now, negatively. Gover-nor Thompson is very shrewd andmakes far-reaching decisions out ofthe public eye and with his extremebudget veto power, often complete-ly reversing legislative intent.”

“Undue influence of the Gover-nor’s office to benefit his friends —state budget and services in thisstate are for sale if you have themoney, i.e., the Ashley Furnituredeal!” From the Wisconsin State Legisla-ture. . .

“The state legislature is morefrequently influencing, or reversing,science-based decisions and/or pol-icies for their own political gain.”

“Increasing micro-managementof the DNR by the legislature. Thelegislature has eliminated positions

or reduced funding of programs atthe DNR they disagree with. Theelimination of the Lower WisconsinRiverway coordinator is the bestexample of this. Eliminating thatposition was a clear act of retribu-tion by a member of the state Sen-ate.” From Big Business. . .

“I have seen pro ject a f terproject thwarted, denied, ignoredbecause of monied ‘interests.’ Citi-zens never get the attention thatthe paper industry and road-build-ers do. In some cases we are re-quired to get businesses involved indecisions where the public is ig-nored. Permitting decisions/rulesare based on industrial manage-ment practices, not the public’s orthe environment’s health.”

“Political considerations and jobrelocation threats by polluters of-ten outweigh environmental con-cerns. The secretary says he hasnever vetoed a referral to DOJ forenforcement. He is correct. Thenext level of management belowthe secretary has that job.” “Politics” in general. . .

“Political influence and bowingto the changing winds of the day.Good scientific studies with ade-quate professional peer review arelacking. To sum up my frustration, Iwill quote you a statement made bymy superior: ‘We don’t do scienceat the DNR.’”

“Many of us Old Timers (20-30

years of staff) probably wouldn’thire on with today’s DNR becausewhen we hired on our mission wasto serve the general public and theresources, not the politically influ-ential. Simple math proves the inef-ficiency of serving the public one ata time vs. collectively.” AGENCY REORGANIZATION

“Our new organizational struc-ture has virtually eliminated pro-gram checks and balances, programdirection, accountability and lead-ership at the field level. Instead of‘program-based’ support at thefield level, we now have only non-program-based supervisors and ge-neric ‘team’ support. ResourceManagement is floundering andthe public and resource base arethe victims. Over most my 30 yr. ca-reer, WI DNR has been a leader inResource Mgt. and research — injust a few short years that’s been re-versed!”

“Reorganization has done exact-ly what our Governor wanted —cripple the DNR, hire spinelessmgmt., and let the staff/field work-ers take the fall. Northeast andSoutheast region have the worstmgmt. — especially in the water &waste programs. We are even told,as field staff, that businesses areour customers and we need toplease them and keep them happy.” STAFFING/FUNDING

“Woefully insufficient # of staffpositions committed to civil and

criminal environmental enforce-ment programs. At present, thereare (approx.) 15 FTE environmen-tal enforcement positions statewidededicated to issuing Notices of Vio-lation, Admin. Orders, or referringcases to Dept. of Justice for litiga-tion/prosecution. There are 7 FTEenvironmental warden positionsstatewide to conduct complex civil/criminal investigations.”

“It is not uncommon to have po-sitions vacant for a year.” POOR LEADERSHIP

“Although the political pressureis, indeed, great, DNR manage-ment itself is shooting staff downwhether or not there is politicalpressure. Retaliation is a major,major concern. Staff who do noth-ing are considered good employees.

“Thus, after suffering the slingsand arrows of management, andsince staff is cannon fodder, I amnow the perfect employee becauseI now do nothing — no decisions,write few memos or letters, and Ihaven’t conducted an inspection intwo years. DNR is morally bank-rupt.”LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC

“In the public’s mind DNR isblamed for many, many things notwithin its control or responsibility.The legislature controls budgetsand writes all the rules. It’s easy forlocal legislators to ‘Blame it on theDNR.’”

QUESTION: “In my experience, scientific evaluations are influenced by political considerations at DNR.”

RESPONSE: 13% strongly agree; 35% agree.


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PERRIER: ‘Mecan is out’Continued from p. 1

Local landowners sold their landaround the springs to the DNR so itcould be kept in its wild state ratherthan being developed. Mecan feeders considered

After the initial concerns becamepublic, Perrier decided not to pur-sue the Mecan Springs Natural Ar-ea site, but focused on other sites inWedde and Schmudlach Creeks, im-portant tributaries of the Mecan.

This change failed to quell theopposition. Columnists and editori-als in a number of the state’s majornewspapers criticized Perrier’s ap-proach, although they recognizedvalue to the state in the jobs theproject might bring.

DNR officials voiced concernabout the Mecan Springs NaturalArea, with DNR Secretary GeorgeMeyer saying it was a special placeand promising that if river flowswere reduced even a small amountby Perrier, no permits would begranted.

The DNR said it would require ahydrogeological study by an outsideagency like the well-respected U.S.Geological Survey before permitswould be granted. However, not onehigh-level DNR official or DNRboard member publicly opposed theplan as a threat to open state natu-ral areas to industrial use.

TU leaders, including NationalBoard of Trustees Chair Steve Bornand State Council Chair John Wel-ter, publicly and repeatedly suggest-ed that other water sources in thestate could undoubtedly providesufficient quantities of high-qualitywater for Perrier’s uses, withoutthreatening fragile trout resources.

Within the Mecan, opponents ofthe Perrier plan formed a citizensgroup, the “Friends of the Mecan,”which quickly drew members fromaround the state and Midwest.

State, local, and regional mediashowed intense interest in the con-troversy, which pointed up citizenresistance to the threat to one ofWisconsin’s revered trout waters.Public meeting in Coloma

Perrier’s public relations effortincluded a February 14 meeting inColoma at which they tried to con-vey a carefully crafted message toclose to 1,000 attendees.

But the effort backfired when nopublic questioning or statements —or even signs — were allowed insidethe Coloma Elementary School.

Key presentations were made insmall classrooms in what disgrun-tled attendees called a “divide-and-conquer strategy.” Perrier active in other states

Perrier operates in several otherstates, including Maine, Pennsylva-nia, Ohio, Florida, and Texas.

Although the company claims itconducts extensive monitoring ofwater sources in those areas, hydro-geologists who have reviewed thatmonitoring say it is mainly focusedon maintaining sufficient water tocontinue bottling operations.

Sources say Perrier focuses verylittle on ensuring that no adverseimpact is created for fish, wetlands,or other flora or fauna.

In many states, Perrier has fol-lowed a pattern of obtaining permitsto pump an initially small amount ofwater. They then build plants andmove to dramatically expand theirpumping operations.

Bloomer Dam repair vote setBy Mike Swoboda

“Are you in favor of the City ofBloomer repairing and upgradingthe existing municipal dam on Dun-can Creek?” That is how the Aprilreferendum question before the cityof Bloomer will read. No cost fig-ures will be presented in the ques-tion.

Ojibleau Chapter of TU contin-ues to monitor and comment on thesituation in Bloomer and their deci-sion on whether or not to keep thedam. Here is an update on the lateststeps.Option cost estimates

The city hired a local engineeringfirm to come up with estimates ofdam upgrade. Those estimates arefor three different ways to make thedam meet flow capacities. Therange of costs for dam repair is fromabout $2-2.4 million.

On the flip side, Bloomer alsohad the firm estimate the cost ofdam removal, which is around$400,000-500,000. To put that figurein perspective, it cost less than$500,000 with stream restoration forthe Willow Mounds dam, and lessthan $350,000 for Colfax’s dam re-moval, including a water main relo-cation.

Another cost that Bloomer facesis the repair of a retaining wall sup-porting a road on the south side ofthe dam. This cost is approximately$500,000, and it needs to occur re-gardless of the dam’s continued ex-istence.

The figures above do not includet h i s c o s t , b u t t h o s e u s e d b yBloomer’s mayor often do.

A cost that is directly tied towhether or not Bloomer wants a“lake” is the cost of dredging. No re-al estimate based on how much ma-terial would have to be removed hasbeen done to our knowledge, butthe unit cost is running around$3.50/cubic yard according to the

Bloomer Dam Committee. That figure has been achieved on

other dredging projects such as Al-toona, but they had public land ad-jacent to their lake to dewater thespoils. Bloomer has to find a placeto put the saturated soils so the wa-ter will drain out and it can be han-dled by conventional means.

A quick estimate of costs yields afigure of $500,000 for every foot ofaverage dredging that is done acrossthe entire impoundment. Someparts of the lake have only a foot orso of water. The Bloomer city coun-cil has used the figure of $1 milliondollars for dredging. On top of thiswould be the costs for constructingsediment traps.

If the dam is repaired, the nextgeneration will likely face the sameissues. The dam will deteriorateover time and there will again be aneed to repair it. Costs will rise andthe new repair bill will likely be sev-e r a l t i m e s h i g h e r t h a n w h a tBloomer now faces.

Bloomer faces a difficult deci-s ion. Many residents feel thatBloomer is defined by that im-poundment. They feel that it mustbe saved whatever the cost. But thecost is heavy both financially and en-vironmentally.

The damage that dams do to eco-systems is well documented. Dun-can below Bloomer shows greatpotential as a natural trout stream,but it goes unrealized due to the ef-fects of the dam.

A public hearing was held onJanuary 24. Ojibleau Chapter TUmembers attended. Members of Ki-ap-TU-Wish were there and madecomments about their experienceon the Willow River dam removal.

Another hearing is scheduled forMarch 29. If anyone is interested inattending the meeting, they can con-tact Mike Swoboda at (715) 720-0388, or [email protected].

Robert Hunt elected to National Fisheries Hall of Excellence

Robert Hunt has been elected in-to the National Fisheries Hall of Ex-cellence by the American FisheriesSociety (AFS).

Hunt becomes one of just 15 in-dividuals to receive this highest hon-or from the AFS.

Hunt spent his career research-ing the ecology, habitat relations,and management of wild trout.

He began studying and publish-ing on various aspects of wild troutat a time when state agencies werelargely focused on stocked trout asthe mainstay of their trout manage-ment programs. His pioneeringworks on trout production, streamhabitat management, and regula-tions were consistently ahead of hiscontemporaries.

In total, Hunt has published 46papers and one book on streammanagement.

His two most widely known pub-lications are his bulletins entitledProduction and Angler Harvest ofWild Brook Trout in Lawrence Creek,Wisconsin and Responses of BrookTrout to Habitat Development.

His recent book, Trout StreamTherapy, is a well-illustrated over-view of stream habitat practices.

In making its award, the AFSsaid, “Hunt has distinguished him-self by applying sound researchprinciples and techniques to assess-

ments of various management ap-proaches. His primary audience,however, was the fishery manager,with whom he provided the tools to

do their job well. Robert Hunt is in-deed a fishery manager’s scientist ofthe first order.”

Hunt was employed for 33 yearswith the Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources as the leader ofthe Coldwater Research Group.

He has been a member of theAmerican Fisheries Society since1959 and became a Certified Fisher-ies Scientist in 1968.

ROBERT HUNTBob Hunt at the State Council Banquet in Oshkosh in February.

WI legislator scorecard releasedThe League of Conservation

Voters’ 1999 National Environmen-tal Scorecard for Wisconsin’s repre-sentatives is out:SENATORS Herb Kohl (D ) 67% Russell Feingold (D ) 100% REPRESENTATIVES Paul Ryan (D-1st) 31% Tammy Baldwin (D-2nd) 75%

Ron Kind (D-3rd) 81% Gerald Kleczka (D-4th) 100% Thomas Barrett (D-5th) 100% Thomas Petri (R-6th) 19% David Obey (D-7th) 94% Mark Green (D-8th) 13% James Sensenbrenner (R-9th) 19%

Complete rating and vote detailsmay be found at the League’s website at: www.lcv.org.


WDNR panel discusses stream restoration goalsBy Mike Swoboda

Water Resources CommitteeThe Wisconsin DNR Bureau of

Fisheries held their annual FisheriesManagement and Habitat Protec-tion statewide training conferenceFebruary 29 through March 2 inMadison.

I was invited by conference orga-nizer Larry Claggett to participatein the session called “Defining OurGoal for Trout Stream Manage-ment: Restoration or Enhance-ment?”

Those of you who read my letterto the editor in the Fall issue of Wis-consin Trout and the response fromDave Vetrano in the following issueare aware of the budding debate onthe nature of stream restoration andfish habitat work.

This session I attended focusedon the controversy of restorationversus improvement, including suchquestions as:• What are the definitions-buzz

words versus reality? • When is each appropriate? • Who are we managing the re-

source for? • Who should pay? • How do we accomplish restora-

tion? • Are streams different around the

state? • What species are we managing

for? • Can highly perturbed systems be

restored? • What is the baseline condition

we are trying to restore? Panel members

Speakers included myself, DaveVetrano, fisheries biologist, BobHay, Bureau of Endangered Re-sources, Bob Hunt, retired fisheriesbiologist and researcher, and JohnLyons, Integrated Science Services.

Each speaker presented theirviews on the issue for about 15 min-utes. After the presentations thespeakers sat down at a table andtook questions.

In my presentation, I tried to re-iterate what I had stated in my let-ter. My philosophy is that streamsare “ribbons of naturalness that runthrough our humanscape.” Weshould do everything we can to re-s tore the na tura l f ea tures o fstreams.

I quoted passages from RayWhite and Oscar Brynildson’sGuidelines for Management of TroutStream Habitat in Wisconsin, TroutUnlimited’s Saving a Stream, ChrisHunter’s Better Trout Habitat andJock Conyngham, TU National’sDirector of Habitat Assessment andGeomorphic Restoration. Thesequotes support the concept of natu-ral appearance and natural functionin streams.

I pointed out that regardless ofhow well habitat structures function,they are man-made and will need tobe replaced. Once we have takenover the maintenance of a streamwe have made an eternal commit-ment to maintain the stream.

I also stated that when we chooseto manipulate a stream for a specificspecies, such as trout, we no longerhave any better footing than otherinterests groups that wish to manip-ulate the resource to meet theirgoals.

I spoke of how these are complexsystems that deserve the services ofscientists from a variety of fields todevelop restoration plans. I askedfor the use of vegetative techniquesto be used instead of riprap and re-lated the concerns of Dr. Freckmanfrom UW–Stevens Point on the lossof native plants during trout streamwork. I noted that the State Councilwas going to have this issue on theApril agenda and that others would

like to see this discussion carriedforward.Vetrano — be all they can be

Dave Vetrano noted that he waspaid by hunting and fishing fees torestore and enhance streams. He re-iterated the position that we shouldhelp streams be all they can be.Warmwater fisheries should behelped to be warmwater fisheriesand coldwater fisheries to be cold-water fisheries.

Vetrano presented slides of thework done in the Coulee region andnoted that different geography dic-tates different methods. It is not amatter of engineering so much as itis biology and common sense to re-store following nature’s lead.Hay — ecosystem approach

Bob Hay noted that there are notthat many endangered species asso-ciated with coldwater ecosystems.Hay felt that stream work isn’t justabout responding to the needs ofanglers. We should be managing ec-osystems. Stream restoration plan-ning should include a BiodiversityReport. We need to separate resto-ration from enhancement. Thereneeds to be a better definition of is-sues of concern such as managingfor natives or managing for wild ver-sus hatchery fish.

There are concerns that need tobe addressed when habitat work dis-turbs native plant communities,making them more vulnerable to in-vasion and domination by non-na-tive species like reed canary grass.He promoted the idea of monitor-ing and maintaining restorationsites for five years following work tocontrol non-native invasions. He al-so noted that riprap hurts amphibi-ans which already are in decline.

Hay felt more science needed togo into the process and we shouldbe do more to restore the ecosystemthan to enhance the fishery. Hecalled for groups like TU to pushthe legislature for more funds formore research on endangered spe-cies so that there was more solid in-formation on habitat needs. Thereneeded to be more cooperativeplanning into research so that widerrange of issues could be addressed.Hunt — intelligent tinkering

Bob Hunt then noted that thereis an artificial distinction betweenrestoration and enhancement. Hesaid that enhancement can occurnaturally in dramatic fashion. He re-counted how in the mid 1970s a vio-lent wind toppled dozens of treesinto the Brule River and how thetrout smiled at the windfall of en-hanced habitat that occurred.

He would do more of such natu-ral enhancement along the river,with the use of a chain saw. He de-fined restoration as a “one-to-one”replacement of natural pre-existingconditions. Hunt stated that sub-stantial healing can occur even if wedon’t have control of the entire wa-tershed and even if we have to doperiodic maintenance.

Hunt described how he attendeda Keystone Coldwater Conferencein Pennsylvania two weeks earlier.There were 355 people in atten-dance representing sporting organi-z a t i o n s , t e a ch e r s , s t u d e n t s ,government, and the consulting in-dustry.

He recalled how the crowd wasvery impressed with the state ofWisconsin’s program he describedduring his plenary lecture. He heardwords like “incredible,” “wonder-ful,” and even “awesome.” SomeTU people were angry that theirstates did not have such programs.

Hunt made several recommen-dations. There should continue tobe experimentation in the science oftrout stream management withgradual changes incorporated

through “intelligent tinkering, notdrastic overhaul.”

People outside of the depart-ment aren’t as knowledgeable asDNR staff. DNR biologists workingdirectly with the program are proba-bly the best judges of the tinkeringadjustments needed.

“If we take care of the trout,we’ll also take care of the other spe-cies usually present in trout streamecosystems,” said Hunt.

Sometimes there is a tendency toover-increase the natural pool-rifflefrequency for the size of the stream.There needs to be increased budget-ing for maintenance. The habitatwork must be maintained.

He also called for a program todo more restoration on springponds, which have silted in fromfires. In the next 10-year period hecalled for three times the moneynow spent to rehabilitate springponds, which he called “true resto-ration of a unique Wisconsin re-source.”Lyons — original conditions

John Lyons felt he could agreewith most of what had been said. Inhis mind, restoration was a part ofwhat was meant by enhancement,but that the word enhancement it-self had a much broader meaning.They were not the same thing.

Restoration was a turn-back-the-clock type of goal. Enhancementwould include putting rock in asandy stream because it would bebetter for trout even if it was unnat-ural.

Restoration would only includehelping to create a well-vegetatedbank using native species. Thechoice of enhancement or restora-tion is a value judgment. A con-scious decision on which goal topursue needs to be made, but in theend reality would dictate a mixtureof both restoration and enhance-ment.

Lyons pointed out that in manycases, we don’t really know whatstreams looked like before we beganto change the landscape. Vetranohad done an extensive job in re-searching the original state of theCoulee region streams, but that wasrare.

Lyons said there is a need to domore research to document theoriginal state of streams. The toolsfor this include accounts in journals,the original county surveys, sedi-ment corings, and a geomorpholigi-cal analysis.

Landscape changes have made itimpossible to do pure restoration toconditions present prior to humanperturbations, but it should be thegoal, a target to strive for evenknowing that it cannot be reached.There should be more emphasis onrestoration, less stocking, and moreemphasis on wild brook trout. Thereshould be special areas for brooktrout restoration. There should beless invasive work done on streamsand more use of vegetation.

During the panel discussionquestions were raised and discussed.Some time was spent on whetherbrown trout or brook trout weremore efficient at decreasing thenumber of other species that couldcoexist with them.

Vetrano stated how he was con-cerned over the loss of dairy farmsand resulting lack of cows to controlwoody vegetation along ripariancorridors.

Lyons noted that while we maynot like the condition that resultsfrom box elder and willow, we reallydon’t know the nature of streams inmature riparian forests. Box elderand willow could be replaced in nat-ural succession by species like silvermaple and cottonwood.

One questioner raised the point

that urban development may be theoverriding concern in stream quali-ty.

Vetrano noted that if he couldhave foreseen the degree of successthat the Coulee streams now enjoy,he would not have introduced (orperhaps sustained is a better word)brown trout in what were once tro-phy brook trout water.

He also recalled how one of hisbest compliments came from an an-gler who told him that he had noidea that stream restoration hadtaken place on a stream he was fish-ing.

All streams up north have beenperturbed. Log rafts scoured thebanks and widened the r iversthroughout the upper half and moreof the state.

One person asked if there wasmore need for evaluation. Vetranofelt enough had been done to knowthe results of the work he has done.Larry Claggett noted that they canuse up to 10% of the trout stampfund for pre and post-treatmentevaluations of trout populations andstream conditions.

At the end of the session, I askedfor the DNR to invest more moneyin education of the public on theconsequences of urbanization anddams. County governments need topass stronger laws and zoning re-quirements to protect our streamsand other resources. The DNRneeds to educate people so that theysupport those measures.

TU EAS program funding nine Great Lakes projects

By John HuntRegion 5 EAS Representative

The Great Lakes region was wellrepresented at TU’s annual Em-brace-A-Stream grant approvalmeeting.

A total of 79 applications weresubmitted requesting a total ofabout $550,000. There was $230,000available to be awarded this year.

Projects applying for funding inour region included: • MI Council, Operation Stream

Sweep, $10,000 awarded of$10,000 requested

• Oak Brook, IL, Jumbo RiverBrook Trout (U.P.) $10,000/$10,000

• Copper Country MI TU, GratiotRiver, $9,774/$9,774

• Eliot Donnelly Chapter (MI),Warner Creek, $6,500/$7,500

• Pine River Chapter (MI), PineRiver, $2,000/$10,000

• Lakeshore Chapter (WI), OnionCreek, $1,250/$10,000

• William Mershon Chapter (MI),Rifle River, $1,000/$4,000

• Miller/Van Winkle Chapter(MI), Maple River , $1,000/$2,287

• K-Valley Chapter (MI), AugustaCreek, $1,000/$2,000

• Ann Arbor Chapter (MI), RubyCreek, $0/$10,000

• Coulee Region Chapter (WI),Mormon Coulee, $0/$7,000

• Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter (WI),Kinnickinnic River, $0/$2,515 That’s $42,524 invested in local

grassroots projects in our area. Ourregion’s projects were well de-scribed and outlined for the com-mittee to consider.

TU will write checks for theseprojects in late April or early May.

Next year’s EAS program grantapplications will be moved up a cou-ple of weeks to get away from thepre-Christmas rush. Applicationswill be mailed to chapters by Sep-tember 1 and be due back to TUNational by December 1.


Prefers self-maintaining projects to current ‘restoration’ methods

By Mike SwobodaI am writing a separate op-ed ar-

ticle to segregate my opinions fromthe account of the recent DNR con-ference session on stream restora-tion (see story on opposite page).

First, this was onlyone step in a dis-cussion that needsto include a widerrange of groupsand professions.The Water Re-

sources Committee will be takingthis issue up. There is substantial in-terest from several of the members.

More important than the scienceis the policy. Science establishes thebasis for the policy, but policy en-ables action to take place and di-rects the way in which it occurs. Restoring a “value judgment”

Restoration versus enhancementis a value judgment. Policy is set byan informed, active public. Let’s getthe information out there.

The conference speakers notedthat we held common ground onmore aspects of the issue than onthat which we differed. But it isthose differences I will highlight.

I think the strongest differencesof opinion were between Bob Huntand myself. For the sake of discus-sion I will call Bob’s position en-hancement and mine restoration,but there really are no black-and-white distinctions. Maintenance necessary?

Bob Hunt feels that maintenanceis required and a necessity. I believeit is only a necessity if you restrictyour practices to those that requiremaintenance. Riprap is not an auto-matic necessity.

Man-made habitat structures andriprap are more expensive measuresaccording to Jock Conyngham, TU’sDirector of Geomorphic Restora-tion. Maintenance makes them evenmore expensive. It is not unlikethose other in-stream structures wecall dams. As long as you want themto function, you have a commitmentto maintaining them.

Bob Hunt states that substantialhealing can occur even if we don’thave control of the entire water-shed. While we have made greatstrides in restoring trout popula-tions in the past, the real threats arelooming just over the horizon. In-creases in large livestock operationsand rural residential and commer-cial development will eclipse thepresent pressures on our streams.

I have heard the present direc-tion of stream restoration describedas follows. The patient (the stream)is bleeding to death. The treatmentis to cauterize the bleeding bloodvessel and save the life.

I heard a different analogy aswell. Parents of two youngstersfound them furiously mopping upwater leaking from the bathroompipes. One parent reached over andturned off the isolation valve andasked, “Why didn’t you turn off thevalve?” The reply was, “We weretoo busy mopping up the water.”

Bob Hunt favors a slow change inpresent habitat restoration practicesor an “intelligent tinkering” with theprogram. My own interpretation ofAldo Leopold’s “intelligent tinker-ing” quote is that we get out of thestream as much as possible as quick-ly as possible. Need less invasive methods

Before we tinker any further withthe introduction of man-made struc-tures, we should approach the prob-lem with less invasive methods. Howmany times has mankind assumedthat they “had it all figured out,” atleast enough to go ahead with somegrand project for flood control, nav-igation, safe mining practices, nucle-ar power…the list goes on and on.

Habitat structures correctlyplaced do not wreak havoc on thephysical characteristics of a stream.But what do they do the total ripari-an ecosystem? What impact do theyhave on sediment management? Be-fore there was too much, is theretoo little now? How do enhance-ment practices affect other species,plant and animal? Have we proventhe idea that if we take care of trout,we take care of other species?Involve more than DNR

Bob Hunt feels that DNR fish bi-ologists are in the best position todo trout stream habitat work. But Ifeel that many individuals both in-side and outside government havesomething to offer.

A stream cannot be reduced tosome single abstract concept. Awhole new discipline called “fluvialgeomorphology” has emerged as aresult. As Dave noted during thepanel discussion, this is still a veryyoung science.

Bob Hunt’s ground-breakingwork in habitat is much youngerthan the median age of the typicalTU member. Very little geomorpho-logical research predates the 50s.The arguable father of the science,Luna Leopold, is still active.

The leaders in the science ofstream restoration are trained influvial geomorphology. The litera-ture in stream restoration calls forintensive pre-project inventories ofhabitat and fluvial processes, limit-ing factor studies, monitoring of wa-ter and sediment f lows, and adetermination to see what is causingany problems.

Our present process discardsmany of those practices because the

goal is not to see if we can treat theproblem — or even learn if there isone — but to simply improve troutpopulations.

We need a broader vision of whatwe want to accomplish than the oneprovided by the trout habitat pro-gram. This program should be asubcomponent of ecosystem man-agement and restoration. Trout pop-ulation increases for greater anglercreel counts should not be whatdrives the work done in our streams.

Bob Hunt described the treesfalling into the Brule River as a re-sult of a storm ‘natural enhance-ment.’ I would call that neitherrestoration nor enhancement. I re-serve those words for human inter-vention. In my opinion, restorationis what would describe humansdropping trees into the stream.

Humans are re-establishing whatonce was. But if we clean the treesout of the river as impediments toflow velocity, fill in the channel withriprap to eliminate sediment, andthen construct bank covers to re-place missing overhead cover, wehave done enhancement.Enhancement vs. restoration

There is an important distinc-tion between the goals of enhance-ment and restoration. Once youdecide that it is acceptable to ma-nipulate a natural resource to favorone outcome over other possibili-ties, you have defined yourselves asa special interest group. You havedecided that mankind has the right,with respect to an entity that is heldin trust for all of the people of thestate, to manipulate it to the desiresand goals of a special group.

In doing so, you have under-mined your position to oppose other

interest groups with other goals —like dam proponents. Cranberries,mines, agriculture — what are we inTU to say when these industries ad-vocate the manipulation of a publicresource when we are doing thesame thing in order to catch moretrout?

If we advocate for restoration toa natural state and let nature takeits course, we resolve that issue. Weare no longer managing for specialinterests, but restoring what naturemade after eons of trial and error. Toward the goal of self-maintaining streams

I propose that we use what wehave learned to date with bio-engi-neering to help nudge our streamsback to health.

By using self-maintaining mea-sures we will save money and re-store naturalness to our streams. Byspending money on practices thatrequire an ongoing investment justfor maintenance, we redirect moneythat could be used for investmentswith more long-term returns.

If we educate ourselves aboutwhat the threats to our streams are,and if we purchase developmenteasements, remove dams, draw uprules for a meaningful nonpoint pol-lution program, and invest in buffersand stormwater management, weassure the necessary ingredients forhealthy coldwater streams to exist.

If we don’t, we’ll have troutlessruns of riprap and bank covers sur-rounded by manure-laden cropfields and trophy houses.

I propose a different view. I pro-pose that if we restore a naturalstream ecosystem, we will also re-store the trout.

MemberOpinion

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Hewitt moves from Kickapoo to regional TU positionBy Jeff Mayers

(Jeff Mayers, a member of TU’sSouthern Wisconsin chapter and co-author of Exploring Wisconsin TroutStreams , sat down recently withLaura Hewitt recently to discuss les-sons learned and challenges ahead asshe moves on to a new regional posi-tion with Trout Unlimited. -ed.)

Laura Hewitt fondly remembersshe and her grandfather dunking

w o r m s i nher na t i veNorth Caro-lina, anglingfo r w arm-w a t e r c a t -f i sh . No wshe’s a trouta n g l e r —“ a d v a nc e dbeginner ,”s he s a y smodestly —who’s help-ing to nur-t u r eco ldwater

fisheries in the Upper Midwest. Hewitt, 32, since January has

been the Upper Midwest Conserva-tion Director for Trout Unlimited.The new position — involving issuesin five states including Wisconsin —comes after a successful three-yearstint as director of the TU “HomeRivers” project on the KickapooRiver and its tributaries.

The Kickapoo project was noeasy task, given the long history ofmistrust in the valley stemming froma federal dam project that nevercame to be. Before that, Hewittstudied at UW–Madison, where sheearned a master’s degree in conser-vation biology and sustainable de-velopment — a field of study that fitwell with her prior service in thePeace Corps (assignments in Liberiaand the Dominican Republic).

She received her undergraduatedegree from the University of NorthCarolina in Chapel Hill.

She’s finishing up leftover workon the Kickapoo project as she turnsover the reins to a new group, theValley Stewardship Network. Tocontact the network, call Barb Schi-effer of Hillsboro at 608-528-4432.Hewitt can be reached at 608-250-3534 or [email protected].

Q. What do you feel have been themajor accomplishments of the Kick-apoo project?

That’s a tough one. I just wroteup the final report and it’s a prettylong list. But I would say there arethree major accomplishments. First,are the actual improvements to thefishery. With the help of the TUchapters, sports clubs, the Depart-ment of Natural Resources, NRCS,and Land Conservation depart-ments we completed 25 differentprojects on 14 tributaries, improvingover 4.5 miles of stream habitat.

With TU’s cooperation, theDNR also completed basel inestream surveys on over 30 streams.

As a result many of DNR’s classifi-cations have been upgraded andstocking changed to emphasize wildtrout.

Second, we have increased citi-zen awareness and involvement inmonitoring and support for protect-ing the watershed. There now is acommitted group of citizen moni-tors who will continue to monitorstream conditions, and a largergroup of people who know moreabout why the Kickapoo is so specialand want to work to keep it thatway.

Finally, even though TU’s inten-sive involvement is over the coordi-nated watershed, activities willcontinue. TU and the partnergroups developed a strong network,TU wrote a plan to help guide fu-ture efforts, and partner groups arecommitted to its implementation.Building on the groundwork wehelped lay, a local grassroots water-shed organization is forming to pro-mote pro-active stewardship effortsin the watershed.

Q. What did you expect going intothat assignment, your first for TroutUnlimited?

I knew it was going to be anenormous challenge. The history ofthe La Farge Dam project in theKickapoo really soured many of thelocal communities on any projectscoming in from the outside. The“I’m from Trout Unlimited, I’mhere to help you” approach justwouldn’t fly there. So I figured Iwould have to spend a lot of timelistening and gaining people’s trust.That turned out to be true. Other-wise, I didn’t have too many expec-tations.

Q. In hindsight, would you havedone anything differently?

I would have called the projectsomething different. For some rea-son now mysterious to me, I official-ly titled it the “Kickapoo ValleyWatershed Conservation Project.”It’s descriptive, but it sure doesn’troll off the tongue, and it was toughfitting it on a business card.

I also would have gotten more in-put from local partners during theproposal-writing phase. Grant dead-lines are often quick and make a“perfect planning process” impossi-ble. But not having that initial buy-in meant I had to work extra hard togain people’s trust and get them tobe involved. There was a lot of“baptism by fire,” but I sure learneda ton about things I never thoughtI’d know about — heavy equipmentoperation, interpretive sign design,and the ways of the Amish, to namejust a few.

Q. Have the changes made fishingbetter? How?

I certainly hope so. As I men-t ioned abo ve , we comple tedprojects on 14 different streams im-proving more than 4.5 miles of habi-tat. That’s a lot of work. Erodingstream banks and lack of overheadcover are the principle limiting fac-tors for that fishery, so we have cer-

tainly increased the amount ofavailable habitat and decreased sed-iment inputs.

And partially as a result of thestream surveys the DNR conducted,the stocking regime is moving to-ward a completely wild fish pro-gram. Many stream have beenremoved from the stocking quotas. Ithink that from Trout Unlimited’spoint of view those are all goodthings.

I think some anglers were con-cerned that the high profile of thisproject would speed up the discov-ery of the Kickapoo as a prime des-tination and that a huge influx ofnew anglers would overcrowd andruin the fishing experience. I thinkthat is a valid concern. The WestFork, by far the most popular fish-ing stream in the Kickapoo, contin-ued to receive habitat restorationattention.

But we also initiated work on abunch of streams that otherwisewouldn’t have had as much or anywork done on them. We spent a lotof time on Billings Creek, which hasexcellent public access in the Kick-apoo Reserve and Wildcat Moun-tain State Park. And other greatstreams like Tainter Creek, ReadsCreek, Seas Branch had restorationwork done.

Hopefully by spreading out thehabitat work it will also help dis-perse the angling pressure. DaveVetrano (DNR area fisheries biolo-gist) is fond of pointing out thatthere are hundreds of miles ofstream to get lost in out here.

Q. Tell us more about the brooktrout restoration. That’s a very inter-esting development in the valley andone that I’ve found spurs interestamong non-anglers, too.

My background is in conserva-tion biology, so native species resto-ration also gets me really excited aswell. Brook trout are the only troutna t i ve to Wi scons in ’ s in landstreams. Brown trout were intro-duced by European settlers a longtime ago, and they will likely alwaysbe an important part of the troutfishery in southern Wisconsin. Butwater quality and stream conditionshave improved so much in recentyears that we now have an excellentopportunity to expand the range ofthe native brookies.

The DNR had been working on agenetic heritage project for nativetrout. Because the TU Kickapooproject was getting started the DNRand TU became partners, and oneof the two brook trout restorationdemonstration sites in the state waslocated in the Kickapoo — on theupper Seas Branch to be precise.

The Seas Branch has incrediblespring flow and great water quality.There is a flood control dam abouthalf way down the stream, which weused to our advantage by making ita barrier to fish passage. DNRcrews removed a whole mess ofbrown trout from the creek, relocat-ed them to the West Fork, and intro-duced 500 wild brook trout.

The DNR is monitoring thebrook trout population over thenext few years to determine howbrook trout succeed in re-establish-ment in the absence of competitionfrom brown trout. After the firstyear crews found over 180 wintersurvivors and 630 young fingerlings.What they learn on the Seas Branchwill be used in other parts of thestate.

But the Seas Branch project wasjust one part of the overall strategy.Those stream surveys that I keeptalking about were actually part ofthe brook trout restoration project.The main point of the surveys was totry and locate and remnant popula-tions of brookies and any habitat

that might be suitable for brooktrout re-introduction efforts.

We also made a point of target-ing good potential brook troutstreams in our stream habitat resto-ration work. Six of the 14 streamswe worked on (about 1.5 miles ofthe total work) provide habitat fornative brookies.

Q. What has TU learned about theimportance of local partnerships inimproving the resource?

I think TU has learned that tomake a lasting difference to thehealth of the resource local partner-ships are crucial. Not only does get-t i n g c o o p e r a t i o n f r o m o t h e ragencies and organizations help en-sure that the benefits to the re-source will last, you also get a heckof a lot more done.

This project came with a largebudget and staff, but without the co-operation and assistance of hugecast of characters involved we couldhave accomplished very little — al-most nothing really.

On the practical side, it’s impor-tant to listen and be flexible. TU hasa great idea with the Home RiversInitiative. But it’s important to lis-ten to your partners to find out howaccomplishing your goals will alsohelp them accomplish theirs. Youhave to have the flexibility to adaptplans so you can cooperate, but alsomaintain enough focus that youdon’t lose sight of your own goals.It’s always the balance between stay-ing true to the vision but realizingthere are many way to get there.

Finally, if you’re lucky you endup working with great folks in yourpartner organizations and having aton of fun.

Q. How have the people in the val-ley, so wary of outsiders because of theabandoned dam project at La Farge,taken to the TU effort?

As with all outside projects, theywere very cautious at first. But Iknew that would be a big obstacle toovercome. One of the first thingthat I did was to set up a coordinat-ing committee of local people tohelp set project priorities and assistwith planning. They also kept megrounded in “Kickapoo reality” sowe didn’t do something that wouldreally upset people.

I spent a lot of time in the com-munity — at least two days a weekfor three years — and got to knowpeople, and really listened to them.The whole first year of the projectwas about getting to know one an-other and building trust. It reallypaid off in the second and thirdyears. We got a lot done.

Q. How will the work of TU contin-ue?

Several ways actually. In my newrole I have a portion of time dedi-cated to following through on workin the Kickapoo. I’m very happyabout that. I have too much investedpersonally just to drop off the radarscreen. I’ll continue to foster TUchapter involvement in the water-shed.

For instance, I worked with agroup of TU chapters from aroundChicago and they submitted an Em-brace-A-Stream grant to do work onWarner Creek. They were successfuland work will go on this summer. I’llalso continue to work with our vari-ous partner groups to help ensurethat the plan gets implemented.

Finally, TU and CommunityConservation, Inc. — one of our keypartners — are assisting a group oflocal residents to establish The Val-ley Stewardship Network, a new wa-tershed conservation organization.We hope they will become a perma-nent group and be able to carry onmany of the activities we initiated.

Continued on next page

Laura HewittTU Upper MidwestConservation Director

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Citizens challenging neighbors’ waterfront projectsA growing number of citizens

are going to court to challengetheir lakefront neighbors’ requestsfor large and permanent docks,fearful that the structures couldharm fish habitat, water quality,shoreline beauty, and the public’sright to access and enjoy Wiscon-sin’s waters.

Such citizen objections arehelping fuel a tenfold increasesince 1990 in the number of con-tested cases involving permits forlarge and permanent docks, in-cluding many of the 32 hearings ondocks in Door County alone. Green lake case

Citizens are playing a criticalrole in the outcomes, as they did inone recently decided case in GreenLake, according to WDNR andDepartment of Justice officials.

On Feb. 2, the District II Courtof Appeals reversed a GreenCounty Circuit Court judge’s deci-sion allowing a developer to addboat slips on Green Lake.

Testimony from members of theGreen Lake Association and otherconcerned citizens helped supportthe DNR’s contention that the newslips themselves — and more im-portantly, the cumulative impact ofthose and other slips already on

the bay — would degrade theunique aquatic community there,and the fish and wildlife that relyon the food and spawning areas itprovides.

In addition, WDNR contendedthe proposed slips were not opento public use, as many other slipsapproved in the same area havebeen.

“The Pier 11 case is a good ex-ample of participation by interest-ed c i t i zens that made a rea ldifference in the case,” said JohnGreene, the Wisconsin assistant at-torney general who handled theappeal on behalf of WDNR.

“Citizens should know thattheir views are indeed taken seri-ously by the decision makers andshould be encouraged to partici-pate in administrative hearings onmatters in which they have signifi-cant interest or concern,” Greensaid

Mary Ellen Vollbrecht, DNRchief of rivers and habitat protec-tion, said the Green Lake Associa-tion played a very important role inproviding firsthand evidence of theproposed pier’s potential harm tothe environment and public access,and in providing a unified citizenvoice.

“It’s a continuation of the greatWisconsin tradition of citizens say-ing, ‘Our waters are public — noone has the right to take away theuse of these waters or their naturalresources for the rest of us or fu-ture generations,’” Vollbrecht said.Court bars challenges

Such citizen involvement is in-creasingly important because a re-cent Wisconsin Supreme Courtruling and the lack of a public in-tervenor place on citizens the bur-d e n o f c h a l l e n g i n g t h econstitutionality of laws they be-lieve harm the environment.

On Feb. 10, the Supreme Courtessentially barred the attorneygeneral’s office from challengingthe constitutionality of state lawsthat may harm the environment,she says.

Wisconsin’s courts have recog-nized that lakeshore owners havecertain rights to “reasonable use”of their shorelines, including build-ing a pier out to where the water is3 feet deep.

But such private rights aren’tabsolute, the courts say. They can’tbe exercised where they harm“public rights” to water quality,fish and aquatic life habitat, natu-ral scenic beauty and the ability to

use these waterways for fishing,swimming, and passive recreation.

Green Lake Association Presi-dent Nancy Hill said associationmembers have been increasinglyconcerned as people have beentearing down cottages and replac-ing them with much larger homes,replacing native vegetation withmanicured lawns, and bringing big-ger, faster boats and personal wa-tercraft with them.

In reaction, association mem-bers and other concerned citizensare sitting through days of testimo-ny at contested case hearings andexpressing their alarm about thereal and potential damage to theirlakes. They’re becoming better ed-ucated about the legal and envi-ronmental issues relating to piers,and are supporting groups in pro-actively responding to actions thatcould degrade our lakes, she says.

“The public is coming to recog-nize that their stake in the watersof Wisconsin is threatened today.Concerned riparians, as well asthose whose access to lakes isthrough public areas, are alarmedby the pressures on our lake creat-ed by the lack of stewardship thatsome shoreland owners demon-strate,” Hill said.

TIMES CHANGE...AND RUNOFF HAS INCREASEDThese graphics show the remarkable changes in typical Wisconsin lakeside development and shoreland runoff between the 1940s and 1990. Larger homes, bigger lawns, and reduced lakeside buffer strips are taking their toll on Wisconsin lakes. One can assume similar degradation along the state’s rivers. These slides are from a 1999 program entitled “Margin of Error?

Human Influence on Wisconsin Shores.” The slide presentation is a production of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership. For information on the program, contact Robert Korth at the UW–Stevens Point Extension Lakes Program, 1900 Franklin, Stevens Point, WI 54481. Or call (715) 346-2116 or email [email protected].

1940s 1990s

HEWITT: new TU dutiesContinued from p. 18

Q. In general, what do you see asthe biggest obstacles TU and othercoldwater advocates face in trying toimprove watersheds?

When you think about improvingcoldwater resources from the water-shed scale I think it always comesback to land use. How we treat theland — good or bad — is reflectedquite literally in the streams. Andthe trout will thrive or they won’t.

The history of the Kickapoolandscape tells that story eloquently.Earlier this century practices wereso ill suited to the soils and hills thatdevastating floods occurred againand again. DNR fisheries biologistsbelieved that the area would neversupport trout again. Today, land usepractices are much better, and we’reactually working on restoring nativebrook trout — a very sensitive andpicky fish! That’s amazing.

But things are always changingwith land ownership and land use,and these changes will bring new

challenges for protecting the water-shed and the fishery. Planning landuse in a way that protects key areas,so we don’t get into a position wherethe environment is severely degrad-ed, is extremely important. Manyare really resistant to planning, oth-ers are simply not interested ordon’t see the relevance.

Good planning is not a “sexy” ac-tivity, but if done properly it directlyaddresses the cause of potentialproblems. That would mean that inthe future, we might spend a lot lesstime addressing the symptomswhich stream restoration projectsoften do, and more time fishing!

Q. What are the major resource is-sues you will focus on in your new job?

To start out I’ll be working onsmall dam removal, coaster brooktrout re-introduction, and some ur-ban river issues. I’ll also continue towork on Home Rivers Initiativestuff, some organizational develop-ment and fundraising work in theregion, and regional conservation is-sues as they arise.

Perrier’s plans to drill at theMecan River springs (now aban-doned because of public pressurefrom TU members and others) obvi-ously was the most recent issue to

arise. I’m back down on the low endof the learning curve, but I’m reallyexcited about working on these is-sues in Wisconsin, Minnesota,Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois.

Southern Wis. TU involvedwith new watershed association

The Southern Wisconsin Chap-ter of Trout Unlimited is currentlyinvolved in the preliminary stages ofbecoming an active partner withinthe new Upper Sugar River Water-shed Association of Dane County.

This new organization, under thesponsorship of the Dane CountyLand Conservation Department, isbeing formed to address resourceconcerns in a changing watershedarea located approximately 20 milesSouthwest of Madison, which in-cludes such important coldwater re-sources as Mt. Vernon Creek.

The organization is still in theplanning stages, with current con-sideration being given to categoriza-tion and prioritization of group

issues and development of a boardof directors and group bylaws.

Initial association activitiesshould include streambank restora-tion and erosion control, as well asbeing an active force in raisingawareness of watershed issuesamong a larger constituency (otherconservation groups, landowners,governmental organizations, etc.).

Southern Wisconsin Chaptermembers who are actively involvedin the association include Tom Eh-lert, Henry Nehls-Lowe, and PaulBanas.

Additional details concerningTrout Unlimited’s involvement inthe Upper Sugar River WatershedAssociation will be reported on infuture issues of Wisconsin Trout.


c 1997 Ed MorrisO

Part two in a series on land trusts

Preserving your land can help you save on taxes, tooBy Vicki Elkin

Do you own land that you’d liketo see preserved for future genera-tions to enjoy? Would you like tosave money on your taxes? Thenyou may want to consider donatinga conservation easement to one ofWisconsin’s 40 nonprofit land trusts.

Easements allow you to preservethe land you love while enjoyingsome significant income tax, estatetax, and property tax savings. Youcan also continue to live on the landand generally use it as you alwayshave.

Hundreds of Wisconsin landown-ers have already taken advantage ofthese tax incentives, helping protectthousands of acres of the state’smost beautiful places in the pro-cess.

While many people maybe unfamiliar with the useof easements to preserveprivate lands and the taxbenefits they offer, the na-tion’s 1,200 local and re-g ional land trusts havealready protected millionsof acres across the countrythis way. What is an easement?

Conservation easements arerestrictions that landowners vol-untarily place on their property topreserve their land’s natural fea-tures, such as wildlife habitat or wet-lands, or to protect valuable openspace, farmland, or scenic views.

The landowner grants the ease-ment and the right to enforce it to aland trust, a tax-exempt charitableorganization specializing in landconservation.

The easement is attached to theproperty’s deed and stays with theland, meaning that all future land-owners must abide by the restric-tions outlined in the easement. Theland itself remains privately ownedand can be lived on, sold, or passedon to heirs.

According to Stephen Small, aBoston attorney specializing in landpreservation issues and author ofPreserving Family Lands I and II,“The gift of a conservation ease-ment to a charitable organizationinvolves giving up some the rights toyour property (such as the right tobuild condos all over your land) andputting into the hands of the doneeorganization the power to enforcethe restrictions on the use of theproperty.” Limitations on rights

Small emphasizes that “you areonly limiting some of your rightswith respect to your property” whenyou donate an easement.

Conservation easements general-ly restrict or limit the type andamount of development that maytake place on your property. Ease-ments, however, can be tailored toyour needs and the specific featuresof your land.

For example, an easement mayrestrict certain farming practices toprotect the health of a nearbystream. Or, a landowner may wish

to retain building sites for his or herchildren while prohibiting develop-ment on the remainder of the prop-erty. Income tax advantages

When a landowner donates aconservation easement to a landtrust, he or she may be entitled tocertain income, estate, and propertytax benefits.

First, a gift of a conservationeasement is considered a charitabledonation which can be de-ducted from ala nd -

o w n -er ’ s federa lincome taxes i f theeasement meets certain IRS re-quirements.

Most states also consider aneasement donation to be a charita-ble contribution which can be de-ducted from state income taxes aswell.

To qualify for an income tax de-duction, the easement must be:• permanent,• donated to a qualified conserva-

tion organization such as a landtrust, and

• must serve certain conservationpurposes. These purposes range from the

preservation of wildlife habitat,open space, or scenic vistas to theprotection of wetlands, water quali-ty, or farmland.

Generally, the easement must re-sult in some benefit to the public.However, an easement does nothave to cover all of the property,preclude all use or development, orallow public access to meet the IRSrequirements.

According to Small, “You willprobably not qualify for a deductionif there is nothing special or unusualabout the land that you are protect-ing except that it does not currentlyhave more houses on it.” Instead,the land in question must contributeto the general environmental well-being of the area, defined ratherbroadly. How the gift is valued

In order to qualify for the federaldeduction, the value of the conser-vation easement must be deter-mined by a qualified appraisal. Inthe most basic terms, the value ofthe easement is the difference be-tween the land’s value with the ease-ment and its value without theeasement.

If a tract of land is valued at$100,000 without restrictions and$25,000 with the easement in place,then the value of the easement is$75,000.

Note that the deduction is typi-cally limited to 30 percent of adjust-ed gross income in the year of thegift. Easement donors, however, cancarry forward any excess over the

next five years subject to the sameannual 30-percent limitation. Do-nors lose any deduction that is notused up in the six-year period.

Sarah and Bill own a small cabinand 200 wooded acres along one ofthe best trout streams in the state.Avid fishermen, they want to seetheir land preserved and are wor-ried about how future developmentmay affect the health of the stream.They decide to donate an easementto their local land trust.

The ease -ment pro-

h i b i t sbu i ld ing on

the property and allowsfor public access along the stream soothers may enjoy the fine trout fish-ing it offers. The easement also al-lows the trust and the local chapterof Trout Unlimited to manage thestream banks if necessary.

Along with achieving their objec-tives of protecting the land and en-suring that other fishermen haveaccess to the stream, Sarah and Billrealize significant tax savings by do-nating an easement to the trust.

The income tax savings alone areimpressive. Sarah and Bill have ac o m b i n e d a nn u a l i n c o m e o f$200,000. An appraisal sets the val-ue of the easement at $500,000. Thetables below are for the year inwhich Sarah and Bill made the do-nation and assume that they have noother itemized deductions. Remem-ber that they can carry forward anyportion of the value of the donationthat is not used up in Year 1 overthe next five years.

As the example shows, somelandowners cannot use up the fullincome tax deduction. This is espe-

cially true where land values arehigh. In Sarah and Bill’s case, theyare able to deduct $360,000 of theeasement’s total value of $500,000. Estate tax implications

While the income tax savings ofdonating an easement may be signif-icant, many landowners turn to con-servation easements because of theestate tax benefits.

As Steve Small says, most peoplewho donate an easement “are pri-marily motivated by their love of theland and a looming estate tax prob-lem.”

When a death occurs, many fami-lies find their land is so valuablethey are forced to sell it just to coverthe estate taxes which now start at

37% for anything over $650,000. Placing on easement on your

property generally reduces itsfair market value since it re-stricts future development.When you die, this reducedvalue will result in lower es-tate taxes.

New federal tax lawspassed in 1997 give addi-tional estate tax breaks topeople who donate ease-

ments on land near metropol-itan areas, national parks,

wilderness areas, and urban na-tional forests. Easement donors in

these areas (about two-thirds ofWisconsin lands qualify) can take upto an additional 40 percent off thevalue of their land for estate purpos-es.

One Wisconsin landowner whorecently placed a conservation ease-ment on his 200-acre farm says thathe was primarily motivated by lovefor his land.

“I’ve owned this land for over 30years,” said the landowner. “I’vespent countless days and weekendsrestoring its degraded hillsides, pas-tures, and woods. I wanted to see itpreserved.”

“My family and I will save over$120,000 in estate and income taxesbecause of the easement. I plan toset aside this money for my childrenso they can manage the land. Thisway, the property won’t become a fi-nancial drain to them.”

The landowner also notes thatthe easement allows each of histhree children to build a home onthe property if they wish.Property taxes

Since a conservation easementtypically reduces a property’s value,easement donors may also see a re-duction in their property tax bill.

In Wisconsin, state law requiresthat the tax assessor take into con-sideration the conservation ease-ment’s affect on the value of aparcel of land.

Property tax assessment, howev-er, is ultimately left up to the localassessor who often may need to beeducated about conservation ease-ments. To learn more

Landowners interested in learn-ing more about how they can pro-tect their land while saving moneyon their taxes should contact Gath-ering Waters, a nonprofit servicecenter for land trusts and land own-ers in Wisconsin.

Gathering Waters is at 303 S.Paterson Street, Suite 6, Madison,WI 53703 (608) 251-9131, or visitthem at www.gatheringwaters.org.

(Vicki Elkin is the Executive Di-rector of Gathering Waters. Vicki setup the Town of Dunn’s Purchase ofDevelopment Rights program. Thisprogram, the first of its kind in thestate, allows the town to purchaseconservation easements from willingsellers. -ed.)

Income Tax Example

Without the Donation — Yr. 1Income: $200,000Tax Due: $ 52,600*

With the Donation — Yr. 1Income: $200,000Deduction: $ 60,000**(30% of $200,000) Tax Due: $ 35,000

$315,600 Total tax due over six years without the easement dona-tion

$210,000 Total tax due over six years with the easement donation

$105,600 Total income tax savings (over six years)

* Numbers are rounded for simplicity.** Because of limitations in the tax law that reduce itemized deductions for peo-ple in Bill and Sarah’s income bracket, they may not actually be able to deduct the full 30% of their income. Their deduc-tion would be closer to $57,500.

TROUT FISHERMAN’S

DREAM BOOK

WISCONSIN TROUT

WATERS

The Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, in its efforts tocatalog the abundant resources ofthe state, keeps track of trout successthroughout Wisconsin. This informa-tion has been transferred to themaps included in this publication.

CLARKSON MAP COMPANY

1225 DeLanglade St., Kaukauna, WI 54130

$12.95 each$1.50 per book

for shipping60 pages

TROUT FISHERMAN’S

DREAM BOOK

WISCONSIN TROUT

WATERS

The Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, in its efforts tocatalog the abundant resources ofthe state, keeps track of trout successthroughout Wisconsin. This informa-tion has been transferred to themaps included in this publication.

CLARKSON MAP COMPANY

1225 DeLanglade St., Kaukauna, WI 54130

These access maps indicate the best-producing troutstreams in the state.

$12.95 each$1.50 per book

for shipping60 pages


Kiap-TU-Wish study providing baseline data

Biologist busy cataloging Kinnickinnic insect life

By Skip James I’d worn my most professorial-

looking outfit...cords, a turtleneck,and my heather-check sport coatwith the leather elbow patches. Hell,I’ve earned a Ph.D., too!

When I entered the Science/Agbuilding at UW–River Falls, andtrudged up the four flights to the bi-ology department, briefcase inhand, students eyed me curiously.

When I knocked on ProfessorClarke Garry’s office door, I waswelcomed by an extremely athletic-looking man with a graying crewcut,dressed in Dockers and a longsleeved blue shirt.

His engaging smile quickly putme at ease, and I noticed the group-ing of photos on his office bulletinboard: canoes, hikers on a snow-capped peak, a tongue-in-cheek ad-vertisement for sea passage to theSouth Pole: “Not much food, notmuch heat, little chance of a safe re-turn” supposedly signed by EdwardShackleton, the nineteenth centurysea-captain and expedition leaderwho was trapped with his crew inAntarctica, sailed a small boat twothousand miles to get help, and suc-ceeded in saving the ship’s entirecomplement without loss of life.

Garry, an entomologist happierin the field than trapped in the lab,obviously had ‘been around theblock a few times,’ and I askedabout the photos.

“Oh, I collect and study fossilbeetles,” he said, “and I spent sometime in Alaska looking for them.”

As he spoke, I was reminded ofthe Indiana Jones movies, most ofwhich begin with ‘our hero’ at thehead of a class of spectacular-look-ing young women, lecturing in a des-ultory fashion on anthropology,while secretly yearning for the nextfield trip.

If not an exact parallel, it wasabundantly clear that beetle-collect-ing had had a positive effect on Dr.Garry’s physique. It was no stretchat all to envision him quarrying bitsof fossil-bearing rock while grizzlybears and eagles watched from asafe distance.

This time, it wasn’t beetles. May-flies, caddis, scuds and other deni-zens of the Kinnickinnic River werethe object of scrutiny. Garry is in thesecond year of a study to identify allthe species of aquatic insects in theriver.

On a wing-and-a-prayer and al-most no budget, he has collectedsamples of nymphs that now areneatly cataloged in numbered vialsracked in orderly rows in woodentrays in his office. Kiap-TU-Wish support

Kiap-TU-Wish chapter of TroutUnlimited contributed a little un-der $1,000 dollars to allow Garry tohire a biology grad student as ahelper during the past summer.

Our local DNR fish manager,Marty Engle, found a few hundredbucks for miscellaneous hardwareexpenses, and there was some helpfrom a friendly foundation in Madi-son. I asked what the purpose of thestudy was.

“Those of us who care for riversmust have some way to measurechange in the environment, whetherit’s temperature change, chemicalchange, or changes in biodiversity.Like Noah’s Ark, we want to knowwhat’s there before the flood comes.It’s called baseline data, and whenmy study is complete, someone ahundred years from now can mea-sure the changes in insect popula-tion in this river with some degree

of assurance that the factors that in-fluenced changes occurred betweenthe time of his study and mine.” Qualitative, not quantitative

“This is a qualitative study,” hesaid, “not a quantitative one. I’mtrying to identify all the species ofbugs that live in the river, but I’mnot making any scientific statementsabout the relative numbers of oneinsect population to another withina defined area,”

“How could you avoid that,” Isaid.

“Well,” he admitted, “it’s prettyobvious which species are mostprevalent, but my methodology isn’tdesigned to get an accurate count ofthe insects, only their diversity.”

He went on to describe in detailhow the study was planned. “Theriver has many different types ofaquatic ecosystems: riffles, runs,pools, shallow water, deep water,sand bottom, rock bottom, mud bot-tom. I was looking for a way to sam-ple areas that would give me arepresentative cross-section of all ofthese environments.”Study targeting 17 sites

“In my discussions with MartyEngle, he mentioned that he had setup 17 locations for his electro-fish-ing studies of trout population, andit occurred to me that I could usethe same sites as the DNR, whichhad already done the work of find-ing separate but representative sam-pling sites.”

“Each fish-sampling site is a 300-meter stretch of river, but I decidedto use 100-meter stretches withinthose boundaries for my insectstudy. First, at each site, we’d ‘eye-ball’ the water to determine the dif-ferent types of aquatic habitat, thenselect 10 half-meter-square areas todo kick samples.”

“Kick samples,” I asked? “Yes, one of you stands at the

downstream edge of the marked-offarea and holds a fine-mesh screen ina frame with one edge on the bot-tom. Then, the other person turnsover the bottom sediment, gravel,rocks, and so forth at the upstreamedge with a shovel, or disturbs thebottom by kicking, and whatevernymphs were clinging to rocks, orwater plants, or simply crawlingaround on the bottom are carrieddownstream in the current andcaught in the mesh.”

“And you do this 10 times at eachof 17 locations on the Kinni?”

“Yes”, he said. “Does it matter if you collect

from the middle of the stream, or atthe edges?”

“Most certainly,” Garry said.“We try to sample all the differenttypes of aquatic habitat, and one ofthe most prolific places to find in-sects is at the edges of the stream,probably because silt collects thereand the current is slower.”

“Now if you collect at a time ofyear either before or after a certainspecies of insect has hatched,doesn’t that change the results ofyour study?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied. He showed me a graph of the

past year, divided into weeks. Thesampling at the 17 different siteswas performed on a certain sched-ule, so that each site was visited atthree or four different times duringthe year.

“How does it feel to be samplingfor insects in the middle of the win-ter?” I queried with a smirk on myface.

“It can be pretty unpleasant,” hesaid. “On many occasions, Eric and

I (Eric Secrist is his assistant) wouldhave rather have been inside andwarm rather than wading around ina river in January. Of course, thewater never gets colder than thirty-two degrees.”

As Garry was talking, I lookedover the hundreds of vials of collect-ing fluid in the rack to my left. Eachplastic top was numbered in red toreflect the number of nymphs ineach vial. Within each glass cylinder,all the nymphs were identical. Thelabels neatly typed with the Latinname of the insect, date of collec-tion, and a number for the location. Ephemerella inermis a nice surprise

“Are there any surprises in thetypes of insects you found?” I asked.

“Well, yes, since you mention it,”he said. “The most prevalent mayflyoutside of the Baetis species is al-most unknown in these parts.”

“Are we talking about the KinniSulphur?,” I said, “the greenish/goldish dun that hatches in late Mayand early June?”

“Well, the study is restricted tonymphs, so I’m not sure what thedun looks like, although I’ve keyedout the nymph as Ephemerella iner-mis. I’ve put some of the nymphs inmy aquarium and let them hatch.Positive identification of adults canonly be accurately done on malespinners, and they’re almost impos-sible to locate in the wild. Almost allthe insects you see flying around thestream are females. I’ve sent severaladult males from the aquarium sam-ple to Madison for confirmation,but it looks like Ephemerella iner-mis to me.”

“You mean, we have Pale Morn-ing Duns in the Kinni?” I said, in-credulously.

“What’s a Pale Morning Dun?”said Dr. Garry.

“Oh, it’s the fishermen’s namefor the light-colored mayfly thathatches on all the famous westernstreams during the summer,” I re-plied.

He showed me a map of thenorthern half of the United Stateswith the distribution of the insect inquestion delineated in dots. Therewere lots of dots in Montana, Wyo-ming, Colorado, and Idaho, and onedot at the border of Wisconsin andMinnesota...the Kinnickinnic River.

Taxonomy is the science of nam-ing animals and plants by identifyingtheir common features. The com-monalities naturally group similarspecies into genus, family, and soon.

“I wish the taxonomists wouldn’tkeep changing the names of insectson me,” I said. “The tiny mayfly thata few years ago was referred to inmy fly-tying books as Pseudocloeonbecame Centroptilum three yearsago, and is now known as Plauditis.”

“Hard to know what you’re talk-ing about if the name changes,” heconcurred. Many species present

Dr. Garry handed me a colorfulpie chart showing the distribution ofspecies he’d sampled over the pastyear in the Kinni. After a quick dis-claimer that his was a “qualitativestudy, not a quantitative one” hepointed out that according to his re-sults, two Baetis species (tricaudatusand brunneicolor) make up aboutone third of all the insect biomass inthe river, that another third wascomposed of Ephemerella inermisand it’s close relative, Ephemerellaneedhami, and that the remainingthird included scuds, three speciesof caddis (Ceratopsyche slossonaeand alhedra, Brachycentrus occi-dentalis), and two tiny mayflies,(Tricorythodes acellatus and Plaudi-tis punctiventris).

“I think you and I ought to gettogether and produce a hatch chartfor the Kinni when you’re study isdone,” I said. “I’ll do the fly patternsand the fishing lingo, and you do thescientific stuff and the insect identi-fication.”

“I think that’s a grand idea,” hereplied. “Then, we can sell copiesand use the proceeds to make surethis jewel of a stream continues torun clean and cold and full of life foryears to come.”

We stood. I thanked him for histime, shook hands, and left the of-fice. On my way downstairs to thecar, I marveled at how lucky we areto have such a person as ClarkeGarry become an ally in the fight topreserve trout water, in spite of thefact that he’s primarily interested inbugs.

He’ l l learn the f i sherman’snames for those insects yet, I mused,particularly if he experiences theriver with a fly rod in hand and can’tmatch one of his precious insectswith an imitation.

Maybe I’ll invite him next spring.Pale Morning Duns in the Kinni!Wait ‘til Mike Alwin hears aboutthat!

(Skip James edits the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter’s RipRap newsletter.He is first violinist with the St. PaulChamber Orchestra and said to be apretty good “bugologist” himself. -ed.)

PROF. CLARKE GARRY IN HIS LABUW–River Falls biology professor Clarke Garry is working with the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter to catalog the insect diversity of the Kinnickinnic River so future researchers will know precisely which species the river has supported.


Projects improve 30 miles of trout streamsTrout anglers will benefit from

$1.36 million in projects in the lastyear to develop habitat on dozens ofstreams and rivers statewide.

“Usually you don’t see the fullimpact for several years but you willsee some immediate results,” saysAl Niebur, a WDNR fisheries biolo-gist who led a project last year nearAmherst to develop cover on thelower Tomorrow River.

“Almost overnight, trout willmove into areas where previously nocover existed. Overall. you hope forimprovements in numbers, sizestructure, and reproduction,” saidNiebur.

Niebur and WDNR fisheriescrews partnered with four Trout Un-limited chapters in central Wiscon-sin on that project. TU negotiatedvoluntary easements with landown-ers along a 4,000-foot stretch to pro-vide public access, and then workedwith the WDNR to improve trouthabitat.

The Tomorrow River project isamong dozens done last year byDNR crews and partners that im-proved about 30 miles of trout habi-tat along Wisconsin’s inland waters,according to Larry Claggett, DNRcoldwater fisheries ecologist.

The projects were funded almostentirely from the sale of the inlandtrout stamps, aided by donations ofmoney and time from conservationgroups and local governments. Federal funds helping

More work got accomplished lastyear because of s ix new DNRproject positions funded by Federal

Sport Fish Restoration Funds thestate receives from federal excisetaxes on sales of fishing gear.

“They were at it full time, theywere good at it, and they were ableto save us a lot of money,” says JimHolzer, team leader for waterprojects on the Lower Chippewa ba-sin, who benefited from having twoof the new positions stationed inEau Claire.

Those two new staffers — an op-erations person trained to operatebulldozers and other heavy equip-ment and a fisheries biologist skilledin operating heavy equipment —worked with DNR crews to com-plete a project on Duncan Creek inChippewa County to create coverfor larger fish, and to get a goodstart on restoring habitat on CadyCreek in Pierce County to improvefish reproduction.

Neither stream was producingthe size nor number of trout that bi-ologists think the streams are capa-ble of producing, Holzer says.

The crews placed rocks andLUNKER structures in DuncanCreek to narrow the stream that hasgotten wider and shallower overtime, Holzer says. LUNKERs —Little Underwater NeighborhoodKeepers Encompassing RheotacticSalmonids — are prefabricatedbank structures that are placed onthe outside bends of streams andcovered with rock and soil to looknatural.

These structures were developedand named by Dave Vetrano, aDNR fisheries biologist stationed inLa Crosse.

The crews performed similarwork on Cady Creek, but more of itbecause the creek had significantlyeroded high banks as a result of pastditching and farming, Holzer says.Work on Cady Creek will continuethis year. TU’s role cited

Trout Unlimited members, whohad worked with fish managers tohelped identify possible habitatprojects, turned out in good num-bers to help work on both projects,and help pay for them, Holzer says.

TU also played an important rolein the Tomorrow River project,which sought to increase trout habi-tat along a stretch of the river thatlacked cover, had shallow, ankle-deep water and in the past had hadcows pasturing in the area, Niebursays.

He and TU officials drew up theimprovement plans, went over themwith the landowners and called in aDNR special operations crew whichis based out of Wild Rose and oper-ates bulldozers and other heavy ma-chinery.

The crews placed LUNKERsand skyhooks — cantilevered woodstructures — in the river, creatingan artificial ledge fish can hide un-der and helping narrow the streamso that water flows faster throughthe channel and removes soft sedi-ment, revealing the gravel and cob-ble that provide areas for food andtrout reproduction.

The crews also constructed wingdeflectors, islands, and placed largeboulders in the stream.

“Complexity and diversity ofhabitat is the key to a successfultrout habitat project,” Niebur says.

In addition, Trout Unlimited in-stalled 100 half logs in to createmore cover and is putting up a fenceto keep livestock out of the water.Except for the fence, Niebur hopesthe stream habitat improvementsare invisible to anglers.

“We try to build them in a wayit’s hard to tell what we did,” hesays. “When you go into these areas,they should be as natural and aes-thetic as possible.”

Steelhead Spey easy, effective fly styleBy Jeff Preiss

The Steelhead Spey is a fly that iseasy and quick to tie. And betteryet, the steelhead like it!

I have landed hundreds of LakeMichigan chromers on this fly overthe years — spring, summer, andfall.

This fly is not just one pattern,but a style of tying that you can tiewith any color you think might in-voke a trout to eat.

In 30 plus years of fishing lake-run fish, I have learned two things:• There is no such thing as a magic

steelhead fly, and• These fish like bright colors and

buggy-looking flies.The Steelhead Spey works be-

cause it is both buggy and bright.Tying instructions

One of the reasons this fly is sofast to tie is because the body mate-rial is also your tying thread.

Begin by wrapping the hookfrom the front to the rear and thenback to the middle of the hookshank with single-strand floss.

Next tie in the tip of one speyhackle from a pheasant butt feather

and 3-4 strands of peacock herl. If you’d like, you may substitute

peacock ice chenille instead for thepeacock herl.

Wrap the peacock up to within a

quarter inch of the eye of the hookin tight winds.

Then palmer the spey hackle to-ward the eye. As you palmer, strokethe spey hackles so they extend to-ward the rear of the fly.

You may try heron gray speyhackles or blue ear pheasant feath-ers instead of the ringneck hackle.

For the wing, first tie in 4-5strands of Krystal Flash of the samecolor as the body floss.

Finish the wing by stripping 1/2”of pheasant tail feather barbs andtying them in on top of the fly.These pheasant tail fibers shouldnot extend beyond the bend of thehook.

Complete the fly by forming ahead with the floss, whip finishing,and cementing the head.(Jeff Preiss is a teacher and member of the Lakeshore Chapter. -ed)

MATERIALS LISTSteelhead Spey

Hook: Mustad 7970 (3x streamer) sizes 4-10. Thread/Body: single-strand floss in pink, orange, red, or fluorescent yellow or green.Thorax: same floss as body used to wrap 3-4 strands of peacock (or peacock ice che-nille) and spey hackle consist-ing of ringneck pheasant butt hackle, blue ear pheasant, or grey heron spey hackles. Legs: hackle sized for the hook in grizzly, black, dun, brown, or red.Wing: Krystal Flash and a clump of ringneck pheasant rooster tail fibers.Head: same floss as body.

After laying down body floss from back to front, tie in spey hackle and peacock strands at midpoint.

Wrap peacock to the front. Then palmer spey hackle on top of the peacock, pushing hackles fibers back.

Tie in 4-5 strands of Krystal above body.

Cut off 1/2” of barbules from a pheasant tail feather and tie in above body. Do not extend beyond hook bend. Finish head with floss.

If you have a favorite fly pat-tern or a trout tip to share with others, contact Wisconsin Trout for information on how to submit your material.

1998-2000 WDNR stream improvement project locationsAdamsCampbell CreekFordham CreekBarron Engle CreekSilver CreekYellow RiverBayfield Iron RiverJohnson SpringsSchultz Springs, Namek-agon R.20 Mile CreekBurnett Dogtown CreekChippewaDuncan CreekElk CreekCrawford Plumb Creek

Sugar CreekDaneBlack Earth CreekDeer CreekManley CreekStory CreekToken CreekDodgeGill CreekIrish CreekDouglasBois Brule RiverDunn18-Mile CreekForestElvoy CreekGrantDoc Smith Stream Castle Rock Stream

JacksonBlack RiverBuffalo RiverTrempealeau RiverJuneauOn various streams as DNR acquires easementsKewauneeLittle Scarboro RiverLa CrosseMormon Coulee CreekCoon CreekLangladeHolgot SpringsWolf River Eau Claire River (East Branch)Lincoln Prairie RiverMarathon

Plover RiverMarinetteUpper Middle Inlet CreekMonroeColes Valley Creek Silvers Creek,Tarr CreekLaCrosse RiverLeon CreekSand CreekOcontoOconto River (South Branch)PierceCady CreekRush RiverTrimbelle RiverPolkClam RiverPortage

Flume CreekWaupaca/Tomorrow RiverTomorrow RiverRichlandAsh CreekWillow CreekMill CreekShawanoEmbarrass RiverShioc River (West Branch)SheboyganOnion RiverSt. CroixKinnickinnic RiverVernonHalsey CreekWest Fork Kickapoo RiverN. & S. Forks Bad Axe R.Reads Creek

Billings CreekHarrison CreekWalworthBluff CreekWaupacaLittle Wolf RiverWolf River BasinWitcomb RiverWaupaca RiverMurray CreekWausharaLittle Pine RiverPine RiverWhite RiverCedar SpringsWashburnGodfrey CreekSouth Fork of Bean Brook Bean Brook


Member Trout Tip

Magic at 40 degreesBy Jay Thurston

For trout fishing there seemsto be something magic about 40degrees. A rising thermometerprovides a window of opportu-nity for the “early season” an-gler.

Every time I go trout fishingI record the water temperature.After fishing dozens of times inSouthwestern Wisconsin duringthe early season, I began askingwhy I was always catching troutwhen the water temperaturerose above the 40 degree mark.And it was also difficult to un-derstand why the trout refusedto hit when the water tempera-ture was at or slightly below 40degrees.

Indeed, more research wasrequired (my best excuse fortrout fishing). I discovered thatwhenever the ice had left thestream and the air temperaturewas above 40 degrees, the watertemperature was also above themagic mark.

To confirm that discovery,one spring day, I was contem-plating over a glass of ice water.The air temperature was 68 de-grees when I placed my troutfishing thermometer in theglass. Surprise! The thermome-ter dropped to 40 degrees andstayed there. As soon as all theice had melted, the temperaturestarted to rise.

Conclusion: even when theair temperature is above 40 de-grees, as long as the water istouching ice, the temperature ofthat water will hover around 40.

In late February and earlyMarch I began observing a troutstream I drove by each day. Adiscovery resulted: as soon asthe air temperature was above40 degrees for three days in arow, the ice mel ted in thestream. Now I knew preciselywhen I should begin “early sea-son” trout fishing.

Looking through my troutfishing diary (accounts of everytrout fishing experience since1976) I had solid evidence tosupport my ice out theory andthe 40 degree magic premise.

However, I still wondered,was I missing something? Theanswer came in an article fromthe Fixit Column in the Minne-apolis Star Tribune of 11-12-98.The article referred to the turn-over of lakes in autumn. “Lakesturn over in autumn becausewater density varies with itstemperature. Water is densest at39 degrees. As its temperatureincreases...from 39 degrees, itexpands, becoming increasinglyless dense.”

It seems logical that waterdensity would cause pressureand result in less activity on thepart of fish. An increase in airpressure certainly affects the ac-tivity of people.

Trout are cold blooded. Witha rising stream temperatureabove 40 degrees, and lessdense water, trout become ac-tive. Then, on those special daysof March and April, you can en-joy great trout fishing success.(Jay Thuston lives near the White River in Bayfield County. He’s a member of the Wild Rivers Chapter. -ed.)

Do you have a “trout tip” to share with your fellow TU members? If so, contactWisconsin Trout.

NOTE: The numbers above represent only clipped fish. The total number of rainbows stocked are much greater than these figures.

Lake Michigan SteelheadFin Clip Summary

Year Location Fin Clip Number Strain1992 Kewaunee River ARV 34,525 Ganaraska1992 Kewaunee River LM 34,848 Chambers Cr.1992 Kewaunee River RM 35,015 Skamania1992 Pigeon River RMRP 6,620 Ganaraska1992 Sheboygan River ABV 40,000 Chambers Cr.1992 Sheboygan River LPRV 11,745 Chambers Cr.1992 Sheboygan River RPLV 11,349 Skamania1992 Root River ARV 34,629 Ganaraska1992 Root River LM 36,600 Chambers Cr.1992 Root River RM 39,383 Skamania1993 Kewaunee River ALV 31,093 Ganaraska1993 Kewaunee River ARM 33,953 Skamania1993 Kewaunee River ALM 35,374 Chambers Cr.1993 Pigeon River LMLP 6,992 Ganaraska1993 Sheboygan River LMLV 10,733 Skamania1993 Sheboygan River LMRV 11,550 Chambers Cr.1993 Root River ARM 35,276 Skamania1993 Root River ALM 27,963 Chambers Cr.1993 Root River ALV 37,781 Ganaraska1994 Kewaunee River LM 30,694 Chambers Cr.1994 Kewaunee River RM 32,705 Skamania1994 Kewaunee River LV 35,041 Ganaraska1994 Pigeon River BV 6,878 Ganaraska1994 Sheboygan River LMRP 10,626 Chambers Cr.1994 Sheboygan River RMRP 14,650 Ganaraska1994 Root River LV 34,759 Ganaraska1994 Root River RM 30,417 Skamania1994 Root River LM 35,124 Chambers Cr.1995 Kewaunee River ARM 35,071 Skamania1995 Kewaunee River ALM 35,500 Chambers Cr.1995 Kewaunee River ALV 35,185 Ganaraska1995 Pigeon River ARP 6,775 Ganaraska1995 Sheboygan River RMLP 12,525 Skamania1995 Sheboygan River LMLP 10,056 Chambers Cr.1995 Root River ARM 37,347 Skamania1995 Root River ALM 37,819 Chambers Cr.1995 Root River ALV 34,494 Ganaraska1996 Kewaunee River RM 32,787 Skamania1996 Kewaunee River LM 32,681 Chambers Cr.1996 Kewaunee River ARV 33,306 Ganaraska1996 Root River RM 34,254 Skamania1996 Root River LM 34,579 Chambers Cr.1996 Root River ARV 35,404 Ganaraska1997 Kewaunee River RMRV 42,242 Skamania1997 Kewaunee River LMLV 37,608 Chambers Cr.1997 Kewaunee River BV 36,978 Ganaraska1997 Root River RMRV 35,262 Skamania1997 Root River LMLV 35,024 Chambers Cr.1997 Root River BV 35,201 Ganaraska1998 Kewaunee River ARM 44,040 Skamania1998 Kewaunee River ALM 35,128 Chambers Cr.1998 Kewaunee River ALV 30,844 Ganaraska1998 Root River ARM 37,484 Skamania1998 Root River ALM 33,187 Chambers Cr.1998 Root River ALV 33,548 Ganaraska

Ground Level

6”

6”

16-18”56-60”

MATERIALS:2 - 6” x 6” x 8’ treated posts3 - 2” x 8” x 8’ white oak plankspole barn spikes or 60-penny nails

40-36”

Gene Van Dyck’s “Ideal” Fence Crossing

28-30”

A PERFECT FITFish manager Gene Van Dyck offers this tried-and-true recipe for your next fencing project. According to Gene, this configuration works for anglers of all shapes and sizes, so don’t play around with the dimensions.

March and April prime months for steelhead

Wisconsin anglers are anxiouslyawaiting spring rains that will triggerthe spawning migration of thou-sands of steelhead from Lake Mich-igan up its tributary streams.

March and Apri l are pr imemonths to catch the silvery steel-head on the rivers and streams thatflow into the lake, or to watch fish-eries staff collect eggs from some ofthe fish at facilities along rivers nearRacine and Kewaunee.

“We had an excellent run lastyear, and we are expecting fishing tobe as good, i f not better , th isspring,” says Matt Coffaro, WDNRregional fisheries biologist forsoutheastern Wisconsin.

“Spring steelheading is veryweather-dependent — the amountof rain or snow melt dictates whatthe current flows will be like on thetributaries. High water with a strongflow will attract fish but make fish-ing conditions difficult. The key is tobe there when the flow starts de-creasing after a high water event.”

Spring steelhead average 4 to 8pounds, but reports of 15 pound orlarger fish are not that uncommon,Coffaro says. Fresh spawn is proba-bly the number one bait.

They can also be caught on awide variety of flies, but any fly thatlooks like trout eggs are the top pro-ducers, especially in orange, pink, orchartreuse.

Major steelhead streams insoutheast Wisconsin include the Pi-geon and Sheboygan rivers in She-boygan County, Sauk Creek in PortWashington, the Milwaukee andMenomonee rivers in Milwaukee,Oak Creek in South Milwaukee, theRoot River in Racine, and the PikeRiver in Kenosha.

In northeastern Wisconsin, ma-jor steelhead streams include theManitowoc and Branch rivers, theKewaunee and Ahnapee rivers,Stoney Creek, Oconto River andsome tributaries in Door County.

Every year, fisheries staff stockabout 500,000 steelhead in LakeMichigan.

Lake Michigan trout do not suc-cessfully reproduce naturally in thefreshwater streams, so DNR staffcollect eggs from steelhead migrat-ing up the Root and Kewaunee riv-ers, where the department operatesfacilities to collect eggs. The eggsare then hatched, raised to small

fish, and stocked back in Wisconsinwaters.

“If we didn’t collect the eggs wewouldn’t get the steelhead in LakeMichigan because there’s no naturalreproduction,” says Mike Baum-gartner , manager of the C.D.“Buzz” Besadny Anadramous Fish-eries Facility on the Kewaunee.

For more information on theRoot River Weir and the latest fish-ing report, call the 24-hour LakeMichigan Fishing Hotline at (414)382-7920.

The C .D. Buzz BesadnyAnadramous Fisheries Facility canbe reached at (920) 288-1025 for ex-act times when the migration is go-ing on and eggs are being collected.

LOOK TOTHE SKYExperience the amazing turnover,

extension and delicate presentation

using Ruth’s Remarkable furled

tapered leaders. Cast like the experts.

Are you still using mono or braided

leaders? To learn more, visit our web

site, write or call.

blueskyfly.comPh. 920.845.9344 / Fax 920.845.5956

324 Robin Ln., Luxemburg, WI 54217

BlueSky Flyfishers �

E-mail: [email protected]

Deal inquiries invited.

Northern Adventures

Guide Service

Specializing in Flyfishing

for Trout, Bass, Muskie,

Walleye & Panfish

P.O. Box 516Boulder Junction, WI 54512

Phone: 715-385-0171 * Fax: 715-385-2553

e-mail: [email protected]

www.boulderjct.org/sherer.htm


Friends trout stamp offer ending soonAlthough the DNR says they will

continue printing trout stamps, theadvent of the new instant licenseterminals may spell the end of thetrout stamps as we have knownthem. The cost may be too high.

You can save a piece of historyfor yourself and help WisconsinTrout Unlimited at the same time.

We have received a generous giftfrom longtime Friend of WisconsinTU John Shillinglaw of Appletonwho has gifted Wisconsin TU 20framed “mint” sets of 11 WisconsinInland trout stamps (from 1990through 2000).

Shillinglaw said this is a celebra-

tion of 10 successful years of Friendsof Wisconsin TU and is a way to in-crease resource and education ef-forts.

These sets of stamps will be soldto the highest bidders. A minimumbid of $300 is requested, and theframed stamps will go to the 20highest bidders. By placing a bid, thebidder agrees that $100 will be donat-ed to Friends of Wisconsin Trout Un-limited whether the bidder wins a setof prints or not.

If all 20 sets are sold, any unsuc-cessful bidder will have the optionof having his/her bid returned lessthe $100 membership in Friends ofWisconsin Trout Unlimited. In otherwords, $100 of an unsuccessful bid isnonrefundable.

Bids must be postmarked by May31, 2000. Send bids and checks to:

John CantwellChair, Fundraising3725 Ken Ridge Ln. Green Bay, WI 54313

“Friends” Project Locations

6

18,19

31

4

3233

34

15

30 23

281,25

1236

52

16,17

9

14 2429

13

35

22

213

208 10

11

2627

7

1. $4,000 - for rip-rapping and structural improvements on the West Fork Kickapoo River (Ver-non Co.)2. $1,500 - for placement of LUNKER structures and bank stabilization in Black Earth Creek (Dane Co.)3. $1,000 - for hydraulic dredging of Saul Spring Pond (Langlade Co.)4. $750 - for purchase of special thermometers to monitor stormwater runoff into the Kinnickin-nic River (Pierce Co.)5. $2,000 - for rerouting and stabilizing Brewery Creek (Iowa Co.)6. $75 - for purchase of catch and release signs for the Bois Brule River Douglas Co.)7. $2,500 - for renovation of trout rearing facilities in Lincoln Park (City of Manitowoc)8. $500 - for bank, stabilization, and structural improvements on the North Fork Thunder River (Oconto Co.)9. $1,000 - for land acquisition along the White River (Waushara Co.)10. $1,000 - to assist with acquisition of 64+ acres of land along Upper Middle Inlet Creek (Marinette Co.)11. $7,000 - to purchase a Rotary Screw Fish Trap for DNR Coldwater research12. $3,000 to fund stream improvements and riparian protection in and along streams of Middle Kickapoo River watershed. (Vernon and Crawford counties)13. $1,000 - to help fund instream habitat work in the Plover River (Marathon Co.)14. $551 - to help purchase recording thermographs to monitor thermal regimes in trout streams in the Buena Vista and Leola marshes (Portage, Wood, Adams counties)15. $3,372 - for installing bank cover and closing side channels in Sand Creek (Jackson and Monroe counties)16. $3,296 - to continue and extend stream bank brushing along Chaffee Creek (Marquette Co.) 17. $1,000 - to continue population and movement studies of brown trout in the Mecan River (Marquette County) I-or potential stream reclassification18. $1,700 - to conduct follow-up surveys on wild brown trout in the Namekagon River (Sawyer/Bayfield counties)19. $2,000 - to conduct studies of fall movements and concentrations of spawning wild brood fish in the Namekagon River (Sawyer/Bay field counties) for capture and use in raising wild trout for the river20. $1,000 - to assist with the third year of dredging silt and detritus from Elton Springs (Lang-lade Co.)21. $1,000 - for stream brushing, debris removal and brush bundle installation in Swanson Creek (Forest County), a tributary to the Rat River22. $500 - for building a sand/ sediment trap in Wisconsin Creek (Florence County), a tributary to the boundary Brule River, to enhance trout spawning potential.23. $2,750 - to purchase materials for fencing projects approved under the Streambank Ease-ment Program (part of the state’s Stewardship Program) for the Wisconsin Rapids Area; and for fencing materials for the Little Lemonweir River project (Monroe Co.)24. $350 - to conduct trout population studies in the lateral ditches listed as trout waters (Por-tage, Wood and Adams counties) that are under threat from agricultural/cranberry operation encroachment25. $250 - toward habitat work on the West Fork Kickapoo River (Vernon and Crawford coun-ties)26. $2,000 - to fund dredging (silt/debris removal) from McClintock Springs in the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (Waukesha Co.) 27. $2,000 - to create overhead bank cover in and remove beaver dams from Whitewater/Bluff Creek (Walworth Co.)28. $2,000 - for stream improvements in Billings Creek (Vernon Co.)29. $1,500 - for materials for in-stream structures in the Tomorrow River (Portage Co.)30. $2,500 - for stream restoration in Mormon Coulee Creek (La Crosse Co.)31. $1,500 - to assist in production of an educational video on development impacts along the Kinnickinnic River (St. Croix and Pierce Cos.32. $7,000 - stream improvement on Elk Creek (Chippewa Co.)33. $4,000 - rock hauling and restoration work on Duncan Creek (Chippewa Co.)34. $1,750 - to purchase materials for stream improvements on the North Fork Buffalo River (Jackson Co.)35. $2,000 - to fund backhoe work on intensive habitat improvement in the Prairie River (Lin-coln Co.)36. $500 - for stream rehabilitation in Tainter Creek (Crawford Co.)

H. Grant Abrahamson Barrington, ILBob Adams West St Paul, MNMark Adams (R) Elm Grove, WIEd & Pat Anderson (*) (R) Peshtigo, WIThe Anglers’ Club of ChicagoARCO Foundation, Inc. Los Angeles, CAB&K Transportation, Inc./ Cicero, ILTerry Kultgen (*) (R) Oak Creek, WIDavid Beckwith (*) (R) Milwaukee, WIMitchell G. Bent (**) (R) Shawano, WIGeorge Bereza (**) (R) Marinette, WIWalter Bettin (R) Townsend, WIPhil Blake (R) Madison, WIJames C. Bolton, Jr. (*) (R) Eau Claire, WlOlaf Borge (R) Viroqua, WISteve Born (*) (R) Madison, WIStu Brandes (R) Madison, WIRobert Bray (R) Middleton, WIGerald A. Bristol (R) Ellsworth, WIRobert W Brown Neenah, WI Herb & Genie Buettner White Lake, WIThomas J. Buettner (*) Sheboygan, WIJohn Cantwell (**) (R) Green Bay, WlCentral WI Chapter (*) (R)Andrew E. Cook II (**) (R) Sister Bay, WICoulee Region ChapterSheldon Damberg, M.D. (*) (R) St Paul, MNBruce C. Davidson (*) (R) Wauwatosa, WIClaude D. Davis (*) (R) Chippewa Falls, WIWilliam N. Davis (R) Northbrook, ILChris De Deker (N) Appleton, WISalvatore DiGiosia (R) Oshkosh, WIDale Druckrey (**) (R) Bonduel, WIJohn D. Dunagan Verona, WIDick DuPlessie (*) (R) Eau Claire, WIChuck & Mary Egle (R) Custer, WITom England (*) (R) Knoxville, ILRichard M. Evans (R) Mequon, WIAlan Finesilver (*) (R) De Pere, WIWilliam A. Flader (*) (R) Madison, WIDaniel T. Flaherty (**) (R) La Crosse, WILouise Frase (N) New Auburn WIFox Point Anglers, Ltd. Fox Point, WIFrank Hornberg ChapterRobert W Fulton (N) Middleton WIDonald R. Gore (R) Sheboygan, WIGreen Bay ChapterJames E. Grootemaat (R) Mequon, WIDennis Grundman (N) Appleton, WIRobert Hackinson (**) (R) Appleton, WIDean Hagness (R) Stevens Point, WIBrian Harden Milwaukee, WIHenry Haugley (*) (R) Sun Prairie, WISteve Hawk (*) (R) Madison, WIBrian Hegge (R) Rhinelander, WIChris Heikenen (R) Junction City, WIBob Hellyer (*) (R) Fitchburg, WIWalter Hellyer (**) (R) Fish Creek, WISteve Hill/Watertown Budget Print (R) Watertown, WICharles Hodulik (R) Madison WI R. Robert Howard Mequon WIJ.R. Humphrey (*)(R) Oak Park Heights, MNCharles V. James (*) (R) Milwaukee, WIFred L. Johnson (N) Tomahawk, WISidney Johnson, M.D. (N) Marshfield, WIFrank Kearney, III (N) Neenah, WIThomas Kent (N) Denmark, WIKiap-TU-Wish ChapterGordon King (*) (R) Merrill, WILane A. Kistler (*) (R) Milwaukee, WIRoger Koepsel (N) Oshkosh, WIAl Krnak Family Memorial (N)Richard Kraus (**) (R) Pine River, WI

David A. Ladd (R) Dodgeville, WIFay & Ted Lauf Madison, WILakeshore Chapter (R)Fay & Ted Lauf (R) Madison, WIMike Leifer Onalaska, WIJonathan B. Levine (R) Milwaukee, WlTed Mackmiller (N) Hudson, WIGeorge Magnin (R) Marshfield, WIThomas J. Manogue (N) Janesville, WIMarinette County Chapter (R)John Jeffrey Mayers (N) Madison WIBruce Miller (*) (R) Cross Plains, WIColleen F. Moore (R) Madison, WIRoss Mueller (R) Appleton, WIJohn Nebel (R) Menasha, WIWilliam D. Nielsen, Jr. (R) Eau Claire, WIHarry & Laura Nohr ChapterRobert Obma, M.D. (R) Fond du Lac, WIOconto River Watershed Chapter (*) (R)Herbert Oechler Wauwatosa, WlOjibleau Chapter Winston Ostrow (R) Green Bay WIRichard L. Ouren Muscoda, WILawrence Paplham (R) Franklin, WIWilliam Pielsticker (R) Lodi, WlBob Ragotzkie (R) Madison, WIRon Rellatz (**) (R) Merton, WIRonald Renfro (N) St Paul, MNBob Retko (R) Cedarburg, WIThomas & Carol Rice (*) (R) Marshfield, WIBill Rogers (R) Superior, WICharlie Sanders (R) Madison, WI Robert Schaefer (N) Wauwatosa, WIArnie Schafman Chicago, ILJames School (R) Kaukauna, WIDelmar J. Schwaller (**) (R) Appleton, WlRobert Selk (*) (R) Madison, WIShaw-Paca Chapter (*)John Shillinglaw (**) (R) Appleton, WIPhil Sorenson (N) Neenah, WISoutheastern WI Chapter (R)Michael Stapleton Pardeefille, WIJoseph T. Steuer (*)(R) Naples, FLGary & Jan Stoychoff (*) (R) Green Bay, WISterling Strause Wild Rose, WIChip Stringer/Matenaer Corp (R)West Bend,WIJack Sullivan (N) Oshkosh, WIRobert Tabbert Lac du Flambeau, WIJames C. Tibbits, M.D. (*) (R) Madison, WICondon Vander Ark, M.D. (N) Madison, WIRollie Vander Zyl (N) McFarland, WITimothy Van Volkinburg Shorewood, WIRichard Wachowski (**) (R) Eau Claire, WIDon A. Wagner (*) (R) Gillett, WIJohn H. Wahlers (*) (R) Berlin, WIWaushara Dental Center Wautoma, WIDuke Welter (R) Eau Claire, WI Mike Wenner (R) Clintonville, WIDave Westlake (R) Reeseville, WIJ. Nash Williams (**) (R) Madison, WIChristopher M. Willman Green Bay, WIGayle & Mary Worf (*) (R) Madison, WINorb Wozniak (*) (R) Juneau, WIFred Young (**) (R) Roscoe, ILR.E. Zimmerman (N) Madison, WIRobert Zimmerman (*) (R) Green Bay, WI

(N) = New “Friend” since last issue(R) = Renewed “Friend” since last issue(*) = Five+ year “Friend”(**) = Ten+ year “Friend”

Name

Address

City, State Zip Phone #

MAIL TO: Friends of Wisconsin TUJohn H. Cantwell3725 Ken Ridge Ln.

Yes, I want to join the “Friends” of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited.Yes, I want to join the “Friends” of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited.Yes, I want to join the “Friends” of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited.Yes, I want to join the “Friends” of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited.

Green Bay, WI 54313-8271

Enclosed is my check for $100 or more.Enclosed is my check for $100 or more.Enclosed is my check for $100 or more.Enclosed is my check for $100 or more.

Friends of Wisconsin TU

How to request Friends funding

Chair Mike Swoboda andhis Water Resources Commit-tee is the new clearinghousefor requests for Friends of Wis-consin TU funding.

Requests should be sent toMike at 1322 Ridgewood Dr.,Chippewa Falls, WI 54729, oremail [email protected]

When Friends Of WisconsinTU was created, the followingcriteria for funding approvalwere established:

1. Resource projects (mate-rials, supplies, labor)

2. Education (signs, pro-grams, schools, etc.)

3. Land purchases (assistin or outright purchase of sig-nificant land)

Documents

Trout Unlimited 819 W. Elsie St. Appleton, WI 54914-3774 ...wicouncil.tu.org/sites/default/files/2000 April.pdf · (#395): Herbert Hintze, 629 Hamilton St., Wausau, WI 54403 (715)