Conserving this Nation’s fish and other aquatic resources cannot be successful without the partnership of Tribes.  Tribes manage or influence some of the most important aquatic habitats both on and off reservations. In addition, the Federal government and the Service have distinct and unique obligations toward Tribes based on trust responsibility, treaty provisions, and statutory mandates. The Ashland NFWCO plays an important role in providing technical assistance to Tribes as they exercise their sovereignty in the management of their fish and wildlife resources within Federal Indian trust land and in treaty reserved areas.

Objectives:

• Provide technical assistance in fisheries science and natural resource management to Tribes and Treaty Authorities assigned to the Ashland NFWCO.
• Provide objective and credible fishery data and technical assistance to promote cooperation between the States and the Chippewa Indians regarding the implementation of off-reservation treaty fishing rights.
• Through a reimbursable policy, provide technical assistance to manage fish and wildlife on Indian Reservations in Wisconsin and Ceded Territories in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.

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Lake Superior Sturgeon Sampling Ontonagon, Michigan To help restore the ecological integrity and fishery potential of Lake Superior, fishery agencies developed the Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation Plan for Lake Superior.  Many agencies are collaborating to protect and rehabilitate sturgeon populations per this plan.  One collaborative survey effort started in 2005 was undertaken once again in 2006.  The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan DNR, GLIFWC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collaborated to conduct a pilot survey in 2005 in Lake Superior waters near the mouth of the Ontonagon River.  The agencies are interested in gathering more information to evaluate stocking progress and to describe the status of lake sturgeon in Lake Superior near the Ontonagon River. To continue on the success of last year’s effort, the Ashland NFWCO again used the USFWS R/V Chub as the platform for the gill net survey work.  To minimize capture of non-target species, nets were set and lifted at 12 hour intervals.  We were able to get eight 24 hour sets (16 lifts) during the week of October 2-6, 2006 obtaining our target of a deep and shallow set in each of three statistical grids.  A total of 6,300 feet of net were set.  Twenty-nine juvenile lake sturgeon ranging from 401 mm to 986 mm were captured.  Coded wire tags were detected in 23 of the 29 fish captured, positively identifying them as stocked fish.  In addition, a thumb-nail size piece of tissue was collected from the fins of all fish.  Fin clips will be genetically analyzed by Michigan State University to determine the parental origin of these fish.  The sturgeon were tagged and released.  If these fish are captured during future Lake Superior survey work, agencies will obtain data on the growth and movement of these fish.

2007 Tribal Wildlife Grant and Tribal Landowner Incentive Grant Programs The Ashland NFWCO recently mailed an announcement to all our tribal contacts alerting them to the opening of the 2007 Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) and Tribal Landowner Incentive (TLIP) Grant Programs.  Our intent was to insure that tribal resource managers and biologist were alerted to this resource funding opportunity and to remind them to contact the Ashland NFWCO for any technical assistance they may require.  The TWG and TLIP programs will provide funding opportunities to protect and restore habitats for fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  During the first four years of these tribal grant programs, tribes in Region 3 were awarded 42 grants totaling $6,852,452. These grant programs also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of funding and technical support.

TWG Technical Assistance Requested from the Fond du Lac and Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Chippewa Indians Mike Schrage (Tribal Wildlife Biologist) from the Fond du Lac (FDL) Indian Reservation and Paul Christel (Tribal Fisheries Biologist) from the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, requested that the Ashland NFWCO review and comment on a draft Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) project 2007.  Staff biologist, Frank Stone read the draft documents and discussed the project proposals with both Mr. Schrage and Mr. Christel.   The FDL project would establish funding for extensive moose field research in northeast Minnesota.  The FDL Band is seeking $199,706 from the TWG Program to continue monitoring and to improve their understanding of the causes of mortality and survival rates of this important moose herd.  The FDL Band is conducting this research in partnership with; the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the 1854 Treaty Authority (representing the Bois Forte and Grand Portage Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa). The LCO Conservation Department is proposing to initiate restoration activities for several coldwater stream habitats found on the LCO Reservation.  The proposed project would protect and enhance stream habitat on the LCO Reservation by removing barriers to fish passage, re-establishing shoreline vegetation through the planting of desired species, and by installing in-stream structures to increase cover and spawning areas for native brook trout.   Tribal resource programs throughout the United States will receive financial help in 2007 to initiate projects ranging from base line data collection and habitat restoration to the control of invasive plant species.  The TWG (and TLIP) program provide new funding opportunities to Tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that will benefit fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  TWG grants also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support.

TWG Technical Assistance Request from the Sac and Fox and Bois Forte Tribes John Leonard (Regional Tribal Liaison) requested the Ashland NFWCO review a 2007 Tribal Wildlife Grant proposal from the Sac and Fox tribe (Meskwaki Settlement).  Staff biologist, Frank Stone read the draft document and provided comments to the tribe.   The purpose of this proposal is to conduct an inventory of populations of game, furbearer, and non-waterfowl bird, on Tribal lands which will provide baseline data necessary for the tribe to develop management programs of the flora and fauna of the Meskwaki Settlement.  The data will also be used to implement management tools including habitat protection and development and harvest quotas. Chris Holm (Bois Forte Water Resource Program Manager) requested the Ashland NFWCO also review a 2007 Tribal Wildlife Grant proposal.  Frank Stone was again assigned the task to read the draft document and provided comments to the tribe.   This project would propose a survey of aquatic plant communities and an assessment of risk of aquatic plant invasions in Nett Lake if a fish passage system is installed at the Nett River dam. This initial survey is essential to complete prior to installation of fish passage through or around the Nett River dam, so as not to allow potentially invasive plant species from being introduced to Nett Lake. Pending the outcome of survey results, a feasibility/design study would then be carried out to identify engineering costs associated with construction of a fish passage structure around Nett River dam.  This structure would allow the currently excluded fish assemblage in Nett River to access Nett Lake and provide an in-lake fish population resembling the historic assemblage once prevalent. Tribal resource programs throughout the United States will receive financial help in 2007 to initiate projects ranging from base line data collection and habitat restoration to the control of invasive plant species.  The TWG (and TLIP) program provide new funding opportunities to tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that will benefit fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  TWG grants also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support.

Inouye Joint Fishery Assessment Steering Committee Frank Stone participated in an annual meeting of the Joint Fishery Assessment Steering Committee held at the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation.  Representatives from the Wisconsin DNR, the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, and Bureau of Indian Affairs meet to discuss 2006 inland walleye, bass and musky surveys that were in-part funded by the Steering Committee.  Assessment data collected from spring/summer/fall surveys were presented as well as 2007 assignments and projected budget.  Additional discussion concerned the June partners fishing day event scheduled at the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation. The data collected from these surveys (310) reflect the lakes recruitment values and are combined to yield the information needed to help determine the number of adult walleye that can be safely harvested by tribal spearing in 2007.

Ashland Fishery Office Continues Assistance with Tribal Lake Sturgeon Study Under a reimbursable agreement with the Grand Portage Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa and in cooperation with the 1854 Tribal Authority, the Ashland Fishery Resources Office (NFWCO) continued capture and equipment assistance for a lake sturgeon telemetry study in the St. Louis River, Minnesota/Wisconsin.  Historically, the St. Louis River supported a large reproducing population of lake sturgeon.  The population was eliminated by the early 1900’s and is currently in restoration.  The purpose of the study is to use telemetry to identify juvenile and sub-adult lake sturgeon habitat on a seasonal basis.  This information will then be used in support of restoration efforts.  The Ashland NFWCO provided a smallcraft trawler and operator/biologist to collect juvenile/sub-adult lake sturgeon for radio tagging in the lower St. Louis River.  In 2006, a total of nine sturgeon were targeted for radio tagging, with five specimens captured by the Ashland trawler, and four captured by anglers.  Tracking during the summer and fall of 2006 indicates that the sturgeon are moving very little, with half of the nine tagged sturgeon occupying water less than 10 feet in depth, and the remainder in water 15-18 feet deep.  The sturgeon in shallower water are displaying more movement than the sturgeon in deeper water.  Approximately, ten additional lake sturgeon will be radio tagged in 2007.

Another Edition of the MTAN Goes to Print The Ashland NFWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery operations.  One of the ways we contribute to these programs is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.   The most recent addition of the MTAN (Volume 59) has just been completed and is now available on the Internet.   This quarter’s newsletter discusses: VHS - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly;  National Fish Hatchery System Addresses VHS, APHIS Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Emergency Order, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in the Great Lakes Region, Questions and Answers About Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, USDA Amends Order on Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Additional Links of Interest Regarding Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Chlorine and Iodophor Disinfectants, plus new updates for Hydrogen Peroxide, Oxytetracycline and Chloramine-T.   The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past sixteen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. Previous issues of the MTAN newsletters are now accessible from the Ashland NFWCO web page.  Readers can access this information by pointing their web browsers to:  http://midwest.fws.gov/ashland/mtanhome.html.

Red Lake Walleye Restoration Effort The Ashland NFWCO is continuing to work with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, BIA and the University of Minnesota, to restore a naturally spawning population of walleye in Red Lake.  During a December 13th meeting, Mark Brouder and Frank Stone meet with the Red Lake Task Force Committee to discuss the walleye restoration program and performance indicators of this long term restoration effort.    Several topics were discussed at this meeting:  The walleye fishery in Red Lake will again be open for anglers in 2007.  Natural reproduction and recruitment in the upper and lower Red Lakes have been exceptional. 17-26" walleye will be protected; sport anglers can catch a 2 fish bag, 1 over 26". If the harvest cap is reached, the walleye sport fishery will be closed. The Tribe will most likely not return to commercial fishing in 2007.  However, plans are being made to once again activate the commercial fishery in 2008.  Once initiated, safe harvest quotas will be set and monitored. Data was distributed to highlight walleye population forecast models, winter harvest estimates and 2007 harvest plans.  Invasive species and lake sturgeon updates were also presented. The law enforcement effort on the upper Red Lake will continue to be significant. The COE have funds set aside to modify the Red Lake dam, allowing for a collection and transfer of specific fish species from below the dam. The forage fish trawling effort by the Ashland NFWCO will again be needed in 2007.  The tribe has signed a reimbursable agreement for this effort. Historically, the Red Lakes have provided food, recreation, cultural pursuits, and income to many people.  Government leadership, cooperation, and coordination have been paramount throughout the recovery process.  All parties have demonstrated a willingness to provide leadership by example to achieve the community support and involvement required to reach the goals of the Red Lake walleye recovery effort.

Ashland NFWCO Assist with National Scoring of the 2007 TWG and TLIP Grants Frank Stone assisted Regional Tribal Liaison, John Leonard, with the scoring of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (Service) 2007 Tribal Wildlife (TWG) and Tribal Landowner Incentive Program (TLIP) Grants. This was a national scoring process (conducted in Denver, CO) of project proposals submitted by tribes throughout the United States.  A total of 28 proposals were reviewed (19 – TWG and 9 – TLIP) by Frank.    Each Region first had a review team score all proposals submitted to that region. The Regions then forwarded their top ranked proposals to the National Panel. The proposals that were reviewed at the national level included regionally ranked proposals that scored at or above the top 60%.  Although the list of accepted grants has yet to be finalized, tribal resource programs throughout the United States will soon be receiving the financial help they need to initiate projects ranging from base line data collection and habitat restoration to the control of invasive plant species. The TWG and TLIP programs will provide new funding opportunities to Tribes for activities that protect and restore habitats that will benefit fish and wildlife species of Tribal significance.  These grant programs also support the efforts of tribal governments to develop or augment the capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife species of concern through the provision of additional funding and technical support.

Pond Fertilization Workshop Frank Stone attended a half day workshop in Wausau regarding the “What-When and How” of pond fertilization for northern climates.    The Ashland NFWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery operations.  One of the ways we contribute to these programs is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.  Productivity of fish ponds is increased by using fertilizers to boost the microscopic plants and zooplankton.  The techniques and information gained from this workshop will be featured in a future issue of the MTAN. The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past sixteen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs.

Ashland NFWCO Assists the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission with Spring Walleye Surveys The Ashland NFWCO assisted the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission this spring with several walleye population surveys.  The objective of this project was to estimate spawning populations of adult walleye and to collect fish for mercury testing from several lakes in northern Wisconsin.  Walleye population estimates are used to set safe harvest levels, on which tribal harvest quotas are based.  This year's assessment activity was assigned to Frank Stone who conducted electrofishing surveys on three lakes, collecting over 4,000 fish during an eight night period.  The sampling effort is conducted at night because this is when spawning activity and opportunities to collect adult size fish are maximized.  Normally 1-3 nights of collection are needed on each lake to obtain sufficient data.

Another Edition of the MTAN Goes to Print The Ashland NFWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery operations.  One of the ways we contribute to these programs is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatchery programs through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.   The most recent addition of the MTAN (Volume 60) has just been completed and is now available on the Internet.   This quarter’s newsletter discusses: Aquaculture Field Day and Vendor Fair, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility - Walleye for the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Fisheries Program, Partitioned Aquaculture Systems (PAS) and Calculating Pond Surface Area.   The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past sixteen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs. Previous issues of the MTAN newsletters are now accessible from the Ashland NFWCO web page.  Readers can access this information by pointing their web browsers to:  http://midwest.fws.gov/ashland/mtanhome.html.

Kids Fishing Day Activities A Big Success Thanks To the Folks at the Genoa NFH Frank Stone had scheduled a day of boat electrofishing to help transfer largemouth bass for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC).  In previous years, this fish transfer (to Lighthouse Pond) had been a big success during the KBIC annual Kids Fishing Day.  However, due to the concern of transferring fish pathogens, the fish relocation was cancelled.  The Ashland NFWCO then called on the kind folks from the Genoa NFH to save the day.  Two hundred catchable size rainbow trout (disease certified) were soon transported to Keweenaw Bay for three different fishing activities that took place over a three week period. The Second Annual Baraga County Lake Trout Festival is a lake trout and salmon fishing event on Keweenaw Bay.  The staff from the KBIC were asked to support the event by stocking brook trout into a portable tank so visiting children would have a chance to fish.  The rainbow trout provided by the Genoa NFH were a big hit with the kids!  When the "smoke cleared, there were 110 fish left over.  The donation of these fish allowed KBIC to retain a larger portion of their wild brook trout broodstock for other inland conservation stocking purposes. The Houghton County Bridge-Fest is a very large event with the Hancock Lift Bridge being the focal icon.  For the past few years, planners of this event have asked the KBIC to also provide brook trout for their "kids fishing tank.”  This has in the past been a very nice cooperative agreement between the tribe and the community.  This year, the Bridge-Fest received a mix of the rainbow trout provided by Genoa NFH as well as brook trout from the KBIC.  At the end of the event, the excess trout were again returned to the KBIC facility for yet another fishing event the following week.  The 5th Annual KBIC Kids Fishing Derby is a popular event that attracted over 170 kids who participated in this years fishing derby.  Needless to say, by this time every fish was taken home!  At the end of all three fishing events, Gene Mensch (KBIC –NRD, Fisheries & Wildlife Biologist) made the following statement; “The kids had an absolute blast catching those hungry and feisty rainbows....it was interesting to see that by the end of the KBIC event, thanks to the folks at the Genoa NFH, we used only 100 of our wild brood stock for these events when normally we would have had to commit three times that many.”

Aquaculture Field Day Workshop Frank Stone attended a one day aquaculture field day and vendor fair sponsored by the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility in Red Cliff Wisconsin.  The Ashland NFWCO has the unique distinction of providing technical assistance for the development of numerous tribal fish hatchery operations.  One of the ways we contribute to these programs is by publishing a quarterly newsletter.  The Midwest Tribal Aquaculture Network (MTAN) is dedicated to assisting tribal hatcheries through the sharing of cool/cold water fish culture information.  Productivity in aquaculture can often be increased by incorporating techniques learned from others.  The information gained from this workshop will be featured in future issues of the MTAN.  The MTAN has been assisting tribal fish hatchery programs for the past sixteen years.  The rewards from this kind of technical assistance is in knowing we are providing information that enables hatchery programs to better utilize their resources and provide a healthier product for the fishery.  The MTAN has also helped to educate fish hatchery workers and direct them to other areas so they can better research their specific needs.

2008 Tribal Wildlife Grant Program The Ashland NFWCO recently mailed an announcement to all our tribal contacts alerting them to the opening of the 2008 Tribal Wildlife Grant Program (TWG).  Our intent was to insure that tribal resource managers and biologist were alerted of this resource funding opportunity and to remind them to contact the Ashland NFWCO for any technical assistance they may require.    The TWG funds will be available for grants that will benefit fish and wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. Although matching funds will be considered as an indicator of tribal commitment to a project, they are not required. The maximum award under this program is $200,000.

Fall Walleye Surveys with the Great Lakes Indian Fish Wildlife Commission Frank Stone completed a six week project assisting the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission in determining recruitment levels of juvenal walleye.  The objectives of these surveys were to estimate relative abundance of young-of-the-year walleye in several lakes of northern Wisconsin and Michigan.  The data from these surveys will be used in conjunction with spring population estimates, to set walleye safe harvest levels for the 2008 tribal spearing season.  During the length of the project, Frank conducted fishery surveys on a total of 23 lakes. These sampling efforts take place at night, when walleye activity is the highest and catch efficiency is maximized.  Using a boat electrofishing system, fish collection is relatively fast and efficient.  Both length data and scale samples were collected.  These data reflect the lakes recruitment values and are combined with the spring population surveys to yield the information needed to help determine the number of adult walleye that can be safely harvested.

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