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| Media Contacts | Reporters Tip Sheet | Just Escape | Accomplishment Reporting | Inside Region 3 | Fisheries Story Ideas for Outdoor Media The following story leads are provided for outdoor writers and broadcasters for consideration in covering the activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program. The story leads include a point of contact but you may also call the External Affairs office for additional assistance, 612-713-5312. An alphabetical directory of Fisheries field offices is included at the end of the story list.
Learn about the resurgence of the Illinois River as a fishery and as a waterfowl migration resource: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Natural History Survey and the Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System all have resource management and research facilities at Havana. The IL Natural History Survey facilities at Havana have a history of monitoring the resources from this center for nearly a century. See the fishery and waterfowl, interview staff from the DNR, INHS and Refuge. Contact: Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Chicago Wilderness: There is an extraordinary array of natural resources in the Chicago corridor. The effort of a very large and dedicated group of conservation organizations, "Chicago Wilderness", is testament to the great richness of fish and wildlife resources of this area. The City of Chicago's Department of Environment (DOE), in particular, has a remarkable vision and leadership, with a strong support from Mayor Richard Daley. The City of Chicago also signed an Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds, a partnership agreement between the city and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to conserve migratory birds through education and habitat improvement. Contact: Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Electrofishing Asian Carps/Paddlefish/Sturgeon in the Middle Mississippi: Accompany Fish and Wildlife biologists on an electrofishing boat in the Middle Mississippi. Have the opportunity to see jumping Asian carp, learn about the history of this invasive species and the threat it poses to the big river ecosystem, in addition to the Great Lakes fishery. Also have the opportunity to see the native, prehistoric shovelnose and pallid sturgeon. Learn the differences between the pallid sturgeon (endangered species) and shovelnose from an Endangered Species/Fisheries biologist. There would also be an opportunity to electrofish for paddlefish, learn about the stocking programs for this native fish species, and threat caused in some areas by demand for Paddlefish caviar. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Freshwater Mussel Surveys: Work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and natural resources agency partners to survey for freshwater mussel species in the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Fish and Wildlife Service boats and scuba gear would be available. The story highlights the importance of freshwater mussels to the Mississippi Riverwatershed. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Aerial Bird Surveys: Fly with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot in a Service aircraft (twin-engine 4-seater) over the Mississippi Confluence, where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet near St. Louis, Mo. Take in an aerial perspective of the Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and observe the thousands of migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, grassland birds, and neotropical migrants as they follow the Mississippi Flyway south. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Sample Zebra Mussels: Accompany Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to survey for a huge threat to our sport fishery and native freshwater mussel populations, the zebra mussel. This invasive species entered the Great Lakes through the St. Lawrence by way of ballast water in cargo vessels. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Eagle Viewing: Observe golden and bald eagles along the bluffs of the Mississippi River, alongside Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species/Migratory bird biologist. Recently removed from the Endangered Species list, the bald eagle population has seen a dramatic recovery since the banning of DDT in the 1970s. Currently, there are an estimate 3,475 eagle pairs in the Midwest alone, accounting for 35 percent of the total population in the contiguous United States. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Returning from the Flood: Visit the small town of Grafton, Illinois situated within the scenic bluffs of the Mississippi River. Speak with city residents, the mayor, about the devastating flood of 1993 that caused most of the town’s residents to permanently relocate. Now a tourist destination for the Midwestern traveler, Grafton was able to rebuild its economy with the construction of Grafton Harbor, a development that was partially funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boating Infrastructure Grant Program. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Wildlife Restoration – Follow a box of bullets from the Manufactures to the Retailer to the Consumer to the Field: There are more than half a million licensed hunters in the State of Minnesota. The federal excise taxes manufacturers pay on their ammunition and archery gear generate funding that ensure the sustainability of hunting, shooting and outdoor recreation sports. In 2009 more than $9 million from the Wildlife Restoration program was used by states and partners for hunter education, wildlife conservation and research. Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Wildlife Restoration and the Archery Community – How federal grant programs help fund outdoor archery ranges and shooting opportunities for future hunters and archers: Some states in the Midwest use federal grant funds to support programs like the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), and fund the construction of archery ranges for the public. This program provides kids an opportunity to learn the technique of archery, and connect with nature in an outdoor setting. Take a trip to one your local archery ranges in Minnesota to see how WSFR funds are helping young archers and outdoor enthusiasts learn a new sport and connect with nature. Contact: Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Coaster Brook Trout Recovery Efforts in Wisconsin: Take a canoe through the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge in north-east Wisconsin. See how the Fish Passage Program and habitat restoration efforts by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and many community partners have assisted coaster brook trout recovery efforts in this important watershed. Contact: Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top Whooping Crane Reintroduction: Whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 500 birds in existence, 350 of them in the wild. Meet the members of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, a team of dedicated individuals from multiple non-governmental, federal and state agencies and organizations dedicated to reintroducing an eastern migratory population of whooping cranes to the wild. Meet the pilots (Operation Migration) that lead the birds behind ultralight aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to their wintering ground on the Florida coast. Tour the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, where chicks are hatched for the reintroduction project and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, where the birds spend their summer, undergo training for fall migration. Contact: Ashley Spratt, 612-713-5314 ashley_spratt@fws.gov Back to top New Lake Trout Tag Also Records Depth and Water Temperatures: A new approach to fishery research took to the waters of Lake Superior last fall. That’s when biologists from Ashland Fishery Resources Office, U.S. Geological Survey's Hammond Bay Biological Station, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, and Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, surgically implanted tags in the abdominal cavity of 100 lake trout bound for Lake Superior. The tags, known as bathythermal tags, are the first of their type to be used in the Great Lakes and will record water depth and temperature for up to three years. Data is retrieved upon recapture of the fish and removal of the tag. Tags will be recovered by commercial and recreational fishers as well as during fishery agency assessments. Each fish also received an external tag offering a $100 reward for whole, unfrozen fish. It is hoped the monetary incentive will result in high return of tagged fish by anglers and commercial fishers. Among the study's goals is to determine the depth and temperature that lake trout inhabit during the year and whether or not they segregate from other species by depth or temperature. This data will also contribute to better understanding of sea lamprey and lake trout interaction. Temperature information will be used to improve bioenergetics models currently being developed for Lake Superior. The temperature has a direct influence on the rate of consumption and processing of forage. To learn more, contact Mark Dryer, Ashland Fishery Resources Office, 715-682-6185 Back to top Battle to Thwart the Spread of the Sea Lamprey Continues: Staff of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marquette and Ludington Biological Stations continue to wage war against this aquatic nuisance. Each year, 30 to 40 streams tributary to the Great Lakes are carefully treated with the lampricide TFM to control larval sea lampreys. Failure to eliminate larvae in streams allows the lampreys to transform into parasitic adults which then migrate into the Great Lakes and kill fish. Each parasitic adult lamprey can suck the life out of up to 40 pounds of Great Lakes trout and salmon during its brief 18-month parasitic life span. Treatment of waterways can effectively control population growth of lamprey. For example, in treating 23 Great Lakes streams in the summer of 2001, an estimated 7 million larval lamprey were destroyed. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (Commission) began chemical control of sea lampreys in U.S. and Canadian tributaries of Lake Superior in 1958. Since that time the highly successful program has grown to include all the Great Lakes. This program is contracted by the Commission to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. The Commission has implemented a research program to develop alternative control techniques including an increase the number of barriers on lamprey producing streams, research into improved barrier design, traps, attractants and repellants, biological controls and genetic engineering. The Service is also evaluating the release of sterile male sea lampreys as a control measure to reduce lamprey production in the St. Marys River. For more information, contact Dennis Lavis, Ludington Biological Station, 231-843-7302 Back to top Observe Native Mussel Work: The Genoa National Fish Hatchery remains a national leader in the propagation of endangered mussels with its current work with the endangered Higgins’ Eye Pearlymussel. Over 15,000 mussels were produced for release during the latest production cycle. Larvae used were gathered from Wisconsin’s St. Croix River and releases were made with their host fish over known mussel beds in the Upper Mississippi River watershed. To learn more about the production and release of endangered mussels, contact Doug Aloisi, Genoa National Fish Hatchery, 608-689-2605 Back to top Dispersal Barrier Plan May Be A Shock to the Aquatic Nuisance Round Goby’s System: A large electrical barrier that will help deter the movement of exotic fish between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin is now in place in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, Illinois. Investigators from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the University of Illinois Sea Grant College Program are preparing to evaluate the performance of this barrier. Their plans include the initial capture, marking, and release of as many feral fish as possible near the barrier before it is placed into operation. Once the barrier is electrified, additional sampling to recapture marked fish will help in evaluating its overall performance. Staff from the LaCrosse Fishery Resources Office and the Cook County Forest Preserve District fisheries crew provided technical assistance to researchers in capturing fish to mark for this study while they participated in the recent 6th annual round goby survey of the Illinois Waterway System. The experience of these people in collecting fish near the electrical barrier site over the past several years made for the safe and efficient collection of 115 fish representing 8 species over a 4-day sampling period in June 2001. The area of the site is known as one of the most industrialized and congested portions of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. To find out more about the dispersal barrier or future round goby surveys, contact Pam Thiel, LaCrosse Fishery Resources Office, 608-783-8431 Back to top Eurasian Ruffe Control A Picture in Partnerships: Ashland, Alpena, and Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resource Offices, as well as the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources are nearing their one decade anniversary for ruffe surveillance and reporting. Over the years this collaboration has provided important documentation of the current spread of this nuisance species, thus far, contained to the Great Lakes, but could wreak further havoc if allowed to spread to lakes and streams. The ruffe was the first exotic species to be officially declared a “nuisance” under the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990. This designation authorized the formation of a committee to draft a control plan and recommend actions to delay or prevent the spread of ruffe throughout the Great Lakes and inland lakes. To learn more about control and surveillance of ruffe, contact Mark Dryer, Ashland Fishery Resources Office, 715-682-6185 Back to top Injections and Inspections Keep Fish Healthy and Strong: The LaCrosse Fish Health Center works to keep disease-free fish production going at Service and partner facilities. Annually, the Center performs health inspections on over 2.5 million captive fish produced at 11 Federal and Native American facilities in the Region for eventual stocking in the Great Lakes, its tributaries, and beyond. Additionally, the Center assists in providing injections to fight bacterial diseases and halt the spread from brood fish to their offspring, thwarting potentially tragic results. Antibiotic injections by Center staff are credited with helping save lake trout and coaster brook trout populations from diseases such as BKD (bacterial kidney disease) at Iron River and Genoa National Fish Hatcheries. Center staff also perform post-mortem exams to isolate and identify health problems in fish produced. To find out more about how the Fish Health Center plays a role in the Service producing the highest quality fish species, contact Rick Nelson, LaCrosse Fish Health Center, 608-783-8441 Back to top Biologists Face Challenge of Restoring Paddlefish -- The Ancient and Threatened “Spoonbill” of the Mississippi River Basin: Paddlefish have long adorned the walls of biology classrooms and restaurants along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River and its major tributaries. Yet it wasn’t until a 1989 petition to list the paddlefish as a threatened species that the Service began to focus on this far-ranging, riverine species with a paddle like nose. Efforts began as state fish and wildlife resource agencies, along with the Fish and Wildlife Service, met the challenge of gathering existing information from fishery managers, anglers and commercial fishermen to determine population status and distribution within the Mississippi River Basin. Twenty-eight river basin states allied in the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association, the Service and other partners, have gained a better understanding of the paddlefish and its habitat needs since gathering that information and engaging in a basin-wide stock assessment. As this group moves toward the future, addressing the factors that inhibit restoration of this threatened fish will remain a team effort, with the Service leading the basin-wide coordination and technical support, and state organizations leading restoration work in their own jurisdictions. By pooling their expertise and sharing their data among river basin managers, these organizations are working in concert to strengthen their chances of future success. Their goal is clear: to ensure the survival of the paddlefish and to restore their populations to levels that sustain recreational and commercial fisheries. To learn more about paddlefish efforts, call Jim Milligan, Columbia Fishery Resources Office, 573-876-1909 Back to top Lake Trout Conservation Continues in the Upper Great Lakes: The Service continues to lead the way in lake trout restoration, successfully recovering self-sustaining populations within Lake Superior and continuing efforts for future success throughout the Upper Great Lakes. Successful restoration depends on the continued close collaboration with partners, including the members of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Lake trout nearly vanished from the Upper Great Lakes from overharvest in the 1940’s and 50’s, and were further threatened by the spread of sea lamprey. The Service and its partners have stepped up to meet the challenge through efforts to produce self-sustaining populations and check the spread of sea lamprey, yet much work remains. Another key event that has helped in lake trout restoration was the 2000 Consent Decree (U.S. vs. Michigan) which regulates tribal and state lake trout harvests in 1836 treaty waters to protect from overharvest. That decree also identified further responsibilities toward lake trout rehabilitation, including increased efforts for lake trout assessment, data analysis and modeling to protect stocks. The Service and its partners see the decree as a door opener for new opportunities to achieve rehabilitation goals in the Upper Great Lakes. As their work proceeds, successful populations now found in Lake Superior, could also become the norm for Lakes Michigan and Huron, where research continues to identify the limiting factors affecting lake trout restoration. For more information on lake trout conservation, contact Mark Holey, Green Bay Fishery Resources Office, 920-465-7440 Back to top Observe the Spawning Operation at Hiawatha Forest National Fish Hatchery Where They Provide 5.4 Million Lake Trout Eggs to Hatcheries and Research Facilities: Seven strains of valuable lake trout brood stock are held at the Hiawatha Forest National Fish Hatchery in support of lake trout restoration on the Great Lakes. The adult fish are spawned each fall with eggs used to support restoration programs in the Upper Great Lakes along with other high priority Service commitments. Hiawatha hatchery staff recently shipped approximately 5.4 million eggs to four national fish hatcheries and one research station, including 1.6 million eggs for the astroturf program, an experimental program which puts eggs directly into the lake on historical spawning reefs. Eggs provided to national fish hatcheries are used to produce yearling fish for the Service’s successful production programs. The research station uses the eggs in its study of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS). Stations receiving lake trout eggs included Jordan River, Iron River, Pendills Creek, and Allegheny National Fish Hatcheries, and the Columbia Environmental Research Station. For more information on lake trout egg production or a site visit, call Faber Bland, Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery, 906-437-5231 Back to top Fisheries and Hatcheries Also Fulfill Federal Trust Responsibilities to Military Bases and Other Federal Lands: Offices in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region also are responsible for providing fish and wildlife management assistance on Service and other federal lands. An example of this would be recent work by the Carterville Fishery Resources Office in support of the natural resources management program at Crane Naval Weapons Support Center. Staff from the Carterville office developed a Fisheries Management Plan for Lake Greenwood on the naval center back in 1990, and continue to work cooperatively with the Navy and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. That work includes conducting population surveys of the lake’s fish fauna, and advising them for use of the recreational fishery. Walleye produced at Genoa National Fish Hatchery were stocked into the lake and fish shelters were placed in the lake that help concentrate fish for anglers, improving the quality of the recreational fishing experience. To learn more about this continued cooperative effort, contact Chuck Surprenant, Carterville Fishery Resources Office, 618-997-6869 Back to top Genoa National Fish Hatchery Sees Continued Success in Cool Water Species Egg Collection and Cool/Warm Water Species Propagation and Distribution: The Genoa National Fish Hatchery, Wisconsin, collected and distributed over 19 million eggs from cool water species, and propagated and distributed over 6 million fish last fiscal year. The hatchery is a national provider of eggs of cool water species such as walleye, northern pike and sauger for nationwide distribution in tribal, federal and conservation exchange projects. The majority of the 6 million fish propagated and produced were distributed to national wildlife refuges as well as Native American tribes. Fish of selected species are also used as host fish for endangered mussel propagation. As needs increase for egg collection and stocking of fish species, the hatchery has stepped up to meet those challenges as a valuable asset to resource conservation. For more information on Cool/Warm Water Species work or a hatchery tour, contact Doug Aloisi, Genoa National Fish Hatchery, 608-689-2605 Back to top Biologists Gather Information In Hope of Restoring the Endangered Pallid Sturgeon: The Service is working with Missouri River partners to monitor populations and habitat for the endangered pallid sturgeon in hopes of halting and reversing the decline of this species. The pallid sturgeon is an ancient fish that evolved in turbid, free-flowing, large rivers with braided channels, sandbars and extensive backwater habitats, and was listed in 1990 as an endangered species. The Service’s Columbia Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Office is currently part of a long-term monitoring program along several sites on the Lower Missouri River to determine potential impacts and benefits to the species from operations along the river. They are joined in this work by the Nebraska Game and Fish Commission, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Additionally, staff have worked the past 5 years to document occurrence and habitat preferences of the pallid sturgeon within the Lower Missouri and Middle Mississippi Rivers. These efforts are providing critical information to river managers and policy makers that could eventually lead to stronger pallid sturgeon populations and habitat conservation and restoration throughout the river systems. Information that could save the very existence of this amazing ancient fish. For more information call Jim Milligan, Columbia Fishery Resources Office, 573-876-1909 Back to top Service Hatchery in Missouri Joins Fight to Restore Endangered Pallid Sturgeon: Neosho National Fish Hatchery recently received its first 5,200 pallid sturgeons for rearing, tagging and eventual stocking. Neosho’s success with lake sturgeon production made them a prime candidate for the honor of working toward pallid sturgeon restoration as well. The first 5,200 fish will be reared to a size of nine inches, tagged with pit tags and then stocked into the Lower Missouri River. Some of the other features of the southwestern Missouri hatchery that favor a successful production include the hatchery’s excellent water quality, closed water and recirculation systems, and ability to control water temperature. This work is a cooperative effort with the Columbia Fishery Resources Office and Ecological Services Office, and the Army Corps of Engineers. For more information on pallid sturgeon efforts or a visit to see these unusual fish, contact David Hendrix, Neosho National Fish Hatchery, 417-451-0554 Back to top Take a Trip Aboard the “MV Togue” (85 ft., 175 tons) As Crews Stock Lake Trout or Survey Populations: Each spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's fish stocking vessel, MV Togue, delivers 3.5 million lake trout fingerlings onto the reefs and shoals of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Lake trout numbers dropped to dangerous levels in the 1940s due to the invasion of the parasitic sea lamprey and overfishing. Stocking is a proven approach to reestablishing breeding populations of lake trout. Each fall, the Togue returns to many of these reefs to survey the results of their efforts as well. To join biologists for a day trip on the MV Togue, call Rick Westerhof at Jordan River National Fish Hatchery, 231-584-2461 Back to top Mysterious Dinosaur Fish the Focus of Service and Commercial Fishers: Commercial fishers of Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay continue to help the Service to gather data on the threatened (in Michigan and Ohio) lake sturgeon. While much remains to be learned about this ancient species, fossil records have shown a 150-year-old fish measuring a whopping 9 feet and weighing in at a hearty 300 pounds. Today, pollution, overfishing, habitat loss and poaching pose a continual threat to the lake sturgeon’s existence. Learn more about the Service’s work with this amazing fish by contacting Jerry McClain, Alpena Fishery Resources Office, 517-356-3052 Back to top Fish Passage Projects Help Species Thrive: Fish Passage Projects in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region totaled $155,000 in Service dollars and additional funds from partners such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in FY 2001. The Service helped to fund three projects. One of which led to improvements on the Northern Lower Michigan Watershed Road Crossing, opening 12 miles of habitat to brook trout and other cold water species. Another project resulted in fish passage on Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Minnesota), opening the way to spawning territory for reintroduced coaster brook trout. The third funded project brought modifications to a dam on the Pelican River allowing additional fish passage on the Red River drainage, and aiding lake sturgeon recovery with increased access to prime habitat. For more information and locations of these and future Fish Passage Projects of the Service, call Regional Coordinator Tracy Hill, Alpena Fishery Resources Office, 517-356-3052 Back to top Service Fulfills Federal Trust Responsibilities To Native Americans: The Service continues to meet its Federal Trust commitment to tribes through a variety of fisheries activities. For example, Ashland Fishery Resources Office provides technical assistance to tribal resource programs in the planning, design and operational phases of fishery management and hatchery activities. The Service also provides staff and equipment that helps establish planning objectives, accomplish resource inventories and set the foundation for future management decisions of Native Americans in the region. For more information on Service-Native American projects, call Mark Dryer, Ashland Fishery Resources Office, 715 682-6185 Back to top
Fisheries Field Office Directory: Alpena Fishery Resources Office Ashland Fishery Resources Office Carterville Fishery Resources Office Columbia Fishery Resources Office Genoa National Fish Hatchery Great Lakes Coordination Office Green Bay Fishery Resources Office Hiawatha Forest National Fish Hatchery Iron River National Fish Hatchery Jordan River National Fish Hatchery LaCrosse Fish Health Center LaCrosse Fishery Resources Office Large Rivers Fisheries Coordination Ludington Biological Station Marquette Biological Station Neosho National Fish Hatchery Pendills Creek National Fish Hatchery |
Last updated: September 23, 2009
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, One Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, MN 55111-4056
612-713-5360
E-mail: MidwestNews@fws.gov
