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2008 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Phone: 608-221-1206 Ext. 14Address: |
Gary VanVreede |
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Featured Story Biologist Gary Van Vreede of the Green Bay Field Office, recently participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony as part of the official dedication of the Wolf River Sturgeon Trail. Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony to celebrate the completion of this lake sturgeon habitat restoration and recreational trail development project. The Wolf River Sturgeon Trail project was the result of nearly three years of planning and fund raising activities conducted by the Wolf River Basin Partnership, a group of people representing local, state and federal government agencies, private citizens, and local businesses and conservation organizations. The project site, located on the Wolf River just west of the city of New London in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, has been a historic lake sturgeon spawning area and a place for the public to get an up-close view of Wisconsin's oldest and largest fish. Over time the site had deteriorated and the size and quality of sturgeon spawning habitat had been reduced. Public access to the site had also been reduced due to the eroding shoreline and a road widening project. Funding for the project was raised through donations from individuals, businesses, and conservation organizations, along with grants and contributions from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and county and state agencies. To date, more than 40 groups and individuals have contributed to the project, raising in excess of $100,000. Thanks to these funds a major portion of the project has been completed resulting in the establishment of 1,400 feet of sturgeon spawning habitat and the construction of 2,100 feet of handicapped-accessible trail. Efforts to further expand the project are currently underway. Also participating in the ceremony were Waupaca County Parks Director Roger Holman, Wolf River Basin Partnership Co-chair King Pharr, Walleyes for Tomorrow Representative Todd Close, Mayor of New London Wayne Toltzman, Wisconsin Conservation Congress Representative Dick Koerner, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wolf River Basin Supervisor Dan Helf, and Northeast Regional Director Ron Kazmierczak. About the Green Bay Ecological Services Office The Green Bay Ecological Services Field Office, is responsible for delivery of the Partners Program to a 17 county region of northeast Wisconsin. Working in cooperation with nearly 700 individual landowners, over 3,000 acres of wetland and grassland habitat have been restored by the Green Bay Field Office since the Program began in1988. Much of this work has been done under the direction of Private Lands Biologist Gary Van Vreede. Gary has been involved in wetland restoration work in northeast Wisconsin for over 14 years. In addition to the regular wetland and grassland work, the Green Bay Field Office is also involved with the restoration of habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. Biologist have been working with landowners in the Karner blue butterfly range to restore the savanna habitat that is necessary for its survival. The Green Bay Field Office has also been active in projects aimed at fisheries habitat restoration and protection. These activities include stream channel restoration and buffer establishment, spawning habitat development, and the removal of fish passage barriers. Although Service private lands biologists have played a key role in the restoration work that has been done in the area, many of these projects could not have been accomplished without the cooperation of partners from various federal, state, and local conservation agencies, and a number of private conservation organizations. |
