Blog

Fish for free June 4 and 5

There’s not much today you can get for free, especially a weekend’s worth of entertainment for the whole family, but thanks to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, there’s an exception to this – Free Fishing Weekend.

The 2016 Free Fishing Weekend will take place June 4 and 5 and is the perfect opportunity to introduce others to the joys of angling. Typically held the first full weekend in June in association with National Fishing Week, free fishing weekends are two-day periods when fishing licenses are not required to fish Kansas lakes and reservoirs. The only thing anglers need to keep in mind is while license requirements are waived for the weekend, anglers must still abide by all other regulations such as length and creel limits, equipment requirements, etc.

If you’re looking for a place to drop a line during Free Fishing Weekend, visit www.ksoutdoors.com/fishing and click “Where To Fish” for a list of fishing locations near you. You can also check out the 2016 Fishing Forecast and the Weekly Fishing Reports to you decide where to fish.

After you’ve found an ideal spot or two, consult the 2016 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary prior to hitting the water. The summary contains vital information specific to all public waters and even includes color illustrations to help identify fish. View an electronic version at www.ksoutdoors.com/fishing, or pick up a hard-copy wherever licenses are sold.

With the right location, a variety of baits to choose from, and some cooperative weather, Kansas fishing can be a blast. Give it a try; we bet you’ll be hooked.

Agencies cooperate to control carp In Milford Reservoir

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is working with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to remove carp from Milford Reservoir. Research indicates large numbers of carp can increase the potential for harmful blue-green algae blooms because of the sediment the fish stir up while feeding.

KDWPT fisheries biologists work diligently to control sport fish numbers through stocking, habitat enhancement and regulations such as creel and length limits. However, large populations of nonsport, or rough, fish such as carp and buffalo are more difficult to manage and can negatively impact the populations of more desirable species. Carp and buffalo are difficult for anglers to catch because of the fish’s diet and eating habits, nor are they desired or targeted by anglers. Buffalo are filter feeders, eating zooplankton, and carp are bottom feeders, eating zooplankton, insects, crustaceans and worms. In addition to increasing water turbidity and potential for blue-green algae blooms, large populations of these rough fish compete for space and food with sport fish.

Through a bid process, a commercial fisherman is contracted to catch and remove rough fish from Kansas reservoirs. The removal process usually takes place when large numbers of carp and buffalo can be caught without impacting sport fish. Commercial fishing operations are going on this spring at Milford, and anglers may see nets in the upper end.

At times, the market for the meat of certain rough fish species makes the effort profitable. However, KDWPT subsidizes the removal of carp, paying for each pound of carp removed and ensuring that commercial efforts continue even when markets are down.

Agency officials hope that removing carp from Milford will improve water quality and reduce the potential for blue-green algae blooms, while also providing benefits to sport fish.

Playa Recharge Summit provides answers to common questions

Playas are a major source of recharge to the Ogallala Aquifer, contributing up to 95 percent of inflow of water to the aquifer and improving the quality of that water. For those who may have doubts, it was confirmed by 14 playa experts who participated in Playa Lakes Joint Venture’s (PLJV) Playa Recharge Summit last November. The Summit was designed to get answers to questions often heard by those working in playa conservation: “How much groundwater recharge goes through playas?” “How long till the water reaches the aquifer?” and “Will that water benefit me directly?”

The scientists and researchers concurred that playas recharge the aquifer at the rates described in the USGS Recharge Rates and Chemistry Beneath Playas Literature Review (Gurdak and Roe, 2009), which is about 3 inches per year, on average. While they agreed that this rate was not fast enough to counter the amount of withdrawals due to irrigation agriculture, they also agreed that the amount of recharge could support a small family farm, a rainfed (or dryland) production system or a grazing system. They also recommended recharge through playas be incorporated into water conservation plans for municipalities that depend on the aquifer.

In addition, the benefit of a healthy playa —a playa with a grass buffer and no hydrological modifications such as pits or ditches — goes beyond simple recharge. The water that reaches the aquifer through playas is cleaner than water that enters through other channels, such as through upland soils or from around center pivot wells. Playas are wetlands and thus provide the same water cleaning services as other wetlands. Sediment, and the attached pesticide contaminants, are removed from water flowing overland through a grass buffer. After the water reaches the playa basin, denitrification occurs with the help of soil bacteria. The result is high quality water reaching the aquifer that can then be used by those living on the land.

As part of the Summit, a number of communication messages were discussed and vetted by the participants. PLJV then developed messaging that can be used by the Joint Venture partnership and those talking about playa conservation. The full report and a tip sheet on communicating about playas and recharge are available as part of PLJV’s Playas & Recharge Communications Kit. The downloadable zip file also includes the USGS Recharge Rates and Chemistry Beneath Playas Literature Review (both the executive summary and full report) and a Playas and Ogallala Aquifer fact sheet that can be printed and distributed.

The Playa Recharge Summit was funded in part by the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Participants included 14 scientists and researchers who study various aspects of playas — including hydrology, wildlife ecology, economics and communications.

Outdoor writers challenge to benefit disabled veterans

The Outdoor Writers of Kansas (OWK) organization recently donated $1,000 to help purchase hunting and fishing licenses for Kansas disabled military veterans. OWK challenges all organizations to match or beat their donation.

Each fiscal year, the Kansas Legislature appropriates funding to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) to provide hunting and fishing licenses for Kansas military veterans with service-related disabilities of 30 percent or more. Initially the funding was adequate, but as the number of veteran license applications has increased, the funding has run out before the end of the fiscal year. When that happens, KDWPT uses donations to pay for licenses. Currently, there are several hundred unfilled veteran license applications awaiting funding.

Anyone can donate, and hunters and anglers who purchase licenses online can check a donation box. Any individual or organization interested in helping can mail a donation made out to WildTrust, specifying the Disabled Veterans License account. Checks can be mailed to KDWPT, c/o WildTrust, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124. Visit www.ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits-Veteran-Hunting-and-Fishing-Licenses for more information.

OWK is a nonprofit professional organization made up of members dedicated to communicating about Kansas’ hunting, fishing, and other outdoor and wildlife-related recreation. Members meet twice a year and raise money to send youngsters to the Kansas Wildlife Federation’s Outdoor Adventure Camp, purchase equipment for the KDWPT Pass It On youth program, the Steve Harper OWK/Kansas Wildscape scholarship, as well as other outdoor programs.

Leave wildlife wild

It’s human nature to “save” a young animal that appears abandoned or lost. However, when a person with good intentions picks up a baby bird, squirrel, or deer, the young animal is usually as good as dead. The best option is always to leave them alone and let nature take its course, even though it’s not always pretty. Often, the young animal is still being cared for by its parents and will have a better chance of surviving if simply left alone.

Unless you’re a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, it is not legal to possess live wild animals. And it can be dangerous because they may carry rabies or distemper. Wild animals commonly have fleas and ticks, which can transmit blood-borne diseases, and they carry bacteria, roundworms, tapeworms, mites and other protozoans that     could infect humans and their pets.

Unfortunately, fawn deer are commonly “saved” by people who find them alone and assume they’ve been abandoned. Most of the time, the doe is nearby, but the mother instinctively stays away from her newborn except at feeding time to avoid drawing the attention of predators. Fawns are scentless and survive by holding absolutely still, even when humans approach.

Storms may blow young birds out of their nests. If the young have feathers and can perch, place them back in a tree or shrub, away from cats or other pets. The parents will still care for them. And don’t worry, they’ll care for them even if you touch them. Birds have a very poor sense of smell and human touch won’t drive the parents away. If you find a nest with featherless nestlings, place it in a plastic bowl and back in the tree. This will be their best chance of survival.

Enjoy watching wildlife this spring, especially if you see youngsters. But make a pact to leave them alone. Let nature take its course and know they have the best chance of survival by staying wild.

U.S. won’t appeal court rulings on lesser prairie-chicken

Fish and Wildlife Service to reassess status of species

By The Associated Press

The U.S. government said May 11 that it won’t appeal recent court rulings in Texas that stripped the lesser prairie-chicken of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The Fish and Wild Service said in an emailed statement that the Justice Department filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss its appeal of rulings in September 2015 and February 2016 by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. That court ruled that the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to make a proper evaluation of a conservation plan from affected states when the agency listed the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said despite seeking to drop the appeal, it “intends to reassess the status of the species based on the court’s ruling and the best available scientific data.”

“The USFWS will continue working with states, other federal agencies, and partners on efforts to conserve the lesser prairie-chicken across its range,” the statement said.

Oil and gas groups had opposed the threatened listing. The Permian Basin Petroleum Association said it would impede operations and cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars in oil and gas development in one of the country’s most prolific basins, the Permian Basin in the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico.

The lesser prairie chicken’s Great Plains habitat has shrunk by more than 80 percent since the 1800s, and its population by 99 percent. It lives primarily in Kansas, but also in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado. About 95 percent of the bird’s range is on private lands.

In an effort to keep the bird off the endangered species list, the five states organized their own conservation program, offering economic incentives to landowners and companies that set aside land. Still, the Fish and Wildlife Service last year designated the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened, one step beneath endangered status. The classification means federal officials think the bird soon will be in danger of extinction.

Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who has long opposed listing the bird for federal protection, noted the Fish and Wildlife Service’s intention to reassess the bird’s status.

“We have certainly not seen the last of the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda,” Roberts said.

The Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a lawsuit in 2014 seeking to force the federal government into more aggressive steps to preserve the lesser prairie chicken, said it was disappointed with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“My fear is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has gotten into the routine of bending over backward to do whatever conservative Western states want it to do to such a point that it cannot appeal court orders won by those states against it,” Kieran Suckling, executive director of the nonprofit environmental group, said.

He added that the agency’s statement that it will review the bird’s status is “just an excuse to pretend they’re still taking action” and that a review can take years and even decades.

Scientists put bees on the menu

A study proposes eating pollinators as a sustainable protein source

By John R. Platt

from takepart

The next great food crop for small farmers could be…bees?

That’s right, bees. Those little black-and-yellow insects could be a valuable, nutritious, and sustainable food source, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. The study found that bees at all stages of their lives are high in protein, while bee larvae and pupae also contain high levels of fatty acids, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Larvae and pupae also lack wings and exoskeletons, making them easier to prepare.

The paper concludes that harvesting bees not only would provide a sustainable food source but also could create new income streams for beekeepers, who already sell honey, royal jelly, and other bee products. The bees could be sold whole or ground into powder to be added to other foods, especially during times when bees were not pollinating or producing honey. This, the researchers wrote, would turn bees into a year-round cash crop instead of one that could only generate profit during certain times.

All of this might seem a bit unusual to Western taste buds, but bees are a dietary staple in many parts of the world, including Korea, where the study originated.

The study also ties into a growing trend toward eating crickets and other insects as valuable and sustainable sources of protein and nutrients. Insects, many researchers have said, could provide more food at a lower carbon cost than beef or other meats. A 2013 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization includes bees among a long list of edible insects—including moths, beetles, and stinkbugs—that could be important for meeting the world’s need for food and food security. That report didn’t mention edible bees, but it placed high value on honey and other hive products.

How does the idea of edible bees fit into a world where bee populations have become increasingly threatened? Beekeepers in the United States lost 44 percent of their hives over the past year, according to a study released this week by the Bee Informed Partnership. Well, this study focused on a widespread bee species called the Italian honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica), which probably isn’t at risk. “I’m most concerned about our non-Apis pollinators, in terms of extinction risk,” said Sarina Jepsen, director of endangered species for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “I don’t think that there is any indication that the honeybee is likely to go extinct, although commercial beekeepers have seen dramatic colony losses in the past couple of decades.”

Still not convinced? The website Girl Meets Bug, which is devoted to edible insects, notes that bee larvae “taste much like mushroomy bacon” and that roasted adult bees can be ground “into nutritious flour.” Author Daniella Martin’s recipe page notes that she primarily eats drone larvae, which have no role in pollination. Interestingly enough, she adds a few drops of honey to her bee larvae recipe, bringing the whole idea full circle.

Record landowner demand for CRP Met with extraordinarily low acceptance rate

Secretary Vilsack suggests Congress look at larger CRP in 2018 Farm Bill

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that 800,000 acres will be enrolled through three different components of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Of particular note, USDA’s CRP general sign-up completed at the end of February generated more than 1.8 million acres in offers, but was only able to accept 23 percent of the 26,000 landowner applications because of the program’s 24 million acre cap. As a result, Secretary Vilsack commented on the need for a larger CRP cap to meet landowner demand and natural resource benefits.

In addition to the general CRP sign-up, Secretary Vilsack also reported 4,600 additional offers were made for 1 million acres in the new CRP Grasslands program. Only 100,000 acres were accepted for a meager 10 percent acceptance rate. Finally, an additional 330,000 acres were enrolled through continuous CRP sign-ups, which is in addition to last year’s record-setting 860,000 continuous acres enrolled.

Vilsack later commented to AgriPulse on Thursday, “When Congress begins to deliberate the 2018 farm bill, they’re going to be faced I think with a demand to rethink the cap on CRP,” Vilsack said. “The deliberation should not begin with ‘You have to save an artificial dollar amount,’ but it should really look at what the demand and need is.”

“While we have 800,000 acres of good news today, the larger message is one of missed opportunity,” stated Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s vice president of governmental affairs. “We had landowners come out in droves to voluntarily make a commitment to wildlife, water, and soil. Instead, America’s most successful conservation program – one with a 30-year track record of wildlife and natural resource benefits – was neutered by a 24 million acre cap.”

“As we look toward the 2018 Farm Bill, we will be delivering Secretary Vilsack’s message of a strengthened CRP to Congress. America’s farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and hunters not only need a stronger Conservation Reserve Program, they want a stronger CRP, and the latest sign-up results demonstrate that fact,” added Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever’s director of governmental affairs.

CRP is a voluntary program designed to help farmers, ranchers and landowners protect their environmentally sensitive land. Eligible landowners receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland throughout the duration of 10 to 15 year contracts. Under CRP, landowners plant grasses and trees, and restore wetlands in watersheds across the country. The plantings prevent soil and nutrients from washing into waterways, reduce soil erosion that may otherwise contribute to poor air and water quality, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife. Vegetative cover established on the acreage accepted into the CRP will reduce nutrient and sediment runoff in our nation’s rivers and streams.

CALENDAR of EVENTS

May 14                        4^TH Annual Grassland Heritage Foundation Plant Sale Lawrence 785-840-8104

May 15-16      Geary County Fish & Game Assoc. ATA registered shoot 785-238-8727

June 3-12        Nebraska Wildflower Week Nebraska Native Plant Society http://nnps.wsc.edu/

June 4             Spring Wildflower Tour Maxwell Wildlife Refuge [email protected]

June 5-10        KWF 28^th Outdoor Adventure Camp kids 10-12 Call Theresa Berger 785-658-5159

June 11           Spring Wildflower Tour Maxwell Wildlife Refuge [email protected]

June 11           17^th Annual Cowley Co. Wildflower Tour Winfield [email protected]

June 11           Women on Target event Geary County Fish & Game Assoc. Shirley Allen 785-375-7305

June 11           Prairie Field Day Mine Creek Battlefield Linn Co. Tami Neal [email protected]

June 16-18      National Wildlife Federation 80^th Annual Meeting Estes Park, CO

June 18           FOK Cleanup Float Johnson Co. Register at [email protected]

June 18           Prairie Pollinators: Wildflowers and Butterflies Chase Co. [email protected]

June 25           FOK River Cleanup below Springhill Suites Register at [email protected]

July 16                        Float the Kansas River Manhattan CVB Register w/Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

July 16                        FOK Little Apple Paddle Event Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

July 30                        FOK Let’s Paddle the Kaw event Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Aug 2-4           KGLC Mid  & Shortgrass Range School Scott County Registration www.kglc.org

Aug 6              FOK Water Matters Day More info from Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Aug 16-18       KGLC Tallgrass Range School Camp Wood Registration www.kglc.org

Aug 27                        FOK Let’s Paddle the Kaw event Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Sept 10                        FOK Let’s Paddle the Kaw event Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Sept 24                        FOK Great Kaw Adventure Race Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Oct 7-8                        FOK Fundraiser event Astronomy & Wine Register w/Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Oct 8               FOK Let’s Paddle the Kaw event Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

Oct 29             FOK Little Apple Glow Paddle Register with Marcia Rozell 785.776.8829

For a more up-to-date calendar go to http://www.kswildlife.org/ww/events/.

Steele House nominated to National Register

At its meeting on Saturday, April 30, the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review voted to nominate the Steele House at Lake Scott State Park to the National Register of Historic Places. This action sends the nomination to the National Park Service for their consideration and final action. It also adds the home to the state’s Register of Kansas Historic Places.

The Steele House was built ca. 1894 by Herbert and Eliza Steele on the west bank of Ladder Creek in what later became Lake Scott State Park. They were among the earliest Euro-American settlers in the county. The seven-room, two-level limestone house was built into the side of a hill so the lower level is partly recessed into the hill. The nomination also includes a crude limestone spring house built by the Steeles over a still-active spring and a decorative pond and bench built with help from the Civilian Conservation Corps ca. 1934 after the Steeles had passed away.

Lake Scott State Park is located in Ladder Creek Canyon about 13 miles north of Scott City in Scott County. Before Euro-American settlement, the canyon was home to several Central Plains Native American groups, dating to proto historic and early historic times. El Cuartelejo, the remains of the northeastern-most pueblo in the U.S., are located a short distance north of the Steele House. The El Cuartelejo Archaeological District National Historic Landmark established in 1964 – a concentration of remnants from these cultural groups – surrounds the Steele House and was made possible by the Steeles’ willingness to have their land investigated by archeologists beginning in the late 1890s.

The Steeles were aware their picturesque property was an ideal setting for a park. In 1928, they sold 640 acres of their land to the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission – a forerunner of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) with the stipulation they be allowed to live in their home until their passing. In May 1930, the Commission completed a dam across Ladder Creek and created the 100-acre Lake McBride which later was renamed to Lake Scott.

Herbert Steele passed away in September 1929, having never seen the lake and park he helped create. Eliza Steele died in July 1930, one month after the park opened. Today, the house is a museum operated by volunteers.

Lake Scott State Park is a featured location along the Western Vistas Historic Byway. The National Register nomination application can be found online at http://www.kshs.org/p/hsbr-meeting-april-30-2016/14633. More information about the park is located at http://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Scott. Information about the Western Vistas Historic Byway is at http://www.westernvistashistoricbyway.com/