justnorth posted on August 29, 2007 18:21 :: 1543 Views
MADISON – Wisconsin conservation wardens and watercraft inspectors will be out in force this Labor Day weekend, helping remind boaters, anglers and paddlers to clean their boats and what’s at stake if they don’t.
“There will be a real strong contingent of wardens out to work with the public to make sure their Labor Day holiday is safe and that they’re taking the steps necessary to prevent the spread of invasive species and VHS, a new fish disease,” says Karl Brooks, deputy chief warden of the Department of Natural Resources.
Brooks said the wardens will be focusing on educating boaters about the prevention steps, about the 2001 law that makes it illegal to launch a boat with plants attached, and about emergency rules in effect now to prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, VHS, from waters where the virus has been confirmed or is suspected to be in fish.
Paid and volunteer watercraft inspectors will be stationed at public landings on many popular recreational waters. The DNR has a small corps of watercraft inspectors, and provides grants to a growing number of counties for their watercraft inspection efforts. In addition, more than 1,000 people have participated in Clean Boats, Clean Waters (exit DNR) training aimed at helping them organize a volunteer watercraft inspection team to protect their favorite lake or river from introductions of invasive species, according to Erin Henegar, who coordinates the training program for DNR and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Hundreds of those trained volunteers and their recruits from lake associations and other groups have logged thousands of hours on public boat launches already this summer. Many of those volunteers are expected to be out at boat launches over the holiday weekend for one last big push, Henegar says.
Clean Boats, Clean Waters watercraft inspectors will be greeting hundreds of boaters as they enter the Pike Chain of Lakes and other Bayfield County waters, according to Jane Swenson, a volunteer who works to prevent and control aquatic invasive species for the Iron River Lakes Association. She is currently working with a small group of volunteers, including SCUBA divers, who will pull Eurasian water milfoil from infested spots on the Pike Chain.
“What I try to stress to boaters and others is that we need to stay on top of these invasive species, learn about them and spread the word to others of just how much we stand to lose,” says Swenson, whose nickname is “Milfoil Lady.”
“It’s scary. Even though we already have Eurasian water milfoil on the Pike Chain of Lakes, I tell people, tune in to what’s coming.”
For more information on aquatic invasive species and what people can do to help prevent their spread, visit the invasive species pages of the DNR Web site.
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