More Funds for the DEP

Connecticut residents’ expectations for the environment — ample preserved lands, protected wildlife, healthy rivers, clean air, a vital state parks system — have soared in the last two decades. State funding for the Department of Environmental Protection’s programs has not.

That’s got to change.

The General Assembly’s appropriations committee is recommending a $4.5 million increase in the DEP’s budget for the next fiscal year. It’s a good and necessary start, even in a flagging economy. The DEP has been slowly starved for decades. Its bones are showing.

Severe and long-term staffing shortages have left the state’s parks languishing. The agency struggles (and fails) to keep pace with its regulatory duties, and performs less than half the inspections it did a decade ago.

Recycling programs are stalled. Projects to reduce sewage overflows into Long Island Sound are behind schedule. Farmland and open space preservation is lagging.

And those are just the current challenges.

Yet the level of state funding for environmental programs in Connecticut (adjusted for inflation) has stayed flat since 1972, the year the agency was created, according to a report by the state Council on Environmental Quality.

Today, federal money, bonding, permits and license fees account for nearly three-quarters of the DEP’s operating budget, according to the council. The agency’s slice of Connecticut’s general fund — 0.23 percent (about $10.29 per person each year) — is smaller than that of any neighboring state; New York‘s environmental agency, which has the next lowest rate, gets 0.57 percent.

The DEP gives Connecticut residents a pretty good bang for their ten spot. Think what it could do with adequate funding.

By: The courant.com

Dinosaur State Park Sponsors “Walks & Talks” During School Vacation Week, April 12-20th 2008

The Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, along with the Department of Environmental Protection, will be offering a variety of activities and events during the upcoming school vacation week of April 12-20th.Dinosaur State Park is open year round (the Museum is closed every Monday) with over 500 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints on display, a myriad of exhibits and 100-seat theater. On weekends, this theater shows dinosaur related films; there is also a bookstore and 2 ½ miles of hiking trails.
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QDMA Reaches 50,000 Members and Counting

Quality Deer Management Association

For Immediate Release

QDMA Reaches 50,000 Members and Counting BOGART, GA. – David Wambold of Mascoutah, Illinois, thought his $30 would cover the standard one-year membership in the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). But when he joined through the QDMA Web site on March 31, he pushed the nonprofit conservation organization to 50,000 active members and earned himself a complimentary Life Membership in the process. “I was looking for help with food plots and habitat improvement, and a friend suggested I join QDMA. He loaned me a couple of his Quality Whitetails magazines, and I also saw the QDMA television show, and I was extremely impressed,” said David, a retired aquatic biologist, whose family jointly owns a 100-acre hunting property. “I never win anything, so it was a complete surprise when I learned I had won a Life Membership. From what I’ve seen of QDMA’s materials and message, this is a fantastic prize.” “David’s story is a perfect example for explaining QDMA’s continued growth,” said executive director Brian Murphy. “It is a reflection of the growing interest in deer management, habitat improvement, and land and wildlife conservation. Many deer hunters like David are managing land, especially small tracts, to create quality deer habitat and better deer hunting. QDMA has the information, expertise and support to help them achieve these goals.” With 50,000 active members in all 50 states, Canada and several foreign countries, QDMA is now one of the fastest growing conservation organizations in North America. The milestone in membership was reached just six months short of QDMA’s 20th Anniversary this October, but the majority of QDMA’s growth has occurred in the last decade. When Murphy took the reins of the organization in 1997, QDMA had just 3,000 members, and Murphy was QDMA’s only employee. By 2000, QDMA reached 10,000 members, and momentum was beginning to build. Eight years later, QDMA has 50,000 members and more than 30 full- and part-time employees. Murphy first operated QDMA out of a spare bedroom in his Georgia home; the organization is now headquartered on a 23-acre site just outside Athens, Georgia, that was donated to the organization in 2004. “Our growth is also made possible by an expanding network of volunteers and QDMA Branches across North America,” said Murphy. “We’ve grown from just over 30 active Branches to 175 Branches in the last four years alone. These volunteers are critical to continued membership growth and achieving the association’s educational mission.” QDMA’s growth has allowed the organization to diversify its outreach efforts. QDMA’s message of sound deer management and wildlife stewardship is now conveyed through a multimedia effort that includes Quality Whitetails magazine, Quality Whitetails TV on the Outdoor Channel, publications like the landmark book Quality Food Plots, the QDMA Web site, and QDMA’s Deer Steward certification courses. Additional outreach initiatives under the umbrella of the REACH program include funding for whitetail research, advocacy of sound deer management in public policy, and QDMA’s Mentored Hunting Program for hunter recruitment and retention. “Number 50,000 is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Craig Dougherty, chairman of QDMA’s Board of Directors. “QDMA is all about better deer and better deer hunting, and there are about 10 million deer hunters who have not discovered us yet. When they do, we will see an increase in wildlife conservation activity of historic proportions, with white-tailed deer being the big winners.” Visit us today at www.qdma.com

QDMA Founded in 1988, the QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with 48,000 members in all 50 states and several foreign countries. Membership in the QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about the QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call (800) 209-DEER [(800) 209-3337] or visit www.QDMA.com.

State DEP’s Role To Assure Landfill Won’t Damage River

The state Department of Environmental Protection will face a major test of its environmental policies in deciding whether to approve a massive ash landfill on several hundred acres adjacent to the Shetucket River. The property, near the former mushroom farm in Franklin, is upstream of the Scotland dam. It is also located along a five-mile stretch of the river often used for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and hiking. Both the DEP and the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, the quasi-public agency seeking approval for the landfill, have a huge responsibility to get the science right, for this section of the Shetucket is one of the state’s treasures. What’s also at stake is the integrity of tributary brooks on or near the proposed landfill site.
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Glastonbury Shooting Range Re-Opens For 2008 Season

Glastonbury Shooting Range
Re-Opens For 2008 Season

Weekend Hours Start April 5, 2008

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that the Glastonbury Shooting Range is scheduled to re-open for supervised public use starting Saturday, April 5, 2008. The range is located within the Meshomasic State Forest off of Toll Gate Road in Glastonbury and has been closed for the winter period. Following extensive renovations completed in 2004, the range has been open during limited weekend hours for the past three seasons. The range will remain open through November 30, 2008 and will be staffed by seasonal DEP employees that are certified range safety officers.

Hours of operation will be from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays only. There is no fee to use the range. The range will be closed to public use during all other times and DEP Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police officers will strictly enforce hours of operation. Reservations can be made by contacting the DEP Eastern District Headquarters in Marlborough at (860) 295-9523, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 p.m. Callers may make single time slot reservations for themselves and not more than one other person at any one time. A total of ten covered shooting positions are available during two time periods: 10:00 am – 12 noon and 12 noon – 2:00 p.m. Shooting position assignments will be made at the discretion of the range safety officer. Target stands will be provided at 25, 50, 75 and 100-yard distances, but shooters must supply their own targets and stapler or tape for target placement. Only paper targets will be allowed and shooters should be reminded to bring eye and ear protection, which will be required at all times. Rifles, shotguns, pistols and muzzleloading rifles may be used, however fully automatic weapons are not permitted. The site is handicapped accessible, with a specially designed shooting bench for wheelchair access and includes portable sanitary facilities. Walk-in shooters are welcome and will be accommodated for unreserved positions or as space becomes available. The range may be closed due to severe weather and staffing availability.

Federal funding for site improvements, range equipment and seasonal staffing is provided through Connecticut’s Conservation Education/Firearms Safety Program. Federal funds available to the states through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act), are derived from a federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. Connecticut receives a special allocation of federal funding that can be used for the construction, operation, maintenance and enhancement of public target and shooting ranges.

Info supplied by: CT DEP

Beavers May Breathe A Dam Site Easier

Humane Society Says Device Limits Flooding But Allows Animals To Stay

•A beaver swims at the pond at Pequot Woods in Mystic Thursday.

Mystic — Beaver lovers can breathe easier. The town of Groton may have found an affordable solution to the flooding caused by the beaver dam at Pequot Woods park that won’t require trapping and killing the animals, or a complex boardwalk and bridge project.
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Film Legend Charlton Heston passes away

Film legend Charlton Heston dead at 84 By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing “Ben-Hur” and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the ’50s and ’60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
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Hikers and Others Can Get a Rush at Waterfalls in the Area

SOUTHBURY-The weather is getting warmer and the days are becoming longer, so what better way to begin enjoying the season than to bask in the beauty of one of the region’s waterfalls. They may not be as obvious as the lakes, rivers and streams that give them life, but there are at least 10 glorious cascades within easy driving distance that offer a range of recreational experiences.

Southford Falls State Park in Oxford, for example, is a great spot for a picnic. It is located along the Eight Mile River that flows out of Lake Quassapaug and winds its way into the Housatonic River.
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Dive team finds snowmobile of missing Connecticut man

By Nick Sambides Jr

Penobscot

NORCROSS — Maine Warden Service divers found the snowmobile of a missing New Haven, Conn., man in about 40 feet of water in North Twin Lake on Tuesday afternoon.

The 42-year-old man’s family reported him missing when he failed to return about two hours after he left camp at 9:45 p.m. Monday to go sledding by himself.

A member of the 10-man warden’s dive team found the man’s snowmobile in the water near where an almost mile-long snowmobile track from his family’s camp abruptly ended at open water, said Deborah Turcotte, interim spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

“There’s a huge rock out there and the water is very dark,” Turcotte said Tuesday. “There are a lot of trees in the water, too. The wardens can’t even see a foot or so in front of them under the water, so it’s very slow going.”

The missing man has been identified, but wardens are withholding his name because not everyone in his immediate family has been contacted yet, Turcotte said Tuesday evening.

About 18 wardens, including the dive team, participated in the search Tuesday. The divers went into the water at about noon and some were still immersed as of 5:45 p.m., Turcotte said. The search was called off at about 6:20 p.m., but is due to resume this morning.

Norcross is a sparsely-populated area off Route 11 near Quakish and Elbow lakes about three miles west of Millinocket. The Golden Road and a railroad freight line run nearby. The man’s family has had a camp on North Twin Lake for generations, Turcotte said.

Since early last month, wardens have been pleading with snowmobilers to be aware of the changing surface conditions as temperatures rise and ice melts, often rapidly. Areas that might appear to be solid could be undermined by welling water and rapid currents, they have said.

A combination of both, plus darkness, likely contributed to the Norcross accident, Turcotte said. She warned snowmobilers to avoid water bodies and stick to groomed trails.

“The ice is opening up rather quickly. Where there could be ice in the early morning has opened up by early afternoon,” Turcotte said, adding, “I don’t know if that was the case here.”

Some power companies are drawing down lakes to accommodate the spring runoff, which leaves behind open water and open shores.

Ten snowmobiling fatalities have been reported so far this season, and Tuesday’s search was the warden service’s third in three days, although the first to involve a dive team, Turcotte said. As many as 90,000 people ride snowmobiles in Maine during the season.

The most fatalities reported was 16 in the 2002-03 sledding season, she said.

nsambides@bangordailynews.net

Bangor Daily News.com

DEP 2008 Preseason Trout Stocking Well Underway

DEP 2008 Preseason Trout Stocking
Well Underway

Trout fishing season opens on Saturday, April 19^th
Preseason angling opportunities available at the
State’s Trout Management Areas

FIND YOUR RODS, DUST OFF YOUR LURES, CHECK YOUR WADERS, AND GET READY FOR OPENING DAY OF TROUT FISHING SEASON! The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is also gearing up for the 2008 season. DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division began its annual spring trout stocking on March 4th, and expects to have over 400,000 trout stocked throughout the state by Opening Day on April 19, 2008.

“Opening Day is an excellent opportunity for families to get outside and experience a day of trout fishing,” said Gina McCarthy, Commissioner of the DEP. “Fishing in our state’s beautiful streams and lakes is something we’re encouraging people to do more of as part of our No Child Left Inside campaign. All of Connecticut’s residents should get ready to go trout fishing on April 19.”

Anglers can enjoy a variety of trout fishing experiences in Connecticut, ranging from the local stream to specially managed areas such as Trout Parks (frequently stocked and ideal for families), Trophy Trout Streams (stocked with more large fish), and Trout Management Areas (catch-and-release fishing). “Connecticut’s anglers can look forward to exceptional trout fishing this spring,” said Commissioner McCarthy. “Thanks to the hard work of the staff at our hatcheries, our fish made it through the winter in excellent condition and are now more than ready to battle Opening Day anglers.”

As part of its “No Child Left Inside” initiative, DEP has also initiated a pilot Urban Fishing program to enhance fishing opportunities at attractive, easily accessed locations in Connecticut’s major population centers. All four of the ponds designated as Urban Fishing areas, Keney Park Pond (Hartford), Lake Wintergreen (Hamden), Bunnells Pond (Bridgeport) and Mohegan Park Pond (Norwich) will be stocked this spring prior to Opening Day.

Over 200 truckloads of trout will be distributed throughout the state in preparation for Opening Day. These trout will be released into 101 lakes and ponds and 201 rivers and streams throughout Connecticut. The following species & sizes will be stocked for Opening Day:

62,250		brook trout	(10-11 inch)
214,300		brown trout	(10-11 inch)
7,900		brown trout	(12 inch)
8,000		tiger trout	(10-12 inch brook/brown hybrid)
89,000		rainbow trout	(10-12 inch)
18,650		rainbow trout	(12-14 inch)
1,680		surplus broodstock	(3-10 pound trout)

^{An additional 1,100 broodstock Seeforellen strain brown trout ranging in size from 1 to 15 pounds were stocked into 15 lakes and ponds in late December, 2007. The broodstock were released into Amos Lake, Bashan Lake, Black Pond (Middlefield/Meriden), Black Pond (Woodstock), Cedar Lake (Chester), Coventry Lake, Crystal Lake, Long Pond, Mashapaug Lake, Mohawk Pond, Mt. Tom Pond, Stillwater Pond, Tyler Lake, West Hill Pond and West Side Pond.}

^{Trout anglers looking for an early start to the fishing season can visit one of the state’s sixteen Trout Management Areas (TMA). All these popular areas are open for pre-season catch-and-release fishing. The TMA’s on the Mill River (Fairfield), Saugatuck River, Pequabuck River (including Coppermine Brook), Hammonasset River, Hockanum River, Mill River (Hamden), Naugatuck River, Farmington River, Mianus River, Willimantic River, Moosup River, Yantic River, and Salmon River have already been stocked. Additional TMA’s are located on the West Branch-Farmington River and Housatonic River (Bulls Bridge and Housatonic River TMA’s). Class I Wild Trout Management Areas (WTMA) are also open year-round for catch-and-release fishing, and are located on Deep Brook, Eightmile River, Hawleys Brook, Beaver Brook/Merrick Brook, Macedonia Brook, Mill River (in Easton), Quinnipiac River, Tankerhoosen River, and Wachocastinook (Riga) Brook. Additionally, downstream portions of five of the designated Sea-run Trout Streams (Eightmile River, Farm River, Hammonasset River, Latimer Brook, Whitford Brook) are open year-round with a two trout per day creel limit and a fifteen-inch minimum length.}

^{Anglers should consult their 2008 CT Angler’s Guide for detailed information on specific locations and angling regulations. Angler’s Guides are available at all Town Clerks Offices and at tackle shops and other vendors that sell fishing licenses. Also, new for 2008, anglers can now purchase their fishing licenses online. Both the Angler’s Guide and the online licensing system can be accessed on the DEP web site at: www.ct.gov/dep/fishing}

from: CT DEP Website

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