Connecting Indiana with Alaska through Wildlife n
By Barbara
Simpson Though thousands of miles away, Indiana and one of the remotest parts of Alaska depend on each other to support countless wildlife populations. Migratory waterfowl, shore birds, and raptors (birds of prey) use Indiana’s wetlands and riparian corridors to rest as they travel between their Arctic nesting grounds in Alaska and their winter homes as far south as Central and South America. Each point on birds’ migration paths is extremely important. Failing to protect or properly manage one will adversely affect the others and, consequently, deprive sportsmen and women and wildlife watchers of the opportunities to appreciate the wildlife they love. To ensure the millions of migrating birds will still continue stopping in Indiana, we must focus our conservation advocacy efforts outside of our state and weigh in on the management of Alaska’s continentally important wildlife habitat. The National Petroleum ReserveAlaska (Reserve), the largest single tract of public land in the United States that covers 22 million acres of Alaska’s North Slope, is one of the most critical nesting areas for migratory birds. Containing multiple important habitat, calving, and nesting areas for animals such as waterfowl, caribou, fish, birds of prey, seals, whales, and polar bears, the Reserve has wilderness and wildlife values “that rank among the highest on the continent,” according to the National Audubon Society. Birds, such as long-billed dowitchers, semipalmated sandpipers, pectoral sandpipers, dulins, stilt sandpipers, and many others nest in the Reserve and travel through Indiana every year. This critical wildlife area also contains substantial oil and gas deposits. Balancing
the interests of conservationists and industrialists, in 1976, the federal government authorized the leasing and development of the Reserve for oil and gas and at the same time recognized the Reserve’s value to wildlife. The Department of the Interior (DOI) was charged with protecting the Reserve’s environmental, fish and wildlife, and historical or scenic values as oil and gas development proceeded. To protect wildlife and habitat in the Reserve and to mitigate the impacts of oil and gas development in the area, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency managing the Reserve, began a new comprehensive planning effort in 2010. The new management plan will encompass the entire NPR-A, including four DOI-designated Special Areas of significant wildlife and wilderness value. BLM completed a draft plan and initiated a 60-day public comment period at the beginning of April. The federal government has recognized the importance of an approach to oil and gas development that protects the biologically diverse wildlife and wildlife habitats of the Reserve. We must reinforce the importance of balancing energy needs with protecting the critical wild spaces on which wildlife around the world depend. One way we can all contribute is to write Sec. of the Interior Ken Salazar and let him know we support his efforts to protect wildlife and habitat in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. Please weigh in with your support of the new Integrated Activity Plan and Environmental Impact Statement that became open to public comment in early April. We will have 60 days to let the Secretary of the Interior know we strongly encourage the DOI to protect critical wildlife habitat in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. Please give us a call if you’d like to learn more about the important connection between Alaska and Indiana in sustaining migratory waterfowl, shorebird, and raptor populations: 317-875-9453 or email simpson@indianawildlife.org.•
President Steve Cecil First Vice-President Glenn Lange Second Vice-President Doug Allman Secretary Shaena Reinhart Treasurer Adam McLane National Wildlife Federation Representative Dr. Dave Hoffman Immediate Past President Shaena Reinhart Executive Director Barbara Simpson Editor Stephen Sellers Graphic Design/Layout Julie Kirkendoll Printing The Papers, Incorporated Milford, Indiana Please address all advertising and editorial inquires to: Editor 4715 W. 106th Street Zionsville, IN 46077 Phone: 317-875-9453 Email: editor@indianawildlife.org The Indiana Wildlife Federation is considered a non-profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service Vol. 51 No. 1 VOICE OF THE INDIANA WILDLIFE FEDERATION Hoosier Conservation (ISSN NO. 0199.6894) is published quarterly by Indiana Wildlife Federation, an independent statewide organization of affiliated conservation clubs and concerned citizens of Indiana. IWF is the Indiana affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, and is incorporated under the laws of the State of Indiana as a non-profit corporation. Hoosier Conservation is a membership periodical available only to the various classes of IWF members and is not sold by subscription. Periodical Office: The Papers, P.O. Box 188, Milford, IN 46542. Periodical postage paid at Milford, IN. Editorial Office: Manuscripts, news releases, and correspondence directed specifically to the Editor should be addressed to: H.C. Editor, 4715 W. 106th Street, Zionsville, IN. Manuscripts, photographs, or artwork should be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes with return postage. However, Hoosier Conservation assumes no liability for the return of unsolicited materials. Material appearing in Hoosier Conservation may be reproduced with the appropriate credit lines unless designated a ©. Membership and Business Office: Correspondence about membership, delivery of Hoosier Conservation, or general business should be addressed to 4715 W. 106th Street, Zionsville, IN 46077. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Hoosier Conservation, 4715 W. 106th Street, Zionsville, IN 46077. USPS No. 249820.
On the cover: Hiking trail at Sunman-Dearborn Wildlife Friendly Habitat. Inset wildlife: Amy Chandler (http://amychandler.zenfolio.com/)
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2012 Annual Meeting and Conservation Awards Banquet
IWF Coming Events
Mark your calendars now for these special events Spring and summer are IWF’s busiest seasons. Here are a few important dates to put on your calendars. The best way to stay updated is through our online calendar at www.indianawildlife.org/ calendar.htm
Success with WRP in Indiana: The Wetlands Reserve Program and Healthy Rivers INitiative May 12 Join us at this year’s Wings Over Muscatatuck to learn about the Indiana Healthy Rivers INitiative and the importance of wetlands and landowner assistance programs in the Wabash RiverSugar Creek and Muscatatuck Bottoms project areas. Check out the agenda and get more information about this workshop on our homepage: www.indianawildlife.org.
Annual Meeting and Conservation Awards Banquet weekend May 18-19 Please check the sidebar at right for more details about this year’s Annual Meeting and Conservation Awards Banquet!
Devotion to Wildlife: Wright Brothers Trio—Unplugged & Acoustic June 9 IWF presents the second installment of its annual Devotion to Wildlife concert series. This year’s concert will feature the Wright Brothers Trio—Unplugged & Acoustic at West Park in Carmel. The popular Byrne’s Grilled Pizza, Duos, and Scratch food trucks will be on hand for dinner, and Sun King beer will be available for sale. Tickets are available on our website. Please contact us for volunteer and sponsorship information.
Deadline: Charles Holt Memorial Scholarship applications June 15
We have planned a great weekend! To kick things off, join us Friday evening, May 18, with for a family pitch-in at 6 p.m. in the Sycamore Shelter at Spring Mill State Park. IWF will provide meat and non-alcoholic beverages. On Saturday, we have two important events. First, we will take care of business at the Annual Meeting at 9 a.m. All members are encouraged to attend to learn about IWF’s accomplishments from the past year and help shape IWF’s next goals and priorities. Second, please help us honor 2012’s outstanding conservationists as chosen by the Indiana Wildlife Federation members. The Conservation Awards Luncheon will begin at 1p.m. Visit www.indianawildlife.org/ annualmeeting.htm for more details.
Proposed Amendments to IWF’s Bylaws
Every year, IWF is pleased to award one Indiana undergrad pursuing a wildlife or natural resources-related degree with the Charles Holt Memorial Scholarship. Any interested candidate must apply by June 15. Download the application from our homepage: www.indianawildlife.org.•
Amendments have been proposed to IWF’s Bylaws. Visit www.indianawildlife. org to view the proposed amendments, or contact our office for a hard copy. Mail comments to our office or email info@ indianawildlife.org before the Annual Meeting. We will vote to ratify the amended Bylaws at the Annual Meeting on May 19th. You can read IWF’s current Bylaws here: www.indianawildlife.org/ constitution.htm.•
Travis Stoelting takes position at Goose Pond Travis Stoelting, IWF’s Wildlife Biologist of two years, took a position with DNR as assistant property manager of Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area. While at IWF, Travis worked on countless habitat projects of all sizes, successfully implementing our Wildlife Friendly Certification program and leading numerous workshops on developing space for wildlife.
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A native of Greene County and a bird enthusiast, Travis will feel right home on Goose Pond, an 8,000-plus acre fish and wildlife area that several migratory bird species call home throughout the year. The IWF board and staff wish him well and look forward to the improvements he will make to the beloved Goose Pond.•
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Legislative Session Report By Glenn L ange, IWF Vice President Indiana’s General Assembly plays a significant role in how Hoosiers affect Indiana’s fish and wildlife resources, deliberating on various statutes that govern our relationship with the plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Because of the potential impact of the General Assembly’s actions, your Board of Directors and Barbara Simpson, your Executive Director, spend considerable time and effort following, discussing, testifying for and against, meeting with legislators and other conservation organizations, and communicating with you about how proposed legislation will affect Indiana’s wildlife. In Indiana, those of us who advocate for the protection and enhancement of our fish and wildlife are few in number so it is vitally important that the Indiana Wildlife Federation works with other conservation and environmental organizations to have a greater impact on the state level decisions that affect our natural resources. One of those collaborations is with the Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA), a group of 30 organizations sharing a common interest in the protection, stewardship and sustainable use of our natural resources. This group works on legislative priorities each year, advocates for their passage, and sponsors the annual Conservation Day at the Statehouse event. For this past session, INCA’s priorities included bills that would restrict the use of Phosphorus in lawn fertilizers (HB1425) and would authorize the issuance of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Bonds (HB1332). Unfortunately, neither bill passed. In addition to pushing those two bills, INCA continued conversations with legislators about increasing the budgets of the Indiana Heritage Trust Program, Indiana’s only fund dedicated to the purchase of public land, and the Clean Water Indiana Program, the only state funding
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mechanism for land management projects dedicated to improving water quality. INCA members also kept our senators and representatives up to date on the progress of the Sustainable Natural Resources Task Force, which passed the legislature last year. The next session of the General Assembly will prepare the next state budget, and we will need your help advocating for increased funding for these natural resource programs. In addition to promoting important policies, we fought hard against legislation threatening Indiana’s wildlife. We found two bills especially problematic. The first bill HB1002: Elimination of commissions, boards, and committees, consolidated IDEM’s rule-making boards for air pollution, water pollution, and solid waste management into the solitary Environmental Rules Board. Unfortunately HB1002 passed, which, as we stressed, will make it more difficult for citizens and conservation and environmental organizations to influence the rules that will govern Indiana’s air, water and solid waste pollution. Canned hunting reared its ugly head again in HB1265: Hunting preserves,
which attempted to legalize the shooting of deer and other cervids behind fences. IWF has been staunchly opposed to canned hunting since the late 90s. Fortunately, the canned hunting bill did not pass thanks to the vigilance of Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, and opposition from the Governor. We hope you will join with us each year as we work on policies to enhance Indiana’s management of our natural resources. Make a difference by getting to know your senator and representative and sharing your views. Please contact us with any suggestions on how we can better represent you or your conservation club. We welcome your suggestions on wildlife and habitat issues you feel should be addressed through legislation or administrative rule changes. For more information on the bills that IWF followed throughout the session, visit our Conservation Bill Watch homepage (www.indianawildlife.org/billwatch. htm). We also have lots of great information about how excess phosphorus from fertilizers is reducing our water quality. Information about the PACE bonds can be found on the Hoosier Environmental Council website (www.hecweb.org).•
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Asian Carp Update for Indiana By Doug Keller, Aquatic Habitat Coordinator, Division of Fish and Wildlife This spring the Army Corps of Engineers should be releasing a report on possible permanent solutions that could be implemented at the Wabash-Maumee connection area around Eagle Marsh in northeast Indiana. The report will not offer a specific solution but rather a very short list of options compared to a previous list of about 100 options developed at a meeting of engineers and hydrologists. A number of the options that may make that short list do not differ much from the current fence/berm temporary solution that DNR has already put in place. One of the greatest hurdles in the establishment of a permanent solution around Eagle Marsh will be the Corp’s statutory requirement that 25% of the construction cost be borne by the state or a local entity. A related federal requirement is that the state or local entity must assume operation and maintenance costs once the project is completed. It has been the state’s stance that this is a federal issue as we did not bring these fish into the state and Indiana will gain little direct benefit if we were to spend money on a permanent solution. The key beneficiaries for control expenditures in northeast Indiana would be the State of Ohio and Lake Erie users. We feel that n
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projects of this type should be 100% federally funded. A contract with Purdue began in 2011 to evaluate the movement and spawning of Asian carp in the upper Wabash River and its tributaries. The research revealed that Asian carp show little interest in the upper portion of the Wabash River (upstream of Logansport) and they have
shown no interest in running up Little River toward Eagle Marsh. The study indicated that there are consistent and considerable Asian carp populations between Lafayette and Logansport. Movement is triggered by increasing water levels, but few fish ventured upstream of Logansport. Data on Asian carp spawning nearly mirrored the movement results. Considerable numbers of eggs were found from Logansport and downstream. Two eggs were found at the city of Wabash but those were early stage eggs that would need to drift at least 50 miles downstream before hatching. We are fortunate that there are almost no backwaters adjacent to the upper Wabash River. Even if Asian carp eggs were to hatch in that stretch of the river, the young would not have the suitable, calm nursery areas required for early development and growth. The Asian carp movement and spawning study has been extended through the fall of 2012. An additional 100 fish will be implanted with transmitters, and those tags put in fish in 2011 should still be functioning so those fish will be tracked as well. The website for the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee is: http://www.asiancarp.us The Indiana DNRís related website is: http://www.invasivespecies.in.gov
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Conservation: A Common Goal By Phil Bloom, Department of Natural Resources Hunters and anglers are often identified as America’s first conservationists. It stems from the realization more than a century ago by national leaders like Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and others that despite our country’s vast natural resources, the supply of fish and game was not endless and in fact dwindling at a rapid rate. This recognition brought focus to the need to protect the fish and game resources from over-harvest, but doing so required a funding source to manage the situation. Hunting permits originated in the American colonies in the 1690s, but it was a century and a half later that states began requiring non-residents to purchase hunting licenses. The concept was to protect a state’s wildlife resources for its own residents and landowners. Indiana took that approach in 1901 by charging non-residents $25 for a license to hunt waterfowl and squirrels from Oct. 1 to Nov. 10. Residents got to hunt for free, but that changed two years later when Hoosiers had to pay $1 for the privilege. In 1937, Congress took the user-pay concept a step further by passing the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act that apportioned to state fish and wildlife agencies revenue produced by federal excise taxes collected from the manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and hunting equipment. Part of the apportionment formula is based on the number of hunting licenses sold. Indiana received its first dose from this federal fund in 1939 – $33,210. Our share grew to $1.14 million in 1974, more than doubled by 1991, stayed above $3 million over the past decade-plus, and received more than $4.3 million in 2011. A similar program (the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund) brought Indiana more than $4.8 million in federal reimbursements in 2011. Over the years, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (and its predecessor, the Department of
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Photo/ Lee Sterrenburg
n
Conservation) has received about $230 million in financial aid from these two federal programs. Every dime has been put into conservation. It’s why we have a statewide fish management program that annually stocks about 20 million fish, why there are more than 350 public boat access sites, why more than 12,000 students take hunter safety education classes each year, and why there are public target shooting ranges. And it’s why there are two dozen Fish & Wildlife Areas and associated sites totaling more than 140,000 acres where people can go to fish, hunt or just to watch wildlife. Take Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area, for instance. This much-coveted property near Linton in Greene County was acquired in 2005 through a diverse coalition of funding sources, including the DNR, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Indiana Department of Transportation, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and many other organizations. The Indiana Wildlife Federation was one of them. Earlier this year, Goose Pond drew hundreds of visitors hoping to get a glimpse of a rare Asian hooded crane showed up – 7,000 miles from its native territory.
It showed that lots of people can enjoy what a place like Goose Pond can provide. You don’t have to be a hunter. Likewise, you don’t have to be an angler to appreciate the fishing opportunities at places like J.E. Roush Fish & Wildlife Area or at Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area. The fact those places are there is a tribute to the fishing and hunting public, but it also presents an opportunity to inform non-anglers and non-hunters why they are there. It also serves as a call to action for anyone who appreciates nature. Contributing to the conservation cause can be done any number of ways: • Put an Environmental License plate on your vehicle to support the Indiana Heritage Trust, which has acquired more than 50,000 acres of land in the past 20 years. • Contribute all or part of your Indiana tax refund to the Non-Game Wildlife Fund or donate directly to the fund. All wildlife species need and benefit from good habitat. • Buy a fishing or hunting license. It doesn’t matter if you fish or hunt because the revenue helps the DNR acquire and manage places like Goose Pond that are appreciated by more than just anglers and hunters. Each of these programs has unique features, but collectively they serve the same goal. Conservation.•
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The Farm Bill that Wasn’t Ryan Stockwell, Ph.D., Agriculture Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation The Supercommittee process designed to cut federal spending instigated considerable discussion among agriculture policy leaders, agriculture interests, and environmental organizations on where to cut the Farm Bill budget to find $23 billion in savings from the five year farm bill. Agriculture policy leaders took the Supercommittee process as an opportunity to write a new farm bill. While commodity groups scrambled to defend direct payments or find ways to parlay some of those funds into “more defensible” crop insurance subsidies, environmental and conservation groups highlighted the value conservation programs provide to farmers, outdoor enthusiasts, and taxpayers. In the end, the closed-door and highlysecretive agriculture committee principles provided the Supercommittee with a proposal that supposedly (no one outside of the agriculture committees has seen the actual proposal) eliminated direct payments, increased crop insurance subsidies, and cut and consolidated conservation programs. The Conservation Reserve Program is rumored to have taken the biggest hit with a 29% cut from the current 32 million acre cap to a 25 million acre cap. The proposal then pushed other programs vital to wildlife into limbo n
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status when all working lands programs (Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program) were consolidated into a single program and easement programs, excluding the Conservation Reserve Program (Grasslands Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program), were similarly mashed into a single operational program. With multiple programs sharing one pot of funds no one would know for certain how well wildlife habitat would be protected. The failure of the Supercommittee to develop a full plan means we may never know the extent to which the ideas in this short lived Farm Bill would impact wildlife.
Next, Back to Square One
With the end of the Supercommittee and no agreement established, the Farm Bill process reverts back to the traditional formula. The Senate Agriculture Committee has begun hearings toward the next Farm Bill. On February 28th that committee held a hearing on conservation programs. The House plans to take up hearings shortly after the Senate, but nothing official has yet been announced. The big question shifts from “will we get a Farm Bill in 2011” to “will we have to wait until 2013 for a farm bill?” With 2012 an election year, common opinion suggests if the Farm Bill is not passed early in 2012, it will probably wait
until 2013 with a short-term extension in between. The next biggest question is “where to begin?” Will the agriculture committees begin talks from the current farm bill or the proposal established for the Supercommittee?
A Significant Opportunity
Unlike the Supercommittee process that led to Agriculture committee leaders developing a Farm Bill in isolation, purposely cutting out public input, or even the input from a number of representatives on the agriculture committees, the traditional Farm Bill process allows concerned citizens to voice their opinions to their legislators. Many groups and legislators have taken a heightened interest in the 2012 Farm Bill process now that the Supercommittee process threatened to create legislation with minimal input from the public. Regardless of when, where, or how the Farm Bill gets passed, the conservation and wildlife community needs to voice its concern for conservation programs that have historically experienced funding cuts through the annual appropriations process while the waiting lists for land owners to participate in conservation programs grow longer. Conservation provides tremendous value, from cleaner water and air to wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities. Be sure your representative or Senator knows how much conservation and wildlife mean to you.•
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By Travis Stoelting There is a certain comfort that comes with the warming nights of spring and summer bringing back familiar sounds of the season: hoards of frogs, the famed woodcock “sky dance,” and the resonating Whip-poor-will. Few species carry the degree of notoriety through time as the Whip-poor-will has in Indiana and many of our forested states. Named after its loud and enduring song, Whip-poor-wills have been referred to in songs and stories for generations as a symbol of solitude, wonder, and solemnity of a night. Whip-poor-wills are one of Indiana’s three “nightjars,” a family of nocturnal birds with large eyes and wide mouths used to catch insects during flight. A migratory species, Whip-poor-wills return from their winters in Florida and the Gulf Coast states to their breeding range in early spring and summer. The largest proportion of this range is in the eastern U.S. extending from the Mid-South up to southeastern Canada, also including wooded canyons of the Southwest and forests of Central America. Ideal habitat along the way consists of open woodlands with a low canopy and well-developed understory, mixed with numerous large openings for foraging at night. Throughout the night their notorious song, a loud and clear repetition of the
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Species Profile
Whip-poor-will
Photo/ Marty Jones
(Caprimulgus vociferus)
phrase whip-poor-WILL, is commonly heard 50-100 times in one performance which easily lasts 5-20 minutes. Some historic accounts have noted individual birds singing well over an hour straight, delivering over 1000 repetitions. Whip-poor-wills do not build nests, but rather lay a pair of eggs directly on the leaves of the forest floor, relying on brushy cover and their incredibly cryptic plumage for nest success. Whip-poor-wills enjoyed a period of population growth and expansion during the early reforestation of Indiana’s failed farms and subsequent decades. During this period, young stands of hardwoods were abundant and often found mixed with small fields and old home sites. But now, as our forests mature and
become increasingly parcelized, Whip-poor-wills are becoming much less common across the Indiana landscape. Whip-poorwills represent one species of an entire guild of forest wildlife that are facing serious threats across the Central Hardwoods region due to loss of suitable early successional forest habitat. Recognizing this important resource concern, many states have joined region-wide efforts to improve habitat and take proactive steps to ensure a sustained source of young forests in the future. Initiatives stemming from the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture and the American Woodcock Conservation Plan are excellent examples of regional partnerships that provide hope for the future of Whip-poorwills throughout the Midwest. Whip-poor-wills can still be heard quite commonly in parts of Indiana, particularly areas supporting quality early successional habitat within a primarily forested landscape. These areas often include forested bottomlands, stormdamaged woodlands, and tracts of forests receiving group selection timber harvests. As this habitat becomes increasingly rare, Hoosiers can help by supporting forest management plans and regional initiatives that encourage young forests and ultimately ensure that the song of the Whip-poor-will never falls silent in Indiana.•
Clean Water Guidance/Rulemaking Campaign By Jan Goldman-Carter, Senior Manager, Wetlands and Water Resources, National Wildlife Federation In 2011, IWF and conservation, environmental, and outdoor advocates around the country sent thousands of letters, post-cards, and emails to Administration officials urging President Obama to restore and clarify the Clean Water Act n
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protections, including for so-called “isolated wetlands,” by proposing for public comment and then finalizing a revised definition of “waters of the United States” that restores and clarifies these protections in a manner consistent with both the law and the science. These letters helped trigger and support the draft clean water guidance issued by the EPA and Army Corps in
April 2011. During a 90-day comment period, the agencies received an estimated 230,000 comments overwhelmingly supportive of this draft guidance. Since April, EPA and the Corps have been working diligently to finalize this guidance and to propose for extended public comment a revised definition of “waters of the United States.” Finally, more ➲
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Affiliate Corner
Sunman-Dearborn Intermediate School Teachers By Nancy Lillie IWF’s Wildlife Friendly Certification and Partners for Fish and Wildlife’s Schoolyard Habitat designation were great accomplishments and honors for SunmanDearborn Intermediate School. Guided by IWF’s Travis Stoelting and Susan Knowles with (PFW), we created an outdoor lab that incorporates woodlands, prairie, and wetlands. Students study aspects of each ecosystem right out our backdoor and meet Indiana state standards. The prairie is six acres of native warm season grasses. The woodland, also six acres, is considered a mixed hardwood forest made up of oak, hickory, and other trees, shrubs, and plants. It contains two sinkholes and several run-off areas; active anthills dot the paths. The one and a half-acre transitional wetland habitat has a mixture of unique herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees that tolerate a wide range of moisture levels. This wetland area is part of the Tanner’s Creek Watershed. The Jack Carpenter Memorial Butterfly garden, envisioned by Nancy Lillie and Lori Wilson, was designed with the help of Casey’s Landscaping. Plants were purchased by classmates and planted by Girl Scout troop 40059. Creating the garden helped us meet certification requirements. Our habitat area is home to a variety of wildlife including deer, turkeys, killdeer, turkey vultures, woodpeckers, turtles, salamanders, frogs, rabbits, squirrels, and
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➲ from page 8 in late February, the administration sent the final guidance for final interagency review, signaling its intention to issue final guidance soon and to continue to deliberate over the rulemaking. As we move into the 2012 election year, House and Senate Republicans continue to attack Clean Water Act protections through anti-clean water legislation
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small mammals—even a skunk! A bird feeding station is set up for observing birds and reporting to Cornell University’s Project FeederWatch. Birdwatchers have spotted American crows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Goldfinches, House Finches, Mourning Doves, Downy Woodpeckers, Catbirds, Starlings, Eastern Bluebirds, Song Sparrows, and American Tree Sparrows. Upkeep and maintenance of the area is our current focus. A grant from Partners for Fish and Wildlife will allow us to plant more wildflowers and eradicate
invasive species. We will either disk or do a prescribed burn as outlined by DNR biologist Chris Grauel. We also plan to participate in the Garlic Mustard Challenge. The collaboration of many people and organizations has made the outdoor lab a great learning resource. Thank you to everyone who was involved and continues to support this project. This facility has created a win-win environment for our students and local wildlife. We look forward to watching both flourish in the coming years.•
in an effort to block this important EPA and Corps guidance and rulemaking initiative. Clean water has historically been a bi-partisan issue and it seems obvious that it should continue to be so. Now more than ever, your letters to President Obama would help to remind the Administration of the importance of finalizing their guidance and advancing a strong clean water rulemaking. Sending copies of these letters, along with
“support clean water” emails and calls to your congressional delegation will help protect clean water and defend the Clean Water Act in 2012. 2012 is the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Clean Water Act, a landmark law that has helped Americans make huge clean water gains over the past almost 40 years. We must keep the Clean Water Act strong in order to pass along a clean water legacy to future generations.•
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THANK YOU
IWF would like to thank its outstanding patrons from 2011. Your generous support has helped sustain Common Sense Conservation.
Eagle Patron ($500+)
Anonymous Engledow Group John Goss Holladay Properties The Scotts Company WaterStone
Blue Heron ($251 - $500)
Aquatic Control Beam, Longest and Neff, LLC Chuck* & Kathy Brinkman Coffee Creek Conservation Club Gary Doxtater Peter Hippensteel Dan Hurley, MD Douglas Kent Steve & Elizabeth Mueller Glenn Pratt Proliance Ken Remenschneider** State Employees’ Community Campaign Mary Jane Van Hoesen** Steve Van Zant* Amanda Westerfeld Mark Westermeier Wild Birds Unlimited, Rivers Edge
Supporting Members ($100 - $250) James & Marilyn Anderson C. Philip Andorfer Dan J. Arnholt Jeffrey D. Arnold Dale & Rhonda Back Mel Baez Terry and Allison Bailey Calvin Bellamy Christopher Bourke BTS Promotions Rob Caylor Steve Cecil*
Ray Chattin Bruce & Sue Clear Richard Cockrum Tammy Collins William Collins William J.Connelly, Jr. Geoffrey Conrad Lynn Cooper Crossroads of America Council Michael Dault William Ditzler David Dornberg Paul Eicher Empower Results Dean & Kathy Farr The First State Bank of Porter Garrison Enterprises Max and Jacqueline Gibson William Ginn Don Godleski Don Gorney Green 3, LLC Austin Greene Judy Hagan Stephen Haines Hand Family Foundation, Inc. James Harbaugh AD Hauersperger, MD Kelly Haza Hess Financial Services, LLC David Hillman Dave* & Judy Hoffman Jay Holt Gene Hopkins* Dr. Kevin & Pamela Kelly Drs. John & Wendy Kindig Glenn Lange* John Lilovich, Aquilonia Farms Larry Macklin Thom Maher Ray McCormick* Adam McLane* Boris E. Meditch Sally Moore Edwin Mueller Ashley Mulis
Judith Nelsen North Dearborn Conservation Club Nunn Milling Co. Anne Painter Perfecto Tool and Engineering Co. Ardith Peterson** Kathleen Petitjean Steve Pettinga Yvonne Pettinga Darren Reed Paul Reising Tracy Ring Dave & Jane Savage J. E. Shekell Dan Smith Spence Restoration Nursery William Staruszkiewicz Joseph Stasey Cindy Strickford Trout Unlimited Twin Bridges RDF Jerry Watson Madelon Wells Charitable Trust Barry Wertz Gwen White Wild Birds Unlimited, Carmel The Wildlife Society Fran Yeager Marjorie Zeigler IWF extends its sincere condolences to the families and friends of conservationists we lost in 2011 and thanks you for your donations on their behalf: Billy Buffum William Ginn Dick Mercier Eugene Muench Joseph Postrack This year’s Charles Holt Memorial Scholarship will honor the memory of Brayton Cagle who lost his life in January 2012.
(*IWF Board members; **New members)
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 2011 Thank you to our new wonderful new members who joined last year. Your support means a lot, and we hope you get involved in our different projects and initiatives!
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4715 W. 106th Street Zionsville, IN 46077
Vol. 51 No. 1