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Threat of aquatic invasive species re-emerges with boating season

With boating season moving in to high gear this Memorial Day weekend, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding boaters and anglers to be extra vigilant to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

"Minnesota's lakes and rivers are one of our most precious resources and we need every person to take responsibility to help prevent and curb the spread of AIS," said Ann Pierce, DNR invasive species unit supervisor.

Boaters and anglers must know the AIS laws before they hit the water.

"The laws have not changed since last year," Pierce said. "Before leaving a water access every boater must: clean off aquatic plants and animals, pull the drain plug and leave it out when transporting. They need to drain all water from bait buckets, livewells and boats and dispose of unwanted live bait in the trash. These simple steps protect our waters and may keep you from getting a citation."

DNR's stepped up efforts

People can expect watercraft inspectors and conservation officers at public accesses this summer. Statewide plans include:

Watercraft Inspections -The DNR will have up to 150 authorized inspectors stationed at high-use public waters that are infested with zebra mussels - and 23 hot water decontamination units available to clean infested equipment. Local units of government will also have inspectors at various accesses throughout the state.

Enforcement - All DNR conservation officers will focus on enforcing AIS laws this season. They will write citations for AIS law violations. Roadside checks will be conducted.

AIS canine unit -Three zebra-mussel detector dogs, which can find a mussel faster than a human inspector, will help conservation officers at check stations and water accesses this summer.

2012 AIS enforcement and inspection recap

In 2012, watercraft inspectors and conservation officers spent about 81,000 hours inspecting more than 120,000 watercraft/trailers, resulting in 998 citations and 1,550 written warnings. There were 121 watercraft inspectors who worked most of the open water season inspecting boats and providing information to the public. An additional 30 inspectors were hired to assist with end-of-season coverage.

AIS citations and fines

Boaters and others who fail to follow AIS laws can expect to receive citations and pay fines. The current fines are:

Transporting aquatic plants - $100 civil penalty or misdemeanor.

Transporting water in boats or other water-related equipment - $100 civil penalty or misdemeanor.

Transporting zebra mussels and other prohibited species of animals - $500 civil penalty or misdemeanor.

For more information about AIS laws, a list of designated infested waters in Minnesota and contact information for AIS specialists throughout the state is available at www.mndnr.gov/ais.

To access the web version of the newsletter, click here.

From Bozeman

Dear Water Education Enthusiasts,

The Next Generation Science Standards are out!
While the Project WET USA staff were at the conference, the Next Generation Science Standards were released. We have immediately started correlating the new standards to our Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0. These correlations will be posted to our portal as soon as possible.

In anticipation of our conference in August, we are reading two books, A Ditch in Time by Patty Limerick and The Forest Unseen by David Haskell. I am thrilled to tell you that The Forest Unseen was placed as a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in general fiction and winner of the 2013 Reed Environmental Writing Award. David will be a featured speaker at our conference in August.

There are so many exciting things going on across the country in water education and unfortunately I can only relate a few of them in our monthly newsletter. This is why getting together once a year at our annual conference is so important. Our time together allows us to reconnect and learn about our collective effort to protect the waters of North America. I hope your calendar days August 7-9 are marked "Project WET USA Water Education Conference, Denver Colorado, Wouldn't Miss it!"

Please feel free to contact me or the Project WET USA staff if you have any questions. Thank-you for all you do for the waters of North America.


Warmest regards,

Laurina Isabella Lyle
Project WET USA Executive Director
406-585-4184
laurina.lyle@projectwet.org

SpringHillSuites at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Water Education Conference
August 7-9, 2013

Field Experiences & Opening Night Dinner:
Tuesday, Aug. 6

Professional Development Workshops August 7-9

Access the May 2013 Mississippi Messages newsletter here.

Never a Dull Moment in TRC Education . . . .
If you are one of the 150,000 people TRC typically sees in a year with our education programming, you know how unique our offerings are. We thought we'd give you an update as to what our staff (feathered and otherwise) is up to over the next few months . . .

Pi the Bald Eagle is Promoted
Pi the bald eagle has "graduated" in his training to begin doing more offsite programs! You have followed some of his outings on our blog, and know he went to the Minnesota Twins Home Opener April 1 (there is a Facebook photo album you can view). We work to ensure all our education winged ambassadors are comfortable and tolerant of the many different types of audiences and programs we conduct. Look for Pi at some of our public bald eagle programs coming up! (Our Public Events Calendar is here.)

Spanish and Multi-Module Programs
TRC's goal is to reach as many young learners as possible. We are including programming to our Spanish-speaking student audiences. Call or email us if you are interested in a program here or at your site ( 612-624-2756 or raptored@umn.edu).

TRC's new yearlong curriculum, originally piloted at Rockford Middle School, has expanded to now include additional middle schools. The core of the new curriculum allows students to explore the real-world problem of lead poisoning in bald eagles. This real-time, inquiry-based curriculum will help schools strive toward environmental literacy while providing opportunities for students to develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication.

Here, There and Everywhere
Over the summer, TRC is going to visit 71 different cities, with 171 programs scheduled as of the writing of this communication. These include festivals, fairs, libraries and community centers, just to name a few. You can find out where we are appearing on our Google Public Programs Calendar here.

Spring Public Raptor Release

This Saturday, May 4, is our Spring Raptor Release.

Where: Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington, MN

When: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Program begins at 12 noon

Watch rehabilitated raptors released back into the wild.

See and photograph our winged ambassador education birds.

Bring your used ink jet printer cartridges to support our Recycling for Raptors program.

This is a zero-waste event.

No pets, please.

The event will go on, rain or shine!
_________________________________

Basic Raptor Rehabilitation Workshop This Week at TRC

This week we are hosting 14 workshop attendees from 8 states and one Canadian province. The workshop will provide rehabilitators and veterinarians with practical knowledge and hands-on work of the steps involved in raptor rehabilitation.

The May 1, 203 SEEK Bulletin can be accessed by clicking here.

Check out the April 2013 issue of My Minnesota Woods.

The April issue of Project BudBurst can be found here.

Read about the latest happenings at the Northland Arboretum. 2013 04 01 ArbLink.pdf

NextStep - News for the Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network Mary 22, 2013 newsletter can be found here.

The SNA Strategic Plan

By Bill Bleckwenn, SNA Strategic Planner

The SNA Strategic Plan is approximately halfway through the project. An inventory of all of the Native Plant Communities (NPCs) within all of the SNAs for which data exists, has been completed--which is called a GAP analysis. This was done to see how close the program is to realizing its protection goals. In addition, the inventory has been extended to include all lands under public or conservancy ownership at the recommendation of the Commissioner's Advisory Committee--a group of conservation professionals that is providing technical oversight for the project. The GAP analysis results revealed that an average of approximately 30% of all types of NPCs for sections of the state for which data exist have some representation within the SNA program. When all other public lands and conservancies are added in, the proportion increases to approximately 92%.

A preliminary map of the state has been generated showing areas for priority for conservation in the SNA program. The sample of that map above shows the highest priority conservation areas are in red, medium priority in yellow, and lowest priority in green. Biodiversity significance and globally-ranked rare NPCs were the primary inputs used to generate the map. The prioritization was completed using Marxan, a mapping software that interfaces with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Certain high-priority natural corridors emerged such as Buffalo Ridge in southwestern Minnesota, the Minnesota River Valley, and the glacial beach ridges of the eastern Red River Valley.

The next stages include the incorporation of new data into the inventory and prioritization mapping, developing a review process of site selection criteria for acquisitions, and drafting the Strategic Plan report. Each stage is reviewed by the Commissioner's Advisory Committee.

SNA Events

Spring is a great time to get out and enjoy the wildflowers, birds, and rhythms of life in a natural setting. Come along on one of these fun and educational hikes! A full list is available on the SNA Events Calendar.

Are you interested in exploring one of our newer sites? If so then mark June 15th on your calendar now for a volunteer project to remove buckthorn at Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA. Full event details will be posted on the SNA Events Calendar in coming weeks.

04/22/13 King's & Queen's Bluff SNA (Great River Bluffs State Park) - Earth Day Hike

05/11/13 Wolsfeld Woods SNA - Spring Warbler Walk

06/22/13 Blanket Flower Prairie SNA - Full Moon Hike

Site Highlight: Langhei Prairie

The mesic and wet prairie on the 40-acre Langhei Prairie SNA, much of which is in very good condition, was the basis for the recommendation to protect this site as a Scientific and Natural Area in 2008. A mosaic of mesic prairie, wet prairie, and prairie pothole wetlands like those found on the SNA once covered most of the Minnesota River watershed. Today vast acreages of these natural community types have been eliminated by wetland drainage and cultivation. Preservation of what remains has become an ever more important concern.

Of course, once a prairie site is protected maintaining its quality takes time and effort. The first steps have begun at Langhei Prairie with invasive species removal and the re-introduction of fire. Prescribed burns in the Spring of 2010 and 2012 and reduction of trees marked the first steps toward retaining the long-term health of this high quality gem.

Notes from Site Stewards

Winter hasn't stopped the reports rolling in from site stewards monitoring SNAs across Minnesota. Their observations provide invaluable information to the SNA Program. Here are some interesting notes from recent reports:

On a beautiful January 5th, site steward Sheila Maybanks made a visit to Pine Bend Bluffs SNA and reported; "So many deer tracks. I followed the deer trails to see the lay of the land. Although I did not see any deer, there must be many as their tracks were everywhere!"
Winter wildlife was apparent at Kettle River SNA as Ed Heinen's February 8th steward report notes. The raised "secret" beaver pond, shown in the photo above, is damming a spring or creek. Noted observations included one beaver, close-up, lethargic; many tracks and trails with sign of river otters, including openings in the ice kept open for landings; deer tracks and mouse tracks with subnivean trails observed; and hawks, woodpeckers, nuthatches.
The site stewards at Blanket Flower Prairie SNA include student members of the Natural Resources Management Club at North Dakota State University (NDSU). On February 23rd they hosted a snowshoe hike and ski at the site. Travel was difficult because the snow was deep with a thin crust which was repeatedly broken through even though everyone was equipped for the conditions. Everyone did enjoy the nice weather and appreciated how hard it was to move around when snow is in that condition.
If you're a steward or simply enjoy visiting SNAs we would like to hear what wildflowers you see blooming as spring approaches! Send us a note on what you see at sna.dnr@state.mn.us.