Category: General

Federal duck stamps for 2020-2021 season on sale Friday, June 26

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The new 2020-2021 federal duck stamp goes on sale Friday, June 26. The stamps, which cost $25, are valid from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

Purchased by millions of waterfowl hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and stamp collectors every year, duck stamps purchases provide critical funding to purchase and protect wetlands and associated habitat for ducks, geese and other wildlife species.

“Since Ding Darling quickly sketched the first duck stamp in 1934, art and conservation have been connected and the world is better for it. Whether you’re an avid waterfowl hunter, a birder, conservation enthusiast, or a collector, every American has a good reason to buy a duck stamp, perhaps even two or three,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam. “Of every dollar spent on a duck stamp, 98 cents of the purchase goes directly to acquiring and protecting waterfowl habitat, and that’s a testament to the great administration of this long-running program by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The First Day of Sale is our opportunity to celebrate another great season and say thank you to the adult and youth artists who lend their talents to this important cause, and all those supporting and delivering wildlife conservation through their purchase of a duck stamp each year.” Read more

General, Hunting

Historic water levels affect Tawas Point State Park

Record-high water levels are taking a toll on infrastructure across the state as flooding and erosion continue to threaten shorelines, rivers and inland lakes. Michigan’s waterways face other associated challenges, too, including increased river flows, submerged docks and piers, swimming and boating hazards, and damage to wildlife habitat.

Several state parks and harbors are experiencing many of these issues. Tawas Point State Park – the popular destination along Lake Huron in Iosco County – has experienced unprecedented water levels, erosion and flooding over the last few years, as well as record-breaking rainfall last month.

As a result, Tawas Point State Park has closed or altered many amenities and services for the 2020 season: Read more

Fishing, General

NDA Launches Get OutdoorZ Sweepstakes with ALPS OutdoorZ

INDIANA, PA — The National Deer Alliance (NDA) has partnered with ALPS OutdoorZ to offer one lucky winner a brand-new Falcon Day Pack, Saratoga Rifle Case and Bino Harness X. The Get OutdoorZ Sweepstakes is open now and runs until July 20, 2020.

ALPS OutdoorZ is a longtime supporter of NDA and is offering a few great items to one lucky winner. Entering is quick and easy at NationalDeerAlliance.com/promotions. Read more

General

CHILLZ Cooling Pad for Dogs in Realtree EDGE Camo

COLUMBUS, GA– ?The CHILLZ Cooling Pad for Dogs in Realtree EDGE Camo provides your canine companion with cool comfort all day long.

The cooling mat works without refrigeration, water or electricity. Pressure-activated gel automatically recharges so your pup can keep cool day or night.

Available in three sizes, the cooling pad is perfect for hot summer days and for senior pets or those recovering from surgery. The pad is easy to clean. Just wipe it with a damp cloth. It’s made from a non-toxic lightweight material that folds quickly. Use it in pet beds, crates or in the car. Read more

General

Coast Guard Breaks Illegal Fishing Interdiction Record for Third Straight Year

NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement crews have already interdicted a record-breaking number of lanchas throughout the Gulf of Mexico for fiscal year 2020.

Since October 2019, Coast Guard assets and personnel have detected a total of 176 lanchas, interdicting 106. Since the first recorded lancha interdiction in the late 1980s, the Coast Guard has seen a significant uptick in detection of the vessels, particularly in the past three years, recording a seasonal record of 74 lancha interdictions during the same time frame in the previous fiscal year.

The Coast Guard utilizes a layered approach for interdiction through aircraft, small boats and cutters as well as improved technology on those assets, resulting in the drastic increase in lancha interdictions.

“A huge part of our mission success comes from the dedication and close coordination between our local, state and federal partners,” said Lt. Kurt Mees, Coast Guard Station South Padre Island commanding officer. “We are all committed to the protection of marine resources and the enforcement of U.S. regulations.”

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is about 20 to 30 feet long with a slender profile. They typically have one outboard motor and are capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 30 mph. Lanchas pose a major threat, usually entering the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico with the intent to smuggle people, drugs or poach the United States’ natural resources.

If you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (out to 9 miles offshore), please contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.

General

Michigan DNR announces opening dates for campgrounds, harbors and other outdoor spaces

As Michigan moves to Stage 4 of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start plan, the Department of Natural Resources has determined official opening dates for state park and state forest campgrounds, state harbors and other DNR-managed outdoor spaces – just in time for the summer season.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, most state parks, state-managed trails and boating access sites stayed open to provide local opportunities for outdoor recreation. At the same time, the DNR worked behind the scenes to prepare to fully open sites and facilities once the department could again perform nonessential work and hire and train summer park workers. Learn more about what it will take to get campgrounds open this year. Read more

Fishing, General

SAF: Biden Staff Fuels Gun Sales by Supporting No-Bail Releases

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today said the support Democrat Joe Biden’s staff is showing to violent protesters in Minneapolis by donating to a bail fund is an “outrage,” and it demonstrates why alarmed Americans are buying more guns to protect their homes and businesses.

“After all the violence we’ve seen in major cities, Biden’s position is simply outrageous,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “No wonder gun sales surged 80 percent in May over the same month last year. People watch their cities burn, while Biden and his staffers think those responsible should be allowed to walk. That’s a bad formula for public safety, but apparently Biden and his crew don’t get it.”

A group called the Minnesota Freedom Fund reportedly received contributions from 13 Biden staffers. The Freedom Fund reportedly opposes the practice of making people arrested pay cash bail to avoid “pre-trial imprisonment,” according to Reuters.

But a Biden campaign spokesman told Reuters the former vice-president opposes the institution of cash bail altogether, calling it a “modern day debtors prison.” He doesn’t think these anarchists should pay bail at all.

“So,” Gottlieb observed, “while Biden opposes guns for honest people, he’s all for turning dangerous rioters loose on personal recognizance, maybe so they can go somewhere else and wreak havoc.

“We wholly support the First Amendment as much as we advocate for and defend the Second,” he continued. “Peaceful, non-violent protest is as much a part of the American fabric as the right to keep and bear arms, but last weekend’s violence completely overshadowed such efforts. Read more

General

Michgan: Silver Lake Park ORV Area Opening Postponed

After careful consideration, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will postpone the opening of Silver Lake State Park ORV Area in Oceana County until Saturday, June 13. The additional time allows for new operational functions associated with COVID-19 public health and safety guidelines to be integrated, as well as significant progress on construction of the new dune entrance ramp. In addition, the opening date coincides with the updated “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order, announced last Friday, which now ends June 12.

One of the department’s biggest challenges was the halting of nonessential work and the need to recruit, hire and train seasonal summer workers. Once the state’s executive order allowed such efforts, after May 15, the DNR began steps toward opening the ORV area. Many of the area’s recurring opening duties and tasks are near completion, but the bulk of construction on the new dune entrance ramp-widening project is still underway and would become more challenging with the number of visitors expected. Additionally, many of the new and evolving COVID-19 safety practices and protocols – building sneeze guards, establishing cash and voucher handling procedures, training new staff and instructing new and returning staff on new COVID-19 safety measures – are still being implemented. Read more

General

Michigan: restoration continues at Copper Harbor Lighthouse in Keweenaw County

Standing as a silent guard at the very top of the Upper Peninsula, the Copper Harbor Lighthouse once guided vessels traveling in Lake Superior to safe harbor.

Originally built in 1848, the lighthouse site consisted of a 44-foot stone tower with a lantern room, a detached lightkeeper’s dwelling and landing dock.

By the 1860s, the Keweenaw Peninsula’s harsh winters and Lake Superior’s severe weather had taken their toll on the original buildings. The U.S. Lighthouse Service replaced the stone structures with a brick lighthouse and attached living quarters.

Beginning in 1866, the new lighthouse was manned by lightkeepers and their families until it was automated in 1919. By 1958, the lighthouse had become obsolete, and the U.S Coast Guard sold the property to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Today the lighthouse site, which is part of Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, includes the original 1848 keeper’s quarters and the 1866 lighthouse. While time may have changed the lighthouse’s purpose, the need to protect the historic buildings from the elements is still pressing. Read more

General
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