Managing Aquatic Plants in Lake Apopka is the focus of a public meeting in Winter Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 24 hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The meeting is from 6-9 p.m. in Tanner Hall, 29 W. Garden Avenue in Newton Park, Winter Garden,

The goal of this meeting is to solicit public input on managing aquatic plants in Lake Apopka in order to develop the 2012-13 aquatic plant management plan for the lake.

Input from a wide variety of user groups is important to create a balanced approach to managing aquatic plants in Lake Apopka and the FWC will consider all comments.

“We want to know what business and property owners, anglers, hunters, bird watchers, boaters and others who have a vested interest in the lake think about current and future aquatic plant levels and management options; now is the time to get involved,” said Nathalie Visscher, an FWC invasive plant management biologist.

Visscher will provide a brief update and overview on past and present aquatic plant management efforts. Dr. Michael Netherland from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will make a presentation on the role of aquatic vegetation in Florida waters and the complexities associated with managing invasive plants in a multiple use system like Lake Apopka.

After the presentations, the FWC encourages the public to comment and discuss the level, types and management of aquatic vegetation desired and key areas of interest and concern.

“This is part of an ongoing process to maintain a regular dialogue with stakeholders about aquatic plant management on Lake Apopka and we strongly encourage everyone interested in aquatic plant management efforts on Lake Apopka to attend this meeting and give us your thoughts,” said Visscher.

For more details about the meeting, contact Nathalie Visscher at             321-228-3364      .

If you are like most Florida anglers and boaters, you enjoy your time on the water. It’s an opportunity to get close to nature and break the routine of work, school or retirement. The peaceful challenge of trying to find, attract

and catch your piscatorial prey is made possible, in part, by the scientific management and conservation laws that sustain sport fish populations. The goal is for everyone to be able to share in the pleasure and to provide a sustainable harvest.

So when you see someone threatening those resources by damaging habitat, polluting the water, using illegal gear, taking more than the bag limit or keeping undersized fish, you probably wish you could do something. Well, you can. You have several options, but the newest, most real-time option is to silently send a text message to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Conscientious anglers and boaters can text Tip@MyFWC.com (standard usage fees may apply). (more…)

Thousand Of Trees To Grace Lake O Region

CLEWISTON, FL. – Taking advantage of dry conditions, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will plant 6,000 pond apple, cypress and red maple trees to enhance wading bird habitat and restore ecosystems within Lake Okeechobee and Lake Istokpoga.

“Planting trees when water levels are low is a perfect example of turning the challenge of record dry conditions into a positive opportunity for restoration,” said Ken Ammon, P.E., SFWMD Deputy Executive Director – Everglades Restoration and Capital Projects. “The trees will greatly benefit the lakes’ ecosystems and attract wading birds, which are an indicator of restoration success, while also enhancing recreational opportunities.”

As part of environmental restoration for South Florida, crews are adding to thousands of trees that the District has planted to benefit the environment and wildlife. Such efforts are also a significant investment in the region’s economic health, as many of the restored areas serve as havens for recreational opportunities such as airboating, hunting and bird watching.

Following the driest October-through-December period since at least 1932, crews are set to start planting approximately 6-foot-tall pond apple trees along Ritta Island on the south end of Lake Okeechobee to enhance an existing native pond apple forest. (more…)

A proposal to ban all lead in fishing tackle is under consideration by the federal government, and your comments of opposition are needed to counter the threat. (more…)

Bob Wattendorf, a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), recently received the “Conservation Educator of the Year” award from the Florida Wildlife Federation.

In 2008, Wattendorf initiated an effort to bring together a statewide coalition of agencies, universities and businesses to encourage families and children to participate in nature-based recreation.  The collaborative effort resulted in formation of Get Outdoors Florida! (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org), a coalition of more than 100 active partners, including major state and federal agencies and diverse groups interested in offsetting the problems associated with “nature-deficit disorder,” a term coined by Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods.”

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet recognized the Get Outdoors Florida! Coalition in 2009, when they signed a resolution recognizing the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights for Florida.  The coalition, integrated into the Children and Nature Network, is working to extend the reach of such programs as President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative (www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors), and first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside (www.LetsMove.gov) program to combat obesity.

“Conservation education today is all about integrating efforts to introduce newcomers to the beauty and value of an active, nature-based lifestyle,” Wattendorf said.

Researchers have documented the health, education and societal problems associated with too much time spent indoors and dealing with electronic media. Research now shows that embracing a lifestyle change — spending more time outdoors in nature, whether, fishing, birding, paddling, gardening or just hiking in the woods — leads to a happier, healthier and smarter population (www.childrenandnature.org).

During his 31-year career with the FWC, Wattendorf has served to promote Florida as the Fishing Capital of the World, worked with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation to bring about best practices for “Boating, Fishing and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education” and helped craft the “Federal Aid Supplement for Aquatic Education Programs.”

The Florida Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit conservation education organization composed of thousands of concerned Floridians and people from all walks of life who have a common interest in preserving, managing and improving Florida’s fish, wildlife, soil, water and plant life. As the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, it has been helping Florida’s wildlife since 1937.

In presenting the award on behalf of the Federation, Preston Robertson, vice president for conservation, praised Wattendorf “for his tremendous efforts on behalf of conservation and the need to get Floridians outside and into the natural world.”

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….
From Staff Writer BASSonline – fishing@bassonline.com
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