2000 Conservation Directors Meetings at the Nationals

The Fishable Waters Act was a major topic at our meetings; this is House Bill 4278, Farmers, Anglers, Conservationist united to support groundbreaking fisheries conservation legislation introduced by Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond (R-Mo) and Rep. John Tanner (D-Tn) that would establish a comprehensive, voluntary, incentive based private-public partnership program to restore fisheries.

Roughly 50 percent of America's existing water quality problems are generally considered to be the result of non-point sources. At least 19,000 miles of America's recreational fishing streams have declined in terms of habitat and water quality. Nearly half (41%) of America's perennial rivers and streams are adversely affected by reduced flows, siltation, stream bank erosion, and channelization.

The Fishable Waters Act of 2000 is a voluntary, non-regulatory, partnership oriented, incentive based plan that brings together the fisheries conservation community state and federal fisheries managers, and the Agricultural community for the first time to begin to seriously address the water quality problems associated with non-point source pollution, fisheries habitat protection, and improved waters quality as partners rather than adversaries. It has also been done in a way that recognizes the realities of what is both politically acceptable and financially credible.

Can you all imagine, Trout Unlimited, B.A.S.S., Izaak Walton league, American Rivers working with the National Corn Growers Assoc. and the Nation Council of Farmers Cooperatives to clean up our rivers and streams, this is exciting stuff. Stay alert when the bill comes up I'll need you all to help me notify our representatives of where we stand. If we could just do something with the loggers to get them to curb siltation and runoff we could really do some good.

We also discussed the largemouth bass virus, which I have posted on the wed site. Why angling participation is changing and what we can do about it. The National bass/grass alliance goals of the national effort to develop an aquatic plant management protocol that will preserve quality bass fishing while meeting the goals of other stakeholders.

The 100th meridian initiative, which is an effort to keep the zebra mussels from spreading westward. The primary way they are spread is on boat trailers and trailered boats. A female zebra mussel can lay up to 1 million eggs each season so transporting 1 zebra mussel can spell trouble. As a general practice, washing and scrubbing your boat and its equipment and allowing it to completely dry between uses will prevent the spread of zebra mussels and plants.

I'm also ordering a tape on zebra mussels and cleaning of boats to show at the Aug. Federation meeting. It only last 10 or 12 minutes and is very informative.

We also discussed tournament fees and restrictions in other states and Canada. I won't go into that, just believe me when I say we have it good.

Don't forget to do a conservation project and let me know what your club does so you all get credit for it, several clubs are doing the Ohio River sweep.

Jim Summers