May 23, 2012

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Trumpeter swan restoration celebrated by wildlife experts

April 5, 2012 By

Trumpeter Swans

Iowa wildlife experts are celebrating the rebound of North America’s largest water fowl. A campaign to restore the trumpeter swan to Iowa began in 20 years ago.

 Dave Hanson is a wildlife research technician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He’s been tracking the re-population effort around the state, including a water fowl production area in Hanlontown about 10 miles north of Clear Lake.

“There’s a bonded, mated pair that has taken up residence here at Hanlontown Slough. Their young cygnets, the young produced here last year, are flying around the area here and, so to speak, mama and papa are giving them the boot,” Hanson said. The trumpeters vanished from Iowa in the late 1880s as they were hunted by early settlers.

The swans’ habitat was also depleted as Iowa’s wetlands became farmland. Seven years ago, Hanson placed 163 acres of his own farmland in Cerro Gordo County into the Wetland Reserve Program. “They broke all the tile that my father put in years and years ago, and dug out the places…that were indicated by the soil type that were wetland soil types, and just let nature do the rest. Now, the ponds are back,” Hanson said.

The Hanson everglades boast a dozen ponds and the trumpeter swans have noticed. This spring, Hanson is hoping to attract a nesting pair. Iowa now has 50 nesting pairs of trumpeter swans and few people are more elated about that than Ron Andrews.

“Well, it’s a spectacular feeling. Little did I dream, but was hopeful, 50 plus nesting pairs of trumpeter swans in Iowa is way beyond our first expectation goal, which was 15,” Andrews said. Andrews is a retired D.N.R. officer who helped launch the swan re-population program.

 Trumpeter swans are protected in Iowa. There’s a $1,500 fine for killing one.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Featured Story, News Tagged With:

Flushed mop head causes sewage spill

March 9, 2012 By

A wayward mop head led to the release of raw sewage into a tributary of the Maquoketa River this week. Iowa Department of Natural Resources spokesman, Joe Sanfilippo, says the mop head was probably flushed down a toilet by someone.

“As far as we know somehow it came down the line, got into the pipe somewhere, probably a residence, got into the line and got wedged into a spot on the pipeline about two blocks from the wastewater plant,” Sanfilippo says. He says items this large aren’t usually found in the sewer lines.

“This was a little unusual being a mop head. We do see a lot of materials get stuck in pipelines, usually our biggest problem I would say is grease,” according to Sanfilippo. The blockage in Manchester led to raw sewage being released, and Sanfilippo says it should be an example to people about what gets flushed.

“You know we just try to warn people that it’s creating a problem for their neighbors by doing something like that. We don’t know if it was an accident, how it got in there,” Sanfilippo says. “But it’s something that obviously should be avoided in the future. ”People need to be careful in their residences about what goes down the sewer lines.”

Sanfilippo says grease problems are often caused by businesses, so they should also be aware of what they are dumping down sewer lines. Sanfilippo says the Manchester spill did not lead to a fish kill, but did lead to a concern about the health of people in the area from the release of the raw sewage.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News Tagged With:

Farmer won’t be fined for burn that caused traffic pile up

March 7, 2012 By

A Hamilton County farmer will not  face a fine for a fire that produced thick, black smoke and contributed to a massive traffic accident on Highway 20 Monday morning. Kevin Baskins, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says officers initially planned to send Mark Hild a “notice of violation” letter.

There’s no penalty associated with the notice, but now Hild won’t even receive the letter. “At the time, some of the people in Mason City who were looking at that determination were unaware that there was also fog in the area at the time (of the crash),” Baskins said.

“So, once they knew that, they felt it was probably too difficult to determine how much the visibility was reduced by the fog and how much was reduced by the smoke from the fire.” The farmer, Mark Hild, was burning old hay bales. The fire produced dark smoke which blew across Highway 20 near Webster City.

Combined with the fog, it created a blackout situation for motorists. More than 30 vehicles were involved in two pileups on the highway. Baskins said there’s no indication Hild intended to create the traffic hazard.

“One of the other factors we heard is there might have been some shifting winds as well,” Baskins said. “Sometimes that can happen with any kind of fire. You look at the conditions and think at the time that you’re doing what’s right, but sometimes nature can change some things around on you.”

The hay bales were wet, which “thickened” the smoke. Baskins said it makes sense to burn grass when it’s wet as there’s less potential for the fire to spread out of control. “The downside to that is sometimes when you have materials that are wet, you get incomplete combustion. That’s what produces that darker, denser smoke,” Baskins said.

Investigators also note that Hild was not burning any prohibited materials. Around a dozen people injured in the chain-reaction crashes were taken to a Webster City hospital. At least two people were said to have serious injuries, but there were no fatalities.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News Tagged With:

DNR looking for summer campground hosts

February 29, 2012 By

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to serve as campground hosts this summer. Linda King is coordinator of the D.N.R.’s campground host program.

“We have about 20 openings and they usually fill pretty fast, so if people are interested we would encourage them to call or go to our website,” King said. The campground hosts, in exchange for their work, receive a free designated campsite with hookups.

The D.N.R. also holds a picnic at the end of the season for all of the volunteers hosts. “It’s a great time for people who love to be out and about and love to be with people,” King said.

In most cases, campground hosts are needed to begin work in early April. King said the work involves assisting campers and light maintenance. “They help check campers in and out, help make sure the campground is maintained and clean, and they also make sure our bathrooms are up to par,” King said.

Hosts are needed for the season at the follow parks; Pine Lake, Pilot Knob, Walnut Woods, Lake Keomah, Lake Manawa, Lewis and Clark, Bellevue, Backbone, Beeds Lake, Clear Lake, Ledges, Nine Eagles, Pikes Peak, Viking Lake, Yellow River and Elk Rock.

Applications are available online at: volunteer.iowadnr.gov, or by calling 515-242-5704.

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DNR looking for help monitoring wildlife

February 24, 2012 By

It’s said there are more hogs than people in Iowa but our state is also home to thousands of other creatures, some of which are endangered species. Stephanie Shepard, with the Iowa D.N.R.’s Wildlife Diversity Program, says the agency is launching a series of training workshops next week for volunteer wildlife monitors.

“We generally have three workshops that focus on our bird-related monitoring activities and then we have three workshops in April that focus on our frog and toad call survey,” Shepard says. “Those workshops are necessary for volunteers to attend.” She says the Wildlife Diversity Program covers a very broad spectrum of living things.

“We’re the program within the D.N.R. that’s in charge of everything you can’t hunt, fish or trap,” she says, “so, that covers over a thousand species statewide.” Shepard is one of only five permanent staffers for the program.

“We have our hands full, which is why volunteers are so important to help us have an idea of what’s going on with some of our more sensitive wildlife species,” she says. “They play a really important role in the conservation of those species, helping us keep track of them.”

Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring workshops are planned for March 3rd at the Fontana Nature Center in Hazleton, March 11 at Clarinda and on March 17 at the JFK Memorial Park Nature Center near Fort Dodge. The Frog and Toad Monitoring workshops will be held April 10 at the Pin Oak Lodge in Chariton, April12 at the Willow Creek Park Nature Center in Ocheyden and April 17 at the Hartman Nature Center in Cedar Falls.

Learn more at: “iowadnr.gov“.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, News Tagged With:

Number of deer taken statewide is down 4.5%

February 22, 2012 By

Iowa hunters, during the recent 2011-12 deer hunting seasons, killed 121,407 deer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that’s down 4.5% from the previous year. D.N.R. wildlife biologist Willy Suchy says deer numbers in Iowa hit their high mark six years ago.

“It peaked in about 2006-07 and the best indication is we’re now about 30% below that,” Suchy said. Deer numbers in some areas of the state, especially in eastern Iowa, are considered near or below the D.N.R.’s objective. Some hunters are voicing concerns to deer reduction efforts have gone too far.

“I think hunters are, in some instances, frustrated. I think there’s concern out there and they’d like to see us cut back (on deer reduction efforts),” Suchy said. “We proposed to cut back last year, but we were not allowed to do that.”

Suchy said the governor’s staff rejected a D.N.R. plan last year to reduce the kill and stabilize deer where the numbers are at or below the goal. The D.N.R. will review the harvest and population surveys this spring and schedule a public hearing before making a recommendation on what direction to take with the deer population.

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Survey shows wide distribution of eagles across the state

February 17, 2012 By

Eagle flying. (DNR photo)

Some bald eagle lovers feared this winter’s warm start might mean there would be fewer of the majestic creatures soaring across Iowa’s skies, but that’s evidently not the case.

Pat Schlarbaum, a wildlife diversity technician with the Iowa D.N.R., says Iowans are having thousands of chances to see the big birds.

“The midwinter bald eagle surveys have been completed,” Schlarbaum says. “There was quite a wide distribution of eagles. In a typical winter, they would be concentrated where there’s open water, but there are eagles to see, probably upwards of 3,000 that reside in Iowa each winter.”

While parts of Iowa were repeatedly in the 60′s and 70′s during January, Schlarbaum says the unseasonably warm spell had little impact on the eagles’ usual migration patterns.

“We have not detected any downturns in the eagle population,” he says. “In fact, there were over 300 nesting attempts last year, so all those young are included in this year’s opportunity to see our national symbol in all its glory.” Eagle watching events are planned in several Iowa locations for the next few weeks. Schlarbaum says the D.N.R. brings in experts to deliver educational talks about the eagles.

“There are also viewing opportunities for the wild birds,” he says. “We have spotting scopes and viewing professionals there to assist the public. It’s really a well-rounded family activity.”

Events planned over the coming weeks include: Des Moines Lunch with Eagles, Friday, Feb. 24; Prairie du Chien Eagle Watch, Saturday, Feb. 25; Saylorville Bald Eagle Watch, Polk City, Sunday, February 26; Red Rock Bald Eagle Watch, Pella, March 2-3; Linn Grove Eagle Watch, Saturday, March 3.

For more details, visit: “www.missriver.org“.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, News Tagged With:
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