Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration 75th Anniversary

Thursday, August 23, 2012: 8:00 AM-5:15 PM
Meeting Room 4,5 (RiverCentre)
The year 2012 marks the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration 75th anniversary.  Both Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) support unique user-pay, user-benefit partnerships among industry, federal and state fish and wildlife agencies, sportsmen and sportswomen, and conservation organizations.  SFR has been a major financial contributor since 1950 for stable and secure funding to improve sport fish populations and aquatic habitats while also providing recreational opportunities.  A total of $7.3 billion from excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuels has been matched with at least $2.4 billion primarily from state fishing license sales over that time period.  This symposium will provide historical, current and future perspectives on the SFR program from leaders of national and state partner organizations.  Introductory presentations will cover the history of the SFR Act, its funding and mechanics, and its contribution to enhancing professionalism in the field of fisheries science.  The main body of the symposium will feature the wide variety of projects supported by SFR, primarily through projects and case studies from state resource agencies recognized in recent years by the AFS Fisheries Administration Section through their Outstanding SFR Project Awards program.  These include habitat acquisition or improvement, fishing access development, research and surveys, and aquatic resource education.  Project locations range from headwater stream to ocean habitats.  Other presenters will describe key national programs supported by SFR and provide sport fishing industry perspectives, including return-on-investment of excise taxes supporting the SFR program.  The symposium will conclude with visionary comments on political support, funding outlook, and the continuing need for highlighting SFR program accomplishments. 
Organizers:
Ron Essig , Robert Curry , Brian Bohnsack and Doug Nygren
Moderators:
Ron Essig , Robert Curry , Brian Bohnsack and Doug Nygren
8:00 AM
Th-4,5-1
Introductory Remarks


8:15 AM
Th-4,5-2
Celebrating 75 Years of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Gilbert Radonski, Loftus Consulting

8:45 AM
Th-4,5-4
Nuts and Bolts of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program
Ron Essig, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

9:00 AM
Th-4,5-5
Industry Perspective on Sport Fish Restoration
Gordon Robertson, American Sportfishing Association ; Michael Leonard, American Sportfishing Association

9:15 AM
Th-4,5-6
A Diversity of Sport Fish Restoration State Projects
Connie Young-Dubovsky, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

9:30 AM
Th-4,5-7
Barotrauma in Tournament Largemouth Bass and Comparison of Treatment Methods at Amistad Reservoir, Texas
Randall Myers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; John Dennis, Texas Parks and Wildlife; Bobby Farquhar, Texas Parks and Wildlife; Greg Southard, Texas Parks and Wildlife; Dan Foley, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College

9:45 AM
Th-4,5-8
Thursday AM Break


10:15 AM
Th-4,5-9
Assessment of Experimental Panfish Regulations on Select Pennsylvania Impoundments
David Kristine, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Jason Detar, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Robert Lorantas, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Richard Lorson, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Tyler Wagner, U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit; Devin DeMario, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

10:30 AM
Th-4,5-10
Saginaw Bay Fish Community Survey
David Fielder, Quantitative Fisheries Center; Michael Thomas, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

10:45 AM
Th-4,5-11
Wild Rose Fish Hatchery Renovation Project
Steve Fajfer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Alfred Kaas, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

11:00 AM
Th-4,5-12
Studying an Inshore Spawning Group of Atlantic Cod: An At-Sea Laboratory
William Hoffman, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; Micah Dean, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; Michael P. Armstrong, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; Douglas Zemeckis, School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth; David Martins, School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth; Steven X. Cadrin, School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

11:15 AM
Th-4,5-13
Overview of Sport Fish Restoration Funded Projects Carried Out in the Gulf of Mexico
James Ballard, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

11:30 AM
Th-4,5-14
Dry Run Creek Enhancement Project
Tim Burnley, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; Eli Powers, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; Mark Oliver, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

11:45 AM
Th-4,5-15
Partnering for Success: Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Program
Mark T. Porath, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Steve J. Satra, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

12:00 PM
Th-4,5-16
Thursday Lunch


1:15 PM
Th-4,5-17
Nesbitt Park Access Area Rehabilitation Project
David Kristine, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Scott Bollinger, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Jackie Kramer, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Robert Lorantas, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

1:30 PM
Th-4,5-18
Reintroduction of the Lake Sturgeon in Georgia
John Biagi, Georgia Dept of Natural Resources

1:45 PM
Th-4,5-19
Florida Bass Conservation Center - Sportfish Restoration Project Overview
Rick Stout, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

2:00 PM
Th-4,5-20
Kansas' Community Fisheries Assistance Program
Tom Lang, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

2:15 PM
Th-4,5-21
Fishing: Get in the Habitat! Minnaqua Program Leader's Guide for Angling and Aquatic Education
Roland Sigurdson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

2:30 PM
Th-4,5-22
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center
Kristopher Smith, NC Wildlife Resources Commission; Robert Curry, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

2:45 PM
Th-4,5-23
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Progam - Competitive and National Programs
Christy Vigfusson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Richard Aiken, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service; Anna Harris, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; John Stremple, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Joyce Johnson, USFWS

3:00 PM
Th-4,5-24
Thursday PM Break


3:30 PM
Th-4,5-25
An Assessment of the Boating Access Provision of the Sport Fish Restoration Program: The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council's Evaluation
Doug Hobbs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Ryck Lydecker, BoatUS; Thom Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association

3:45 PM
Th-4,5-26
Conservation Through Participation: The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation's Role and Resources
Frank Peterson, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

4:00 PM
Th-4,5-27
Sport Fish Restoration Program's Contribution to Fisheries Professionalism
Robert Curry, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

4:15 PM
Th-4,5-28
Sport Fish Restoration: What Is It Worth?
Andrew Loftus, Loftus Consulting; Robert Southwick, Southwick Associates

4:30 PM
Th-4,5-29
The Role of the Media in Angler Support for the Sport Fish Restoration Program
Steve Quinn, In-Fisherman

4:45 PM
Th-4,5-30
Wildlife Tracs: A New Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Accomplishment Reporting and Outreach Tool
Ron Essig, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

5:00 PM
Th-4,5-31
Closing Remarks
Gilbert C. Radonski, Loftus Consulting

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