The Virginia Waterfowlers

May 10, 2010:

Members & Sportsmen

The Friends of Rappahannock (FoR) will be briefing the Rappahannock River Draft Watershed Property Management Plan to the Fredericksburg’s City Council. The city council meeting scheduled for tomorrow, May 11^th. at 7:30 PM will be held in council chambers, 715 Princess Anne St. A public comment hearing is not included on the agenda.

Recently, we received the enclosed attachments. There will be public comment hearing scheduled later on next month. Representative of the VAWFA will be present at the May 11^th. Fredericksburg City Council Meeting.

If you wish to speak at the council meeting, you must pre-register for a 5-minute slot. To register to speak, you need to call the City Clerk at 540-372-1010.

We will continue to keep you informed.

Todd Cocker

VAWFA

President

A request from the President …… join me on June 5, 2010

In the past, VAWFA members have served as guides and volunteers, donating their time and their knowledge required to make the Youth Free Fishing Day events successful. There were as many as 300 kids last year participating in the free fishing event. The kids are treated to an morning of fishing on area ponds at the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery at no cost for kids and parents. Lunch is provided for everyone who attends. Awards and prizes are given to the children every year. The three hour event has continued to grow each year and more volunteers are needed.

Many children don’t have the opportunities to explore nature and the water. Kids, water and fishing just naturally go together, but a little experienced help and preplanning assure positive introductions to this fun-filled sport. Each volunteer at the event contribute their time and effort to help the children not only with fishing, but the overall experience strengthened the children’s sense of self-awareness, self-esteem, self-reliance, and confidence.

It’s the tug on the end of the line that matters and the memories and bonds that are created between the children, adults and parents. Fishing is a nondiscriminating sport. It knows no boundaries of age, sex or nationality. It’s feeling that telltale signal of a fish at the end of the line that gets both young and old anglers excited.

Fishing and the great outdoors offers kids an alternative to many influences they encounter in their busy lives today. A single fishing event could be the turning point in a young life and I encourage you to invest the time with the kids on June 5th. The rewards are endless and it takes so little effort.

I ask the members to join me as a volunteer, your help is needed and will be much appreciated by many. Those who can volunteer, please email me at goosesmacker@ aol.com or give me a call at (804) 317-8058.

Sincerely,
Todd Cocker
VAWFA - President

Four Reasons to join us on June 5, 2010

#1 Fishing is a fantastic way to spend quality time with a child interacting with them in meaningful ways--away from the stress and interruptions of everyday life. Where better than fishing to find out what's on their minds and share your values with them? Fishing is an opportunity to teach kids about the diversity of nature and our dependence on a healthy environment, and how people can improve or destroy habitats that have consequences for both wildlife and people.

#2 Fishing is a lifetime sport that will provide many hours of recreation, relaxation and time with family and friends.

#3 Fishing is a physical activity that helps develop coordination skills without being overly strenuous or competitive and gets them outdoors.

#4 Fishing is a way to spark interest in learning more about how to fish effectively, the fish themselves and nature, by reading, exploring the Internet and discussing their experiences with peers.

April 3, 2010
Hog Island and Princess Anne WMA's Quota Waterfowl Hunts & Information

The following data was provided by Phil West, Public Land Manager of VDGIF on April 2, 2010

Hog Island WMA:

DGIF will return to the previous system of hunting 9 blinds once a week, on Saturdays. Last season 5 blinds were hunted twice a week.
DGIF will run the hunts through 11:00 a.m. Last season hunting stopped at 10:00 a.m.
The stand-by hunter system was dropped last season in an effort for DGIF to cope with the retirements of two staff members. Meeting participants inquired about using volunteers to help administer the hunt and reviving the stand-by system. To date, no volunteers have signed up to help with the hunts. The final decision to have a stand-by program will have to be made before the quota hunt advertisements go to print in April. Volunteer information can be found at: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/volunteer/
DGIF will continue to develop and offer alternate blind and hunting locations for different winds and tides as time, manpower, and situations permit.

Princess Anne WMA:

Replacing the wooden jetties and dredging the mouth of the canal are at the top of our regional maintenance budget. Our Richmond headquarters understands that these repairs are a priority. We are optimistic repairs will be completed during the 2011-12 fiscal year.
DGIF is obtaining an estimate to have a "street light" installed at the boat ramp
Our Conservation Police Officer Supervisor was present and heard your comments about hunting at the stakes when the program is closed.
Rules hunters receive will include a statement discouraging excessive spotlight use as per Back Bay tradition.
DGIF met with CyberData, the vendor that administers your hunt applications, on 3/18&19. CyberData understands many of our customers were dissatisfied. CyberData plans several improvements, including a system for applicants to retrieve lost confirmation numbers and a system for hunters to log in and check the status of their applications.
There is no longer a three man per boat rule at the stake hunts. The number of people per boat is dictated by the Coast Guard approved rating plate on the transom.
Impoundment hunts will be moved from Wednesdays to Saturdays.
Two hunters will be assigned to the Beasley impoundments and two hunters will be assigned to the Whitehurst impoundments. Hunters will furnish their decoys and use natural cover or temporary blinds. Boats, blinds, and decoys, will no longer be provided on the impoundment hunts.
Impoundment hunters will check-in at the draw on Saturday at 5:00. No show vacancies will be filled by a stand-by drawing conducted before the float blind drawings.
DGIF talked with the contract farmer to discuss alternating soybean and corn plantings. Corn is planted earlier in the year than soybeans. It has not been feasible in past years to plant corn due to wet soil conditions in early spring. This spring has again been wet. The farmer will plant a few strips of corn.

March 5, 2010
Dear Waterfowlers,

Listed below is a statement from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) website concerning the Rappahannock Watershed Management Plan. Also enclosed below, is the hyperlink of to the agency’s response letter to the Friends of Rappahannock.

Please take a moment to review the eight page letter addressed to the Friends of Rappahannock. VDGIF has expressed their position and recommendations regarding the draft plan. They have taken a stance to support the agency’s constituents. The VAWFA will continue keep the membership informed.

Sincerely,

Todd Cocker

VAWFA

President

The VDGIF is signatory to a Conservation Easement on 4,300 acres of riparian and upland property owned by the City of Fredericksburg spanning approximately 33 miles of the Rappahannock and Rapidan river corridors. Following release of a draft Watershed Management Plan for the property by the Friends of the Rappahannock on February 11 and a public meeting on February 17, VDGIF staff developed the posted comments regarding the Department's concerns with the draft plan. The comments were reviewed and endorsed by the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries on 2 March 2010, signed by Executive Director Duncan, and submitted to Friends of the Rappahannock. As a co-holder of the conservation easement, VDGIF is a partner with the City of Fredericksburg, The Nature Conservancy, and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in developing the Watershed Management Plan, and is especially concerned with ensuring the long-term stewardship of the property, and with ensuring public access for the Department's constituents to pursue their constitutionally-guaranteed rights to hunt and fish in the Commonwealth.

VDGIF Comments on the Draft Rappahannock Watershed Management Plan

HYPERLINK:

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/rappahannock-watershed-management-plan-comments/26395_RappRiverWatershedMgtPlan_CommentsToFOR030210.pdf