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Important Messages from the Georgia DNR:
Feb. 18 News Releases Following are five news releases from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. For more information, contact Melissa Cummings, Sr. Public Relations and Information Specialist – (770) 918- 6400 Lisa Doty, Public Affairs Coordinator – (770) 918-6400 SUMMARY OF RELEASES FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2004 NEW THIS YEAR! HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES BECOME ANNUAL Hunting and Fishing Licenses Good One Year From Date of Purchase Until this year, hunting and fishing licenses in the state always expired on March 31 – no matter if they were bought on April 1 of the previous year or on March 30 of the current year. In an effort to give hunters and anglers the full value of their license, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has changed to an annual licensing system so that all licenses will be good for one year from the date of purchase. FINDING FISH ATTRACTORS ON ALLATOONA MADE EASY Looking for good places to fish on Lake Allatoona? Find a fish attractor. The Allatoona Fish Attractor Program, initiated in 2002, is a joint project between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), Georgia State Parks Division, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wildlife Action, local businesses and anglers. Over the next five years, 300 fish attractors are scheduled for placement at 100 locations within the lake. TIM BARRETT OF THE RICHMOND HILL HATCHERY SELECTED AS “FISHERY WORKER OF THE YEAR” BY GEORGIA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY The Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently selected Tim Barrett as the “Fishery Worker of the Year,” announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Barrett, a WRD Sr. Fisheries Biologist, is the Morone Production Coordinator (hybrid striped bass production) at the Richmond Hill Hatchery. REGGIE WEAVER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA HONORED WITH CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY The Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently honored Reggie Weaver with a Career Achievement Award, announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Weaver, a WRD Fisheries Biologist in Northeast Georgia, has been an outstanding WRD employee who not only has been a part of some significant projects, but also is extremely well-respected by other fisheries professionals and WRD Staff. COOPERATIVE CLEANUP EFFORT SCHEDULED IN EARLY MARCH FOR SETTLES BRIDGE UNIT OF CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER SYSTEM All Volunteers Welcome – Recreation Time Planned After Cleanup If you have been lucky enough to fish, float or have fun near the Chattahoochee River, you already know what a precious resource it is – especially for those near the metro-Atlanta area. Here is your chance to give back and help make the resource even better. A river cleanup, coordinated by Trout Unlimited (TU), is scheduled for the Settles Bridge Unit, located in Gwinnett County, of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area on Saturday, March 6, 2004 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cooperating agencies include TU, National Parks Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). Recreational activities, including casting some lines for trout, will be available upon completion of the cleanup. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW THIS YEAR! HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES BECOME ANNUAL Hunting and Fishing Licenses Good One Year From Date of Purchase SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (February 19, 2004) – Until this year, hunting and fishing licenses in the state always expired on March 31 – no matter if they were bought on April 1 of the previous year or on March 30 of the current year. In an effort to give hunters and anglers the full value of their license, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has changed to an annual licensing system so that all licenses will be good for one year from the date of purchase. “The Division believes that hunters and anglers will be very pleased with the new annual licensing system – this will allow them to enjoy the use of their license for a full year and provide them with a better value,” says WRD License Unit Program Manager Mike Hughes. “We encourage those who buy a license to mark its expiration on a calendar or devise some other way to remind them when it’s time to renew.” Sportsmen and women have several ways to purchase hunting and fishing licenses. There are more than 1,200 license sales agents around the state, including WRD offices, outdoor sports stores, marinas and sporting goods counters at most Wal- Mart and K-Mart stores. Hunters and anglers also can purchase licenses over the Internet or by phone. To purchase over the Internet, go to www.georgiawildlife.com (no user fee charges) or purchase by phone at 1-888-748- 6887 ($3.95 transaction fee for up to six licenses). Internet users will print out their license on their home printers. Telephone license purchasers will be issued a temporary validation number pending arrival of their license by mail. “Hunting and fishing license sales contribute directly towards wildlife conservation,” says WRD Director Noel Holcomb. “No matter which activities someone participates in, be it bird-watching, hunting, fishing, hiking or others, all outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the benefits from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.” For more information on hunting and fishing licenses or purchasing options call the WRD License Unit at (770) 414-3333 or go to www.georgiawildlife.com. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FINDING FISH ATTRACTORS ON ALLATOONA MADE EASY SUMMERVILLE, Ga. (February 19, 2004) – Looking for good places to fish on Lake Allatoona? Find a fish attractor. The Allatoona Fish Attractor Program, initiated in 2002, is a joint project between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), Georgia State Parks Division, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wildlife Action, local businesses and anglers. Over the next five years, 300 fish attractors are scheduled for placement at 100 locations within the lake. “Anglers on Lake Allatoona can expect spotted bass, largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish to hold in and around the attractors at various times of the year,” says WRD Fisheries Biologist Jim Hakala. “This printable map – available via the Internet - will assist anglers in locating the attractors.” Underwater woody debris such as logs, brush and stumps are all natural fish attractors. Fish use these areas for protection, as places to ambush prey and sometimes as spawning areas. As a reservoir ages much of this woody debris is lost through the natural process of decay and as a result, fish habitat declines over time. This loss of habitat can reduce the number of fish a lake can support. To counteract these natural processes, man-made fish habitat can be created to replace that which is lost over time. These habitat improvements often come in the form of fish attractors. They can be of various shapes and sizes and made from a number of materials (the attractors for the Allatoona Project will be constructed with PVC pipe), but all serve the purpose of providing underwater habitat for fish. A printable map showing the locations of the fish attractors that have been placed to date is available by visiting the WRD website at www.gofishgeorgia.com , select Fishing, Places to Fish and then 2003 Georgia Reservoir Fishing Prospects. Allatoona Fish Attractors is listed separately in the menu on the right side of the page. The map will be updated annually as new fish attractors are placed in Allatoona. For more information about the Allatoona Fish Attractor Program, contact the WRD Fisheries Management Office located in Summerville at 706-857-3394 or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Allatoona Office at 678-721-6700. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TIM BARRETT OF THE RICHMOND HILL HATCHERY SELECTED AS “FISHERY WORKER OF THE YEAR” BY GEORGIA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (February 19, 2004) – The Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently selected Tim Barrett as the “Fishery Worker of the Year,” announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Barrett, a WRD Sr. Fisheries Biologist, is the Morone Production Coordinator (hybrid striped bass production) at the Richmond Hill Hatchery. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. This award is presented to an individual in recognition of recent, exceptional accomplishments in fisheries science and/or management. “Georgia is fortunate that we have someone of Tim Barrett’s caliber coordinating this program,” says WRD Chief of Fisheries Management Chuck Coomer. “He has demonstrated the knowledge and ability to experiment with the hybrid striped bass production program, and as a result has produced record levels of bass production for this particular hatchery.” Tim Barrett began his career with WRD in March 1997 as a Fisheries Biologist. In 2001, he was promoted to Sr. Fisheries Biologist and became the Morone Production Coordinator at the Richmond Hill Hatchery. Barrett’s keen interest in fish culture has helped him develop and refine spawning techniques that have significantly increased the efficiency of the hybrid striped bass production program and reduced the number of white bass broodfish needed to meet the state’s stocking program. In essence, his work paves the way to produce more with less. For more information on the AFS Fishery Worker of the Year Award, visit the AFS website at www.fisheries.org . For more information on fishing in Georgia, visit the WRD website at www.gofishgeorgia.com . ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REGGIE WEAVER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA HONORED WITH CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (February 19, 2004) – The Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently honored Reggie Weaver with a Career Achievement Award, announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Weaver, a WRD Fisheries Biologist in Northeast Georgia, has been an outstanding WRD employee who not only has been a part of some significant projects, but also is extremely well-respected by other fisheries professionals and WRD Staff. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. This award is given to those who have contributed significantly to the betterment of fisheries and fishing in the State. “In his 27 years of service to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Reggie Weaver has helped to set the standard for customer service and teamwork,” says WRD Chief of Fisheries Management Chuck Coomer. “Through his quiet actions, Reggie has made us all better fisheries professionals, public servants and human beings. In addition, he has made us more productive and given our agency a greater credibility in the eyes of the public we serve.” Reggie Weaver began his WRD career in April 1976 at the Fisheries Office located in Albany and transferred to the Gainesville Office in 1979. Some of his accomplishments during his career include; helping create and maintain a nationally recognized striped bass and spotted bass fishery in Lake Lanier, managing the Lake Chatuge fish population which produced a world record hybrid striped bass, helping maintain statewide striped bass production by capturing broodstock from Lake Lanier for hatchery use while coastal rivers recovered and building working relationships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Valley Authority to enhance reservoir fish habitat. Weaver has authored numerous federal aid reports and technical publications on reservoir management, and in addition, has penned countless articles on fishing for a variety of publications. He is willing to take risks and try new techniques to recover or enhance sport fishing opportunities – two current examples would be the trophy bass management program at Bear Creek Reservoir and the experimental stocking of largemouth bass in Lake Nottely. For more information on the AFS Fishery Worker of the Year Award, visit the AFS website at www.fisheries.org . For more information on fishing in Georgia, visit the WRD website at www.gofishgeorgia.com . ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COOPERATIVE CLEANUP EFFORT SCHEDULED IN EARLY MARCH FOR SETTLES BRIDGE UNIT OF CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER SYSTEM All Volunteers Welcome – Recreation Time Planned After Cleanup SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (February 19, 2004) – If you have been lucky enough to fish, float or have fun near the Chattahoochee River, you already know what a precious resource it is – especially for those near the metro-Atlanta area. Here is your chance to give back and help make the resource even better. A river cleanup, coordinated by Trout Unlimited (TU), is scheduled for the Settles Bridge Unit, located in Gwinnett County, of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area on Saturday, March 6, 2004 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cooperating agencies include TU, National Parks Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). Recreational activities, including casting some lines for trout, will be available upon completion of the cleanup. “This land is newly acquired and has not yet been developed by the National Park Service and as such is an area that is subject to possible illegal dumping,” says Trout Unlimited Representative Bruce Rickey. “Current reduction of funding for both National and State agencies creates a need for public involvement and will provide those who participate a greater awareness and respect for this valuable resource. We encourage any groups or individuals who support the principles of balanced use and preservation of the Chattahoochee River to participate.” Objectives for this area include improving the conditions of this area by removal of trash, non-native plants and installation of an educational kiosk (donated by TU); providing a vehicle for multiple organizations to work together forging unity and creating greater understanding and cooperation between these groups; providing an opportunity for individuals to participate in a community service project and bringing attention to the value of the Chattahoochee River to local area residences, business and visitors. “Our agency is interested in this project because it will improve angler access to a popular urban trout fishery and will allow us to stock a portion of the Chattahoochee for the first time in several years,” says WRD Chief of Fisheries Management Chuck Coomer. The participating agencies will provide different aspects of assistance. The National Parks Service will oversee general operations on the park area, WRD will provide trout for stocking for those who participate in the clean-up, COE has indicated that the generation schedule will not conflict with the cleanup efforts on the river, Chattahoochee Coldwater Fishery Foundation will provide a flotilla of jet boats and possibly a bobcat for the removal of large objects from the opposite bank and the riverbed and TU will provide coordination for all groups. For more information or if you would like to participate, please contact Bruce Rickey at bruceandjulie@comcast.net or call 770-565-0792. ###
WATER RELEASE INFORMATION:
TVA River info: 800-238-2264
2004 Free Fishing Days TBA
Chris Martin
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