PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL REGARDING HUNTING REGULATIONS

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (March 31, 2008) — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) will hold four public hearings to receive input on proposed changes to the hunting regulations for the 2008-2009 season.

The purpose of the proposed regulation changes is to manage Georgia’s game birds and game animals according to sound principles of wildlife management and to meet public objectives for use of these renewable natural resources. Those interested are encouraged to bring these hearings to the attention of others who also may wish to participate.

Proposed changes that WRD will address include regulations related to dove hunting season and hunting opportunities on new wildlife management areas and on state parks.

Members of the general public will have an opportunity to provide input at the following WRD-sponsored public hearings:

· Monday, April 14, 2008: Southwest Georgia Regional Library, 301 South Monroe Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819

· Tuesday, April 15, 2008: Harris County Middle School, 184 South College Street, Hamilton, GA 31811

· Monday, April 21, 2008: Georgia Mountains Center, 301 South Main Street, SW, Gainesville, GA 30503

· Tuesday, April 22, 2008: Evans County Wildlife Club, 501 Cedar Avenue, Hagan (Claxton)

Any participant at the hearing may present data, make a statement or comment or offer a viewpoint or argument, either orally or in writing. Statements should be concise to permit everyone an opportunity to speak.

Participants are required to register upon arrival and notify the registering official of their intent to give a statement. Those unable to attend the hearings may submit statements electronically through the WRD website at www.gohuntgeorgia.com or by mail prior to close of business May 2, 2008. Written statements should be mailed to:

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division
Game Management Section
Attn: John Bowers
2070 U.S. Highway 278, S.E.
Social Circle, Georgia 30025

These meetings are accessible to people with physical disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to John Bowers at the above address by April 9, 2008.

The Board of Natural Resources will consider the proposed changes and any comments received during the public hearing process May 28, 2008 at 9 a.m. at the DNR Boardroom at 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE, Suite 1252, Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information on the scheduled public hearings or to view the proposed regulation changes, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com. For additional information, contact WRD’s Hunter Services office at (770) 761-3045.

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WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN GIVE WILDLIFE A CHANCE POSTER CONTEST More than 5,000 k- through 5th-grade students take part in Georgia art event

FORSYTH, Ga. (March 31, 2008) - Four elementary school children were selected as statewide winners in the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division announced today. More than 5,000 kindergarten through 5th-grade students from 45 public schools, private schools and home-school groups took part in the 18th annual conservation art competition.

Statewide finishers in the four grade divisions included:

Kindergarten
1st place: Morgan Mathews, Pike County Primary School, Zebulon, Ga. 2nd place: Daniel Tetterton, Tate Elementary School, Tate, Ga. 3rd place: Tori Caldwell, Ephesus Elementary School, Roopville, Ga.

1st-2nd grade
1st place: Brittany Phillips, Lincoln County Elementary School, Lincolnton, Ga.
2nd place: Ambus Powell, Tiftarea Academy, Chula, Ga. 3rd place: Kaitlin Barton, St. Joseph Catholic School, Athens, Ga.

3rd-4th grade
1st place: Keeren Daya, Fayetteville Intermediate School, Fayetteville, Ga.
2nd place: Drew Wulff, Heard County Elementary School, Franklin, Ga. 3rd place: Ana Edwards, Centralhatchee Elementary School, Franklin, Ga.

5th grade
1st place: Cynthia Kirk, Centralhatchee Elementary School, Franklin, Ga.
2nd place: Addison Fisher, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Lyons, Ga. 3rd place: Brianna Todd, Ephesus Elementary School, Roopville, Ga.

These top 12 winners will be showcased in the 2008-2009 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest calendar. All state-level entries will be on display in the Conservatory at the State Botanical Garden in Athens through Wednesday, April 5.

Participants entered the contest at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia’s native plants and animals. Posters followed the 2008 contest theme, “The Sights and Sounds of Wild Georgia.” Top school-level entries proceeded to the state contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Poster contest sponsors include the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network Inc. (T.E.R.N.).

For more information on the contest, visit www.georgiawildlife.com and www.uga.edu/botgarden or contact Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029; telephone, (478) 994-1438.

Georgians can support important conservation, recreation and education efforts like the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest and other conservation programs for Georgia’s nongame wildlife through buying a nongame wildlife license plate for their vehicles and donating to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” State Income Tax Checkoff. Check www.georgiawildlife.com for details.

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SAFEGUARDING SAVING RARE PLANTS IN GEORGIA Private-public process protects, helps reestablish dwindling species

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (March 31, 2008) — There is good news for some rare plant species in Georgia. A technique called safeguarding just may bring them back from the verge of extinction.

Safeguarding refers to cultivation and restoration activities considered a conservation strategy of last resort. Most species selected for safeguarding either no longer exist in the wild or are present only in fragmented populations.

“Specifically, the term refers to various propagation and outplanting activities relating to both ex-situ activities, meaning indexing collections of plants, seed banks and germplasm of known provenance at botanical gardens, arboreta or nature museums, and in-situ efforts, including reintroductions to native habitats, augmentations or enhancements and introductions to new suitable habitats,” said Mincy Moffett, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologist and botanist.

Safeguarding is listed as a high-priority action in the State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for Georgia, the DNR’s guide to conservation.

The safeguarding effort is coordinated by the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA), of which DNR is a charter member. Other members include the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The botanical gardens in the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance are grateful to the leadership of the DNR Nongame Conservation Section in finding, restoring and securing wild-site safeguarding homes for these rare plants,” said Jennifer Ceska, plant conservation coordinator for the State Botanical Garden and GPCA’s statewide coordinator.

The GPCA first identifies species that need safeguarding. An internal team develops a safeguarding plan, and then collects cuttings or propagules from plants and attempts to cultivate the plants in a controlled setting such as a lab, botanical garden or greenhouse. Potential outplanting sites are evaluated. Sites must be ecologically appropriate and provide some form of long-term legal protection, such as public ownership or a conservation easement.

Chosen sites are carefully prepped for outplanting, which refers to either returning the plants to their natural environments (reintroduction) or introducing them to new suitable environments (introductions) if the native habitat is no longer capable of supporting the plants because of development or degradation.

Once a plant has been outplanted, the site is monitored and a stewardship plan is developed. The State Botanical Garden in Athens trains volunteers to become botanical guardians, a program aimed at creating a statewide stewardship network for rare plants. These volunteers work on DNR and GPCA safeguarding projects around the state.

Examples of safeguarding successes include the return of the purple pitcherplant to four recently restored mountain bog sites. Mountain bogs are one of the most endangered habitats in the Blue Ridge. As a result of habitat restoration and safeguarding practices, the population of mountain purple pitcherplants (Sarracenia purpurea var. montana) has grown from less than 20 to more than 350 plants and new seedlings in 2003, the latest information available.

“We don’t know the exact number any more because the plants are thriving and spreading,” Ceska said. “Before 2003, we flagged and counted every plant twice a year as part of our monitoring program. But since the plants are reproducing sexually in the wild again, a first in a good 20-plus years, there are seedlings everywhere - possibly hundreds of tiny little plants.”

Other safeguarding success stories include the Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia) and the swamp pink (Helonias bullata). Both have been outplanted in situ at secure sites in Georgia.

Native to about a dozen ravine complexes along the Apalachicola River in Florida and Georgia, the Florida torreya was once common. However, since the late 1950s a fungal pathogen of uncertain origin and with no known control has decimated populations. The Florida torreya is now listed as a critically imperiled species. Although not yet successful in the wild, safeguarding is helping the Florida torreya make a comeback in botanical gardens throughout Georgia. The DNR and other GPCA members will continue to work toward the plant’s survival in the wild.

“Species cannot survive in perpetuity at the botanical gardens, or plant zoos,” Ceska said. “They need wild-site homes, appropriate to their species, to thrive and reproduce, and carry on the species.”

Buying a wildlife license plate or making a donation via the State Income Tax Checkoff supports safeguarding efforts in Georgia including projects like purple pitcherplant habitat restoration. The tax checkoff and sales of bald eagle and hummingbird tags provide vital funding for the Nongame Conservation Section. Projects vary from monitoring safeguarding sites to promoting awareness of prescribed fire as a tool for promoting healthy forests.

Wildlife license plates are available for $25 at all county tag offices. Tags also can be bought by checking the wildlife license plate box on mail-in registration forms. Visit http://mvd.dor.ga.gov/tags for online renewals.

The checkoff is another convenient way to support nongame conservation. Simply fill in a dollar amount on line 26 of the long tax form (Form 500) or line 10 of the short form (Form 500EZ).

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SPRING PLANTING CAN BE FOR THE BIRDS, AND BUTTERFLIES

FORSYTH, Ga. (March 31, 2008) — As spring arrives, backyard gardeners and landscapers begin the yearly task of beautifying their outdoor environments. The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division recommends that amateur and professional gardeners, regardless of their yard’s size, consider building a place for wildlife while planning for spring gardens.

“When planting or landscaping for spring, utilize plants beneficial to wildlife and keep in mind the following tips,” said Jim Ozier, a program manager with the division’s Nongame Conservation Section. “These helpful hints are sure to enhance the beauty of yards and gardens and attract a variety of wildlife for viewing enjoyment.”

** Plant fruit-producing shrubs like native crabapple, serviceberry, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, dogwoods and wax myrtle. To attract songbirds including cardinals, robins, bluebirds, orioles, brown thrashers and mockingbirds, plant in clumps, clusters or islands. Cover provides nesting areas for birds and small mammals, as well as shelter from predators and inclement weather.

** Always use caution when using pesticides. Overuse or misuse of lawn chemicals can harm wildlife. Contact a local Cooperative Extension Service with questions about amounts and types of pesticides to use.

** Create a pool as a birdbath and gathering place for wildlife. A pool can be as simple as a small pond or as elaborate as an in-ground reservoir with waterfalls. Also, shallow birdbaths make excellent landscaping focal points.

** Don’t forget the butterflies! Cultivate nectar-producing plants such as salvia, lantana, butterfly bush, milkweeds, blazing star, impatiens and verbena to provide butterfly-viewing opportunities and add an array of color to backyard habitats. Planting butterfly larval host plants like hollyhock, fennel, violets, pawpaw and asters will also encourage butterflies to come to your garden.

** Remember the field guide and binoculars. Watching wildlife can be fun for the entire family, especially considering Georgia’s rich diversity of wild animals and plants. Close-focusing (6 feet or less) binoculars allow you to observe butterflies up close. Field guides to birds and butterflies are great resources in helping identify species.

** Use native plants. Native wildlife is adapted to the plants, and they are adapted to surviving under local conditions with little need for extra fertilizer or water.

With proper planning any yard can feature trees, shrubs and other plants that will provide food, shelter and habitat for wildlife. For more information on spring planting for birds and butterflies, visit Wildlife Resources’ Web site, www.georgiawildlife.com and search for “wildlife in your backyard.”

Donations to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” State Income Tax Checkoff and sales of wildlife license plates featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird support conservation projects for nongame wildlife and plants in Georgia. The nongame plates are the primary source of funding for Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funding.

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QUICK NEWS

WILD Facts: Birds busy with nesting

Spring has sprung and bird nesting has begun! Species that normally nest in cavities may take up residence in dead trees or birdhouses in your yard. Non-cavity nesters may find your evergreen trees and shrubs particularly attractive for raising young.

While some birds are very secretive about where they nest, other species don’t mind making their homes close to humans. Wrens often nest amidst garage clutter, house finches may choose hanging flowerpots, and phoebes and barn swallows like to build nests on ledges. Be patient and feel privileged if a bird picks part of your living space for its nest.

WILD Facts is a regular feature written by Linda May, a wildlife interpretive specialist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.

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And, on “Georgia Outdoors” this week:

From the majestic right whale to the diminutive honeybee, Georgia has a number of official state symbols from the natural world. Learn more this week watching “Georgia Outdoors,” scheduled on Georgia Public Broadcasting channels at 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 4; noon and 6 p.m. Saturday, April 5; and, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.

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