Colony Farm Regional Park was picked as a site for the creation of fish channels to offset habitat destroyed by the Port Mann Bridge/Highway 1 project.

Local environmentalists are criticizing the province’s $3-million plan to upgrade fish habitat in Metro Vancouver’s Colony Farm Regional Park to compensate for damage from building the new Port Mann Bridge and widening Highway 1.

Elaine Golds of the Burke Mountain Naturalists says Metro’s board shouldn’t have agreed May 27 to the construction of 80 hectares fish channels and ponds in the park’s Wilson Farm area.

“It’s very important bird habitat,” she said. “It’s more rare in the Lower Mainland than salmon streams.”

Golds said the park’s old field habitat supports short-eared owls, barred owls and great blue herons in winter.

Her group wanted the provincial government’s Transportation Investment Corp., which oversees the Highway 1 project, to find other sites where fish habitat can be improved without it coming at the cost of wildlife habitat.

“Under this plan, the birds lose and the fish win,” she said. “It shouldn’t be one versus the other. It pits the salmon supporters against the birders, which is not a good move in a public park.”

Colony Farm’s bird habitat once got upgrade money from federal authorities in compensation for the construction of Vancouver International Airport’s third runway.

“They’ve forgotten about that and now they’re piling on fish compensation work,” Golds said.

Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore in April persuaded the board to send staff back to press Victoria to look for better sites, adding Colony Farm may have been picked because it’s the easiest and cheapest option.

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Metro officials say they took up the concerns with the TI Corp. but were told no other alternatives were possible.

The project needed quick approval in order for work to start this August when impacts to fish would be minimal.

Golds had suggested instead remediating an old dump site by the Coquitlam River and converting it to fish habitat.

But that was unworkable, according to a Metro report.

“DFO considers clean up of a contaminated site to be a high-risk activity that is likely to result in the release of contaminants to the aquatic environment,” it said.

Other sites along the Coquitlam River either had low value for salmon enhancement, a high risk for failure or didn’t meet DFO requirements for suitable compensation, the report said.

The TI Corp was required by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to provide 174,000 square metres of in-stream habitat and 441,000 square metres of streamside habitat to ensure no net loss from the project.

The work shouldn’t significantly alter public access to the park.

The former Wilson Farm was once an important wetland until it was diked for agriculture a century ago.

People need clean water. In the western United States, almost all municipal water—the stuff we city-slickers use—comes from forests. About 70% of these same forests are also actively managed for timber harvest. Thus far, municipal water quality has been sustained while other forest uses, logging and recreation for example, have also been sustained. With a growing population in the West, can we keep it up? See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Fish need clean, cool water. Fish and other aquatic animals, are not limited to the forested reaches of waterways. Salmon, for instance, use waterways to travel from the highest reaches, the often-forested mountains where adults spawn, all the way to the oceans where juveniles grow to adulthood. Because animals like salmon use all stretches of waterways, it will take more than forest-covered mountains to keep our streams healthy for them. Every stretch of river—whether in the mountains, in agricultural valley-lands, in the city, or along the coast— is important in maintaining water quality, forested or not!

Trees play an important role in our waterways. Fish need cool, oxygen-rich water in order to survive and stay healthy. Trees help shade waterways, keeping the water temperature down and the dissolved oxygen high. Also, sediments washed into waterways from adjacent land can coat the bottom of streams where fish lay their eggs, suffocating them before they can hatch—tree roots can stabilize river banks, reducing erosion of sediments into the stream. Tree roots can also regulate the flow of water in the ground—this water can move more slowly through the soil, giving microorganisms like fungi and bacteria a chance to degrade pollutants before they reach the waterway! Similarly, tree leaves—both green leaves in the tree canopy and fallen leaves on the forest floor—absorb the impact of raindrops, protecting easily eroded soil surfaces.

Because trees can play such an important role in maintaining water quality, many times we can often minimize water quality problems by “buffering” a waterway from harmful impacts. In some cases we do this by leaving borders of trees and understory vegetation; we call these “buffer strips”.

Buffer strips are successfully used to reduce negative impacts on riparian areas in a variety of circumstances. In fact, one can see them along streams in agricultural, urban, and forested areas.  They are used as filters for animal waste-rich waters that percolate from pasture. They are used as live barriers to keep livestock away from sensitive areas like easily eroded streambanks They are used to provide myriad benefits to forested areas adjacent to fish-bearing streams—trees are still harvested from upslope stands, but the valuable services of streamside trees and other plants are maintained.

As you can see, trees and other plants are important factors in water quality.  Woody vegetation like trees offer something else that few other plants can however; large woody debris. Woody debris in streams creates slow spots in fast-moving water where fish can rest. It creates pools where fish can grow and escape predation. Woody debris becomes both home and food for insects that make up a fish’s diet. It also provides fish the physical cover needed to avoid predators. And, as mentioned before, it can serve as a filter for pollutants and sediments by acting as a biological “scrub-brush” for the water!

Salmon Habitat

Vision: The worldwide angling public recognizes Florida as the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World,” based on great resources and responsible management. Florida’s bass fisheries provide outstanding ecological, social and economic benefits to the state of Florida.

Introduction: This Black Bass Management Plan for Florida incorporates wide spread public input from surveys, public events and meetings, a citizen’s Technical Assistance Group (TAG),and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff from multiple divisions and offices. We collectively created the plan to ensure Florida is the undisputed “Bass Fishing Capital of the World.” The FWC will use the plan as a road map and for impetus in dedicating and acquiring resources to ensure we fulfill the goal and realize the vision. Although the management plan time frame is 2010-2030, this “living” document will allow adaptive management, public input and new scientific breakthroughs to continually help us improve our results. Our purposes are:  Create a scientifically justified document to guide FWC efforts. Ensure the public has open input into the objectives and priorities to create ownership and provide support for conservation efforts. Be proactive and open to new ideas. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Background: Florida is recognized as the “Fishing Capital of the World” based on the number of freshwater and saltwater anglers, amount of time spent fishing, economic impact, diversity of recreational species, international fishing records set here and tourists who use our resources. Bass anglers spend more than 14 million days fishing in Florida each year, which generates $1.25 billion for the state’s economy. With 3 million acres of freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, and 12,000 miles of rivers, streams, and canals, Florida is a premier destination for bass anglers. The Florida largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides floridanus)is genetically unique and has been stocked worldwide because of its potential for rapid growth to trophy size (10 pounds or heavier). Every year, a few Florida anglers catch 13- to 15-pound trophy largemouthbass. Moreover, Florida has shoal (M. cataractae), spotted (M. punctulatus)and Suwannee bass (M. notius), each one of which exists only in discrete areas and requires specific habitat andprey to maintain its population.

The fishing public perceives Florida to be among the top bass fishing states, but the fishery and trophy fish availability are depletedfrom historic levels in many localities, as documented in big-fishtournament records over the past several decades. Numerous pressures challenge fish management, including human population growth and development, declining water qualityand current water management and fish management policies. Climate change, including precipitation and sea level changes, may create additional impacts. Preliminary surveys of stake holders indicate overall satisfaction with the fishery but some concerns about negative impacts on bass populations and fishing opportunities, and the need foran enhanced management strategy.

The Black Bass Management Plan: This plan is action-based and will help FWC staff develop solutions for management issues such as habitat enhancement, aquatic plant management, fisheries regulations and appropriate stocking plans, while improving communications about angling ethics and opportunities, ensuring access, and reaching out to youth to keep them engaged in recreational fishing and conservation. The plan must be integrated with other local, state and federal programs. Effective implementation of the plan should also benefit fishing-dependent private businesses and create jobs, including those that indirectly profit(gas stations, local grocers, motels, and restaurants), and riparian land owners whose waterfront property values are affected by aesthetics and fishing quality. Highlighted below are some of the most innovative and key action items contained in the plan. New opportunities Identify new or special opportunities to create or substantially enhance black bass fisheries, and ensure FWC is proactive about opening new fisheries for the public. Successfully implementing new opportunities will require an aggressive, proactive, science-based approach that also involves local citizenry. Pursue public access to reservoirs during their planning phase, andVision: The worldwide angling public recognizes Florida as the “Bass Fishing Capital of the World,” based on great resources and responsible management.

Florida’s bass fisheries provide outstanding ecological, social and economic benefits to the state of Florida.FISHINGALLOWED New opportunities (continued)develop management plans andc ooperative agreements to produce appropriate trophy black bass fisheries. Make it easy for the public to find places to fish and freshwater public access (ramps, piers, shoreline access)using electronic and print media.? Formalize partnerships with watermanagement districts; federal, local andstate government agencies; and privatelandowners to enhance public access. Help local communities attract major bass tournaments by enhancing ramps and associated facilities that will benefit local economies and anglers. Implement complete de-water renovations on aging reservoirs and lakes with water control structures to stimulate trophy largemouth bass fisheries.

Habitat management: Habitat management is the most important component of maintaining good fisheries. Prevent habitat degradation in areas of existing healthy habitat in collaboration with other agencies as needed.  Manage native plants to create and maintain a symbiotic relationship between plants, fish, and people that will improve and sustain black bass fisheries. Implement FWC’s new hydrilla management position on specificwater bodies to improve largemouthbass fishing. Partner with WMDs and the Corps of Engineers to develop new water regulation schedules and to monitor and recommend minimum flows and levels to help maintain healthy black bass populations. Improve bass habitat conditions by manipulating water levels for fisheries enhancement purposes. Fish management Black bass management generally involves actions that affect rates of recruitment, growth, natural mortality, and fishing mortality for bass. Establish customized harvest regulations to manage black bass populations at selected water bodies. Determine the potential effects of bedfishing on black bass populations. Ensure genetic diversity, fitness, and conservation of Florida largemouth bass. Ensure the genetic integrity, fitness,and conservation of endemic black basswithin Florida Panhandle river systems. Stock fingerling (Phase-I, about 1inch long) largemouth bass into new reservoirs and into lakes following major fish kills or droughts. Stock advanced-sized (Phase-II, 4-6inches) largemouth bass fingerlings into water bodies where recruitment is limited.People management Human dimensions are critical to effective implementation of a black bass management plan, including communication, education, ethics, outreach, marketing, partnerships, tournament management, user conflicts, trophy bass documentation, data monitoring, imperiled species, and law enforcement. Implement a trophy fish documentation and release program. Involve stakeholders early in the process of major, resource-specificmanagement actions such as new regulations and major habitat renovations. Design and implement a completemarketing plan for the BBMP andFlorida’s bass fishing.? Build partnerships with bass anglers,other stakeholders, government agencies, institutions, and private industry to complete fishing and lake improvement projects. Cooperate with the bass tournament industry and citizens to effectively manage bass tournaments to minimize negative perceptions. Thank you to Glen Lau for use of the images.Supported by Federal Aid in Sport Fish RestorationFor more information, visitwww.MyFWC.com/FishingA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 9, 2011

CONTACT:Division of Forestry/Central OfficeRick Rogers, Forest Resources Program Manager, 907-269-8473

– The Alaska Board of Forestry  released its 2010 report on implementation of the Alaska Forest Resources and Practices Act (FRPA) this week. The board announced that the act continues to protect fish habitat and water quality while providing for commercial timber and fishing operations.  “The Board is confident of the act’s effectiveness because of extensive data available from six years of road condition surveys by  the  Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and  the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), eight years of compliance monitoring by DNR, and 19 years of effectiveness monitoring by resource agencies and the timber industry,” said  Chris Maisch,  the state forester and  the  board’s presiding officer.

The act governs how commercial timber harvesting, reforestation, and timber access occur on state, private, and municipal land.  Forest management standards on federal land must also meet or exceed the standards for state land established by FRFA. The act was adopted in 1978 and it has been revised multiple times since to add riparian standards and other protective measures.  State agency  compliance  monitoring, led by the Division of Forestry, determines whether  the act’s  best management practices are applied consistently and correctly on the ground.  Statewide, the monitoring results this year were the strongest ever, with regional scores averaging 4.8 out of a perfect score of 5.0 in Coastal Alaska (Region I), 4.9 in Southcentral (Region II), and 4.7 in Interior Alaska (Region III).

Over the last six years, DNR and ADF&G supplemented the compliance monitoring program with field surveys of closed and inactive forest roads.  Teams of habitat biologists and foresters surveyed every fish stream crossing on 1,891 miles of forest roads on non-federal land in Southeast Alaska.  Notably, the surveys found only 20 culverts with significant issues for fish passage on those roads – approximately one culvert of concern per 94 miles ofroad.  Follow-up surveys of upstream fish habitat were conducted on problem sites, sites have been prioritized for repair, and cooperative efforts are underway to correct the short list of problems identified.

The surveys also checked reforestation and found near-perfect results.Effectiveness monitoring evaluates whether  the act successfully protects fish habitat and water resources.  Alaska hosts one of the longest continuous effectiveness monitoring projects in the country.  Since 1992, state and federal government agencies and private industry have cooperated on an exhaustive study of the status and trends of fish habitat conditions in streams subject to forest harvesting under the act’s best management practices.

Partners in this effort include the Alaska Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC), ADFG, DNR, the U.S. Forest Service and Sealaska Corp.  The partners  jointly fund this work and provide technical expertise to ensure that state-of-the-art science is employed.  This study includes pre- and post-harvest data on 21 anadromous streams in 19 different watersheds in southeast Alaska.  The study has not found any significant adverse impacts  from harvesting on fish habitat in these watersheds.  This work has resulted in numerous reports, scientific meetings, and award-winning, peer reviewed literature publications.  Maisch also noted the role of field inspections in ensuring the act’s success.  “In the last five years alone, the Division of Forestry has conducted over 1,100 inspections on forest operations statewide.

Inspectors ensure that operators are in compliance with best management practices and provide training and enforcement if problems arise.  Many inspections are conducted jointly with ADF&G or ADEC. Their participation and expertise are essential to the implementation of the act.” The report is available on the Division of Forestry web site at http://forestry.alaska.gov/whatsnew.htm

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Island County Marine Resources

Forage Fish are a key link in the marine food web supporting much larger, predator species such as salmon. Without vast numbers of these finger-size fish, which typically swim in schools, the larger predators and many seabirds could not be sustained. In Puget Sound the three principal species of forage fish are Pacific Herring, Sand Lance and Surf Smelt, and the health of these populations is of great importance to all working for marine recovery.

At Cornet Bay on the northern tip of Whidbey Island, the MRC is working with volunteers from WSU Beach Watchers to survey several shoreline areas for the presence of forage fish eggs. Beach Watchers are doing this monitoring as part of our Cornet Bay Restoration project to establish a baseline and document any changes that occur during and after the completion of bulkhead removal and other shoreline restoration.

Our Cornet Bay project is designed to improve spawning habitat for forage fish and nearshore habitat for forage fish and salmon by eliminating a source of beach scouring, expanding intertidal habitat, improving beach composition and improving riparian vegetation. Removing the bulkhead also will eliminate a source of any leaching of hydrocarbons onto the beach.

Two of Puget Sound’s principal forage fish, Pacific Sand Lance and Surf Smelt, deposit their eggs in the upper intertidal zone on sandy-gravelly beaches. Protecting and restoring healthy spawning habitat for these forage fish is an important component of salmon restoration.

We have been conducting forage fish research since the MRC was founded in 1999. Late that year we bagan the design and sponsorship of a comprehensive, multi-year, nearshore project. Regional forage fish spawning habitat surveys evolved from that.The year 2000 Marine Ecosytstem Health Progrgram (MEHP) grant of $17,000 was the first funding awarded for this Island County effort, which subsequently grew to encompass all seven NWSC counties with cosponsors and cofunders. Over time it attrtacted hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

This was the largest geographic forage fish habitat assessment/mapping project in the owrld. Its goal was to biologically identify beaches used as spawning areas by Surf Smelt, Pacivfic Sand Lance and Pacific Herring that form the core of the food chain for salmon, rockfish, shore birds, diving birds an dmany mammals. Upon completion the forage fish component of the MRC’s larger nearshore project established a baseline for futgure monitoring and provided valuable information for county shoreline users, planners, developers and property owners.

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Here’s another great story written by Brad Wiegmann, outdoor writer, professional angler and fishing guide. Artificial fish habitat, fish attractors, fish cover, PVC fish habitat, artificial fish attractors……..what kind do I need just to catch a few bass  or crappie?

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www.bradwiegmann.com/pond-fishing/pond-management/602-artificial-pvc-fish-attractors-for-new-pond-construction-and-renovation.html