Category Archives: News

News and events around the Lake Champlain Valley of northern New York and Vermont and southern Quebec

“Reel Fun Vermont” Program Kicks off 2nd Year

‘Reel Fun Vermont’ Program adds more state parks and fishing clinics for 2016

Reel Fun Vermont

The “Reel Fun Vermont” program is in full swing across Vermont for the second year running, meaning even more fishing opportunities for campers and visitors at state parks throughout the state.

The program was created in 2015 through a joint effort by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and Vermont State Parks. “Reel Fun” is designed to make fishing more accessible to the public by providing park visitors with free, loaner fishing equipment to use at any of the participating state parks.

“Reel Fun” has quickly become a favorite of fishing enthusiasts and novice anglers alike since its inception, and with the addition of two new participating parks as well as various on-site “Let’s Go Fishing Clinics” in 2016, program coordinators are optimistic about its continued growth.

“What makes the ‘Reel Fun’ program great is that it makes fishing so easy to try for park visitors,” said Chris Adams, information specialist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “The rods, reels, tackle and even informational guides for fishing at each park are all provided, making fishing incredibly accessible and enjoyable to anyone interested in wetting a line.”

With the addition of Button Bay and Burton Island state parks on Lake Champlain, the program is now available at 12 different state parks around Vermont. Other participating state parks include: Grand Isle, Lake Carmi, Stillwater on Groton Lake, Branbury on Lake Dunmore, Silver Lake, Wilgus on the Connecticut River, Half Moon, Lake St. Catherine, Woodford on Adams Reservoir and Brighton on Spectacle Pond.

Reel Fun Vermont

“Reel Fun Vermont” will be bolstered this summer by expanded instructional fishing clinics which will be held at many of the participating parks by “Let’s Go Fishing” program instructors and trained park staff.

The family-friendly program also continues to benefit from the excellent fishing locations offered by the 12 state parks.

“Vermont is fortunate to have incredible fishing for a wide range of fish species, and these quality opportunities can be found right at the twelve ‘Reel Fun’ parks,” said Adams. “From bass, pike, panfish and trout, to non-traditional species like bullhead and freshwater drum, you just never know what you might catch at many of these fishing spots.”

Similar to 2015, the program will also include a “Reel Fun VT” photo contest where visitors can submit photos of themselves fishing at state parks to either Vermont State Parks or Vermont Fish & Wildlife. At the end of the summer, three winners will be chosen and will receive prizes ranging from complete starter fishing kits to Vermont State Parks camping and season passes.

“We’re excited about another great summer of fishing fun in Vermont State Parks,” said Rochelle Skinner, park sales and service manager with Vermont State Parks. “Whether you want to fish from shore or take out one of our canoes, kayaks or paddleboats, we think you’ll really enjoy fishing at a Vermont State Park.”

Visitors can submit “Reel Fun VT” photos via email to fwinformation@state.vt.us or parks@state.vt.us, or can use #ReelFunVT to tag photos on Twitter.

To find out more about Vermont State Parks, make a camping reservation or learn about day use, visit http://www.vtstateparks.com/index.htm.

To learn more about the Reel Fun program, fishing in Vermont or to purchase a fishing license, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com

 

Judge’s Decision on cormorant control has Biologists feeling helpless

Judge’s Decision on Cormorants Leaves Biologists Feeling Helpless

Judge's Decision on cormorant control has Biologists feeling helpless

Biologists have been working to reduce the populations of the birds in the nesting grounds on the islands in the lake. But a federal judge’s decision suspended efforts to control the bird on Lake Champlain and in 24 eastern states.

Biologists are worried that a federal judge’s decidion to block programs that control double-crested cormorants in 24 states could set back their efforts on the birds, blamed for despoiling islands in Lake Champlain where they nest.

In other areas of the country, cormorants — sea birds with long necks and hooked bills — are blamed for eating thousands of sport fish favored by anglers and preying on fish in farms.

Vermont officials, who this time of year are usually overseeing control programs that include oiling eggs to prevent them from hatching, and shooting the birds or scaring them away, worry that even one year without the control program could see the number of cormorants on the lake increase by 21 percent.

“It will not take very long for that number to double without some active management,” said Mark Scott, wildlife director for the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages about 20 islands and some sections of shoreline that have been known to host cormorants.

Judge's Decision on cormorant control has Biologists feeling helpless

 

The March decision by a judge in Washington determined that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t do its homework before issuing a pair of orders that let people kill thousands of cormorants each year to preserve vegetation in some areas and protect sport fish in 24 states and farmed fish in 13 of those states.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Laury Parramore said the agency is studying its next step.

Cormorants, which winter in the South and spend summers on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, have nested on Champlain for at least a century. They were brought to near-extinction by the pesticide DDT, and no one is sure why the numbers have increased dramatically over the last quarter-century.

Dave Capan, a retired University of Vermont biologist who is managing a cormorant program on the Four Brothers Islands, estimates there are about 1,600 breeding pairs of cormorants on the lake, down from a peak of about 4,000 about 15 years ago. The islands lie in the middle of the narrow, 120-mile long lake, are owned by the Nature Conservancy and are off limits to the public.

“They nest in very large numbers, and they kill trees on islands in the lake,” Capan said. “There are at least five or six islands in this lake that have lost most of their trees and vegetation.”

Capan disagrees with Scott’s assertion that the birds would increase by 21 percent in one year without control. He said he feels that as long as the control programs resume by next spring, there shouldn’t be any long-term setback to the control efforts.

 

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain's Young Island from cormorants

Cormorants have a long history of being hated by humans, said Ken Stromberg, a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist from Denmark, Wisconsin, who was among those who filed the lawsuit against the service that led to the March decision blocking the control programs.

“A cormorant is a scapegoat for everything that consumers are unhappy about,” said Stromberg, who isn’t opposed to cormorant control programs but feels the Fish and Wildlife Service must do the required studies before issuing orders.

 

Officials Advise on Spiny Water Fleas

Officials Advise on Spiny Water Fleas

Spiny Water Fleas Spur Reminder to Anglers and Boaters on Preventing Spread of Invasive Species

Spiny Water Fleas Spur Reminder to Anglers and Boaters on Preventing Spread of Invasive Species

 

Officials advise anglers and boaters to clean, drain and dry

Recent reports of spiny water fleas becoming snagged on fishing gear used on Lake Champlain have prompted officials to urge anglers and boaters to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of this and other harmful aquatic invasive species.

“Lake Champlain boat launch stewards have been hearing about spiny water flea sightings by anglers over the last month, and last week we removed the first sample off a downrigger cable during a routine courtesy boat inspection at the Shelburne Bay fishing access area,” said Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator with the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “The best method for preventing the spread of spiny water fleas is simply letting them dry out, which of course applies to any fishing or boating equipment that they might attach to.”

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Shawn Good added it’s critical that anglers thoroughly inspect their boats and gear after a day of fishing.

“Spiny water flea can cling to downrigger cables, fishing line, anchor rope and other things, so the first step is to inspect all your equipment and remove any visible globs of spiny water flea,” said Good. “Letting gear dry completely for several days will also kill all life stages of spiny water flea.”

The spiny water flea, which was first confirmed in Lake Champlain in 2014, is a non-native zooplankton roughly one-half inch in length. Spiny water fleas do not bite and pose no risk to swimmers in Lake Champlain. They prey directly on native zooplankton, and compete with other species for food resources disrupting the native aquatic food chains and changing the native aquatic community.

This invasive species originally appeared in North America in Lake Huron in 1984 and has since spread throughout the Great Lakes and beyond. It was found in both the Lake Champlain Canal near Whitehall, New York and in New York’s Lake George in 2012. It is unknown how spiny water flea entered Lake Champlain, though it may have hitchhiked overland on fishing equipment, a boat or trailer, or come through the Lake Champlain Barge Canal or Lake George’s outlet – the La Chute River – which flows into Lake Champlain in Ticonderoga, New York.

“The main key for anglers and boaters is to remember to clean, drain and dry all boats and equipment after each use,” said Eric Palmer, director of fisheries with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Making sure that your boat and gear is cleaned and dried before launching at another access area is critical to helping to prevent the further spread of any aquatic invasive species, including the spiny water flea.”

Rinsing with 140°F degree water is also believed to be effective in killing spiny water fleas and reducing the risk of spread.

The long tail of the spiny water flea has a number of hook-like barbs which causes it to stick to fishing line and cables trolled through the water when fishing. To reduce the risk of this happening, anglers can use specialty lines designed with specific shape and material characteristics that prevent them from latching onto the line.

For trolling, anglers can spool fishing reels with a heavier weight (larger diameter) main line, and then use a short thin leader to the lure. A heavier main line helps to keep the spiny water fleas from catching the line between their barbs and accumulating, while the smaller diameter leader allows anglers to effectively target line-shy species like trout and salmon.

For more information on preventing the spread of invasive species, visit http://www.lcbp.org/water-environment/aquatic-invasive-species/ or http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/cms/one.aspx?portalid=73163&pageid=195775.

Lake Champlain

This 128-page softcover book features stunning historical images from the archives of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and other regional collections, and includes chapters on Patriotic Sites and Celebrations; Commerce in the Canal Era; The Age of Steam; Crossing Lake Champlain; Recreational Boating; Summer and Summer Folk; Hunting and Fishing; and Winter. ‘Lake Champlain’ tells the story of this historic, busy commercial corridor and recreational destination.

Buy Here

More Lake Champlain News:

 

49th Annual Mayor’s Cup Festival Events

Officials Outline 2016 Mayor’s Cup Festival Events

Mayor's Cup featival logo on tee-shirt

Plattsburgh officials have outlined the schedule for this summer’s Mayor’s Cup, one of the city’s largest annual events.

The 39th Annual Mayor’s Cup Festival will combine the largest sailboat race on Lake Champlain with numerous on-shore events over four days from July 7-10th.

The Sunrise Rotary coordinates the festival and regatta with the City of Plattsburgh. Sunrise Rotary President Elect and Festival Chair Joanne Dahlen calls the race, which features 80 to 90 sailboats,  the keystone of the festival.  “The regatta has been going on for so long. There’s such a loyal following of boaters. They tend to register year after year and I believe that the race structure before Burlington and Plattsburgh is based around the dates of the Mayor’s Cup because it’s that important to the racing community.”

Dahlen says the popularity of the Mayor’s Cup has grown over its 39 years.  “It started out as really just a single race through the Valcour Sailing Club before Sunrise Rotary took it over and then it became part of the four day regatta and festival. That collectively elevates all events and adding the parade of lights as sort of the kickoff to the four day festivities I think has been huge, I think for the regatta as well, because it’s just fun.”

Parade of Lights Competition

The Mayor’s Cup Festival kicks off the evening of July 7th with the 10th annual Parade of Lights Competition: a floating procession of decorated and lighted boats along the Plattsburgh shoreline.

There will be traditional events such as music, carnivals, movies, garden tours and fireworks.

Nova Bus bus pull

New events this year engage the region’s burgeoning transportation manufacturing sector.  Promotions and Special Events Coordinator Sandra Geddes approached Nova Bus for help to create a new competition.  “It’s the Nova Bus bus pull. There are going to be six man teams and we’ll have a woman’s, a men’s and a coed category. So okay. They do strongmen competitions. So we just thought it would be something fun to do. And you have to go a hundred feet. Whoever gets a hundred feet in the quickest amount of time.”

Downtown Rising

Another new feature invites visitors to step back in time. “Downtown Rising,” is a weekly summer series of food, music and farm market festivals.

“We’re going to be doing a horse drawn trolley ride which is going to run from Trinity Park down to the waterfront. So you can hop on the trolley, ride it through town, go down to the waterfront. You can hop off there if you choose or you can ride it back.  And I think they’re actually willing to stop and let people on and off. Kind of like an old fashioned trolley from the waterfront up to the city.”

Plattsburgh Mayor James Calnon notes that while the city budgets about $60,000 for celebrations throughout the year, events like the Mayor’s Cup are auspicious investments.  “The economics of it are at least two fold. It puts a lot of people downtown and we hope that in the course of the day that brings a lot of business downtown. The other piece of this that I think is really important is and I talk about this a lot, you know, you want your cities to be good places to live, to visit and to work. And having a vibrant downtown with lots of activities is really important in recruiting particularly young and highly skilled workers. We want to really send that message that that’s what Plattsburgh is: a real four seasons community. And in the summertime having events like this and the Fourth of July fireworks, the Battle of Plattsburgh, that there’s so much going on that people get to make choices. And so the more choices we can have in activities generally that raises the economy of the region.”

Registration packets for various competitions are being prepared and will be available on theMayor’s Cup website.

 

 

Ethan Allen: His Life and Times
is the story of one of Vermont’s
most famous citizens.Written by
Willard Sterne Randall this book
sheds a new light on one of
Vermont’s founding fathers.
Buy Ethan Allen: 
His Life and Times Here

 

More Lake Champlain News:

 

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain’s Young Island

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain’s Young Island

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain's Young Island from cormorants

Biologists from Vermont’s Department of Fish & Wildlife have been working to rescue a state-owned island from the brink of destruction by birds.

“It’s quiet compared to the way it used to be here,” said biologist John Gobeille as he stepped from a boat onto Young Island in Lake Champlain. “You used to need earplugs.”

Now grassy and green, Young Island was barren and rocky because its surfaces had been denuded. The island was infested with shrieking ring-billed gulls and cormorants, whose toxic droppings killed vegetation.

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain's Young Island from cormorants

“It’s coming back,” Gobeille said, observing plant life on the island.

By applying cooking oil to the gulls’ eggs so they can’t hatch, over the past 15 years the population of ring-billed gulls is less than a tenth of the 15,000 that once dominated the island. They would bully other birds, keeping species away, Gobeille explained.

“The species diversity here had declined to only, like, two [bird] species,” Gobeille said.

For cormorants, the oil work, combined with shooting the birds in a prescribed process more than ten years ago, dramatically minimized numbers on Young Island, accorfing to fish and wildlife officials. Visitors to the lake will see cormorants at many other locations on and around the water.

Now, with the gull numbers down on Young Island, Mark Scott, the wildlife director of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, said birds including the black duck and the common tern have been able to nest on the island again. The common tern, despite its name, is listed as a state-endangered species in Vermont.

Scott and Gobeille noted the department has planted trees and ground-covering plants to replace what the invaders killed. Not only would the birds’ acidic waste prevent plants from growing, but the birds would also defoliate trees and shrubs to build nests, Gobeille explained, turning the island into something resembling the surface of the moon.

Despite the turnaround in Young Island’s appearance, there is a lot more habitat restoration work that needs to be done on Lake Champlain. The department said it is currently watching five other state-owned islands, one private island through financial backing of the landowner, and another private island where the state deters birds that may interfere with nesting of the common tern.

Biologists Working to Save Lake Champlain's Young Island from cormorants

Thousands of cormorants are still damaging other land, boaters and fishermen have reported in recent years. Many sportsmen also believe the cormorants are robbing the lake of fish by gobbling up perch and smelt.

Fishermen have long complained about the cormorants, insisting that more needs to be done to control cormorants.

“The challenge comes down to money; you know, economics,” Scott told necn. “People say, ‘Well, why don’t you just let people go out and hunt [cormorants] on their own? Well, they’re not classified as a game species under federal law.”

Even with more challenges ahead, the transformation of Young Island has left the department optimistic that habitat management can work.

Scott said the department does its gull and cormorant work with just over $40,000 in state funding, but to be more effective, the team would need $100,000 in additional monies from federal grants, state appropriations, non-profit support, or other sources.

Other Articles About Lake Champlain Islands:   List of Lake Champlain's Islands