credit: www.yprenocounty.com
The Young Professionals of Reno County are holding their monthly Connections Team Meeting on Tuesday the 2nd at Chamber of Commerce from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Anyone is welcome at our monthly meetings and you’re welcome to bring a lunch if you’d like!
If you have questions, please email the Connections Team at [email protected].
Chamber of Commerce – 117 North Walnut
Enrolled private waters can benefit from fish stocking and habitat management
PRATT – If you are a landowner with private waters and are interested in sharing the joy of fishing with others, you may want to consider becoming a part of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Fishing Impoundments and Stream Habitats Program (F.I.S.H.). F.I.S.H. is patterned after the very successful Walk-In Hunting Access Program with a goal of increasing public fishing opportunities in Kansas. This is accomplished by leasing private waters from landowners for public fishing. Landowners participating in F.I.S.H. receive payments for the use of their land while leaving it in private ownership, and anglers are in turn provided with a place to fish that might not have been available otherwise. Enrollment for 2015 is currently open and will close December 15, 2014.
Special regulations are in place for F.I.S.H. properties, and KDWPT officials periodically patrol the areas. Violators will be ticketed or arrested for vandalism, littering or failing to comply with fishing regulations. Access is limited to foot traffic, except on roads designated by the landowner in the case of very large tracts of land. Additionally, under this program some landowners are eligible for fish stocking, habitat management, fence crossers, cattle guards, rock boat ramps, or rocked parking areas.
Each year, KDWPT publishes a fishing atlas featuring maps that show each body of water enrolled in the program, boating allowance, and fish species available. F.I.S.H. sites are open for public access from March 1 to October 31 or year-round. Landowners allowing year-round fishing access receive a 10 percent lease payment increase.
Pond Leasing
The program leases privately-owned ponds for public access by the acre. Base lease rates range from $75-$125 per/acre/year, depending on where the pond is located. Boating allowance bonuses are available, as well. Ponds allowing carry-in boats receive an additional $10/acre/year and properties allowing all boats access (adequate launching site must be present) receive an additional $25/acre/year.
Stream Leasing
Another focus of the F.I.S.H. program is fishing access to streams. Depending on the quality of the stream’s fishery, annual lease rates for fishing access range from $500 to $1,500/mile/year.
Big River Access Leasing
The Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri Riversare considered navigable waters and are open to public access between high-water lines. However, public land access points are limited. To increase public access to these rivers, the F.I.S.H. program leases access sites from willing landowners. Landowners with adequate launch facilities receive $1,500/site/year. If the site is within 10 river miles of any other public access site, a landowner can receive $2,000/site/year.
For more information on enrolling your water in the F.I.S.H. program, contact your nearest KDWPT office, or the Pratt Operations office at (620) 672-5911. You can also learn more about F.I.S.H. at www.ksoutdoors.com.
This program is made possible by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Act and the sale of fishing licenses.
The South Hutch Municipal Court will be running the Food for Fines program until December 15.
Individuals can redeem one canned good for $5 in fine forgiveness up to $50 per person.
Contact the court for information, (620) 560-6251.
photo credit – Daniel Oines
A hunter can gift as many as 200 meals at a local food pantry with a donated deer
PRATT – A mature white-tailed deer, even field dressed, can often outweigh the very hunter lucky enough to make the harvest. Combine that with generous permit allocations in some areas of the state, and some hunters may find they are quickly filling their freezers with venison. It’s meat that was obtained with hard work, time and perseverance, so it’s no surprise that hunters hold their harvests dear. But it’s this very reason that hunters should consider sharing such a meaningful meal with others this season.
Venison is a lean and healthy protein that most food pantries wouldn’t be able to offer their customers if it weren’t for organizations like Kansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (KSHFH). KSHFH is a nonprofit organization that is the conduit for generous hunters to donate deer and provide food for thousands of hungry Kansans. Last year alone, hunters donated 991 deer and 18 elk, providing 245,000 meals across the state.
If you harvest a big game animal this season, consider sharing your harvest with fellow Kansans in need. Hunters can donate any legally-harvested deer, antelope, elk, or moose to one of the more than 40 participating meat processors around the state found at www.kshfh.org/lockers. It’s always a good idea to call ahead before taking your deer to a processor, but walk-ins are usually welcome. There is no cost to donate your deer as long as the KSHFH organization has sufficient funding to cover the processing expense. Donated game must be field dressed and legally tagged.
If you would like to help, but would prefer to keep your meat, consider making a money donation to KSHFH by texting “DEER” to 91011. A reply text will then ask for credit card information, including the donation amount. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism also makes supporting this program easy. When outdoorsmen and women buy licenses, permits, or stamps, they can donate $2 to fund the program, which the agency collects for KSHFH. Donations made by check can also be mailed to KSHFH at 17811 Donahoo Rd., Tonganoxie, KS, 66086.
For more information on how you can help, visit www.kshfh.org.
Farmer Veteran Coalition has released Veteran Careers in Agriculture: A Resource Guide. The 40-page PDF publication introduces the Farmer Veteran Coalition and its work, profiles veteran farmers, discusses opportunities for veterans to find employment in agriculture, and offers resources for business planning. It also serves as a directory of agricultural organizations and educational opportunities for farmer veterans.
Related ATTRA Publication: Veteran Resources
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