Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act Passes Congress - But With Little Republican Support

With sweeping bipartisan support that included most – but not all – of Ohio’s U.S. Congressional House members, the so-named “Great American Outdoors Act” is set to deliver $9.5 billion over the next five years.

Among the Act’s dedicated entitlements the money is earmarked for the rehabilitation of the nation’s crumbling recreational and outdoors infrastructure.

On July 22^nd, the House voted 310 to 107 – with 13 members not voting – for House Resolution 1957 to concur with all ready passed Senate amendments to the Act. All of Ohio’s four Democratic Party Congressional members voted “yea” as did six of the state’s 12 Republican House members.

The six Ohio Congressional representatives opposing the Act were Republicans Steve Chabot – R-1; Warren Davidson, R-8; Bill Johnson, R-6; Jim Jordan, R-4; Robert Latta, R-5; and Brad Wendstrub, R-2.

These six members joined a small but vocal chorus of largely Western-based agriculture-associated organizations in opposing the Act. Linked were the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the American Sheep Industry Association, and the Public Lands Council – a lobbying group comprised of Western-based ranchers.

Prior to the House vote, this cadre of opponents said the Act would “...sentence hundreds of millions of acres of American land and water to a poorly-managed future..”

However, voting “yea” among Ohio’s Congressional House delegation were Democrats Joyce Beatty, D-3; Marcia Fudge, D-11; Marcy Kaptur, D-9; and Tim Ryan, D-13. Ohio Republican Congressional House members who voted “yea” were Troy Balderson, R-12; Bob Gibbs, R-7; Anthony Gonzalez, R-16; David Joyce, R-14; Steve Stivers, R-15; and Michael Turner, R-10.

The passage of the Act pleases Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz who says that “With record numbers of Ohioans choosing to enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors, I am grateful for Congress’ bold action to advance conservation and expand access to public lands.”

“Full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund will help protect important landscapes and increase access to outdoor recreation for everyone, and support the integrity of our natural legacy for generations to come.  Ohio’s parks, forests, wildlife, natural wonders and citizens will all benefit from the Great American Outdoors Act,” Mertz said in remarks to “Ohio Outdoor News.”

Another government-backed or associated celebrator is The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, which represents North America’s U.S. federal, territorial, state, and Canadian provincial fish and wildlife agencies.

In an organization statement, Kelly Hepler, the Association’s president and also secretary of the Secretary of the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department said, “This bipartisan legislation is historic for conservation, supporting state recreation and parks programs, increasing outdoor recreational access for the public, and rebuilding critical federal infrastructure for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.”

“The Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of the best funding tools for outdoor recreation, and this will create jobs by addressing the deferred maintenance backlog for federal recreation infrastructure, as well as through the State-side programs of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the future.”

Likewise a plethora of non-governmental agencies (NGOs) support the Act – which awaits the signature or veto of President Donald Trump – and is similarly broad-based.

The Nature Conservancy’s Interim CEO Sally Jewell similarly noted in her prepared remarks how “..these are places of respite, and places that we can all go to celebrate our history, our culture, our challenges and our triumphs. “

“They are places I go with my grandchildren now to help them understand what a gift we have in our public lands, and I’m glad to see Congress act to preserve that gift for future generations,” said Jewell, who also served as Secretary of the Interior under President Barrack Obama.

Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, was particularly enthusiastic regarding the bipartisan vote.

“Sportsmen and women who have spoken out for years in support of the (Land and Water Conservation Fund) and against the chronic under-funding of our conservation agencies should be very proud to be a part of this historic win for public lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and our hunting and fishing access,” Fosburgh said in his prepared remarks.

Even the recreational vehicle industry strongly endorsed the Act and expressed pleasure at its passage through both the Senate and the House.

RV Industry Association (RVIA) President Craig Kirby noted that “Twenty million RVers across the country depend on our iconic state and federal lands for recreation, conservation, enjoyment, and overnight camping.”

“If you’re an RVer or any kind of outdoor recreation enthusiast, the Great American Outdoors Act is the best thing to happen to our community in six decades,” Kirby said.

Specifically - and according to the Congressional office in charge of explaining the proposal - the Act will:

“(Establish) the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands.

“For (Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2025), there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50 (percent) of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year.

“The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by The National Park Service, The (U.S.) Forest Service, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Bureau of Land Management, and The Bureau of Indian Education.

“The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies.

“Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

Lake Metroparks (Ohio) adjusts controlled archery lottery due to COVID-19

Lake County residents and business owners age 18 and older are again eligible to participate in an archery deer-hunting lottery assembled annual by Lake Metroparks, the county’s parks system.

Applications will be accepted through August 18. A lottery system will be used to select participants. Lottery results will be posted August 20.

And as an added incentive, participants who successfully take a deer will be entered into a guaranteed lottery for the next hunting season (2021-2022) if that participant registers to hunt for the next hunting season. This drawing will take place prior to the main drawing, parks officials says.

Hunting partners who harvested a deer the previous season are also eligible. Each program participant has the opportunity to name one “partner” for their own stand and group assignment. The designated “partner” will be allowed to hunt only when the primary participant chooses not to hunt.

The “partner” is required to fill out the partner application, pass the proficiency test and complete the online orientation before they can hunt.

Last season, 27 deer – 22 does, two antlered deer and two button bucks – were taken by lottery winners/participants.

“That’s the most deer ever harvested in the nine years we’ve conducted the lottery and hunts,” said Tom Koritansky, Lake Metroparks’ natural resources manager and the program’s administrator.

“We typically average between 18 and 20 deer harvest per season,” Koritansky said.

While no sika deer were killed last year, there are some of these exotics at one or two hunt locations, the animals being the subsequent production of a small herd that escaped many years ago.

Koritansky said as well that the parks system last year received 289 applications for the on-line lottery. In all, a total of 96 three-week slots are available at a combined four sites where the controlled hunts are held.

“So it averages out to be about a one-in-three chance of being picked in the lottery,” Koritansky says.

Also, the agency conducts a separate hunt series for veterans who have received a military associated disability. Last year the agency’s disabled veterans hunt program had 18 participants, “though we work hard to accommodate every eligible veteran who applies,” Koritansky says.

With the COVID-19 pandemic in full bloom, Lake Metroparks has undertaken some changes. The lottery is being done on-line only with the required in-person archery test being established by appointment-only based upon hunting slot assignment.

Test requirements are spelled out in the rather extensive list of lottery rules and requirements. However, they should not pose a great challenge to anyone who has taken a little time to sight-in and practice with their equipment.

Likewise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the required successful lottery hunter orientation segment will incorporate an on-line, at-your-convenience feature. A certificate of completion can then be downloaded and must be carried while hunting, Koritansky said.

Koritansky said too that the lottery will feature the assigning of three-week hunting slots at specific locations. No participant will be able to select either the hunting period nor the location.

Blinds and tree stands are provided at two sites, though not both. However, participants may bring their own commercially made stands or blinds. Feeders are available at some locations though participants must bring their own feed, Koritansky said.

Most sites do require some distance to access though Koritansky said the parks system does provide at least one handicapped accessible location.

For complete details and to complete a lottery application, go to www.lakemetroparks.com, go to “Register & Reserve” and then to “Wildlife Management Program.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

Quartet of Ohio Lake Erie-based communities receive $400,050 in natural resources-related grants

A quartet of projects intended to improve Lake Erie watershed water quality and-or provide public access to the region, has received $400,050 funding approval through a federal competitive grant program.

The Coastal Management Assistance Grant program. is facilitated in Ohio by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources through its Office of Coastal Management.

Specifically, the approved projects are:

* Ashtabula County Metroparks - Red Brook Metropark Estuary & Creek Habitat Restoration. $60,000 with $65,000 local match.

This design/build project will result in improved water quality and habitat as a

result of stream-bank stabilization and habitat improvements along over 500 feet

of Red Brook, a direct Lake Erie tributary. The project will also restore one acre

of wetland, and nine acres of floodplain will be planted in native meadow

plantings as well as upland reforestation.

* City of Rossford - Rossford Marina/ Veterans Park Waterfront Planning. $25,000 with $25,000 local match.

This feasibility study will examine and recommend preventative measures for

both flooding and ice damage, enhance water quality through “Living Shoreline”

methodologies, as well as create opportunities for enhanced public access

through the Rossford Marina/Veteran's Park to the Maumee River.

* City of Mentor - Mentor Marsh Public Access Project. $115,000 with $115,050 local match.

This design/build project will enhance the understanding of the Mentor Marsh

ecosystem through educational signage and increase access ultimately through the construction of an ADA-compliant 340-foot-long boardwalk/25-foot-square observation deck, and separate 50-foot-square observation tower. The park is heavily used by birders who have frequently requested observation amenities.

Note that the grant is subject to the match being approved by the voters of Mentor in November. The city’s charter requires a vote by the public for projects as they relate to the Mentor Lagoons Park which is adjacent to the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve. The boardwalk and observation components would be accessed via the city’s Mentor Lagoons Park. The city anticipates the project to be done in three phases.

* City of Euclid - Euclid Waterfront Improvements Plan/Wetlands Plaza. $100,000 with $125,000 local match,

This project will enhance water quality through the implementation of green

infrastructure and public education. This project will construct five connected

stormwater treatment / wetlands planters of various sizes totaling over 8,000 SF

and provide interpretive signage explaining the nutrient reduction, habitat and air

quality benefits of the native vegetataion to be placed in the planters.

* City of Rocky River - Bradstreet's Landing Pedestrian Bridge. $100,000 with $172,700 local match.

This project will remove and replace a pedestrian bridge over Spencer Creek at

Bradstreet's Landing Park providing ADA-compliant to the shore and Lake Erie.

The federally funded grant program is a voluntary partnership between the federal government and U.S. coastal and Great Lakes states and territories. It was authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 to address national coastal issues.

According to the Department of Commerce-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for Coast Management, “the act provides the basis for protecting, restoring, and responsibly developing our nation’s diverse coastal communities and resources.

To meet the goals of the CZMA, the “national program takes a comprehensive approach to coastal resource management—balancing the often competing and occasionally conflicting demands of coastal resource use, economic development, and conservation.”

In short, the program “provides the basis for protecting, restoring, and responsibly developing our nation’s diverse coastal communities and resources… balancing the often competing and occasionally conflicting demands of coastal resource use, economic development, and conservation,” the federal Commerce Department says.

Since its inception in 1998, The federally backed program has provided more than $6 million for 146 projects in Ohio, says Ohio Natural Resources spokeswoman Sarah Wickham.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

Ohio expands on its controlled hunt program with applications being accepted through July 31st

Once again July ushers in the need to apply for Ohio special and controlled hunts for this autumn and winter.

However, the texture of this year’s application process is different from the past, including recent history for applying/

For starters there will not be deer hunt at the popular NASA-owned Plum Brook Research Station in Sandusky County. This was done, said spokesmen for the Ohio Division of Wildlife due to the COVID-19 hoop-jumping that would been a necessary component of the federal reservation.

Also, the name of the Ravenna Arsenal deer hunt now reflects a new moniker, that being named after President James A. Garfield. Garfield grew and lived his entire life in Northeast Ohio, becoming a Civil War hero for the Union as well as graduating from Hiram College.

It is said, too, that Garfield was the poorest person ever to run for and win the presidency. But I digress.

Anyway, there are now scads of changes, and you’ll need the Ohio Division of Wildlife to sort through the special lottery hunts. These hunts take in the call to chase deer and waterfowl at various wildlife areas but also state nature preserves, state parks and even at some state park beaches along with archery-only and shotgun as well as muzzleloading hunts.

The Wildlife Division has assembled several controlled hunts for doves in a number of southwest Ohio locations along with mentored pheasant hunts as one for the hunting of bobwhite quail. Oh, and one for squirrels at Mosquito Lake State Park.

New this year, too, is that all state parks waterfowl blinds drawings will be coordinated through Ohio’s Wildlife Licensing System.

Persons can apply for a specific hunt only once, and the non-refundable application fee is $3 per hunt with the filing deadline set for July 31^st.

Here is a large portion of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s release on the subject:

“Hunters may apply for the controlled hunts by completing the application process online using Ohio's Wildlife Licensing System at wildohio.gov. See the complete list of eligible hunts and locations in the 2020-2021 Controlled Hunting Opportunities bookl

“Because of social distancing requirements, controlled hunt applications will only be accepted online or by phone for the 2020-2021 season. No in-person drawings will be available this year.

“All applicants, youth and adult, are required to possess a valid Ohio hunting license and meet age requirements. Find more information at wildohio.gov on the Controlled Hunts page. Customers without internet access may call 1-866-703-1928 and apply for hunts by phone. There is an additional $5.50 service fee to apply for the phone option.

“Hunters are randomly drawn from submitted applications. Successful applicants will be notified and provided additional hunt information by Monday, Aug. 10th.

“Successful applicants will receive a permit, rules and hunting area map. Each controlled hunt opportunity is unique, and applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review all site-specific rules and requirements prior to applying. The application status can be viewed through Ohio’s Wildlife Licensing System.

“Successful applicants can choose a blind location on Saturday, Aug. 15th. A $50 fee is charged to construct a blind for state park waterfowl hunts. Permittees are responsible for this additional fee.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com