Grouse Summit

Jack,

I as one have to work ..sorry but that's the way life is..so could you please tell me and others on here as to why all these meetings are held during working hours for 99% of those who would like to attend? I suggest that they either change the times to say a Saturday or an evening time around 8:00 pm,until this happens you'll not have the turn out as they could have OR MAYBE THIS IS WANT THEY WANT!!!!!!!

Glad you got your meeting..now if you'd got it when a lot of people could have attended that would have been much better!!!
I can't figure out why these meetings are held when they are,it looks to me that the organization that your to be meeting with would DO THEIR BEST TO BE THERE WHEN THE PUBLIC CAN BE..Hmmmm maybe there's a reason for this?

We can certainly take any of your concerns to the meeting for you. Also i am planning on asking for another meeting to discuss quail and what we can do about their future in Indiana. We would also want you at that meeting if possible. Let's get this one out of the way first and then we'll talk.

Jack

UPDATE:

We had our meeting today with IDNR. The Director and 3 Division Directors were present so I have to believe they are serious about doing something about upland species in Indiana. Steve Backs, Fish & Wildlife; Jack Seifert, Forestry Division; and Judi Perez of the US Forestry Service gave us a solid overview on where we have been with grouse in Indiana and where we are today.

First the good/semi-good news: Jack Seifert has been logging in the State Forests for 2 years and has a 5 year plan coming on-line that will allow 12,000,000 board feet of lumber to be harvested annually. This rate of harvest is an order of magnitude greater than previous administrations. Even so it is described as "conservative" as it will not keep up with the increasing age of the forest. Judi Perez stated that the new forest plan for Hoosier National while not the desired alternive does allow for significant logging and they plan on taking 28,000,000 board feet in the 200,000+ acres of HNF. The biggest stumbling block HNF runs into are the folks who file the lawsuits challenging each and every timber sale they have. We learned that under federal law almost anyone can object to any action in the HNF by hiring a lawyer and the government has to pay for the legal costs whether the plantiff wins or loses. Time to start using the tactics of the Earth Defense Fund against them.

The bad news: historically, grouse harvests in 1981-82 were ~25,000 birds. In 2007 the estimate from the upland survey was <600 birds. Clearly, the grouse are in trouble. We may be able to repopulate the new areas through in-state trap and relocate programs but it will definitely take time and probably money to get it done. Also the Indiana Bat is going to have an impact on how the forests are logged. It is being referred to as the Eastern Snowy Owl and we must stay vigilant that we don't lose ground in extreme efforts to accomadate the bat.

Several ideas were forwarded including the idea of educating folks like the Audobon Society and other bird watching groups that the early successional forests needed by grouse also are needed by several other non-game species one of which is the whipporill which also is in trouble. There was the trap and relocate idea. Another idea was using the funds generated by the current timber sales and creating a species specific forest managed especially for grouse. Ther were several ideas which will be molded into an action plan by a small committee made up of F&W, USFS, Forestry and sportsmen. They should meet within the month and begin to formulate an overall plan to restore grouse in Indiana.

Any specific ideas should be sent to me and I will get them to the committee. Hopefully we will strike while the iron is hot and the polical climate conducive to getting something done.

HatchetJack

Nothing worth doing is ever easy. But I got feeling we are going to get this thing done! Thanks Jack. Wish I could have been there!

One of the action plan items will include petitioning RGS for funds to help in any trap and relocate program. We are still years away but any plan to trap out of state would mean using Applachian strain grouse for southern Indiana. If we have enough birds in some of our southern forests (and the biologist indicated we did) then an in-state trap and relocate might not cost as much. We also talked briefly about grouse hunters raising the money on their own to fund the trap and relocate.

Jack

P.S. I've seen many more woodcock than grouse the past 3 years running in both Brown and Parke Counties.

Any ideas on improving grouse/grouse habitat in the next couple of years please speak up. The action plan team is meeting next week and I'll take any and all ideas to the committee.

Jack