Post by Woody Williams on Nov 9, 2005 19:41:00 GMT -5
New 8,000-acre DNR property will be managed for wildlife viewing, hunting and trapping
(Linton) Hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers will have new territory to
explore in Greene County, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced yesterday.
Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, a new 8,000-acre property located between
the towns of Linton and Sanborn, will open to the public on Nov. 14.
Entrance is free of charge.
Tuesday, Daniels called the day "a moment in history." He said the Goose
Pond and Beehunter Marsh will draw thousands of people to the area to view
the wildlife and to fish and hunt.
"All Hoosiers can be proud of this joint effort to conserve this beautiful
habitat and provide for its enjoyment," said Daniels.
"We believe Goose Pond will be a tremendous environmental asset to the
region and to the entire state," said DNR Director Kyle Hupfer.
Hupfer said that DNR staff will manage the new acreage at Goose Pond,
keeping operating costs to a minimum.
The DNR has preliminary plans to build a boat ramp, improve access, and to
manage habitat for ground-nesting birds. The agency will meet with area
residents to develop a more detailed management plan for the property.
With the addition of Goose Pond, 140,000 acres across Indiana now are open
as fish and wildlife areas and available for hunting and fishing. Fees from
the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses and associated sporting
equipment fund fish and wildlife area management.
"This will be an extraordinary opportunity for Hoosiers who love to view
wildlife, hunt, or trap," Hupfer said. "Added to our existing resources, the
Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife area will provide a tremendous outdoor
recreation opportunity for Hoosiers and help all of us develop a better
understanding of Indiana wildlife and our natural surroundings."
Just under $2 million of the $8 million Goose Pond purchase price came from
state coffers, and half a million of that was funded through the Indiana
Heritage Trust by sales of the Environmental License Plate. Other state
money included gamebird habitat stamp and duck stamp receipts and the state
Fish and Wildlife Fund.
Approximately $4.7 million came from federal sources - the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the North American Waterfowl Conservation Act, and the
Federal Highway Administration. Major contributors besides the DNR and the
Indiana Heritage Trust Program were The Nature Conservancy and Ducks
Unlimited. The rest came from private conservation partners.
Prior to the DNR's acquisition, Ducks Unlimited worked with the USDA-NRCS
through the Wetlands Reserve Program to design and restore Beehunter Marsh
and portions of Goose Pond. More than 2,200 acres of restoration work has
been completed by Ducks Unlimited, including wetland restoration, bottomland
hardwood reforestation and native prairie establishment.
Private conservation partners in Goose Pond acquisition project:
-Central Indiana Pheasants Forever
-Cinergy Corporation
-Furtakers of America
-Gator Group, Inc.
-Greene County Commissioners
-Indiana Beaglers Alliance
-Indiana Department of Environmental Management
-Indiana Department of Transportation
-Indiana Sportsmen's Roundtable, Inc.
-Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce
-Lockwood Marine, Fort Wayne
-Royal River Orvis Flyshop
-Sassafras Audubon Society
-The Izaak Walton League of America
-The Indiana Wildlife Federation
-USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
-Wagner, Crawford, Gambill & Trout
-Yoder, Ainlay, Ulmer & Buckingham LLP
More Goose Pond information:
www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/goosepond/
--------------------
Media Contacts,
Kim Brant, DNR Communications, 317-232-4003,
Russ Grunden, DNR Communications, 317-234-0924
(Linton) Hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers will have new territory to
explore in Greene County, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced yesterday.
Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, a new 8,000-acre property located between
the towns of Linton and Sanborn, will open to the public on Nov. 14.
Entrance is free of charge.
Tuesday, Daniels called the day "a moment in history." He said the Goose
Pond and Beehunter Marsh will draw thousands of people to the area to view
the wildlife and to fish and hunt.
"All Hoosiers can be proud of this joint effort to conserve this beautiful
habitat and provide for its enjoyment," said Daniels.
"We believe Goose Pond will be a tremendous environmental asset to the
region and to the entire state," said DNR Director Kyle Hupfer.
Hupfer said that DNR staff will manage the new acreage at Goose Pond,
keeping operating costs to a minimum.
The DNR has preliminary plans to build a boat ramp, improve access, and to
manage habitat for ground-nesting birds. The agency will meet with area
residents to develop a more detailed management plan for the property.
With the addition of Goose Pond, 140,000 acres across Indiana now are open
as fish and wildlife areas and available for hunting and fishing. Fees from
the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses and associated sporting
equipment fund fish and wildlife area management.
"This will be an extraordinary opportunity for Hoosiers who love to view
wildlife, hunt, or trap," Hupfer said. "Added to our existing resources, the
Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife area will provide a tremendous outdoor
recreation opportunity for Hoosiers and help all of us develop a better
understanding of Indiana wildlife and our natural surroundings."
Just under $2 million of the $8 million Goose Pond purchase price came from
state coffers, and half a million of that was funded through the Indiana
Heritage Trust by sales of the Environmental License Plate. Other state
money included gamebird habitat stamp and duck stamp receipts and the state
Fish and Wildlife Fund.
Approximately $4.7 million came from federal sources - the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the North American Waterfowl Conservation Act, and the
Federal Highway Administration. Major contributors besides the DNR and the
Indiana Heritage Trust Program were The Nature Conservancy and Ducks
Unlimited. The rest came from private conservation partners.
Prior to the DNR's acquisition, Ducks Unlimited worked with the USDA-NRCS
through the Wetlands Reserve Program to design and restore Beehunter Marsh
and portions of Goose Pond. More than 2,200 acres of restoration work has
been completed by Ducks Unlimited, including wetland restoration, bottomland
hardwood reforestation and native prairie establishment.
Private conservation partners in Goose Pond acquisition project:
-Central Indiana Pheasants Forever
-Cinergy Corporation
-Furtakers of America
-Gator Group, Inc.
-Greene County Commissioners
-Indiana Beaglers Alliance
-Indiana Department of Environmental Management
-Indiana Department of Transportation
-Indiana Sportsmen's Roundtable, Inc.
-Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce
-Lockwood Marine, Fort Wayne
-Royal River Orvis Flyshop
-Sassafras Audubon Society
-The Izaak Walton League of America
-The Indiana Wildlife Federation
-USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
-Wagner, Crawford, Gambill & Trout
-Yoder, Ainlay, Ulmer & Buckingham LLP
More Goose Pond information:
www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/goosepond/
--------------------
Media Contacts,
Kim Brant, DNR Communications, 317-232-4003,
Russ Grunden, DNR Communications, 317-234-0924