11-29-2011, 09:10 PM
Here's more info posted today on AC Plugs
I have been in conversations with them and it seems they are trying to stick with what they have said, no funding. They have a meeting coming up at the end of this month and the topic will be brought up. I would suggest anyone on here that would like to see them continue stocking, you better start calling them and bugging them soon. Otherwise say goodbye to the trout planting in Lake Mead and Mohave. It seems that they could still pull it off if they wanted to, but since they are not getting in complaints back about it they will continue as planned. Speak up people or your trophy Striper fishery will be going to sNAP~. Here is there comments if they will fit.Paul…great response. My calendar says our next meeting is Nov 29th…..you have indicated Nov 9th. Just trying to confirm the date.
bp
Brian Patterson, RLA
Director of Operations
The WLB Group, Inc.
Engineering • Planning • Surveying • Urban Design • Landscape Architecture
Tucson • Phoenix • Flagstaff • Las Vegas • [url "http://www.wlbgroup.com/"]www.wlbgroup.com[/url]
2551 N. Green Valley Parkway Suite A-425 • Henderson , NV 89014
702.458.2551 • 702.434.0491 (fax)
[url "mailto:bpatterson@wlbgroup.com"]bpatterson@wlbgroup.com[/url]
________________________________________
From: mary lou dixon [[url "mailto:mldprd24@yahoo.com]"]mailto:mldprd24@yahoo.com][/url]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 9:03 AM
To: Mike Pergola
Cc: [url "mailto:Michaelkmcbeath@cox.net"]Michaelkmcbeath@cox.net[/url]; Mark Warren; Paul Harris ; tracy truman ; Mike Reese ; Brian Patterson ; [url "mailto:john@sundancehelicopters.com"]john@sundancehelicopters.com[/url] ; Jack y Holt
Subject: Re: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Dear Mr. Pergola,
Sorry for the delay in responding, I had some research to do to address your concerns/issies. To start I would like to thank you for your letter and the issues you have raised. As the Chairman of the Clark County Wildlife Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife, I take your concerns/issues very seriously. The Clark County Wildlife Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife meets nine times a year and our next scheduled meeting is Tuesday November 9th, 2011. If after seeing my responses to your issues/concerns, if you would like me to place this topic and your concerns on the November agenda and make recommendations to the Nevada Wildlife Commission I will be happy to do so for you. A complete listing of upcoming state and Clark County wildlife meetings can be found on the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) website ([url "http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/"]http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/[/url] under commissions and boards). In addition, I have cc'ed Michael McBeath who is the Chairman of the Nevada Wildlife Commission, and a life long resident of Clark County , my Clark CABMW members, as well as Mark Warren, NDOW Chief of Fisheries.
Here are my perspectives on each of your issues/concerns below:
1) I have taken my son fishing since he was in diapers and you cannot buy better quality time with your family than being outdoors.
I could not agree with you more. The whole purpose of maintaining these great outdoor jewels in Nevada is to be able to use them and share that wonderful outdoors experience with our families and friends.
2) In the last 20 years the cost of a fishing License has risen 40%, and now we actually pay money to enter the park that was once free to residents and guest. It does not make a lot of sense that all the fees have gone up and for some reason the funds have gone down.
Both of these The issue of license fees continues area of debate when we yearly review the fishing season, regulations and fees structure at the September Wildlife Commission meeting that was just held. The largest reason for increased fees is that support of the Nevada Department of Wildlife comes almost entirely (~98%) from license fees and federal grants. The amount of money the state of Nevada gives NDOW yearly from the general fund has been declining. In this past legislative session that amount hit a new low (~$495K). Please note that NDOW’s annual operating budget is ~ $36M (see the power point presentation at the following web link: [url "http://www.ndow.org/about/Budget%20Overview%20to%20Finance%20&%20WM%20Subcommittee%202-15-11%20Final.pdf"]http://www.ndow.org/...02-15-11%20Final.pdf[/url]). Boating Safety and Wildlife Officers NDOW at Lake Mead are all supported by Nevada sportsman license fees. Very little Federal and State tax dollars go to support these officers anymore. The Lake Mead National Recreation Area site infrastructure (i.e. boat ramps, buildings and site upkeep) is the responsibility of the National Park Service and NDOW and the state have no direct involvement. I will need to get a copy of the federal resource management plan for Lake Mead and review to see how we as a CABMW can influence change on the issues you raise.
3) Also in this time period Nevada Fish and Wildlife has decided to eliminate the stocking of trout in most every location which supposedly was done due to lack of money. I would like to know who and how you were able to get around the act that was written when the dam was built of mandatory trout stocking due to the inability for them to reproduce because of the water way being blocked. There is a lot of spending that that has gone on that has no economic impact on our valley, like the raising and planting of the Razorback Suckers for example. For some reason this fish has taken priority over the Rainbow trout that was also native to those waters. The amount of money spent on a fish that has no ecological impact versus one that actually does bring the state more money is ridiculous.
I am unfamiliar with the federal law requiring mandatory trout stocking in Lake Mead . I will have to investigate if a law still exists, as I have not heard of one. I will do further research with NDOW and get back to you at a later date. There are two main reasons why trout stocking has stopped at Lake Mead and lack of funding plays an important but tertiary role. The first reason is the hatchery water temperature was becoming to warm to rear trout. As the water level at Lake Mead dropped, the water temperature for the hatchery intakes (now closer to the surface) rose to a level where it is to warm to rear trout successfully. NDOW is actively trying to work a deal with the Southern Nevada water authority to get access to deeper (i.e. cooler) waters for use in the hatchery. Even if the hatchery could get cooler water from deeper in the lake, the second reason trout are not being reared is the infestation of quagga mussels. The quagga mussels have clogged the water intakes and filters as well as put toxins into the hatchery waters which make it unsuitable to rear trout! (article below) Thus trout need to be brought to Lake Mead from hatcheries in Northern Nevada for release. The cost is very high to transport the trout to Lake Mead, and there are limited funds to do these releases, so we are seeing less stocking at Lake Mead . As a side note, nearly 90% of released trout are consumed by stripped bass, not anglers!
As for the stocking of Razorback Suckers, this program was almost entirely funded by the Federal endangered species reintroduction funds. Rainbow trout are not endangered just native, so there is no additional federal support for their stocking or transplantation thru this program.
4) Launch ramps were not kept up with as well as water quality has dropped tremendously. If there is a hope of keeping this wonderful fishery running at full speed so that my sons children can enjoy it as we did, what is it?
As I mentioned in question #2, the ramps and water quality at Lake Mead are the responsibility of the National Park service. They have been fighting what seems to be a losing battle the past ten years due to a drought in the southwest and over withdrawal of water from Lake Mead by both Las Vegas and California had left the water levels at all time lows at the start of 2011. Greater than expected snow pack in the western Rockies last winter (2010/2011) combined with a large snow melt this past spring raised the lake level ~30feet at Lake Mead . This is the first significant rise in lake level in nearly 10 years! The boat ramps are a victim of a rapid drop in the lake level. The National Park Service barely has little funding available in this tight economy to continue to build new ramps as the lake level dropped 10’s of meters each summer. Luckily this trend of continued water level drop appears to has stabilized or reversed due to heavy and predicted heavy snow packs in the western Rockies for the next several years.
5) What can locals do to be heard with serious issues like these? I am not alone. There are thousands of me out there that are all pretty upset over the changes that have occurred to such a beautiful park. Any help you can give to us to be heard would be greatly appreciated.
As I stated in my opening thoughts to you Mr. Pergola, the best way to initiate change is for you and your friends to request I place your issues/concerns on an upcoming Clark County Advisory Board agenda. This way we can have public debate on the Lake Mead Resource Management Plan and develop a set of recommendations to send to National Park Service to influence the renewal of this plan. We can also send unsolicited comments at anytime and hopefully the Wildlife Commission and NDOW will support to add strength and creditability to our/your concerns. You can always do your own recommendations individually to these organizations, but having the voice and support of the Clark County residents is much stronger in sending your message.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul R. Dixon
Chairman Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife
•
State to stop stocking trout in Lake Mead
By Cy Ryan (contact) Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 | 12:32 p.m.
• Quagga mussels a toxic threat to Lake Mead (11-9-09)
• The man dedicated to saving the lake from little invaders (11-9-09)
• Wary of invasive species, hatchery suspends operations (1-20-2009)
• Mussels’ last meal (6-20-2008)
• Get rid of pest? Not if it turns tap water pink (7-21-2007)
• Mussels now contained but need monitoring (1-18-2007)
• Lake Mead mussels identified as quagga, not zebra (1-13-2007)
CARSON CITY – After this season, the state is going to stop stocking trout in Lake Mead -- and officials expect to hear from some
fishermen.“We’re between a rock and a hard spot,” said Mark Warren, chief of fisheries at the state Department of Wildlife. In 2007, the department closed its Lake Mead hatchery, where the state raises the trout for stocking in Lake Mead and Lake Mohave , when it was discovered it was infected with quagga mussels. The quagga mussels discharge poison pellets and infect the water with toxins. Since then the state has been using part of the federal fishery at Willow Beach to raise trout, but the federal government is taking back the section that has been used by the wildlife department. Department officials briefed a joint Assembly-Senate subcommittee Tuesday on its budget, which includes $500,000 for a feasibility study to get the Lake Mead hatchery operational again. Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, questioned how much it would cost to bring the fishery back on line. Deputy Department Director Rich Haskins said it would run anywhere from $3 million to $5 million. Goicoechea quipped that it would be better to let the quagga mussels have it and build a new fishery. Haskins said the state offered it to the federal government “but there were no takers.” Warren said the federal governments will still stock trout in Lake Mohave . After a spring plant of some 30,000 trout in Lake Mead , the department isn’t going to stock more – at least for the time being. Warren said he expects to hear plenty of complaints. The quaggas were discovered in the Great Lakes and they attached themselves to boats, which were then launched in the West.
________________________________________
From: Mike Pergola
To: "MLDPRD24@yahoo.com"
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2011 12:21 PM
Subject: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Hello Mr. Dixon ,
I am a native Las Vegan of 44 years and I have some concerns with the way our recreation area has been managed. Over the years I have spent a great deal of family time on the waters of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave . In this time I have seen a lot of changes to the way the Park has been run. Like my dad did for me, I have taken my son fishing since he was in diapers and you cannot buy better quality time with your family than being outdoors. In the last 20 years the cost of a fishing License has risen 40%, and now we actually pay money to enter the park that was once free to residents and guest. Also in this time period Nevada Fish and Wildlife has decided to eliminate the stocking of trout in most every location which supposedly was done due to lack of money. I would like to know who and how you were able to get around the act that was written when the dam was built of mandatory trout stocking due to the inability for them to reproduce because of the water way being blocked. It does not make a lot of sense that all the fees have gone up and for some reason the funds have gone down. Launch ramps were not kept up with as well as water quality has dropped tremendously. If there is a hope of keeping this wonderful fishery running at full speed so that my sons children can enjoy it as we did, what is it? There is a lot of spending that that has gone on that has no economic impact on our valley, like the raising and planting of the Razorback Suckers for example. For some reason this fish has taken priority over the Rainbow trout that was also native to those waters. The amount of money spent on a fish that has no ecological impact versus one that actually does bring the state more money is ridiculous. What can locals do to be heard with serious issues like these. I am not alone. There are thousands of me out there that are all pretty upset over the changes that have occurred to such a beautiful park. Any help you can give to us to be heard would be greatly appreciated. Everyone start calling and sending them letters if want to be heard and have a chance at keeping this great fishery alive.
_________________
Mike Pergola
[signature]
I have been in conversations with them and it seems they are trying to stick with what they have said, no funding. They have a meeting coming up at the end of this month and the topic will be brought up. I would suggest anyone on here that would like to see them continue stocking, you better start calling them and bugging them soon. Otherwise say goodbye to the trout planting in Lake Mead and Mohave. It seems that they could still pull it off if they wanted to, but since they are not getting in complaints back about it they will continue as planned. Speak up people or your trophy Striper fishery will be going to sNAP~. Here is there comments if they will fit.Paul…great response. My calendar says our next meeting is Nov 29th…..you have indicated Nov 9th. Just trying to confirm the date.
bp
Brian Patterson, RLA
Director of Operations
The WLB Group, Inc.
Engineering • Planning • Surveying • Urban Design • Landscape Architecture
Tucson • Phoenix • Flagstaff • Las Vegas • [url "http://www.wlbgroup.com/"]www.wlbgroup.com[/url]
2551 N. Green Valley Parkway Suite A-425 • Henderson , NV 89014
702.458.2551 • 702.434.0491 (fax)
[url "mailto:bpatterson@wlbgroup.com"]bpatterson@wlbgroup.com[/url]
________________________________________
From: mary lou dixon [[url "mailto:mldprd24@yahoo.com]"]mailto:mldprd24@yahoo.com][/url]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 9:03 AM
To: Mike Pergola
Cc: [url "mailto:Michaelkmcbeath@cox.net"]Michaelkmcbeath@cox.net[/url]; Mark Warren; Paul Harris ; tracy truman ; Mike Reese ; Brian Patterson ; [url "mailto:john@sundancehelicopters.com"]john@sundancehelicopters.com[/url] ; Jack y Holt
Subject: Re: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Dear Mr. Pergola,
Sorry for the delay in responding, I had some research to do to address your concerns/issies. To start I would like to thank you for your letter and the issues you have raised. As the Chairman of the Clark County Wildlife Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife, I take your concerns/issues very seriously. The Clark County Wildlife Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife meets nine times a year and our next scheduled meeting is Tuesday November 9th, 2011. If after seeing my responses to your issues/concerns, if you would like me to place this topic and your concerns on the November agenda and make recommendations to the Nevada Wildlife Commission I will be happy to do so for you. A complete listing of upcoming state and Clark County wildlife meetings can be found on the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) website ([url "http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/"]http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/[/url] under commissions and boards). In addition, I have cc'ed Michael McBeath who is the Chairman of the Nevada Wildlife Commission, and a life long resident of Clark County , my Clark CABMW members, as well as Mark Warren, NDOW Chief of Fisheries.
Here are my perspectives on each of your issues/concerns below:
1) I have taken my son fishing since he was in diapers and you cannot buy better quality time with your family than being outdoors.
I could not agree with you more. The whole purpose of maintaining these great outdoor jewels in Nevada is to be able to use them and share that wonderful outdoors experience with our families and friends.
2) In the last 20 years the cost of a fishing License has risen 40%, and now we actually pay money to enter the park that was once free to residents and guest. It does not make a lot of sense that all the fees have gone up and for some reason the funds have gone down.
Both of these The issue of license fees continues area of debate when we yearly review the fishing season, regulations and fees structure at the September Wildlife Commission meeting that was just held. The largest reason for increased fees is that support of the Nevada Department of Wildlife comes almost entirely (~98%) from license fees and federal grants. The amount of money the state of Nevada gives NDOW yearly from the general fund has been declining. In this past legislative session that amount hit a new low (~$495K). Please note that NDOW’s annual operating budget is ~ $36M (see the power point presentation at the following web link: [url "http://www.ndow.org/about/Budget%20Overview%20to%20Finance%20&%20WM%20Subcommittee%202-15-11%20Final.pdf"]http://www.ndow.org/...02-15-11%20Final.pdf[/url]). Boating Safety and Wildlife Officers NDOW at Lake Mead are all supported by Nevada sportsman license fees. Very little Federal and State tax dollars go to support these officers anymore. The Lake Mead National Recreation Area site infrastructure (i.e. boat ramps, buildings and site upkeep) is the responsibility of the National Park Service and NDOW and the state have no direct involvement. I will need to get a copy of the federal resource management plan for Lake Mead and review to see how we as a CABMW can influence change on the issues you raise.
3) Also in this time period Nevada Fish and Wildlife has decided to eliminate the stocking of trout in most every location which supposedly was done due to lack of money. I would like to know who and how you were able to get around the act that was written when the dam was built of mandatory trout stocking due to the inability for them to reproduce because of the water way being blocked. There is a lot of spending that that has gone on that has no economic impact on our valley, like the raising and planting of the Razorback Suckers for example. For some reason this fish has taken priority over the Rainbow trout that was also native to those waters. The amount of money spent on a fish that has no ecological impact versus one that actually does bring the state more money is ridiculous.
I am unfamiliar with the federal law requiring mandatory trout stocking in Lake Mead . I will have to investigate if a law still exists, as I have not heard of one. I will do further research with NDOW and get back to you at a later date. There are two main reasons why trout stocking has stopped at Lake Mead and lack of funding plays an important but tertiary role. The first reason is the hatchery water temperature was becoming to warm to rear trout. As the water level at Lake Mead dropped, the water temperature for the hatchery intakes (now closer to the surface) rose to a level where it is to warm to rear trout successfully. NDOW is actively trying to work a deal with the Southern Nevada water authority to get access to deeper (i.e. cooler) waters for use in the hatchery. Even if the hatchery could get cooler water from deeper in the lake, the second reason trout are not being reared is the infestation of quagga mussels. The quagga mussels have clogged the water intakes and filters as well as put toxins into the hatchery waters which make it unsuitable to rear trout! (article below) Thus trout need to be brought to Lake Mead from hatcheries in Northern Nevada for release. The cost is very high to transport the trout to Lake Mead, and there are limited funds to do these releases, so we are seeing less stocking at Lake Mead . As a side note, nearly 90% of released trout are consumed by stripped bass, not anglers!
As for the stocking of Razorback Suckers, this program was almost entirely funded by the Federal endangered species reintroduction funds. Rainbow trout are not endangered just native, so there is no additional federal support for their stocking or transplantation thru this program.
4) Launch ramps were not kept up with as well as water quality has dropped tremendously. If there is a hope of keeping this wonderful fishery running at full speed so that my sons children can enjoy it as we did, what is it?
As I mentioned in question #2, the ramps and water quality at Lake Mead are the responsibility of the National Park service. They have been fighting what seems to be a losing battle the past ten years due to a drought in the southwest and over withdrawal of water from Lake Mead by both Las Vegas and California had left the water levels at all time lows at the start of 2011. Greater than expected snow pack in the western Rockies last winter (2010/2011) combined with a large snow melt this past spring raised the lake level ~30feet at Lake Mead . This is the first significant rise in lake level in nearly 10 years! The boat ramps are a victim of a rapid drop in the lake level. The National Park Service barely has little funding available in this tight economy to continue to build new ramps as the lake level dropped 10’s of meters each summer. Luckily this trend of continued water level drop appears to has stabilized or reversed due to heavy and predicted heavy snow packs in the western Rockies for the next several years.
5) What can locals do to be heard with serious issues like these? I am not alone. There are thousands of me out there that are all pretty upset over the changes that have occurred to such a beautiful park. Any help you can give to us to be heard would be greatly appreciated.
As I stated in my opening thoughts to you Mr. Pergola, the best way to initiate change is for you and your friends to request I place your issues/concerns on an upcoming Clark County Advisory Board agenda. This way we can have public debate on the Lake Mead Resource Management Plan and develop a set of recommendations to send to National Park Service to influence the renewal of this plan. We can also send unsolicited comments at anytime and hopefully the Wildlife Commission and NDOW will support to add strength and creditability to our/your concerns. You can always do your own recommendations individually to these organizations, but having the voice and support of the Clark County residents is much stronger in sending your message.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul R. Dixon
Chairman Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife
•
State to stop stocking trout in Lake Mead
By Cy Ryan (contact) Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 | 12:32 p.m.
• Quagga mussels a toxic threat to Lake Mead (11-9-09)
• The man dedicated to saving the lake from little invaders (11-9-09)
• Wary of invasive species, hatchery suspends operations (1-20-2009)
• Mussels’ last meal (6-20-2008)
• Get rid of pest? Not if it turns tap water pink (7-21-2007)
• Mussels now contained but need monitoring (1-18-2007)
• Lake Mead mussels identified as quagga, not zebra (1-13-2007)
CARSON CITY – After this season, the state is going to stop stocking trout in Lake Mead -- and officials expect to hear from some
fishermen.“We’re between a rock and a hard spot,” said Mark Warren, chief of fisheries at the state Department of Wildlife. In 2007, the department closed its Lake Mead hatchery, where the state raises the trout for stocking in Lake Mead and Lake Mohave , when it was discovered it was infected with quagga mussels. The quagga mussels discharge poison pellets and infect the water with toxins. Since then the state has been using part of the federal fishery at Willow Beach to raise trout, but the federal government is taking back the section that has been used by the wildlife department. Department officials briefed a joint Assembly-Senate subcommittee Tuesday on its budget, which includes $500,000 for a feasibility study to get the Lake Mead hatchery operational again. Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, questioned how much it would cost to bring the fishery back on line. Deputy Department Director Rich Haskins said it would run anywhere from $3 million to $5 million. Goicoechea quipped that it would be better to let the quagga mussels have it and build a new fishery. Haskins said the state offered it to the federal government “but there were no takers.” Warren said the federal governments will still stock trout in Lake Mohave . After a spring plant of some 30,000 trout in Lake Mead , the department isn’t going to stock more – at least for the time being. Warren said he expects to hear plenty of complaints. The quaggas were discovered in the Great Lakes and they attached themselves to boats, which were then launched in the West. ________________________________________
From: Mike Pergola
To: "MLDPRD24@yahoo.com"
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2011 12:21 PM
Subject: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Hello Mr. Dixon ,
I am a native Las Vegan of 44 years and I have some concerns with the way our recreation area has been managed. Over the years I have spent a great deal of family time on the waters of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave . In this time I have seen a lot of changes to the way the Park has been run. Like my dad did for me, I have taken my son fishing since he was in diapers and you cannot buy better quality time with your family than being outdoors. In the last 20 years the cost of a fishing License has risen 40%, and now we actually pay money to enter the park that was once free to residents and guest. Also in this time period Nevada Fish and Wildlife has decided to eliminate the stocking of trout in most every location which supposedly was done due to lack of money. I would like to know who and how you were able to get around the act that was written when the dam was built of mandatory trout stocking due to the inability for them to reproduce because of the water way being blocked. It does not make a lot of sense that all the fees have gone up and for some reason the funds have gone down. Launch ramps were not kept up with as well as water quality has dropped tremendously. If there is a hope of keeping this wonderful fishery running at full speed so that my sons children can enjoy it as we did, what is it? There is a lot of spending that that has gone on that has no economic impact on our valley, like the raising and planting of the Razorback Suckers for example. For some reason this fish has taken priority over the Rainbow trout that was also native to those waters. The amount of money spent on a fish that has no ecological impact versus one that actually does bring the state more money is ridiculous. What can locals do to be heard with serious issues like these. I am not alone. There are thousands of me out there that are all pretty upset over the changes that have occurred to such a beautiful park. Any help you can give to us to be heard would be greatly appreciated. Everyone start calling and sending them letters if want to be heard and have a chance at keeping this great fishery alive.
_________________
Mike Pergola
[signature]