Archive for Outdoors

Fwc Adds Youth Turkey Hunts, Modifies Hog-Dog Hunts On Public Lands

March 3, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed new rules that affect hunting on many of the state’s wildlife management areas.  Most of these new rules apply to specific WMAs; however, two of them affect public hunting on a more statewide scale.
One such statewide rule establishes youth turkey hunts on 78 FWC-managed areas, all of which support adequate turkey populations, and creates a youth turkey quota permit. Forty-nine of the 78 areas will require a youth turkey quota permit, and only those youths who will be less than 16 years old on the last day of the youth turkey hunt may apply for this opportunity.
The youth turkey hunts on these WMAs will be two-day, Saturday-Sunday hunts and will occur the weekend prior to the opening of spring turkey season on each particular WMA, beginning with the 2012 season.
“We know the importance of exposing young people to hunting opportunities,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “The more our youth experience wildlife and nature, the more likely they are to grow up to appreciate these resources and to pass along outdoor traditions to future generations.”
These hunts will be available for youths younger than 16 years old who are supervised by and in the presence of an adult, 18 years of age or older, but only the youth will be allowed to harvest a turkey.
Adult supervisors who don’t have the required hunting license, turkey permit and management area permit won’t be allowed to participate in the hunt.  They will be allowed to supervise only.  However, adult supervisors who do have the required license and permits will be allowed to “call” and otherwise participate in the hunt.  But only the youths are allowed to harvest a turkey.
The other statewide rule removes the one-gun restriction on all hog quota hunts using dogs.  Currently, these “hog-dog” quota hunts allow only one hunter (permit-holder), one gun, one assistant and up to three dogs.  An additional person also may join the hunting party, if a guest permit is obtained in that person’s name.
But starting with the 2011-12 hunting season, each participant will be allowed to hunt with a gun.
Details about these new rules are available online at MyFWC. com/Commission, linked from the Feb. 23-24 meeting agenda.

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Farm Service Agency Announces A General Signup Period For The Conservation Reserve Program

March 3, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off

(Madison, Fl.) – February 2, 2011 — Mark G. Demott , Executive Director for the Madison County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup  March 14, 2011 through April 15, 2011. This is the second consecutive year that USDA has offered a general CRP signup.
“Financial incentive available through CRP affords farmers and ranchers a low risk opportunity to implement a variety of conservation practices that will benefit the environment in a number of ways,” said Demott. “Over the past 25 years, CRP practices have improved water and air quality, increased wildlife habitat and prevented soil erosion,” he said.
Landowners enrolled in the CRP program receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. Land that is not currently enrolled in CRP can be offered during sign-up if all eligibility requirements are met. CRP participants with contracts expiring this fall can make new contract offers during the signup period. Contracts awarded during this general signup will become effective October 1, 2011.
All CRP offers are evaluated and ranked using an Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) that indicates the environmental benefits of enrolling land in CRP. There are five environmental factors that make up the EBI:  wildlife, water, soil, air, enduring benefits and cost. Decisions will be made following the end of the sign-up period and after analyzing EBI data on all of the offers.
In addition to the general sign-up, the continuous CRP sign-up program will be ongoing.
For more information, please contact the Madison County FSA Office at 850 973 2205 or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.

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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR MARCH 3, 2011

March 3, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off
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District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Restrictions: Certified Burners Only

Dixie County
- none

Lafayette County
- none

Madison County
- 80 acres near CR 150/NE 299 Loop (State Hwy 140), Private Landowner
- 90 acres appx 3.5 miles west of Hwy 53/NW CR 223, Private Landowner

Taylor County
- 87 acres west of US 221/Lake Bird Church Rd, Private Landowner
- 280 acres near Beach Rd/Tennille Turnpike, Landowner: FWC
- 250 acres appx 3 miles south of US 19/Fish Creek Rd (Salem), Private Landowner

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Florida Wildfire Update (PDF)

March 3, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

Mar 3 2011 WildfireUpdate

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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR MARCH 2, 2011

March 2, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Restrictions: Certified Burners Only

Dixie County
- none

Lafayette County
- none

Madison County
- 75 acres appx 1.75 miles NE of US 90/NW CR 243, Private Landowner

Taylor County
- 8 acres near Woods Creek Rd/Paul Poppell Rd, Private Landowner
- 130 acres appx 2.5 miles northwest of CR 14/CR 680, Landowner: Suwannee River Water Mgmt District
- 60 acres appx 1.5 miles southwest of US 221/CR 14 (near Shady Grove), Private Landowner
- 495 acres appx 3 miles south of Beach Rd/Salem Tower Rd near coast, Landowner: FWC
- 250 acres appx 3 miles south of Salem off of US 19, Private Landowner

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Ninth Annual NWTF Banquet Set For Saturday Evening

March 1, 2011 Front Page, Outdoors Comments Off

The Ninth Annual National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet will be held Saturday, March 5, at Madison County Central School. Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $50, single; $90 couple; $275, sponsor ticket; $295, sponsor couples ticket; and $25, Jakes ticket. For more information, call Wally Davis at (850) 673-6630.

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Help For Livestock Producers Who Suffered Winter Losses

February 28, 2011 Around Madison, Front Page, Outdoors Comments Off

Gainesville, FL – February 28, 2011 — Tim Manning , State Executive Director for the Florida USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced that permanent disaster assistance programs created in the 2008 Farm Bill allow FSA to offer relief to producers affected by adverse weather.

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides livestock producers with benefits for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, including blizzards and wildfires. For livestock producers, ELAP assistance may be available for feed losses due to a major weather event. ELAP benefits paid are based on FSA’s calculation of the value of feed lost compared to the feed needs of the livestock during the disaster period. Producers should document any additional costs associated with transporting feed to livestock.

“Many farmers and ranchers have faced a rough winter, and they need to know FSA has programs that offer relief when they need it most,” said Manning. “For LIP benefits, producers should document the number and kind of livestock that died due to the winter storms and notify our office as soon as possible,” he said.

To meet eligibility requirements under LIP, producers must file a notice of loss within 30 days from when the loss is apparent to the producer. It is also important that the verification of death loss is verified by an unrelated third party.

Another disaster assistance program available to livestock producers is the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) which provides financial assistance to producers who suffer grazing losses due to drought or fire. LFP requires that producers obtain a policy or plan of insurance for the grazed forage crop under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA) or file the required paperwork and pay the administrative fee by the applicable state application closing date for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).

“Although we don’t often think of drought and snow in the same context, it is very possible that both weather conditions are occurring at the same time and LFP is available to help alleviate the financial strain caused by drought, “said Manning.

Manning stressed that applications received for any of the livestock disaster assistance programs are considered on a case-by-case basis and producers should be prepared to provide required information to determine eligibility and applicable benefits.

Producers who have questions regarding livestock disaster assistance program eligibility and the application process should contact your County FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

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Video: Girls Catch Pig

February 24, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off

These girls show how to catch a pig during the pig scramble at the North Florida Livestock Show and Sale.

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2011 North Florida Livestock Show Photo Slideshow

February 24, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off
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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR FEBRUARY 24, 2011

February 24, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Dixie County
- none

Lafayette County
- 15 acres near Mary Lou Lane/NW CR 260, Private Landowner
- 10 acres South Convict Spring Rd/Irvin Ferry Rd, Private Landowner

Madison County
- 80 acres near FL 145/NE 33rd Ave, Private Landowner
- 30 acres near SE Corinith Church Rd/SE 95th St, Private Landowner
- 10 acres near CR 360/CW 48th Ave, Private Landowner
- 40 acres south of CR 158/SW Sampala Lake Rd, Private Landowner
- 30 acres near CR 253 West/Surles-Sale Lane, Private Landowner

Taylor County
- 120 acres near US 98/Aucilla Landing Rd, Landowner: FWC
- 10 acres near US 221/CR 14, Private Landowner

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Video: Little Boy Vs. Pig

February 24, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off


Blaine Smith shies away from catching a pig during the pee wee pig scramble at the North Florida Livestock Show and Sale on Tuesday, Feb. 22. With a little help, however, Blaine finally gets the pig.

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Video: Pee Wee Pig Scramble Highlights

February 24, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off


Scenes from the Pee Wee Pig Scramble at the North Florida Livestock Show and Sale in Madison on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011.

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Third Annual Charity Bass Fishing Tournament Set

February 22, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off

By Jacob Bembry

Greene Publishing, Inc.

            Clint Minter’s Friends and Family team and the Hopewell Baptist Church team are hosting the Third Annual Charity Bass Fishing Tournament. Proceeds will benefit the Relay for Life of Madison.

            Registration for the fishing tournament will begin on Saturday, March 12, at 6 a.m. at Cherry Lake. Registration cost is $30 per person. Lunch is included.

            The launch for the fishermen and fisherwomen is set for 7 a.m.

            The weigh-in will be held at 1 p.m.

            There will be a 25 percent payout to all who win or place in the tournament and the American Cancer Society will receive 75 percent of the payout.

            For more information, please call Adam Sampson at (813) 267-7510 or email him at asampson@aol.com.

            Happy fishing!

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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR FEBRUARY 21

February 21, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Dixie County
- 20 acres near CR 351/W Keen St, Private Landowner
- 1 acre near CR 351/Butler Cemetery Rd, Private Landowner

Lafayette County
- 15 acres near US 27/CR 534, Private Landowner

Madison County
- 15 acres west of Kinsey Rd/Sullivan Still Rd, Private Landowner
- 150 acres south of Bright Proctor/US 221, Private Landowner
- 1 acre near CR 150/NE Hickory Grove Rd, Private Landowner
- 1 acre southwest of Interstate 10/CR255, Private Landowner
- 7 acres near CR 255/NE Espazote St., Private Landowner

Taylor County
- 60 acres near Connell Rd/CR 270, Private Landowner
- 2 acres near Slaughter Rd/Pisgah Church Rd, Private Landowner
- 12 acres near N Byron Butler Pkwy (US 19)/Ash St, Private Landowner

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SRWD launches e-newsletter

February 17, 2011 Front Page, Outdoors Comments Off

LIVE OAK, FL, February 17, 2011 – It’s out with the old and in with the new for the Suwannee River Water Management District’s RiverFronts newsletter. The monthly publication is converting from print format to an e-newsletter that will be posted on the District’s website beginning this month.

For about 10 years, RiverFronts was printed and mailed to subscribers quarterly before production was temporarily suspended last year, due in part to budget constraints. Now, via its website, the District is able to offer timely information in an attractive newsletter format at no cost. The new electronic format is also a plus for readers who are accustomed to being able to enlarge the size of type for easier readability.

The newsletter will present highlights of current District topics and events. Some of the features in the first edition include a list of hiking opportunities available to the public on District lands, answers to questions about current drought conditions and rainfall totals, and a reminder to resume to twice-a-week lawn irrigation with the start of Daylight Saving Time.

Readers can sign up to be notified by email when the newsletter is posted each month through the website’s Notify Me feature, located under Quick Links on the homepage at www.mysuwanneeriver.com.

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FEBRUARY IS FLORIDA HIKING TRAILS MONTH

February 3, 2011 Letters To The Editor, Outdoors Comments Off
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Take a hike, or a stroll, on SRWMD lands
LIVE OAK, FL, February 3, 2011 – Sylvia Dunnam found solace from the hustle and bustle of the city when she moved to Suwannee County from West Palm in 1986. It was nature that drew her to north Florida.
“I wanted to be closer to nature and I knew I would have access to the Florida Trail,” she said.
After Dunnam made her home in McAlpin she discovered that her hiking opportunities were not limited to the Florida Trail – one of eleven National Scenic Trails.
Dunnam, who founded the Suwannee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association, helps organize guided hikes and camping and canoeing trips, some of which take place on lands owned by the Suwannee River Water Management District (District).
“We enjoy bird watching and admiring the flora and fauna along the way,” Dunnam said. “One unique feature of this area is the different types of geology.”
On a recent hike on the District’s Jennings Bluff Tract in Hamilton County, Dunnam was among a group of 19 who observed the Dead River, a winding creek that takes water from the Alapaha River and funnels it into a sinkhole.
“This is a spectacular place to visit,” said Megan Wetherington, District senior professional engineer. “The river reemerges 16 miles downstream as the largest single freshwater spring in the state before flowing into the Suwannee River.”
Wetherington said the karst geology in this part of Florida causes many rivers and streams to flow underground through sinkholes.
Edwin McCook, the District’s land management specialist, said other interesting features that hikers may encounter on District lands include unique wildlife, whitewater rapids and champion trees – the largest of trees within a species.
In addition, more than 50 miles of the Florida Trail traverses District land.
The District invites the public to explore nature by hiking on District lands during the month of February to celebrate Florida Hiking Trails Month.
“The District encourages hikers and others to take advantage of the 183 miles of trails that provide hiking, biking and equestrian opportunities on District-owned lands,” said McCook.

The Florida Trail Association provides ongoing planned hikes and other recreational opportunities, some of which take place on District lands.
“If you are unable to participate in a guided hike sponsored by the Florida Trail Association, you may take a self-guided hike on District property anytime,” said McCook.
All District hiking trails are free and open to the public every day of the year. Following is a list of some of the best hiking opportunities:
• Bell Springs, Columbia County
• Big Shoals, Hamilton County
• Holton Creek, Hamilton County
• Falling Creek Falls, Columbia County
• White Springs Tract, Hamilton County
• Little Shoals, Columbia County
• Gar Pond, Columbia County
• Stephen Foster Tract, Hamilton County
• Camp Branch, Hamilton County
• Ellaville Tract, Madison County
• Anderson Springs, Suwannee County
• Black Tract, Madison County
• Mill Creek North, Madison County
• Mill Creek South, Madison County
• Owens Spring, Lafayette County
• Cabbage Grove, Taylor County
• Steinhatchee Falls, Taylor County
Maps to each of the above tracts are available under the Best Recreational Opportunities link on the District’s website. It can be accessed at www.mysuwanneeriver.com/recreation. For more information contact Edwin McCook at 386.362.1001 or ejm@srwmd.org.
For more information about planned hikes and other recreational opportunities hosted by the Suwannee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association call Sylvia Dunnam at 386.362.3256 or visit www.suwannee.floridatrail.org.
The District acquires and manages lands for flood control, water quality protection and natural resource conservation. District lands are open to the public for recreational activities, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and horseback riding.

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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR FEBRUARY 3

February 3, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Dixie County
- None

Lafayette County
- None

Madison County
- 30 acres near 133rd St/CR 146, Private Landowner
- 38 acres near NE Rocky Ford Rd/ CR 104, Private Landowner

Taylor County
- none

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Open Acreage Burn Authorizations

January 31, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR
JANUARY 31, 2011
District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

Dixie County
- 100 acres near CR 351/ CR 351A, Private Landowner

Lafayette County
- 150 acres near CR 354/CR 355, Private Landowner

Madison County
- none

Taylor County
- none

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OPEN ACREAGE BURN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR District 5 (Taylor, Dixie, Madison, Lafayette)

January 28, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

Dixie County

- 100 acres approximately 4 miles north of SE CR 349/Col Bert Rd, Private Landowner

- 100 acres near Burns Allen Rd/HWY 353, Private Landowner

 

Lafayette County

- none

Madison County

- 250 acres near SW 446 St/HWY 19, Private Landowner (Burn is on both sides of HWY 19)

 

Taylor County

- none

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Apalachicola National Forest Prescribed Burning Today

January 27, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The U.S. Forest Service is prescribed burning approximately 3,000 acres in the Apalachicola National Forest today.

The prescribed burn will take place slightly southwest of Tallahassee in the Lake Talquin area, south of State Highway 20.  The burn will improve wildlife habitat, eliminate vegetation build up and reduce the threat of wildfires.

People are reminded that the smoke they may see today and tomorrow in this vicinity is not coming from a wildfire. Smoke from the burn is expected to move just south of Tallahassee from west to east.  Motorists are cautioned to drive slowly with lights on while traveling in smoky areas.

This is one of many prescribed burns the Apalachicola National Forest is doing during the 2011 prescribed burning season. 

Individuals who are sensitive to smoke may contact the Apalachicola Zone Fire Management Officer at (850) 524-1244 to be placed on a notification list for future burns. 

Today’s burn is in burn unit 205 (see the Apalachicola’s 2011 planned burn map):

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/apalachicola/news/documents/ANF_FY11_burn.pdf

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