Park Service to ban lead tackle

The National Park Service intends to ban lead fishing tackle in all its parks, including Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park, by the end of 2010.

That means lead tackle could be prohibited on at least parts of Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point and a few smaller lakes.

"We want to take a leadership role in removing lead from the environment," Park Service Acting Director Dan Wenk said in an announcement last week. The agency also intends to eliminate use of lead ammunition in the parks by next year, a move that won't affect Voyageurs because hunting isn't allowed there.

"We're not planning anything in 2009," said Kathleen Przybylski, Voyageurs public affairs officer. "It's a goal to eliminate lead. We're waiting for guidance from Washington."

If the 2010 deadline is met, the first open water fishing season with lead tackle restrictions would be 2011, Przybylski noted.

"The new restrictions on lead will ensure environmentally safe practices are implemented to protect park visitors and lands," the Park Service said.

The American Sportfishing Association said Friday it was "surprised and dismayed" over the ban and asked the Park Service to reconsider.

New license plates License plates showing a pair of loons and a ladyslipper are the public's top choices so far among eight new DNR "critical habitat" license plates unveiled last week. The DNR is asking the public to help select four new license plate designs, and you can vote on the DNR's website, www.dnr.state.mn.us.

As of Friday, more than 14,000 votes had been cast, and the loons and ladyslipper were neck-and-neck. Plates with images of a pair of anglers silhouetted in a boat and one with a chickadee were the next most popular. Trailing were plates depicting a walleye, pheasant, whitetail deer and wood duck. The survey is nonscientific and nonbinding. Votes are being taken until March 23.

The DNR and Department of Public Safety ultimately will pick four plates to offer motorists this year. The existing loon and white-tailed deer plates will continue to be offered. Meanwhile, Pheasants Forever sent e-mails last week to its 25,000 Minnesota members telling them to vote for the pheasant image.

Last call for turkeys Minnesota turkey hunters who failed to get selected in this year's lottery for the spring hunt can try to purchase one of the 4,676 surplus permits starting at 5 p.m. Monday. Information about the number of surplus permits available in each permit area is available online at mndnr.gov/hunting/turkey.

Hunters who didn't enter the lottery can buy any remaining surplus permits beginning 8 a.m. March 23.

Officials have trail cameras out and hope to locate the pigs, then trap, kill and test them for disease. But so far, they haven't been found. The DNR wants to remove the pigs because they could spread disease to domestic livestock and wildlife and damage habitat.

Upper Red Lake walleyes The walleye bag limit this year on Upper Red Lake will be increased to four fish beginning on the May fishing opener, because the winter walleye harvest was low.

The season will open with a 17- to 26-inch protected slot. That will change to a 20- to 26-inch protected slot on June 15.

Wolves and more wolves Wolves made several appearances in last week's DNR conservation officer report. Lloyd Steen of Ray investigated a report of a dead wolf, which turned out to have died from a severe case of mange. Officer Randy Hanzal of Duluth received several calls about wolves threatening dogs. Officer Marty Stage of Ely spotted a total of 16 wolves in three different groups during patrols. And officer Randy Patten of Northome responded to calls of a wolf that apparently had been killed by other wolves.

Did you know? • Here's a strange one: Conservation officer Robert Haberman of Little Falls got a tip about a deer that supposedly had been shot. When he investigated, he found the deer had a been mortally injured by a stick that pierced its groin area.

• A few snow geese are beginning to show up in southwestern Minnesota.

• Juveniles were found recently illegally camping and driving off-road at the Carlos Avery Wildlife Area near Forest Lake. The juveniles told conservation officer Lisa Kruse that they were there because they couldn't afford a spring break to Mexico.

• The Waconia High School Conservation Club and parents recently collected more than three truck and trailer loads of garbage from Lake Waconia.

• A bill has been introduced in the Minnesota House to ban dove hunting.