Sunday, August 6, 2017

Annual Picnic

Hi Lake Thompson Association (LTA) members 

(this email reminder is only to those LTA members who have provided an email address in the membership form - IF you happen to hear about a member who has not received this, please pass the info along, and/or reply to below accordingly) 

loon_7021_sm.gif


picnic_bench_A_outline_jpg.htm.jpg                                                                                                    annual picnic at Holiday Acres Resort, Sunday, August 13, 2017 . . .  
                                                (the “special” area is on the lawn of the Zambon white house that overlooks beautiful Lake Thompson facing West )


half-yard-ribs-bibs-grill-master-in.jpg    "grill masters” LIGHT UP THE COALS ~ 12 NOON, to cook the meats provided by the Lake Thompson Association - 
                                                                these include:  hamburgers & hot dogs (and buns too); lunch usually is ready to EAT ABOUT 12:30 PM



imgres.jpg                                                                                                   first come gets best grill space IF you care to bring your own selection to cook




imgres.jpg                                                            a Dish-to-Pass is always welcome, but not required;
                                                                                                                         for your own family include in your picnic baskets utensils, plates, cups and other picnic favorites


15-10-08_M4bw_jpg.htm.jpg                                                                                                                                                beverages are provided by the Lake Thompson Association, however, this event is also a BYO  


Even if you happened to miss the June Annual Membership Event, you are welcome to join your fellow members (and any Lake Thompson neighbors interested in joining the Lake Thompson Association) and their families at this casual annual picnic (COME RAIN OR SHINE) - NO RSVP REQUIRED



Any questions, please reply to this email or cell:



715-432-4707 cell

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Invasive Species Roadshow

From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: July 6, 2017 at 4:17:51 PM CDT
Subject: Invasive Species Roadshow
Good afternoon,

Think you might have found a terrestrial or aquatic invasive species in your lake, woods, garden or yard?  Is there an odd looking plant growing under your boat lift?  Not sure if the pretty little plant with blue flowers is invasive?  Have lots of snails in your lake? Are they invasive or native?

Bring a sample of your suspicious plants and animals to the INVASIVE SPECIES ROADSHOW.  
On Friday July 14 from 1:00-4:00, a multi-county team of invasive species experts will be at one of the following ROADSHOW locations to identify your sample and answer questions about invasive species.

TRIG’S GREENSPACE in RHINELANDER
TRIG’S in EAGLE RIVER
LANGLADE COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER in ANTIGO
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES VISITOR CENTER  in ASHLAND

Brought to you by:
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department,
Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department,
Bayfield County Land & Water Conservation,
Langlade County Land Conservation Department,
Langlade County Forestry & Recreation, and
Wisconsin Headwaters Invasive Partnership

Don’t think you have an invasive?  That’s OK, stop by to say HI, meet the team, and have snacks and lemonade on us!  If you have any questions, don’t be shy.

Hope to see you there.

Steph

Stephanie Boismenue
Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department
715-369-7835
Oneida County Courthouse (second floor),
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

AIS LANDING BLITZ


From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 28, 2017 at 10:58:54 AM CDT
Subject: AIS News - Landing Blitz
Good Morning,

Going boating this Fourth of July weekend? You may be one of thousands of Wisconsinites to be greeted by watercraft inspectors at boat landings around the state, who will be sharing a simple but powerful message: you have the power to protect our waters from aquatic invasive species (AIS)!

This holiday weekend, June 30th through July 4th, is the ninth annual Landing Blitz, a statewide effort to remind boaters and other water lovers to use their power to stop the spread of AIS.  The Oneida County AIS Team, along with 18 participating lake associations, DNR wardens and water guards, will be on hand at boat landings around Oneida County to give demonstrations of the prevention steps and answer questions about invasive species. They will be passing out free microfiber towels (while supplies last) as a thank you to the boaters they observe practicing the important prevention steps of “Inspect, Remove, Drain, and Never Move.” The towels serve as a reminder to take action to prevent the spread of AIS and are perfect for soaking up water in livewells and for wiping down boats, jet skis, anchors and other equipment after a fun day on the water.

You can follow the Oneida County AIS Team’s Landing Blitz adventures, stories of towel giveaways, and of how they are helping lake users be part of the solution to prevent the spread of AIS, by visiting our Oneida County AIS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oneidacountyais/

Share your action and help spread the message
A fun addition to this year’s Landing Blitz is an interactive way for you to share how you stop aquatic hitchhikers!  You can post photos and messages about the importance of stopping AIS by using the hashtag #CleanBoatsCleanWaters.  You can also share where and how you protect our lakes and rivers by contributing to a Story Map that will showcase photos and messages from water lovers across Wisconsin. Story Map contributions can be made at this link: http://arcg.is/2o9YIU9

Invasive plants and animals, like Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water fleas, and zebra mussels, pose great risks to the health of our lakes and fisheries. These species spread easily by hitching a ride on boats and other equipment, including trailers, anchors, livewells, buckets and bilges. However, boaters can easily prevent this by taking the following simple steps every time they enter and leave both public and private boat landings:
·         Inspect your boat, trailer and equipment
·         Remove all attached plants or animals
·         Drain all water from boats, motors, livewells and other equipment
·         Never move live fish away from a waterbody
·         Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash
·         Buy minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer, and use leftover minnows only if you will be using them on that same waterbody or if no lake or river water or other fish have been added to the container.

In addition, following these steps help boaters comply with Wisconsin state law, which prohibits the transport of AIS. Together, we are all part of the solution for preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. For questions contact Oneida County AIS Coordinator, Stephanie Boismenue at 715-369-7835. 

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July,
Steph

Stephanie Boismenue
Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department
715-369-7835
Oneida County Courthouse (second floor)
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501


Thursday, June 8, 2017

AIS Drain Campaign


From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 7, 2017 at 3:25:05 PM CDT
Subject: Oneida Co. AIS News 6-7-17
Good Afternoon,

The statewide AIS Drain Campaign is this weekend from Friday, June 9th through Sunday, June 11th.

During the Drain Campaign, the Oneida County AIS Team, along with several lake associations and partnering agencies, will be reminding anglers and boaters to drain their boats, livewells and other gear before and after hitting the lakes. They will also be handing out free ice packs to anglers to aid them in taking this important step. The Drain Campaign aims to increase awareness of and compliance with Wisconsin’s draining laws among anglers, the campaign’s target audience. The campaign focuses on the AIS prevention steps, help anglers understand how and why some of Wisconsin’s worst AIS can spread through transported water, and helps anglers understand the rules on fish and water transport.

Boaters may know to inspect their boat for weeds before entering and when leaving the lake, but they may not realize that they could inadvertently transport one of the worst AIS through water.  Invaders like zebra mussel larvae or spiny water fleas are too small to readily see and can survive to the next lake when water is left in livewells, buckets, bilge, motors or equipment.

Why Give Away Ice Packs? Because once your day’s catch is out of water, the fish are not considered live and can be safely transported home. Since fish need to be kept fresh on the road, ice is an alternative to livewells that’s already preferred by many anglers. Some folks are used to taking their catch home in livewells, but ice is a legal and better way to get those fish home. It stops any bacterial growth, and then your catch isn’t ingesting the fish toxins that concentrate in fouled, low-oxygen water on the way home, which some say affects the taste. You also don’t want that water making it to a new lake. Fish diseases or very small invasive species can get around that way.

Examples of small invasive species that can easily hitch a ride in water are Zebra Mussels and Spiny Water fleas.  Though neither one has been found in Oneida County, they are extremely close to the county line. In Vilas County, the Spiny Water fleas have been found in Trout Lake, Star Lake, Stormy Lake, and Ike Walton Lake. To the East of us, in Forest County, the Zebra Mussels have caused significant damage to Lake Metonga. Anglers are really passionate about protecting their lakes, and will take time to remove and drain invasive species from their boats just because it’s the right thing to do. No one wants to bring zebra mussels or spiny water fleas to a new lake just because they forgot to drain their water.

It takes just a few minutes at the landing to keep our lakes beautiful and our fish healthy. Know the laws and follow the AIS prevention steps every time you leave the water.

INSPECT boats, trailers and equipment.
REMOVE all attached aquatic plants and animals.
DRAIN all water from boats, vehicles, equipment including livewells and buckets containing fish.
NEVER MOVE plants or live fish away from a waterbody.
DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash
BUY minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer. Use leftover minnows only under certain conditions*
*You may take leftover minnows away from any state water and use them again on that same water. You may use leftover minnows on other waters only if no lake or river water or other fish were added to their container.

The Clean Boats Clean Waters Watercraft Inspectors throughout Oneida County have been doing an OUTSTANDING job of educating boaters.  But, it’s important to remain vigilant about educating why it’s important to drain boats, livewells and bait buckets and stop invasive species in their tracks.

If you have questions about AIS or think you may have discovered an AIS that is not known to that waterbody, please do not hesitate to contact me at 715-369-7835.

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great day.

Stephanie Boismenue
Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department
715-369-6293
Visit us at: Oneida County Courthouse (second floor),
1 South Oneida Avenue, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501


Sunday, June 4, 2017

CBCW Scheduled 2 more refresher Workshops

From: Steph Boismenue <sboismenue@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: June 2, 2017 at 4:24:25 PM CDT
Subject: Oneida Co. AIS - CBCW Workshop Schedule
Good afternoon,

Would you like to attend a CBCW workshop? If so, there are two more CBCW Workshops being offered and both are free:

Saturday, June 3rd from 8:00 am – 9:00 am at the Crescent Lake Boat Landing. This workshop is geared as a refresher course. You do not need to register.

Wednesday June 7th from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm at the Town of Minocqua’s Community Center (3rd floor) located at 415 Menominee Street, Minocqua. This workshop will offer plant ID, the DNR wardens perspective on invasive species, plus all the tips and tricks imaginable to help you conduct a successful watercraft inspection and stop AIS from spreading. Please register by calling Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department at 715-369-7835.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine.
Steph

Stephanie Boismenue
Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department
715-369-6293
Visit us at: Oneida County Courthouse (second floor),

1 South Oneida Avenue, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501

Friday, May 12, 2017

Bear Spotted

Our neighbor Leon Sammuelson caught this photo on his Trail Cam a week or so ago. The Trail Cam is located in his front yard and the bear (Yogi) was about 10 feet from his living room window!  So it's that time again......be cognizant if you have bird feeders out and find them toppled or gone completely. Bears are creatures of habit and will go on the same nightly walk if they are finding plenty of things to get into. It can be a good idea to take bird feeders in at night if possible and you need to do this for at least 2 weeks and then they usually change their habits. Above all they are wild creatures and can be dangerous if you get between a mother and her cubs. So use good judgement. This bear was sighted on North Shore Dr. almost at the end of the road.