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

On the web at www.oneidacountyais.com

On Facebook at Oneida County AIS | Facebook