The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has secured a key piece of the “Healthy Rivers Initiative” program by purchasing 3,475 acres of Fairbanks Landing Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA) from Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), and reaching an agreement to continue managing the rest of the site.

The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife has managed the site since 2005 under a lease agreement with I&M. The lease expired two years ago, and the utility company was considering selling a large portion of the property.

The recently completed deal is a model of a government-private enterprise partnership to preserve a natural habitat for wildlife and public recreation. The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Conservation Fund partnered with the DNR on the purchase to ensure Fairbanks Landing remains open to the public.

In addition to the acreage purchased, the lease agreement between I&M and DNR to manage the remaining 5,000-plus acres owned by I&M has been extended so the entire Fairbanks Landing FWA will remain intact at more than 8,000 acres.

The agreement secures Fairbanks Landing as the southern anchor for the “Healthy Rivers Initiative” (HRI). The initiative was launched nearly two years ago with the goal of permanently protecting more than 43,000 acres along the Wabash River and Sugar Creek. One of HRI’s benefits is increased public access to outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, boating, hiking and bird-watching.

The DNR Fish & Wildlife division has developed a five-year management plan for Fairbanks Landing focusing on forested, wetland and grassland habitats. Since opening in 2005, Fairbanks Landing has emphasized providing high-quality hunting experiences. Hunter access is limited during peak deer and wild turkey hunting seasons to reduce hunting pressure, and quail hunting has reduced bag limits.

The practices will continue, as Fairbanks Landing averaged over 5,000 quality hunting efforts during the last two years.

I&M operated the Breed Plant on the site from 1960-94. The coal-fired power plant is gone, but a 345,000-volt transmission switchyard remains on a portion of Fairbanks Landing, where the original Breed Plant facility once stood. Environmental remediation took place after the power plant was demolished in 2007.

Terre Haute anglers will now have the opportunity to catch rainbow trout at the new Maple Avenue Nature Park, thanks to cooperation between Indiana DNR and the Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department.

In 2010, the city of Terre Haute renewed a fish management agreement with DNR. As a result, the DNR decided to start stocking Maple Lake in Maple Avenue Nature Park with rainbow trout after a recent fisheries survey documented adequate water quality for the species.

Maple Avenue Nature Park is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 41 and Maple Avenue. Maple Lake is an 11-acre, 28-feet-deep borrow pit. In 2011, DNR began fall channel catfish stockings at Maple Lake, also in an effort provide additional fishing opportunities.

“The city has shown a real commitment to fishing and other outdoor activities by seeking grants and expanding its city park system,” DNR fisheries biologist David Kittaka said.

DNR expects increased public interest in fishing Maple Lake. As a result, the DNR public access program plans to install a new boat ramp there this summer. Maple Lake’s trout will come from stockings previously intended for Little George Pit, 17 miles west in Chinook FWA. Little George Pit will no longer be stocked with trout.

Anglers fishing for trout are required to have an $11 trout/salmon privilege stamp in addition to a valid Indiana fishing license. Both can be purchased online at www.IndianaOutdoor.In.gov or anywhere licenses are sold. The inland trout program is funded through the privilege stamp.

Indiana conservation officers presented a framed Certificate of Appreciation to Brown County Prosecutor Jim Oliver in recognition of his efforts in training the newest class of conservation officer recruits. The officers were trained in case report preparation, court document preparation and courtroom testimony procedures.

Oliver presented the recruits with an opportunity to testify in mock trials where they had prepared case reports from actual scenarios they worked. The training has proved valuable in preparing recruits to be effective professional law enforcement officers.

“Courtroom testimony is one of the most difficult, yet most important, parts of a law enforcement officer’s career, and because of Prosecutor Oliver’s efforts, I am confident that our recruits are ready and well prepared,” said conservation officer Training Captain Zach Mathews.

South Region Commander Captain Jason Lee said, “For Prosecutor Oliver to take an entire day to train our recruits shows how disciplined and concerned he is about the vital role our officers have in the criminal justice system. Mr. Oliver went above and beyond his call of duty to ensure the recruits have the training they need to be effective in courtrooms throughout the state of Indiana.”

Oliver also created a one-hour video to help train all veteran officers on working with domestic violence cases. The certificate was signed by DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. and Indiana Conservation Col. Scotty Wilson.

NW Indiana anglers arrested for over-bagging perch

While checking fishermen near the East Chicago Marina on March 15, Indiana conservation Officer Tim Janowski issued a summons to Wilbert Schneider and Frank Lucas for exceeding the daily bag limit of perch.

Schneider, of Highland, Ind., and Lucas, of Crown Point, together bagged 67 perch, exceeding the daily bag limit by 37 fish. The daily bag limit is 15 perch per person. Both men were cited into Lowell Town Court for the violations.

It is a Class C misdemeanor to take in excess of the daily bag limit of perch. If found guilty; Schneider and Lucas could be fined and ordered to reimburse the state for each fish over the daily bag limit. Replacement cost for fish is $20 for the first violation and $35 for each subsequent violation.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.