Spaulding Outdoors
By Jack Spaulding

Big changes are in store for Roush Lake and for sportsmen’s access to the property. Some activities will be closed to the general public as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) changes the property management to a Fish and Wildlife Area.

The property will switch from being managed by the DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs to being managed by the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and will become a Fish and Wildlife Area, possibly as early as Nov. 1.

“Roush Lake is already a great place for hunters and anglers, and this will make it even better,” said Mark Reiter, director of the DFW. “Its size similarities (8,217 acres, including 870 acres of water) with the other fish and wildlife areas and its shooting range make it a natural for outdoor sportsmen and sportswomen.”

The change, once in place, gives northeastern Indiana its third Fish and Wildlife Area. The others are Tri-County and Pigeon River. The change, once in place, also means gate admission will no longer be charged and the purchase of lake permits will no longer be required to boat.

With the transfer, some previous recreational offerings will no longer be available at Roush. “We know that many local residents use Roush Lake for a variety of recreational activities,” said Dan Bortner, director of State Parks and Reservoirs. “Many of those activities will still be available.

“For activities that are not compatible with federal funding, we are lucky to have convenient locations at Salamonie Lake and Ouabache State Park, both within a 30-minute drive.”

The DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs will look at relocating some of the affected recreational facilities to the other two Upper Wabash reservoirs, Salamonie and Mississinewa. The two properties, along with Roush, are leased by the DNR from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

At the properties, the DNR manages the recreational facilities and wildlife areas. The Corps manages the dams and recreational facilities immediately around the dams, and monitors and regulates lake levels. The Corps will continue to do so at Roush.

The cost savings will occur from a shift in staffing and other operating costs and as a result of federal grant dollars available to the DFW through the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. The longstanding legislation assesses taxes on the sale of sporting arms, ammunition, archery equipment and fishing equipment, and the revenue is returned to the states for use in restoration and management of fish, wildlife and habitat.

In an effort to be consistent with other fish and wildlife areas and to maximize federal funds, admission to the property will not be charged and activities will be limited primarily to those focusing on fish and wildlife management as defined by the grants.

After the transfer, approximately half of the Roush operation will be funded by the dedicated DFW fund provided from fishing, hunting and trapping license sales. The other half will come from the federal funds.

The DNR chose Roush Lake for the transfer because of the many similarities between it and the current fish and wildlife areas the DNR manages, including size, usage by hunters and anglers, wildlife management practices, the presence of a shooting range and the put-and-take pheasant hunt occurring on the property annually.

Full-time staffing at the property will be reduced from seven to five. The DNR will offer full-time positions to displaced full-time workers. Roush’s current staff of 20 intermittent workers will be reduced to eight.

The main campground in Roush’s Kilsoquah State Recreation Area will remain open. The beach in Little Turtle State Recreation Area will close. Some picnic shelters will be removed, and the model airport will close. DNR staff will work with users to evaluate the potential for a site at another nearby state property.

The mountain bike trail will close, and mountain biking will no longer be permitted. The Salamonie mountain bike trail will remain a local option. The changes are an effort to maximize cost savings and maximize Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration funding.

The site name will be the J. Edward Roush Fish and Wildlife Area. Once the change becomes effective, there will be 23 DNR-managed fish and wildlife areas in the state and eight lakes managed by the Division of State Parks and Reservoirs.

For a listing, see www.in.gov/dnr and for a list of frequently asked questions and answers about the transition, see www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2956.htm

Funds for trees available
The DNR Division of Forestry has $121,831 in grant funds available to municipalities and nonprofits for public tree inventories and tree planting projects. The funds are part of the 2010 Put the Trees Back program.

“In a statewide sample tree inventory, we discovered that there are over 850,000 vacant tree planting sites throughout the state,” said John Seifert, state forester. “It is important that we help communities fill these sites to enhance their environmental and economic health.”

Cities, towns and nonprofits may request funds ranging from $2,500-$20,000. Projects must show an equal match, which can be a mix of cash and in-kind services. All projects must be in an urban area or in an area being impacted by sprawl, and all trees must be planted on public property.

The urban forestry dollars for the grant are part of a 2010 grant awarded to the Community and Urban Forestry (CUF) program by the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area. The deadline for application is Nov. 15. Awards will be announced later in November for project startup in spring 2011.

For more information, contact Pam Louks, CUF coordinator, at 317-591-1170 or e-mail plouks@dnr.IN.gov

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 e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.