Waterfowlers salute longtime manager
The Whatcom Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association (WWA) recently
saluted Tom Reed for his more than 34 years of service to fish, wildlife and
the public here in Whatcom County.
Reed, who is considering retirement, has spent all but one of his year’s of
service with the state caring for and developing the fish and wildlife
department’s lands in the county that center on the Lake Terrell Wildlife
Area.
Besides the venerable Lake Terrell holdings (purchased in the 1950s), department acquisitions including a joint program with What-com County Parks at Tennant Lake, Lummi Island’s falcon reserve and Nooksack/Marietta Slough access as well as the department‘s long-standing agreements with Alcoa Intalco Works and British Petroleum Cherry Point Refinery for access to their public recreation lands are Reed’s responsibility.
All told there are 4,560 diverse acres under Reed’s care in the newly christened Whatcom Wildlife Area.
He has been present for the addition of 2314 of those acres and has served as the department’s on-scene coordinator and catalyst spearheading access development and habitat enhancement.
WWA Chapter spokesman Brad Otto says Reed is especially appreciated for his efforts to bring many different groups together in the dialogue and planning of access amenities and habitat restoration on public wildlife lands.
“He’s brought into play hunters and birdwatchers and looked out for everyone’s interests,” said Otto.
Reed is respected for his ability to mediate differing views and goals to bring about successful projects, says Otto, who has worked with him on many projects including the creation of a wetland area behind the headquarters compound at Lake Terrell.
The state council of the Washington Waterfowl Association this week recognized two of Whatcom County’s leading industries, British Petroleum Cherry Point Refinery and Alcoa’s Intalco Works, for their commitment to fish and wildlife resources and public recreation.
Both companies were nominated by the Whatcom Chapter of WWA to receive the association’s Corporate Wildlife Stewardship Award for 2006.
BP Cherry Point’s award cites its leadership in natural resource conservation and protection including being the recipient of the first ISO 14001 Environmental Certification in Washington. It also recognizes the company’s preservation of a 140-acre blue heron reserve and its stewardship of more than 900 acres of valuable habitat including wetlands and Terrell Creek.
The accolade includes recognition of BP’s ongoing commitment through a cooperative agreement with the state fish and wildlife department to providing public access to those properties.
Alcoa Intalco Works, which also has a similar agreement with the state, was recognized for its more than 40-year commitment to opening a portion of its holdings to the public for outdoors recreation.
In addition, the company has developed five large freshwater pond/wetland complexes on its holdings, has made efforts to eradicate noxious weeds on its land and has planted cereal grains for waterfowl and other birdlife.
The Whatcom Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Tennant Lake Interpretive Center.
You will find WWA chapter members today working to refurbish public waterfowl hunting blinds at Tennant Lake. To contact the group, call Randy Johnson (360) 220-2243.
REPORT SYSTEM NOT READY FOR DUTY
Washington’s computerized online and telephonic hunter harvest reporting system is off-line, so successful hunters will not be held to the 10-day reporting requirement.
Until the system is up and running, they’ll also not be denied the chance to win one of the carrot or incentive tags for registering their take within the 10-day requirement.
Licensing managers say the fish and wildlife department is transitioning to an updated hunting and fishing license management sys-tem and hunter reporting is being integrated into the new system.
When the new system is functioning, the clock will start on mandatory hunter reports. Besides the 10-day reporting period for successful gunners, all other empty-handed hunters, to qualify for the incentive drawing, need to report their tales of woe by Jan. 10.
Beyond that date all big game and turkey tag bearing hunters have until Jan. 31 to report, otherwise the stick element kicks in. That’s the $10 civil penalty for failing to make a timely report.
NOT TOO LATE TO GET A CHIT
Snow goose hunters who missed out on the chance to get into the Fir Island quality hunt drawing or have their written authorizations in hand for opening day may still apply for this season’s snow goose permits until Oct. 31.
You may want to go to the effort to obtain one of these chits if you happen to be acquainted with a registered snow goose hunter who did bag one of the three-day hunt units situated under prime airspace for the birds.
Hard copy application cards can be obtained by calling the state fish and wildlife department’s Mill Creek office at 425 775-1311 or the department’s wildlife management program in Olympia at 360 902-2515.
Doug Huddle, the Herald’s outdoors correspondent, works in the Wildlife Program of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and has written a weekly hunting and fishing column for the Herald since 1983 that appears Saturdays. E-mail him at doug.huddle@bellinghamherald.com.
Besides the venerable Lake Terrell holdings (purchased in the 1950s), department acquisitions including a joint program with What-com County Parks at Tennant Lake, Lummi Island’s falcon reserve and Nooksack/Marietta Slough access as well as the department‘s long-standing agreements with Alcoa Intalco Works and British Petroleum Cherry Point Refinery for access to their public recreation lands are Reed’s responsibility.
All told there are 4,560 diverse acres under Reed’s care in the newly christened Whatcom Wildlife Area.
He has been present for the addition of 2314 of those acres and has served as the department’s on-scene coordinator and catalyst spearheading access development and habitat enhancement.
WWA Chapter spokesman Brad Otto says Reed is especially appreciated for his efforts to bring many different groups together in the dialogue and planning of access amenities and habitat restoration on public wildlife lands.
“He’s brought into play hunters and birdwatchers and looked out for everyone’s interests,” said Otto.
Reed is respected for his ability to mediate differing views and goals to bring about successful projects, says Otto, who has worked with him on many projects including the creation of a wetland area behind the headquarters compound at Lake Terrell.
The state council of the Washington Waterfowl Association this week recognized two of Whatcom County’s leading industries, British Petroleum Cherry Point Refinery and Alcoa’s Intalco Works, for their commitment to fish and wildlife resources and public recreation.
Both companies were nominated by the Whatcom Chapter of WWA to receive the association’s Corporate Wildlife Stewardship Award for 2006.
BP Cherry Point’s award cites its leadership in natural resource conservation and protection including being the recipient of the first ISO 14001 Environmental Certification in Washington. It also recognizes the company’s preservation of a 140-acre blue heron reserve and its stewardship of more than 900 acres of valuable habitat including wetlands and Terrell Creek.
The accolade includes recognition of BP’s ongoing commitment through a cooperative agreement with the state fish and wildlife department to providing public access to those properties.
Alcoa Intalco Works, which also has a similar agreement with the state, was recognized for its more than 40-year commitment to opening a portion of its holdings to the public for outdoors recreation.
In addition, the company has developed five large freshwater pond/wetland complexes on its holdings, has made efforts to eradicate noxious weeds on its land and has planted cereal grains for waterfowl and other birdlife.
The Whatcom Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Tennant Lake Interpretive Center.
You will find WWA chapter members today working to refurbish public waterfowl hunting blinds at Tennant Lake. To contact the group, call Randy Johnson (360) 220-2243.
REPORT SYSTEM NOT READY FOR DUTY
Washington’s computerized online and telephonic hunter harvest reporting system is off-line, so successful hunters will not be held to the 10-day reporting requirement.
Until the system is up and running, they’ll also not be denied the chance to win one of the carrot or incentive tags for registering their take within the 10-day requirement.
Licensing managers say the fish and wildlife department is transitioning to an updated hunting and fishing license management sys-tem and hunter reporting is being integrated into the new system.
When the new system is functioning, the clock will start on mandatory hunter reports. Besides the 10-day reporting period for successful gunners, all other empty-handed hunters, to qualify for the incentive drawing, need to report their tales of woe by Jan. 10.
Beyond that date all big game and turkey tag bearing hunters have until Jan. 31 to report, otherwise the stick element kicks in. That’s the $10 civil penalty for failing to make a timely report.
NOT TOO LATE TO GET A CHIT
Snow goose hunters who missed out on the chance to get into the Fir Island quality hunt drawing or have their written authorizations in hand for opening day may still apply for this season’s snow goose permits until Oct. 31.
You may want to go to the effort to obtain one of these chits if you happen to be acquainted with a registered snow goose hunter who did bag one of the three-day hunt units situated under prime airspace for the birds.
Hard copy application cards can be obtained by calling the state fish and wildlife department’s Mill Creek office at 425 775-1311 or the department’s wildlife management program in Olympia at 360 902-2515.
Doug Huddle, the Herald’s outdoors correspondent, works in the Wildlife Program of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and has written a weekly hunting and fishing column for the Herald since 1983 that appears Saturdays. E-mail him at doug.huddle@bellinghamherald.com.