The Manitoba Chapter Wildlife Society Newsletter

Presidents Corner

Issues that challenge our membership abound, and many have caught my attention. The potential inter-basin transfer of water from Devils Lake, North Dakota, into Manitoba.   Interest in legalized penned hunting of native and exotic wildlife in Manitoba.  The first Manitoba spring snow goose hunt.  The federal government's Species at Risk Act and the associated federal stewardship program.  The water quality of the Assiniboine River, recently reported to degrade as it passes through Brandon.  The expansion of the hog industry in Manitoba and questions of how the industry will impact on our environment and wildlife. These events will impact the way we do business, one way or another, and impact how we management wildlife in Manitoba.

The executive has been busy planning for the CMPS 45th annual meeting this upcoming August at the Falcon Lake Resort.   Falcon Lake agreed to hold a number of rooms for our meeting until April 20th , so if you have not booked your room, you might want to do so very quickly.   The call for papers is out and the deadline for abstracts is May 30th , which is also coming upon us quickly.  Submit your abstracts to Dr. Rick Baydack.  I have talked with a number of chapter members and some very interesting papers have already been submitted.   Jim Fisher has been hard at work organizing our boreal forest field trip scheduled for Friday, August 11th.  Leaving Falcon Lake we will travel to Pine Falls for presentations from Pine Falls Paper Company and Manitoba Model Forest Project, grab lunch, then visit a number of cut blocks in the boreal region to see how these areas are managed.  Jim has also arranged for presentations on board the bus from regional wildlife manager Doug Schindler. This will be a great opportunity for CMPS members to have a first hand look some boreal habitat. Then, its back to Pine Falls for foraging opportunities, specifically a BBQ.  Check-out the chapter website for continued updates and developments.  - Cory Lindgren

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This year the AGM was held at the Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre. The evening featured a number of excellent presentations.  The first presentation was given by last year's recipient of the Richard C. Goulden Memorial Scholarship: Ryan Brook. MNRM Candidate, Natural Resources Institute.  Ryan presented his thesis work on Landscape Level Vegetation Mapping of Wapusk National Park, Manitoba.  Ryan’s presentation was followed by a short business meeting, where the minutes of the 1999 AGM and a Treasurer’s report were given.  It was decided at the AGM that the Manitoba Chapter would publish its member’s names and affiliations on our web-site.

(from left to right) Bob Emery,  Rhian Christie, Cory Lindgren  (current president), and Jim Fisher

The keynote speaker for the event was Mr. Michael Anderson, Director, Natural Resources Secretariat of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.  Micheal Anderson gave an excellent presentation on Aboriginal Harvesting Rights and Prospects for Co-Management. Although we had a smaller membership turnout than in previous years,  we managed to raise the most ever in the silent auction.  Thanks to Rich Davis who organized our highly successful auction. The AGM was concluded with the announcement of this years Richard C. Goulden Memorial Scholarship recipient Monica Reid-Wong,  and the presentation of the past president’s pins to Jim Fisher, Cheryl Hemming, Bob Emery and Rhian Christie.

The Manitoba Chapter of The Wildlife Society is proud to announce Monica Reid-Wong as the receipt of the 2000 Richard Goulden Student Scholarship. Monica is a graduate student at the University of Manitoba involved in a Masters program under Dr. W.O. Pruitt (Jr.).  The objectives of her research include evaluating changes in small mammal populations over time pre and post fire; assessing vegetation changes in wildlife habitat following the 1980 fire; identification of parameters that may affect small mammal populations; and to summarize accumulated natural history data on small mammals in the area.  Part of the Taiga Biological Station and its surrounding habitat were burnt during the 1980 Wallace Lake fire which consumed 60,000-ha.  Previous scholarship winners include Peter Joyce (1998) and Ryan Brook (1999).  We look forward to hearing Monica update us on her research at the 2001 Annual General Meeting.  Congratulations Monica!

The fourth annual Delta Getaway at the Delta Marsh Field Station.  This year the retreat featured a number of timely discussions on resource management issues including a discussion on the Devil’s Lake Diversion project with representatives from the Province of Manitoba (Dwight Williamson, Manitoba Conservation) and Jim Alfonso (North Dakota, Fish and Wildlife Department).  Other presentations included an overview of the Farm crisis in Manitoba (Shawn Cabek, Manitoba Agriculture), fish use of the Delta Marsh (Dale Wrubleski, IWWR), Avian Botulism (Dave Clayton, IWWR) and the role of a Natural Resources Officer (Chuck Young, Department of Conservation).

The speakers were excellent and by the time the discussions were completed the sun was shining and the fish were biting.  Once again the "Great Perch Search" was totally successful and everyone enjoyed the midnight fish fry cooked by our resident fish fry chief, Don Sexton.  The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the good weather on Lake Manitoba.

Thanks to everyone involved in organizing a successful retreat- especially Russ Mead, Bob Emery, Cory Lindgren, Jim Fisher and Don Sexton.

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Preparations for CMPS2000 are going well.  There has been a first call for papers and the meeting has been advertised in several newsletters and through an initial distribution of posters.  The fundraising committee has been hard at work applying for grants.  We’ve added a poster session to the program and established a theme for the field trip (Manitoba’s Boreal Forest).  The next CMPS2000 organizing committee meeting will be held in mid-January when the program and field trip schedule will be finalized.  We expect to have the CMPS Annual Meeting program posted on the Chapter’s web-site by late January, along with a meeting registration form and other related information.   We hope that all Chapter members will consider coming to the meeting.  Technical paper and poster presentations are welcome.   If you’d like to help out with CMPS2000 then please contact any of the CMPS2000 committee members listed below.
 
 

Another National Wildlife Week has come and gone.  The Manitoba National Wildlife Working Group embarked on a new approach to delivering the National Wildlife Week message in 2000.  In past years, various wildlife groups from across Manitoba would gather at the Polo Park Shopping center and set-up wildlife displays targeting the general public and school groups.  This year, a novel "Spiels on Wheels" program was delivered.  The program provided schools across Manitoba with opportunities to arrange for guest speakers to visit the classroom and discuss wildlife topics.  A large number of our chapter members were called upon to talk to school groups across Manitoba, some were even pulled out of retirement. The response the "Spiels on Wheels" program was overwhelming indicating a real need for continued wildlife education in the classroom.
 
 

Our Manitoba Chapter sponsored the following keynote presentation to the U of M Zoology Department - the following abstract was forwarded for our newsletter.

The reintroduction of species into habitats from which they have been locally extirpated is increasingly being employed as a conservation measure.  Unfortunately, most reintroductions fail.  I argue that one of the primary, if not the most important, reasons for this failure is a narrow focus on the biological and technical aspects of reintroduction to the exclusion of socioeconomic, political, organizational, and policy considerations.  To improve success rates, reintroduction programs require truly interdisciplinary approaches.  Unfortunately, such approaches are rare.  In this talk, I discuss the growing awareness of the importance of non-biological considerations to effective reintroduction using examples from programs with which I have been involved, including black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in the Western United States, eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) in Victoria, Australis, Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) in Colorado, and giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in China.  I then briefly outline the direction I believe we must pursue to increase success rates, that is, interdisciplinary approaches.

Traditional Approaches to reintroductions include programs with a primary focus on biological and technical aspects to the exclusion of several other, often more important, considerations.  As more attention was paid to the reintroduction programs, practitioners began looking to multiple disciplines, but remained focused in the biological sciences.  The programs followed Simple Multidisciplinary Approaches to reintroduction.  But, because socioeconomic and political forces are often implicated in the original decline of the species, these factors usually exert substantial influence on reintroduction programs as well. Increasingly, conservationists are recognizing the importance of these non-biological considerations, and are calling for broader programs with the involvement of trained experts in other fields.  This has led to the development of a growing number of more Fully Multidisciplinary reintroduction projects that include social independent experts working within their area of expertise.  Usually, however, experts without effective coordination or consideration.  This can result in problems and inefficiency.  For reintroduction programs to maximize effectiveness and efficiency, I believe they must develop truly Interdisciplinary Approaches that incorporate and integrate the full array of pertinent considerations.  This is a highly complex, time urgent, and multi-faceted challenge.  However, if we hope to employ reintroduction as a means of helping conserve biodiversity, we simply must improve success rates, and more holistic interdisciplinary approaches promise to do just that.
 
 

With the release and distribution of the "Workbook on Fish", the Manitoba Round Table embarked on a public participation process.  The public consultation process consisted of a workbook with mail in questionnaires, open houses and public workshops, formal presentations and submissions.  During April, May and June 1999, 21 workshops / presentation sessions were held across Manitoba.   The results of these workshops and completed questionnaires can by found in the Fish Strategy "What You Told Us" document, recently released by the Manitoba Round Table.  The 164 page report contains hundreds of interesting comments and perspectives from individual Manitobans and numerous organizations.  Jack Dubois, Manitoba Round Table Wildlife Panel Chair,  reported that the document with the results of the wildlife workbook are at the printers and will be available in the near future.

Environment Minister David Anderson introduced legislation in the House of Commons that will protect endangered Canadian wildlife from extinction. The objective of the legislation is to help birds, fish, mammals, plants and insects at risk of extinction to recover to sustainable levels. The legislation represents a balanced, practical approach for the protection of species and their habitats.

The proposed Species at Risk Act (SARA) provides the authority to prohibit the destruction of endangered or threatened species and their critical habitat on all lands in Canada. The Act also provides the emergency authority to list species in imminent danger.

The proposed legislation covers all wildlife species listed as being at risk and their critical habitats. The Act will, for the first time, legally recognize the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and provide for rigorous, independent and public scientific assessments. The Minister must report annually to Parliament in response to COSEWIC's scientific assessments as well as federal activities to recover species.

Budget 2000 contained a Government of Canada commitment of $90 million over three years, and stabilized funding at $45 million in subsequent years for the national strategy on species at risk. Budget 2000 made it easier for Canadians to donate ecologically sensitive lands and easements by reducing the capital gains arising from such donations. A portion of the $90 million that Budget 2000 is investing in a national strategy to protect species at risk over the next three years will be used for a federal stewardship program. The program will enhance existing, and encourage new, conservation activities that foster land use and resource use practices that maintain habitat critical to the survival and recovery of threatened or endangered species as identified in recovery planning.

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Dwight Williamson of Manitoba Conservation was one of the guest speakers at our Delta Getaway Weekend held February 26th 2000.  Dwight discussed several issues surrounding the potential Devils Lake diversion project.  The following information is a short summary of the issues surrounding the potential diversion.  A more detailed report can be found in the April 2000 Information Bulletin produced by the government of Manitoba at http://www.gov.mb.ca/natres/index.html.

As part of the solution to the flooding of Devils Lake, North Dakota is proposing to construct an outlet to drain water from the Sheyenne River which joins the Red River near Fargo, which flows into Lake Winnipeg. Unfortunately, the facts show that an outlet will not solve the flooding problem in the Devils Lake region.    Impacts in Manitoba, as a result of the proposed water diversion include changes in water quality and impacts on our commercial fishery and sport angling.   Water quality concerns exist for high levels of sulphate, total dissolved solids, and other materials such as arsenic, boron, mercury and phosphorus could be introduced into Manitoba waters.

Devils Lake is a closed basin, so there is also potential for biota transfer from Devils Lake into Lake Winnipeg if the proposed outlet proceeds.  The long-term water management vision of the State of North Dakota includes provision for an inlet from the Missouri River into Devils Lake to stabilize water levels in years of low water.  This inlet would further increase the risk of biota transfer from the Missouri River system.  There are at least eight species of fish and one known major fish pathogen (whirling disease) not found in the Red River or Lake Winnipeg that are present in the Missouri River system.
 
 

The Canadian IBA program was launched in 1996 by the Canadian Nature Federation and Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian BirdLife partners. In Manitoba, the IBA program began in August of 1999 when a IBA community conservation planner was hired.  The Manitoba Naturalists Society will be administering the conservation planning component of the Manitoba IBA program. Over 100 sites have been nominated by Manitoba birders and conservationists to date.  Of these, numerous sites meet the IBA site criteria and will be moved forward to the community conservation planning phase. Sites will conserve habitats used by waterfowl (ducks and geese), shorebirds and colonial nesting waterbirds, as well as endangered or threatened species.  The IBA program can be used as a tool by local communities and wildlife groups in efforts conserve critical bird habitat.

Examples of IBA sites in Manitoba that are developing or have interest in conservation planing include the Douglas Marsh (Yellow Rail), Netley-Libau Marsh (Waterfowl, Grebes, Herons, Gulls, Shorebirds), Oak Hammock Marsh (Shorebirds and Waterfowl), and Whitewater Lake (Waterfowl and Shorebirds).  A number of grassland sites are also being examined.  These areas provide critical habitat for a number of species at risk and include areas such as the Poverty Plains, Lyleton, and the Souris River in southwestern Manitoba.  To assist with conservation planning, local community groups involved in the Douglas Marsh IBA and Netley-Libau Marsh IBA sites have recently received grants of $5,000 each to initiate community conservation plans.  For IBA program information call 467-3269, call the Manitoba Naturalists Society at 943-9029, or browse the IBA website http://www.ibacanada.com.

Manitoba Conservation is working with the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association (MGSA) to develop an environmental program to enhance habitat on golf courses. A MGSA environmental coordinator will be working with golf courses and community/environmental groups to enhance habitat/wildlife on golf courses.

It is our intent to work with a number of golf courses in and around the City of Winnipeg to inventory habitat and then look at implementation of the strategy to enhance habitat so that additional wildlife habitat will be created.

An important component of this project will be the golf superintendents working with the MGSA environment coordinator and working with community groups to help inventory habitat. This is where I believe your Society could be of great assistance. We are hoping that by partnering with the Manitoba Chapter of the Wildlife Society, volunteers may be co-ordinated with the golf courses to assist in habitat identification and habitat modification/improvement projects.  With this type of program, we believe the various partners and levels of government will be able to create additional habitat for wildlife in Manitoba. Moreover, by working with you Society and other community groups, the increased awareness and training of the community and the general public will be realized.

We are hoping that members of the Manitoba Chapter of the Wildlife Society can work with us to begin inventorying habitat/wildlife across Winnipeg and the Province this summer. Should any members of the Wildlife Society wish to participate in this program, please feel free to contact me directly at (204) 945-7073.

Yours sincerely, John D. Jonasson, P.Eng. P.Geol. Senior Pollution Prevention Engineer

The second annual Delta Waterfowl Winnipeg Dinner will be held Wednesday, May 3rd beginning at 6:00 pm at Breezy Bend Gold Course.
Tickets are $60 for individuals and $100 for couples. Please contact Verla Olson at 888-5072 (Winnipeg) or Brenda (Delta) toll free 1-877-667-5656 for tickets or more information.

The upcoming Delta Marsh Birding Festival will be held at the University of Manitoba Field Station.  Highlights of the four day event include guided bird tours, bird banding, canoeing, a banquet with quest speaker Murray Gillespie, a fish fry, bird tours of Island Park as well as a trade fair with birding organizations, artists and bird businesses.  To register call Russ Meade at 204-857-8637 or visit the website at http://www.dmbo.org/festival.

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All contributed papers will be scheduled at 20 minute intervals.  Abstracts (300 words) should include a statement of objectives, a brief description of the methods used, results and a summary/conclusion.  If there are multiple authors, please underline the presenters name and include submitting author’s complete mailing address, telephone and fax number, and e-mail address. Please indicate audio-visual needs in your submission.  Abstracts should be submitted electronically, either as an e-mail attachment or via 3.5" floppy disc.  Abstract deadline is May 30, 2000.  Send abstracts to:

Falcon Lake Resort Hotel will hold rooms for this meeting until April 20, 2000.  Meeting participants should make reservations by calling the resort directly at (204) 349-8400.    Falcon Lake Resort Hotel offers rooms with double beds, queen size beds and a lodge complex with 7 rooms that have queen size beds.  Within the hotel there is an indoor swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, gift shop, laundry facilities, dining room and beverage room.  Also available in the Falcon Lake area is camping, swimming, biking, one of the best golf courses in Manitoba, fishing, tennis, boating, and horseback riding.  There are a number of other resorts in the immediate area and further information on these can be obtained from Travel Manitoba at 1-800-665-0040 (Ext. AB9).

If you need additional information please contact Rhian Christie at 204-632-2938 or rchristi@rrc.mb.ca, or Bob Emery at 204-467-3238 or b_emery@ducks.ca.
 
 

The second North American Duck Symposium and Workshop will be held October 11-15, 2000 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Principal Objectives are to provide scientists, managers, and administrators with current knowledge about the biology and management of ducks, and to openly exchange ideas about future waterfowl research and management world-wide.  Further information can be found elsewhere on the chapter website at https://twsmb.tripod.com/Duck2000.htm.
It should be noted that there are up to five student travel awards, and six student presentation awards available for this symposium, visit the following link for more information. (http://ecsask80.innovplace.saskatoon.sk.ca/ejw/DuckSymp2/abstracts.html#STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS)
 

TWS NASHVILLE 2000 7th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society Nashville, Tennessee, September 12-16, 2000 The Wildlife Society will hold its 7th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.  Registration and Program Information will be available June 2000. To see the Preliminary Program, go here. Further information can be found at TWS' website http://www.wildlife.org

HOME PAGES OF INTEREST Canada's Plan for protecting species at risk, including major elements of the proposed Species at Risk Act (SARA). http://www.ec.gc.ca/sara/ The Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society. http://www.albertadirectory.com/actws/ Advanced Telemetry Systems. http://www.atstrack.com/index.html The Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) website. http://www.pcap-sk.org

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President
Cory Lindgren
(W) 467-3269,e-mail: c_lindgren@ducks.ca
Cory received his master’s degree from the University of Manitoba in 1989.  His thesis project examined "Ganders distance from the nest as a function of the females incubation period" in Canada Geese.  After graduation he worked on a Flamingo behavioral study at the Waterfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, England.  He returned to Canada and worked for CWS on air/ground surveys and waterfowl banding.  Since 1992, Cory has been project manager for the Manitoba Purple Loosestrife Project.  He recently traveled to Europe to participate in an international effort to collect biological control agents for purple loosestrife, and is presently co-authoring a chapter on bio-control of purple loosestrife in Canada for an upcoming book.  A continued interest in exotic species led him to conduct an "Aquatic Nuisance Species Angler Awareness Survey" in 1999, and he hopes to expand on this survey in 2000.  In August of 1999, Cory began working with the Manitoba Important Bird Areas program, which has some 100 sites nominated for IBA designation in Manitoba.

President Elect
Shane Jan Roersma
(W) 474-8152, e-mail:umroersm@cc.umanitoba.ca
Shane is currently finalizing his master’s thesis following a two-year ecological investigation of the reproductive habitats of sharp-tailed grouse in southern Alberta. He has worked as a biological assistant at the University of Manitoba Delta Marsh Field Station, administered a children’s wilderness and environmental program, and had seasonal employment as a naturalist at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Center.  He has also been known to hold various mechanical jobs in order to pay off those incessant student loans.  Shane is presently working for the Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, where he will be leading a telemetry crew for the PHJV Assessment Program in the Killarney area. He is an avid sportsman, partaking in all things outdoors including hunting, fishing, canoeing, and birding. He also spends a large amount of time trying to figure out how to include his three golden retrievers in the above mentioned activities. Shane served as Student Representative for the Manitoba Chapter of the Wildlife Society in 1999/00.

Secretary/Treasurer:
Tanys Uhmann
(W) 474-8152, e-mail: umuhmann@cc.manitoba.ca
Tanys received a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Manitoba.  She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Natural Resource Management (MNRM) degree at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Manitoba, studying burrowing owl habitat requirements and the development of habitat suitability indices. Tanys served as the Manitoba Chapter Secretary/Treasurer in 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/00 and as Student Representative in 1995/96 and 1996/97.

Member at Large:
Dale Hutchison
(W) 983-2331, e-mail: hutchisond@inac.gc.ca
Dale works with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as their Natural Resource Analyst. Much of the position involves working with First Nation communities in order to develop forestry, fishery, mineral, and environmental protection projects.  Dale graduated with a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto in 1990, and received his Masters of Natural Resources Management from the Natural Resources Institute at the U of M in 1995. He has worked in private sector consulting and with several federal departments including Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, and Indian Affairs.

Member at Large:
Rich Davis
(W) 738-2647, e-mail: ridavis@nr.gov.mb.ca
Rich grew up in Catfish country, Selkirk.  He received a four-year major science degree in Ecology from the University of Manitoba, serving on the student science council as well.  Rich has worked the past ten years for the DNR as a naturalist and wildlife technician in the Interlake region, including much time in the Oak Hammock Marsh.  Rich has extensive experience in waterfowl management and has also worked with big game.

Student Representative:
Neil Mochnacz
e-mail: mochnaczn@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Neil has an undergraduate degree in Ecology from the University of Manitoba specializing in aquatic biology.  He is currently a first year graduate student at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) where his research focuses on locating alternate fishing sources for the community of Paulatuk, (N.W.T.) for subsistence purposes. The research will provide biological inventory data pertaining to aquatic ecosystems and fish populations in the Paulatuk area for the community and Parks Canada. The project is a multi-disciplinary partnership that involves five organizations.   Neil has also worked for two years throughout remote areas of Arctic Canada for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute.  His love for the outdoor environment stems from great experiences fishing, hiking, and camping as a child.  Neil’s long-term goal is to work for an organization whose mandate is to preserve and protect fish and wildlife and the habitat upon which they depend.

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