Ohio Mixed Bag: Wyandot County named top PF/QF chapter – Outdoor News
Upper Sandusky, Ohio — Out of 31 Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever (PF/QF) chapters throughout the state, the Wyandot County chapter was recently named the 2024 chapter of the year.
The Ohio chapter of the year award is given annually to a group for the previous year’s efforts in education, community outreach, habitat enhancement and development, as well as involvement with the state and national PF/QF program.
Wyandot County PF/QF’s efforts are funded entirely by the group’s annual banquet fundraiser. This year, the event will be held on March 1 at the Wyandot County Fairgrounds Masters Building. For more specific information on this year’s fundraiser, see the Calendar of Events from Ohio Outdoor News.
MORE COVERAGE FROM OHIO OUTDOOR NEWS:
Ohio fisheries chief looking forward to angling retirement
Ohio Insider: Ohio hunter’s passion for the woods still burns at 98
Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame seeks first inductees
Boating Safety Grants Go To Agencies
Columbus — From boating safety courses to purchasing new kayaks and paddles, 14 organizations across Ohio will receive boating education grants from the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Parks and Watercraft. This year’s grants, totaling $350,000, are provided to strengthen or enhance local boating education programs for youth and adult residents across the state.
ODNR awards boating grants to organizations and communities that aim to strengthen or amplify boating education programs.
Boating education grants support the local purchase of boats, safety equipment, life jackets, and trailers.
ODNR Firefighters Head To California
Columbus — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced recently that he has dispatched a nine-person fire management team from the Ohio DNR (ODNR) to assist firefighters battling the devastating wildfires that continue to rage in California.
Fire managers in southern California issued a request for additional resources as wildfires continue to be fueled by the state’s dry conditions and strong winds.
“We’ve been anticipating that California may call on our skilled ODNR wildfire response team, so we were prepared and ready to answer the call for help,” said DeWine. “I commend the members of our brave crew who are leaving their loved ones in order to support their counterparts on the West Coast.”
The wildfire response team, which operates as part of ODNR’s Division of Forestry, left Columbus enroute to Beaumont, Calif., where they will receive more details of their assignment. The team is bringing its own protective equipment, hand tools, chainsaws, and a wide variety of other supplies.
Support from ODNR was requested for 14 days. A typical daily shift lasts between 14 to 16 hours.
Last year, the ODNR Division of Forestry provided wildland firefighting assistance in California at the Cleveland National Forest (east of San Diego), the Los Padres National Forest (west of Los Angeles), and the Sequoia National Forest (east of Bakersfield).
Sportsmen’s Alliance Sues Washington State Over Public Records Request
Columbus — On Jan. 28, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation sued the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in state superior court for the department’s alleged withholding of public records in violation of the state’s public records act (PRA).
The Sportsmen’s Alliance initially sought public records in September 2023 pertaining to the business of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the department has yet to deliver even a fraction of the documents it identified as relevant to the Sportsmen’s Alliance’s request, according to a press release from the Ohio-based Sportsmen’s Alliance.
“Over 500 days have passed, and we’ve received less than 0.01% of the documents the department identified as relevant to our request,” said Todd Adkins, senior vice president at the Sportsmen’s Alliance.
On Nov. 18, 2022, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission held a meeting at which it voted to cancel spring bear hunts. The vote came as a surprise to the Sportsmen’s Alliance and Washington hunters, as the meeting’s agenda gave no indication that a cancellation vote would be considered by the commission. Ultimately, spring bear hunting in Washington was canceled without providing sportsmen the opportunity to provide meaningful comments, according to the Sportsmen’s Alliance.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance suspected that members of the commission had violated open public meeting laws that would have allowed members of the public, including the Sportsmen’s Alliance and its members, to know that such a momentous vote was about to happen. Washington’s PRA requires the department to compile, and release, requested records in a reasonable amount of time.
ODNR’s Winter Hike Series Features Stage’s Pond On Feb. 15
Ashville, Ohio — Join the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Natural Areas and Preserves for a guided winter hike at Stage’s Pond State Nature Preserve on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. This naturalist-led event is a part of the official ODNR Winter Hike Series.
Hikers will learn about the ecology of the preserve, which features a glacial pond, open meadows, and mature woods, while enjoying the winter scenery. The guided 1.5-mile hike will travel through three of the site’s relatively flat, natural surface trails. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
The hike will leave from the preserve’s parking lot, 4792 Hagerty Road in Ashville. For more information, contact naturalist Kayla Bowyer at [email protected] or call 740-380-8918.
Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2025/02/11/ohio-mixed-bag-wyandot-county-named-top-pf-qf-chapter/
