CNBNews

regulations. It is also widely used in local environmental resource inventories throughout the state. An upcoming Landscape Project  information session will be hosted by: 

Gloucester County Public Planning Division, 1200 North Delsea Drive, Clayton, NJ, on Tuesday,
January 25, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 

To register, please e-mail: [email protected] 

For additional information regarding the session visit
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/landscape_train.htm or e-mail [email protected] 

Version 2.1 and Version 3.0 of New Jersey's Landscape Project that identifies habitats throughout the state can be obtained: 

- Online via download: http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/ 
- Online via DEP's Interactive mapping application: http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/ 
- On Compact Disc by request to the Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program by calling 609-292-9400; faxing 609-984-1414; or writing to Landscape Project, NJDFW, Mail Code 501-03, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420. 

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Releases Info on 2011 Rules

Virginia Beach, VA - The Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) initiated the recreational fisheries specification process for the 2011 summer flounder, scup, black sea bass seasons. The Council and Board adopted the use of conservation equivalency (state-by-state measures) to achieve the 2011 recreational harvest limit for summer flounder. The harvest limit (11.58 million pounds), approved in August by the Council and Board, represents a 33 percent increase relative to 2010.  Conservation equivalency allows states to develop and implement state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons) to achieve the harvest limit for their state. The Board will review state-specific measures in late January or early February, with states finalizing their 2011 measures in the spring. 

After considerable discussion on the status of the scup stock and the current overall harvest target, the Council and Board voted to increase the overall (recreational and commercial) 2011 total allowable landing level (TAL) for scup to about 26 million pounds, an increase of 92 percent relative to the 2010 level. Although the Council and Board had agreed to a smaller increase in August, the revised recreational TAL recommendation of 5.74 million pounds will preserve 2010 size, season, and bag limits into 2011, while also staying within the maximum sustainable yield for the stock.  The 2010 state-specific measures can be found on the ASMFC website scup page ( http://www.asmfc.org/scup.htm ). 

Based on the black sea bass TAL that was set in August (1.78 million pounds) and projected 2010 landings of 3.1 million pounds, the Council and Board adopted more restrictive coastwide management measures for the 2011 recreational black sea bass fishery: a 13-inch TL minimum fish size, a 25 fish possession limit, and an open season from July 1 to October 1 and November 1 to December 31. The measures will remain in effect until the ASMFC approves an addendum to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Plan that implements regional specifications for black sea bass that could achieve the necessary reduction in fishing mortality for 2011. The Council and the Board voted to recommend to NOAA that management measures in federal waters revert to the same measures in place for 2010 once the addendum is in place. The 2010 measures included a 12.5-inch TL minimum fish size, 25 fish possession limit, and an open season from May 22 to October 11 and November 1 to December 31.  The!
 Board is expected to consider initiating an addendum to implement regional allocation at its next meeting in March 2011.

For more information about summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass, please contact Toni Kerns, FMP Coordinator, at (703) 842-0740 or <[email protected]>.

Division issues snow goose conservation order

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife will again implement a Conservation Order (CO) in New Jersey for light geese during the winter/spring of 2011. A CO is a special management action that is needed to control certain wildlife populations when traditional management programs are unsuccessful in preventing overabundance of the population. The CO allows an extended time period and additional methods for taking light geese without bag limits.

The CO for light geese is authorized under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the intent to reduce and/or stabilize various light goose populations across North America. Negative impacts on wetland habitats have been measured on their breeding, staging and wintering areas. Serious damage to agriculture also occurs in migration and wintering areas. The intent of the light goose CO in Atlantic Flyway states is to reduce and ultimately stabilize the number of greater snow geese to the population objective of 500,000 birds.

Conservation Order Dates: February 16 - April 9, 2011, except Sundays. Light geese may not be pursued on Sundays during this period.

Credential requirements:

1. 2011 New Jersey Hunting License 2. 2010 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (NOTE: 2010 stamps are

valid until June 2011) 3. 2010 NJ Waterfowl Stamp (NOTE: 2010 stamps are valid until June, 2011) 4. NJ 2011 Light Goose Conservation Order Permit (Harvest Diary Sheet) (NOTE: A HIP

certification is NOT required)CO participants can obtain a permit in two ways:

 Through the Division's license web site at www.wildlifelicense.com/nj/. Hunters will need their Conservation ID Number to enter the web page to obtain their CO permit; there is a $2.00 administrative fee. Hunters can only obtain their online permit through the Division's web page; hunters cannot obtain a CO permit through a license agent. Hunters will be able to print their permit on their home computer after completing the certification process. CO permits will be available in early January 2011 and be available through the duration of the CO.

 Hunters who do not have internet access can have a permit mailed to them. To get a CO permit, send the documents below to the following address: NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Mail Code 501-03, PO Box 420, Trenton, NJ, 08625-0420, Attention: Light Goose Permit

1. Legible photocopy of 2011 Hunting or All-Around Sportsmen license which clearly shows the licensee's Conservation ID Number and date of birth.

2. Check or money order for $2.00 payable to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

3. Self-addressed, stamped (44 cents) envelope. 4. Daytime telephone number

Location: Statewide. Firearms: Shotguns not larger than 10 gauge and capable of holding no more than 7 shells,

including magazine and chamber.

Ammunition: Nontoxic shot not to exceed Size T (0.200 inch) only. Nontoxic shot includes steel, bismuth, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-nickel-iron (HEVI- SHOT), tungsten-iron-nickel-tin (TINT), tungsten-bronze and tungsten-tin-bismuth. Possession of lead shot is prohibited.

Electronic Calls Allowed: Yes Shooting Hours: 1⁄2 hour before sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after sunset Daily Bag and Possession Limit: None Legal Species: Greater snow geese, lesser snow geese, and Ross's geese.

Prohibited under Federal Regulations: Sale of birds or their plumage; from or by means, aid, or use of a sinkbox; from or by means, aid, or use of any motor vehicle, motor-driven land conveyance, or aircraft of any kind; from or by means of any motorboat or other craft having a motor attached, or any sailboat, unless the motor has been completely shut off and the sails furled, and its progress has ceased; by the use or aid of live birds as decoys; by means or aid of any motor-driven land, water, or air conveyance, or any sailboat used for the purpose of or resulting in the concentrating, driving, rallying, or stirring up of light geese; by the aid of baiting.

These Federal regulations are further defined on page 2 of the 2010-2011 NJ Migratory Bird Regulations (pdf, 255kb) and at www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/waterfowl_federal_regs.pdf (pdf, 34kb).

Reporting Requirements: Use the diary table that you received as your Light Goose Conservation Order Permit to record your activity during the CO. For each day you pursued geese, record the date, county, number of geese you harvested (even if you harvested zero geese), number of geese you knocked down but were unable to retrieve, and number of geese you harvested with the first 3 shells in the firearm.

In addition, indicate if any of the geese you took were harvested using special methods including:

1) extra shells allowed in unplugged shotguns, 2) during the extended shooting hours from sunset to 1/2 hour after sunset and/or, 3) electronic calls.

All individuals who obtained a CO permit must complete a harvest survey even if you did not pursue or harvest any geese. Harvest survey results should be reported at www.wildlifelicense.com/nj/. After logging in, select "Submit Harvest Information" to enter your harvest data.

Online harvest reporting will be available beginning March 1. Hunters should be sure to wait until they are done hunting for the CO season before reporting because each hunter will only be able to report their harvest in one online session. The harvest survey will ask you to use your diary card to summarize your harvest by time period, by special regulations used, and by county.

Those without internet access can mail their CO diary table to: Light Goose Harvest Survey, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, 2201 Route 631, Woodbine, NJ 08270. All harvest surveys must be mailed by April 30, 2011. Failure to report your information may make you ineligible to participate in Conservation Orders in future years.

NRA NEWS: BATFE Request To Track Semi-Automatic Rifle Sales Delayed

As we reported on December 17, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has proposed that it be given emergency authority for six months to require about 8,500 firearm dealers along the border with Mexico "to alert authorities when they sell within five consecutive business days two or more semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines."  A Washington Post story reporting on the BATFE proposal described that definition as being applicable to "so-called assault weapons," but it would also apply to many rifles that have never been labeled with that term.  The rule change was to have started this week, but has been delayed by the White House.

According to an article on TheUSDaily.com, the White House Office of Management and Budget was expected to approve the rule change on Wednesday, but an official told Reuters that "ATF's information collection request is still under review," and declined further comment until the "deliberative phase is concluded."

NRA Strongly Opposes Obama's Re-nomination Of Anti-Gun-Leaning Andrew Traver To Head BATFE:  This week, President Obama re-nominated Andrew Traver to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Obama first nominated Traver on November 17, 2010, but the Senate Judiciary Committee failed to act on his nomination. 

National Defense Authorization Act Passes With Pro-Second Amendment Provisions:  On December 29, 2010, Congress sent the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature.  The legislation includes several provisions developed by NRA-ILA and pro-Second Amendment members of Congress, which will provide practical benefits to gun owners, while generating revenue for military bases, and protect the privacy and Second Amendment rights of gun-owning military personnel and their families and civilian employees of the Department of Defense.  President Obama is expected to sign the NDAA imminently.

South Dakota ACLU Sues To Broaden Right-To-Carry Law:  The ACLU of South Dakota has filed a suit on behalf of a British national and permanent legal immigrant who was denied a Right-to-Carry permit inSouth Dakota.  According to a January 6 FoxNews.com story, the 30-year legal resident and previous Right-to-Carry permit holder was denied due to a 2002 change in South Dakota's Right-to-Carry law that requires an applicant to be an American citizen. Citing the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, the ACLU of South Dakota has leveled the suit against the South Dakota Secretary of State and the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office and has also filed for an injunction to stop the enforcement of the citizenship requirement.

Ohio's Supreme Court Upholds Preemption, Shoots Down Cleveland's Hopes Of More Useless Gun Laws:  Last week, the Ohio Supreme Court made a ruling upholding Ohio's preemption law and siding with both the state's and NRA's position, as outlined in an amicusbrief the organization filed with the Court.  The case, The City of Cleveland v. the State of Ohio, stems from the City of Cleveland's scheme to establish a series of restrictive gun laws despite Ohio law, which clearly prohibits such municipal gun ordinances.