2007: $10,425.00 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used to complete extensive stocking of 2.2 million walleye fry and taught anglers of importance of conservation and catch and release in Wisconsin. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for a port Clinton, Ohio walleye conservation project. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used by the Niagara River Anglers Association in New York for a habitat enhancement and river restoration project. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used by the Henderson Harbor Chamber of Commerce in New York conservation project to improve fish habitat and monitor local water quality. |
| A Wildllife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Big Stone Lake Walleye Club in Minnesota to improve their fishery by creating habitat and stocking walleye and perch fry. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was for a Detroit River habitat enhancement project in Michigan with the Downriver Walleye Federation including river clean up to increase esthetics and angler usage and by stocking walleye fry. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Spring Valley Walleye Club for stocking 27million sauger and walleye fry into the Illinois River to enhance the fishing resource. |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was given to the Mississippi Valley Walleye Club in Iowa for a conservation project to enhance fishing access by removing debris and stocking 2.75 million walleye fry and fingerlings back into the river. |
2006: $17,827.50 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant provided for the stocking of three million walleye and sauger in the Illinois River plus waterways in Colorado, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to Southgate Anderson High School's Stream Team restoration project. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Lake Ontario Fisheries Coalition's Cape Vincent Hatchery Facility in New York. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Great Lakes Sport Fisherman walleye conservation in the Bays de Noc of Lake Michigan. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to support the fishery on Devil's Lake in North Dakota by stocking walleye and perch. |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Frontenac Sportsman's Club in Minnesota for fisheries conservation efforts. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Falling Rock Walleye Club for fisheries conservation. |
2005: $12,570 In Conservation Grants |
In a collaborative effort with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Spring Valley Walleye Club collected eggs from walleye and sauger caught from the Illinois River during the weekend tournament in March. In 2005, 336 female fish produced a whopping 38 million eggs. The eggs yielded over 27.5 million sauger and walleye fry, a very impressive hatch rate of 72%.
10.4 million fry and 354,000 fingerlings were stocked throughout May and June in the Peoria Pool of the Illinois River near Spring Valley. Additional fry and fingerlings produced through the MWC event were stocked in lakes and rivers throughout Illinois by the DNR. Remaining fingerlings and fry were also stocked across the United States through cooperative programs between the Illinois DNR and the state fish and game agencies of neighboring states. |
Wildlife Forever and the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) are funding conservation efforts to secure the future of the walleye fishery in Lake Ontario. The Lake Ontario Fisheries Coalition (LOFC) of Watertown, New York is working to establish a naturally reproducing population of walleye in the eastern-most Great Lake. Wildlife Forever supported the organization’s work with a grant made possible through the contributions of professional anglers competing in the local 2005 MWC tournament.
In a collaborative effort with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), LOFC operates the Cape Vincent Hatchery. LOFC successfully stocked over 100,000 walleye fingerlings in Lake Ontario from the hatchery’s six ponds. The partners plan to double the hatchery’s capacity to 13 ponds in the years ahead.
“Wildlife Forever has been a proud partner of the North American Fishing Club for nearly 20 years and the Masters Walleye Circuit’s for over a decade,” said Wildlife Forever’s President and CEO, Douglas H. Grann. “Our collaborative efforts with the Lake Ontario Fisheries Coalition demonstrate that America’s sporting men and women are committed to ensuring healthy fisheries in addition to great angling opportunities.” |
Walleye populations in the northwest corner of Lake Michigan received a boost thanks to a Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) grant made to the M & M Great Lakes Sport Fisherman of Marinette, Wisconsin in partnership with Wildlife Forever.
The M & M Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, a grassroots conservation organization dedicated to improving sport fisheries and public access in Marinette County, has worked collaboratively with the Wisconsin and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources (DNR) to stock over 2 million walleye fingerlings and fry into Lake Michigan and the local Menominee River.
The MWC grant will be used by the M & M Great Lakes Sport Fishermen in partnership with the Michigan DNR to continue walleye stocking efforts in Bay de Noc.
According to Wildlife Forever’s President & CEO, Douglas H. Grann, “Northern Lake Michigan from Green Bay in Wisconsin to Bay de Noc in Michigan has become one of the Midwest’s finest walleye fisheries. Wildlife Forever is proud to support the successful efforts of sportsmen and women who not only cherish and enjoy their local resources, but actively conserve and enhance them for future generations of anglers.” |
2004: $16,340 In Conservation Grants |
The Spring Valley Walleye Club received a Wildlife Forever/MWC grant in support of the group’s efforts to stock walleye and sauger and to study exotic invasive species in the Illinois River.
Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Spring Valley Walleye Club and the Illinois DNR, approximately 10 million fry and 1 million fingerlings will be stocked in the Illinois River. In addition to the stocking program, grant dollars will be utilized to research the most effective methods to control the spread of the Asian and Big Head carp in the Illinois River and offset the destructive impacts caused by these foreign fish. |
The Walker Rotary Club received a Wildlife Forever/MWC grant for restoration of the walleye population in Leech Lake. The Rotary Club is collaborating with the Minnesota DNR and the Leech Lake Association to stock walleye fingerlings and fry into the lake. Biologists from the DNR will use creel counts and gill net surveys to measure the stocking project’s success.
According to Doug Grann, President and CEO of Wildlife Forever, “Leech Lake is a tremendous fishery that receives a lot of angling pressure. We’re pleased that MWC dollars will be used to benefit the resource. It’s this ability to “give back” that really sets MWC apart from other tournament circuits.” |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Lighthouse Anglers in support of their work to create artificial reef habitat in Lake Winnebago.
The Lighthouse Anglers are collaborating with another local conservation group, Walleyes for Tomorrow, to enhance structure habitat for walleye and other sport fish. The reefs will be established this summer in the “mud basin” of Lake Winnebago. The conservation groups will record the reefs’ Global Positioning System coordinates, aiding volunteers in monitoring the growth of aquatic vegetation and other habitat improvements. |
2003: $10,495.00 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of walleye rearing projects for the Bays de Noc. |
Bob "Kaz" Kazkowski (L) looks on as Pete Wuebker (C) presents Bill Guerinni (R) of the spring Valleye Walleye Club with a ceremonial check representing the total funds that Wildlife Forever and the MWC have invested in the Illinois River at Spring Valley.
The 2003 Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of the annual sauger and walleye rearing and stocking project for the Illinois River.
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| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to Cedar Valley Walleye Club for fish stocking projects. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to Fishing Friends Forever for fish stocking on Little Green Lake. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for shoreline improvement projects on Big Stone Lake. |
2002: $11,205.00 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of raising walleye and sauger fry. Three to five million fry and fingerlings were released into the Illinois River. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of walleye rearing projects for the Bays de Noc. |
| A Wildlife Forever MWC grant was provided to the Frontenac Sportsmen's Club is support of walleye conservation projects at Lake Pepin & the Mississippi River. |
2001: $9,350.00 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used to provide riprap for 1000 feet of shoreline on the Oconto River. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of walleye rearing projects for the Bays de Noc. |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for walleye conservation projects in Big Stone Lake. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of raising walleye and sauger fry. Three to five million fry and fingerlings were released into the Illinois River. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was provided to the Frontenac Sportsmen's Club for walleye conservation efforts on Lake Pepin. |
2000: $9,440.00 In Conservation Grants |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used in support of walleye rearing projects for the Bays de Noc. |
A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for walleye conservation projects on Big Stone Lake. |
| The Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used to support the annual stocking of walleye and sauger into the Illinois River. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for walleye conservation efforts in the Bay of Green Bay. |
| A Wildlife Forever/MWC grant was used for walleye conservation projects on the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin. |
1999: $5,000 In Conservation Grants |
| Wildlife Forever's matching grant was used to support the annual stocking of walleye and sauger into the Illinois River. |
1998: $5,000 In Conservation Grants |
| Wildlife Forever provided a matching grant to the MWC to again support the feeding and operation expences of the walleye rearing ponds that Wildlife Forever helped construct back in 1992. |
1996: $15,000 In Conservation Grants |
| Wildlife Forever once again provided a matching grant to the MWC in support of walleye and sauger stocking and research for the Illinois River. |
| Wildlife Forever matched an MWC grant in support of two walleye rearing ponds near Escanaba, Michigan. The funds were used for food and other operating expenses. The rearing ponds produce 300,000 fingerlings annually. |
1995: $10,000.00 In Conservation Grants |
| Wildlife Forever matched an MWC grant to evaluate the effects of the past five years of walleye and sauger stocking in the Illinois River. Researchers also evaluated the effect of a new hydro-electric project on the growth and reproduction of downstream walleye and sauger. |
| In a unique partnership involving the MWC, Wildlife Forever, The Spring Valley Walleye Club and the Illinois DNR, hundreds of thousands of sauger and walleye were hatched, raised and released into the Illinois River. Fish caught by MWC anglers were used to provide the milt and eggs for the process, saving the IL-DNR considerable funds. |
1994: $10,000.00 In Conservation Grants |
| Wildlife Forever matched an MWC grant in support of two walleye rearing ponds near Escanaba, Michigan. |
| Wildlife Forever matched an MWC grant to raise and release 2.5 million walleye & sauger fry into the Illinois River. The fish were marked with a "staining" agent to enable biologists to identify stocked fish and determine the success of the project. |
1992: $2,500 In Conservation Grants |
| In a three way partnership, Wildlife Forever joined with the MWC and the FishAmerica Foundation for the construction and operation of a five acre walleye rearing pond. |
