Releases – September 15, 2016
There will be a free Trout Surf Fishing seminar with Dr. Bogus on Monday, October 3, 2016, from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Community Center, 7500 Emerald Drive.
Learn about surf fishing from one of the Crystal Coast’s most renowned experts.
Pre-registration is required, and registration is limited to 30 people. To register for the seminar, call the Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Department at (252) 354-6350 or email slowe@emeraldisle-nc.org.
The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign concluded on Labor Day weekend. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission released their final boating safety enforcement data for 2016: Boats Checked—2,578; Boating Under the Influence— 60; Boating Citations Issued— 666; Boating Warnings Issued— 1,297; and Total Non-Boating Violations: 672.
The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign is a multi-agency initiative that is designed to combine law enforcement resources to ensure that all motorists can safely travel on highways and waterways during the summer months.
Awareness and enforcement efforts were centered on four of the busiest summer weekends including Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Operation Dry Water, a national safety campaign which occurred June 24–26.
The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign is coordinated by the Wildlife Commission, State Highway Patrol, and Forensic Tests for Alcohol, and supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, and local police and sheriff’s offices, along with participating non-governmental organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Learn more about enjoying North Carolina’s waterways at www.ncwildlife.org/boating.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on Thursday passed a resolution supporting bipartisan congressional legislation that would provide $1.3 billion to conserve more than 12,000 fish and wildlife species in greatest need of conservation while providing the public with more access to open spaces.
The resolution supports the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (HR5650), which was introduced on July 6 by Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI). The bill would reallocate existing revenue from mineral extraction lease fees and royalties from federal lands and waters to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program.
The money would be apportioned annually to each state, territory, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia based on a formula of land area and human population. States would be required to provide a 25 percent match.
If passed, the legislation would provide North Carolina with approximately $32.1 million annually to implement the N.C. Wildlife Action Plan effectively. The plan, which was updated in 2015, identifies steps needed to conserve species of greatest conservation need and their habitats before they decline to the point that Endangered Species Act protection is required. The new funding would help build capacity to conserve many species that are declining.
“This is a watershed moment in fish and wildlife conservation,” said Gordon Myers, the Wildlife Commission’s executive director. “This legislation completes a funding model to conserve all fish and wildlife species building on successes of the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts enacted by Congress last century.”
The bill would implement the March 2016 recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources, a nonpartisan panel comprising 26 leaders who represent outdoor recreation retailers and manufacturers, the energy industry, sportsmen’s groups, and other conservation organizations. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) convened the panel to make recommendations on providing continual and secure funding for wildlife species and their habitats.
For more information about wildlife conservation in North Carolina, visit the Commission’s Conserving page, www.ncwildlife.org/conserving.
The Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, presented by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, honor individuals, associations, businesses, and others who have exhibited unwavering commitment to conservation in the state.
Maready, a member of the Marine Patrol for 10 years who patrols the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound area, is flattered that his fellow officers elected him for this distinction.
“I’m just honored to even be put in for it,” Maready said.
Maready is known for the many cases he has solved involving the illegal use and/or abandonment of commercial fishing gear, violations of size and creel limits, recreational and commercial license violations, the illegal sale of seafood, and larceny of gear. Sometimes, solving these cases involved undercover operations.
Maready also serves as a field training officer for new hires and he participates in the newly formed Marine Patrol Education Team, visiting civic groups, schools, and expos to promote the mission of the Marine Patrol and to educate the public on fisheries resources, rules, regulations, and laws.
In a particularly notable case earlier this year, Maready saved a fisherman from possible hypothermia. After receiving a call about a commercial fisherman who was overdue on a cold winter day, Maready went to the area where he thought this fisherman would most likely have been fishing. He found the fisherman’s sunken boat, and then shortly afterward, found the fisherman in a nearby marsh. Maready took the wet and cold fisherman to dry land to meet his family. It was late in the afternoon when the fisherman was found and temperatures were expected to be near freezing that night.
Maready grew up in the Beulaville area and graduated from East Duplin High School in 1988.
After high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served in Operation Desert Storm. While in the Air Force, he was a part of the security police unit.
When he left the military, Maready enrolled at Wayne Community College to study Fish and Wildlife Management; however, the program was cancelled before he could finish his degree. He then entered into the Basic Law Enforcement Training program there, and graduated in 1993. That same year, he was hired by the Duplin County Sheriff’s Department. In his 13 years with the sheriff’s office, he moved up the ranks to sergeant, worked as a detective in the Investigations Division, and then was lieutenant over the Patrol Division.
Becoming a Marine Patrol officer allowed Maready to combine his law enforcement experience with his original goal of working in fish and wildlife management.
Maready lives in Columbia with his wife, Christy; daughter, Zoe, 12: and son Gabriel, 17.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is hosting or supporting six family-friendly events on Sept. 24 to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day.
The events, all of which are free except for one, focus on activities that highlight the state’s rich hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation heritage. Activities and exhibits vary for each event; however, all provide opportunities for participants to improve their outdoor skills and increase their knowledge of wildlife in North Carolina. Event locations and times are:
(1) Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla. This free event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Explore the rich hunting and fishing heritage of Currituck Sound by touring the exhibit gallery and going fishing in the surrounding waters. Young participants will receive free fish-for-fun bags filled with fishing-related items. No preregistration is required. For more information, call (252) 453-0221, ext. 1.
(2) John E. Pechmann Fishing Education in Fayetteville. For more information, contact Thomas Carpenter, center director, at (910) 868-5003.
(3) Lake Raleigh on N.C. State’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh. For more information, contact Cristy Bullock at (919) 707-0176.
(4) Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest, near Brevard. For more information, contact Lee Sherrill at (828) 877-4423.
One additional event where Commission staff is assisting is Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in Currituck County. Event begins at 8:00 a.m. Fishing, archery, and birding opportunities will be available for all participants. The Guilford Chapter of N.C. Bowhunters Association is offering archery lessons. For $25 each, anglers ages 4 to 14 receive a rod and reel combo, bait, a t-shirt, Fish for Fun bags, and a Greenwing membership. Lunch and beverages are provided for participants and their families. Pre-registration is required by calling (252) 619-0575.
