Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum discussed Gills Rock Chinook Stocking

• Two charter boat captains – Don Grasse of King Fisher Charters and Paul Goodman of The Mariner Charter – were among a contingent of five people who represented Gills Rock at the Oct. 12 Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum held in Cleveland, Wis., where the 2014 Chinook salmon stocking strategy was discussed.

As reported in previous stories, Gills Rock has not been included in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Chinook stocking strategy since 2000, when Ellison Bay became the stocking area for Northern Door. As a result, Gills Rock residents say they have seen fishing charters and associated businesses suffer because of the lack of Chinook.

Before the meeting, the DNR had requested comments from the public on a draft stocking strategy. Grasse said of the 39 comments, 30 of those were on the Gills Rock situation.

Grasse said a couple of proposals were floated, including stocking half of the proposed allotment of 24,069 Chinook in Ellison Bay and the other half in Gills Rock. Grasse said a couple of Sheboygan charter captains said they would be willing to trade a Coho salmon allotment for Northern Door for some of their Chinook allotment.

“We will be discussing these items along with other ideas and comments for the next several weeks while we prepare a proposal to Mike Staggs (bureau chief) and then to Sec. (Cathy) Stepp,” said Brad Eggold, DNR fisheries manager.

• Door County Emergency Medical Services director Eric Christensen “resigned to pursue other opportunities on Oct. 11,” according to County Administrator Maureen Murphy. Christensen joined the county in April 2012, after heading the EMS services in St. Croix County in western Wisconsin. In the meantime, operations manager Anthony Luchini, who joined the county’s EMS department last spring, will serve as interim director. Luchini was previously a training officer and critical care paramedic for the Waushara County ambulance service. The Door County Board will consider the position when it holds its regular monthly meeting at 9 am on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

• In a letter dated Sept. 30, 2013, the board of directors of the Door County Environmental Council wrote to the Liberty Grove Town Board to register its dismay with the “Unnecessary and aggressive tree cutting along Door County roads…” The letter made five points that 1) Claimed the cutting destroys the uniqueness of Door County; 2) Is not necessary to expand the clear zone; 3) People drive faster on roads with increased clear zones; 4) The public does not support the tree cutting; 5) Towns and villages have limited liability for motorists leaving the pavement. The letter concluded by saying “At the very least a citizen referendum on the Garrett Bay Road issue would give extra insight into the actual wishes of the people of Liberty Grove Town.”