SC’s Quarterly Report to the EBJTV

EBTJV QUARTERLY REPORT

August 10, 2009

Conservation:

South Carolina’s Back the Brookie efforts continued during the summer of 2009:

1. South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources electroshocked King and Crane Creeks in early July. For the first time since our brook trout restoration efforts began, the team found enough brookies in both creeks to use the 3-pass technique, which allows population estimates to be made. This is further evidence that restoration has been successful in these two creeks.

2. SCDNR has been hosting Michael Barnes, a volunteer intern student from Mansfield College in Pennsylvania.  Michael is helping DNR collect updated information on water quality, in-stream habitat and fish population estimates in brook trout streams.  Michael’s study for his internship will attempt to determine the relationship(s) between various habitat measures and brook trout population levels.

3. SCDNR has been formally notified by the USFWS and EBTJV that our proposal to restore brook trout in the Jocassee Gorges area streams has been funded at a level of $49,000.  The DNR and USFS have further partnered to obtain an additional $50,000 in USFS Partnership funding, matched by an additional $50,000 by SCDNR, to be awarded to this project under a challenge-cost share agreement.  This project is also being matched by a $10,000 Trout Unlimited EAS Grant.  SCDNR has also received $25,000 from a private development community in the area to pursue habitat enhancement on Jocassee Gorges streams.  Work on this project will commence in 2010.

4. Our Back the Brookie Committee will meet with Dan Rankin, SC DNR trout biologist, on August 14 to discuss plans for brookie restoration the coming Fall. Items on the agenda include habitat evaluation techniques to be used to find streams suitable for brookie restoration in the Jocassee Gorges, a wild and mountainous tract in western South Carolina, and work projects for TU members so the chapters will be more involved with the brook trout restoration efforts

Education:

1. On July 9^th, our BTB coordinator was interviewed on SC public radio about out brook trout restoration efforts. This interview aired on all the public radio stations in the state.

2. Vance Baird, our BTB conservation chair, has accepted an offer from Michigan State University and will be leaving this month. Marcus Leach, a member of the Chattooga River Chapter, has agreed to take his place on the committee.

1. Our Back the Brookie Committee presented a program on July 7^th on Stream Projects to the Chattooga River Chapter of TU. Several of the projects were centered on brook trout restoration.

David Van Lear

SC BTB coordinator