Youth Education Report

INDOOR CASTING DEMONSTRATION

The JCAA Youth Education Committee is invited to support the Keansburg Father Time indoor fishing stations on January 26, 2008. It's the third year Jeff Johnson will organize the event for the Bolger Middle School. The JCAA Youth Education Committee will support the Father Time event with an indoor casting demonstration. Several fishing clubs will volunteer time and provide fishing learning stations for children and their families. For more information on the Father Time organization, call Johnson at (732) 787-2007, ext. 2554.

OUTDOOR SPORTSMEN SHOWS

It’s going to be a long cold winter and it can be the perfect opportunity to introduce children to learning about making hand-crafted fishing lures, rod repair, tying saltwater and freshwater flies, reel maintenance, and going to the outdoor hunting and fishing expositions. Outdoor sportsmen shows offer a variety of fun fishing and hunting attractions for children and their families. There are many learning displays set up at outdoor shows for children to keep busy and spark an interest in healthy outdoor activities. Families can also find bargains on hunting and fishing equipment for the novice hunter or fisher. If your funds are available, after the holidays, consider taking a fishing vacation where the weather is warm. Disney World offers freshwater fishing and the rates are reasonable if you plan your trip in advance. The Jersey Coast Anglers Association's, Youth Education Committee, will feature special youth education seminars at upcoming sportsmen shows. Participating merchants at the hunting and fishing expositions will offer promotions at their booths for children attending the Jersey Coast Anglers Association's, Youth Fishing Seminars. Parents are also welcome to attend.

Every Kid Needs to Visit the Great Outdoors

By Trish G. Graber, the Express-Times

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s we didn't have video games, cell phones, I-Pods and all the other modern gizmos kids have these days. Tell that to a kid today and they are likely to ask, "How did you get by?"

To tell the truth, we got by right nicely. We spent most of the time playing outside, summer or winter, played sandlot baseball and football, went skating on the lake in the winter, went fishing, and when we got older we went hunting. Overweight kids were few, as most of us were skinny runts that burned up a lot of energy each day. Oh, yes, kids were back at the house for dinner on time without being told.

Compare that to today, when childhood obesity is an increasing problem, a lot of kids are going deaf by the time they are in their 20s from being plugged into the headset for too many hours, and mom has to call the kids on the cell phone to get them to the dinner table.

The simple truth is, kids are spending too much time indoors seeing the world through virtual reality instead of spending time in the outdoors seeing the real world firsthand.

There are some programs, however, that are putting kids in the outdoors, giving them some quality time to get their hands dirty and have some fun without being wired to an electric contrivance.

For the last several years, one of the best of these programs has been the kids fishing derbies that are being supported by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife in conjunction with different communities and organizations.

Close to 80 such events were held this past year, in which the division stocked state lakes and ponds in preparation for the derbies with fish from the Charles O'Hayford Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown. In addition to the stocking of fish from the state's warm- water hatchery for the derbies, the division also provides logistical support and printed information.

Some 10,000 kids, mostly from urban areas, participated in these derbies, and for many of them it was their first chance to learn about fishing. For many more it was a chance to get away from the problems of everyday life and experience something different.

The program hit its peak several years back when 119 such derbies were held throughout the state. Since then the program has fallen on hard times, and fewer and fewer derbies are being held each year.

The program is now in danger of being shelved altogether and the worst part of it is that it's not for a lack of funding, volunteers or organizations wanting to put them on.

The problem has to do with the state's hiring freeze.

The O'Hayford Fish Hatchery raises in excess of 1 million warm- water fish that are stocked in the state's lakes, reservoirs, ponds and streams each year. The crew at the hatchery was made up of six full- time employees and a couple of volunteers who are 67 years old. This is still understaffed for an operation of that size, but until recently the quality of the staff and their dedication to the outdoors was enough to make up for the missing people.

In the last year, two of the full- time employees have taken promotions in other departments in the state, leaving the hatchery even further understaffed.

Most of the work on the derbies was done by the hatchery staff on weekends, over and above their du ties at the hatchery. By state law they either have to be paid for their time or be given comp time, and this further puts a strain on the hatcheries operations.

As a result, the division has had to make a decision to either cut back on the fish being raised at the facility or shelve the Kids Fishing Derby Program. Since the job of the hatchery is to produce fish, the division has made the choice to cut the Derby Program.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has a $300,000 grant under the Sportfishing Restoration Program that can be used to hire the personnel needed at the hatchery, thus keeping the hatchery running a peak performance as well as keeping the kids program going.

Because of Gov. Corzine's hiring freeze for the state, the division cannot replace the personnel who have transferred out to take promotions, even though the money is available to pay for new people under the federal grant. Both the governor and Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Jackson have it within their power to make an exception in the hiring freeze to allow the division to hire the hatchery personnel, especially when the money is coming from a federal program and not from any state monies.

Another thing that needs to be considered is that under the Sport fishing Restoration Program, the state gets $3 for every $1 that the state puts up toward restoring fisheries. By having the hatchery understaffed and not producing at peak proficiency, the state is losing federal money.

The general public which benefits from this program, as well as the state's sportsmen, should be outraged that the governor is willing to penalize the kids who need this program for some hiring freeze that hasn't even come close to solving the state's budget problems. Shame on Gov. Corzine and Jackson, it's time they stepped up to the plate and allowed the Division of Fish and Wildlife to do the job it is mandated to do. People need to contact the governor and commissioner and voice their displeasure at this ridiculous state of affairs.

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