Eamon Bolten, conservation director of the Florida B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, opened the chapter’s line of communication with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), allowing the FWC to communicate its needs and goals with anglers and other stakeholders.
“By attending hydrilla management meetings throughout Florida, the Federation Nation was able to schedule its tournaments around the management effort of the FWC and other state and county organizations,” said Bolten.
Bolten also attended meetings that included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding its invasive plant management control efforts to ensure coordination with the BFN’s tournaments. This measure also helped educate anglers on the appropriateness of chemical control on invasive aquatic nuisance plants such as hydrilla.
Florida BFN members contributed 50 man-hours to this project.
This article is part of the Invasive Species segment of the larger report, 2011 Annual Achievements in B.A.S.S. Conservation.