Members of the Blackhawk Bassmasters of Illinois embarked on a project to draft guidelines for anglers to prevent the spread of disease and invasive species, sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). They worked in conjunction with FWS biologist Laura Norcutt.
One of five volunteers would attend the conference calls and report to the club. The club would discuss the issues at its monthly meetings and review and recommend changes to the document for the next conference call.
This project began in 2011 but continues into this year, with an anticipated completion of summer 2012.
Participants included Fred Iantorno, Hank Gunther, Scott Polen, Mark Polen and Josh Blough. They spent about 24 hours on this project in 2011.
This article is part of the Invasive Species segment of the larger report, 2011 Annual Achievements in B.A.S.S. Conservation.