VIRGINIA?S saltwater recreational anglers just had a friend?or, more aptly, a kindred soul?appointed to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Yortown dentist Dr. Ken Neill III seems to fish at least as often as he spends time at his practice. His ?Healthy Grin? fishing boat is usually crewed by friends and associates and has housed numerous world- and state-record catches and countless trophy fish citations.
Neill, 50, joked that he isn?t sure if he should be offered congratulations or condolences for his recent appoint by Gov. Bob McDonnell, but a look at his other contributions illustrate a man fully engaged in policies related to his fishing passions.
He serves on a variety of boards and fishery management advisory groups. He is a board member and past president of the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman?s Association, serves on VMRC?s Finfish Management Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament Committee.
Neill is also a member of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel for the National Marine Fisheries Service. His boat probably has seen more fish tagged in the name of research and science than most of us have ever caught.
Neill, also a ?Master Angler,? said he?s not bringing any specific issues to the commission yet, but topics related to conservation, fisheries science and recreational fishing are in his wheelhouse.
McDonnell appointed both Neill and A.J. Erskine of Kilmarnock, a past-president of the Virginia Seafood Council and a scientist involved in the oyster aquaculture industry, to replace associate commissioners Carter Fox and Rick Robins, whose two four-year terms expired. Robins is a well-known recreational fisherman and businessman.
?I?m really mostly a recreational angler and that?s something that has at times been missing,? Neill said. ?By regulation, a commercial waterman must be on the board. Later, they had to have a recreational fisherman on the board. It?s easy to define what a commercial fisherman is, but a recreational fisherman could pretty much be anybody, because anybody has likely been to a pond.?
The commission meets for one full day each month, plus there are numerous night meetings?sometimes for individual commissioners or the full group.
Neill appreciates that regulatory committee work can be challenging, noting he believes the commission and staff members of the VMRC ?really do care. It?s a tough job. You have recreational interests wanting something, commercial interests wanting something, environmental interests wanting something. You?ll never make everyone happy.?
Overall, it was a good week for dentists to get appointed to policy boards and commissions. The governor also appointed Dr. Mark A. Winkler of Fairfax Station, owner of Northern Virginia Dental Associates, to the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.
To learn more about Neill, check out vbsf-hookedup .net/healthygrin.
VIRGINIA-BRANDED OUTDOOR GEAR
You can let others know you support The Old Dominion?s fish and wildlife conservation and management programs by wearing or using some of the products available at the recently redesigned Virginia Wildlife eStore (shopDGIF.com).
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries launched the outdoor gear marketplace as part of a public/private partnership between DGIF, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia and Target Marketing.
Online ordering of goods from gear, apparel, gifts, books and collectables, such as limited edition knives is easy using a secure log-in process.
Proceeds from the eStore are used to support hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching programs in Virginia. Future plans are to expand the eStore by developing new products, promoting Virginia-made items, and opening sales to wholesale markets.
NATIONAL PARK RESCUE COSTS
My pal J.R. Absher down in the wilds of southern New Mexico shared some interesting statistics via his Outdoor Pressroom recently. The National Parks Traveler web site (nationalparkstraveler.com) shared data from the National Park Service?s 2012 Search and Rescue Report that showed $5.2 million was spent that year on search and rescue missions in the parks.
As you may have guessed, the biggest reasons people needed this kind of help was because they were either out of shape or otherwise ill-prepared, as in having insufficient equipment, clothing or experience. Poor judgment is another factor.
One-third of the 2,876 search-and-rescue missions arose on weekends. One hundred forty-eight fatalities were reported. Twenty-people attempted suicide in a National Park in 2012; 16 succeeded.
Other interesting SAR factoids:
- The report stated more men needed rescue than women (2,240 to 1,329).
- There were 401 boating incidents and 385 swimming incidents.
- Searchers invested 92,732 man-hours in 2012.
- Most missions occurred in lace at National Parks located in the Intermountain Region, which includes Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Big Bend and Rocky Mountain National Parks. The Pacific West Region had the second-most incidents.
Ken Perrotte can be reached at The Free Lance?Star, 616 Amelia Street, Fredericksburg, Va. 22401, by fax at 373-8455 or e?mail at outdoors@freelancestar.com.
For more on outdoors things to do around Fredericksburg and the region, sign up for The Free Lance-Star?s newest e-newsletter, Mighty Outdoors, at http://fredericksburg.com/topics/mightyoutdoors/about.html
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