Hunters should choose a hunting spot that allows them to rest their back against a tree or some other object at least as wide as their shoulders, he adds, because doing so will provide both protection from any errant shots fired in their direction and from the extremely good vision of the turkey. The offer to become a charter member of the orgainzation was extended from a deadline of Dec. 31, 1997. The statewide, non-profit organization formed this year to serve as an umbrella organization for the 55 local friends groups that have organized to enhance, preserve, protect, restore and promote individual parks, forests, trails and recreation areas around the state. Charter members of Friends of Wisconsin State Parks will receive complete membership privileges through December 1998, including a newsletter, membership card, decal, and voting rights at the annual meeting. In the past year, more than 1,000 volunteers have raised money, given their time, and planned programming that met the special needs of their favorite state park properties.
Applications are available at most state park and forest offices and DNR service centers.
The Department of Natural Resources will be seeking qualified vendors through the spring and summer of 1998. The current state park reservation system, which is based on paper reservation forms, will remain in place until a replacement system is developed. Those state parks and forest campgrounds that offer reservations began accepting requests by mail on January 10 for the 1998 camping season. Our present system of handling reservations works well but is time consuming, especially when we get upwards of 20,000 written requests in the first two weeks of January. It can take weeks to respond to all those requests, leaving people in limbo as to their summer plans.