Fishing reports have been far from our WRD minds this week, so I thought I’d take a break today from fishing and mention the topic at hand. We all wish and hope and pray for a positive outcome from Matthew. Maybe our coastal hit won’t be as bad as expected.
Join me in wishing safe travels to our north Georgia DNR staffers detailed south. A healthy dose of our DNR conservation rangers is already staged just outside the expected impact zone, ready to help with security and search & rescue as soon as the storm passes tomorrow. Many of our skilled fish and wildlife techs and biologists, including Looney from Gainesville and Brotherton from Burton Hatchery, left early this morning are also staged south, just beyond the expected reach of the storm. They’re very good with dozers and winches and chain saws, and can reopen a road in the blink of an eye! Boats, we have them too, and are ready to assist where the water is high.
All remaining WRD staff up here in north GA , except for a few hatchery stewards, are also on standby, in case our southern friends, neighbors, and family members need additional help.
Even our fine HQ staff is also in this game, taking seats at GEMA and aiming our DNR field crews toward coastal sites in need.
Hopefully our DNR staff won’t be needed too badly, and the guys and gals can come back to their WMA deer hunts and trout hatcheries soon. But if the need is there, rest assured that DNR will be there, doing one more job among the many that we take pride in.
Thanks for your support through the year and especially now, as we hope for the best for the coast, and prepare to serve those fine south Georgians through their challenge at hand. It’s an honor to work alongside these fine fish techs, wildlifers, and game wardens every day. Good luck team!
-Jeff Durniak
North Georgia Region Fisheries Supervisor