Boating course

Boating course

AUSTINTOWN — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will sponsor a boating skills and seamanship course this month at First United Methodist Church, 6749 Mahoning Ave., Austintown.

Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, is required to successfully complete a course to operate a boat powered by more than 10 horsepower. For further information, contact Ed Straub or Ray Calzo at (330) 727-3005.

Boating safety

Just like driving an automobile, vessel operators are also legally responsible for a number of mechanical and operative procedures on boats.

Boat operators are required to carry specific federal and state safety equipment, such as the proper number of lifejackets for each person, fire extinguishers in working condition, sound-producing devices, visual distress signals, proper displaying of registration numbers, etc. While under way, properly displaying of navigation lights at night, giving correct sound signals when required and observing no-wake zones and other restricted areas are standard operating procedures for boat operators.

In addition, completing accident reports, providing assistance to others in distress, properly disposing of trash, oil and other pollutants and overall safe handling of the boats in any condition simply cannot be ignored. The boat’s overall condition is equally important.  Ventilation systems should be working and, if required, the backfire flame control should be in working condition to prevent a potential hazard.

Learn more about boating safety by taking a Boating Safety Class, starting Jan. 17, at First United Methodist Church (Fellowship Hall) in Austintown.

For more information, contact Ed Straub at (330) 727-3005 or Bert Paulk at (330) 534-2677.

OHIO

Hunters’, anglers’ impact

WASHINGTON — Ohio’s 1.5 million hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $1.9 billion a year on hunting and fishing, according to a new report.   

The new report, “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy — A force as big as all outdoors,” spotlights the immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the national and state level.

In Ohio, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 33,000 jobs, which puts $934 million worth of paychecks into pockets of working residents around the state. Of course, government coffers also benefit — spending by sportsmen in pursuit of these outdoor activities generates $195 million in state and local taxes. These latest figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers are driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns, through booms and recessions.   

“Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force,” stated Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state’s economy becomes more tangible.”   

“Spending by sportsmen benefits not only the manufacturers of hunting- and fishing-related products, but everything from local mom and pop businesses to wildlife conservation,” noted Doug Painter, president of National Shooting Sports Foundation. “And because most hunting and fishing takes place in rural areas, much of the spending benefits less affluent parts of the state.”

Safety on the ice

COLUMBUS — Recent cold temperatures left waterways ice covered across the state, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft urges outdoor enthusiasts who venture onto frozen lakes and ponds for fishing, skating and other activities to do so with extreme caution.

Ohio’s changeable weather (forecasts call for unseasonably mild temperatures for early next week), and the speed at which ice can melt and shift, guarantees that ice-covered water is never 100 percent safe. Ice quality and thickness often vary greatly, and numerous factors (many unseen!) can change a safe outing to one that is deadly.

“Outdoor enthusiasts should be dressed appropriately to prevent hypothermia and be prepared to handle any type of emergency if they venture onto frozen surfaces,” said Pamela Dillon, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. “Winter is a great time to be outdoors in Ohio, but safety must always come first.”

Snow cover, wind, thawed or re-frozen ice, and under-flowing water all cause unseen changes in ice quality. Ice on ponds with operating aeration systems is often weaker than it appears and may be unsafe. Any boating activity that might occur also impacts ice quality.

In general, newly formed ice that is at least 4 inches thick will support an adult for walking. However, once the same thickness of ice has aged through freezing and re-thawing or through other degrading forces, it may no longer be safe.

ODNR recommends that anyone planning an outdoor activity involving ice-covered water wear a life jacket and be prepared for the possibility of falling through the surface. In addition to the risk of drowning, an individual falling through ice may become victim to hypothermia, a potentially fatal loss of body heat.

PENNSYLVANIA

Snowmobile trail closed

William P. Anderson, supervisor of the Pennsylvania Game Commission Northwest Region Land Management, announced that the snowmobile trail on State Game Land 29 in Warren County will be closed permanently.

The trail, which was about four miles in length, entered SGL 29 on its eastern boundary from the Allegheny National Forest and traversed south on a state game lands road for about 31⁄2 miles.

“Ongoing timber, oil and gas operations have resulted in the need to permanently close this shortcut through SGL 29,” Anderson said.