This was a busy week at the State Capitol, as the 2015 legislative session got underway and on Monday the Inauguration Ceremonies were held. The Oath of Office was administered to Governor Walker, both houses of the Legislature, and our statewide constitutional officers including Lt. Governor Kleefisch, new Attorney General Brad Schimel, and new State Treasurer Matt Adamcyzk. It was an honor to be sworn-in to my second term in office.

Signing the book used at every Inaugural ceremony since 1877

Our session begins with the state Assembly comprised of 63 Republican members and 36 Democrats. Amongst our GOP team we have 18 freshman legislators and a wide variety of professional backgrounds. I am looking forward to a productive session working with a talented group of colleagues to move Wisconsin forward.

The 2015 State of the State Address is set for next Tuesday, January 13th at 7:00pm in the Assembly Chambers of the State Capitol. Governor Walker will lay out his vision for the next year, including details on his plan to find increased efficiency in government by potentially merging state agencies. You can watch the speech live on Wisconsin Public Television or on your local media carrier.

DNR Outdoor Report for January 8, 2015

For current statewide information on statewide snow conditions, log onto the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Snow Conditions Report.

An arctic blast brought some very frigid temperatures and wind chills to Wisconsin this week, slowing outdoor activities in many locations. The state received additional snowfall in the last week as well, and snow depths range from just a couple of inches in south central Wisconsin, to more than 18 inches in some far northern counties.

With night-time temperatures of 10 below or colder in the last week, some more solid lake ice has finally been forming on lakes, but recreational safety specialists continue to caution that many lakes continue to have areas of thin ice and no ice is ever completely safe.

As of Jan. 8, snowmobile trails were only open in fewer than a dozen far northern counties, but trails in those areas were good to excellent on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Snow Conditions Report. Snow depths are lower in the northwest and most trails in that region were closed. Cross-country ski trails were open in roughly the northern half of the state and in good to very good condition. While the south received additional snow this week, most parks and forests in the south report they were able to pack trails, but not set tracks and conditions ranged from poor to fair. More snow was falling and in the forecast for this week, so conditions could improve.

Ice has formed on Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay and a hundred or so ice anglers were having success catching brown trout and whitefish with some herring and northern pike, but activity slowed down quite a bit with the cold weather. Ice depths on lakes across the Northwoods range from 12 to 15 inches, with anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of wind-blown snow on top. Panfish had been the highlight for many anglers, with crappie and some nice bluegill found in deep water areas There was also a good amount of pressure for walleye was also seen, but action was sporadic.

Ice has formed on Green Bay but was extremely rough along some areas of the west shore, with some good ice along the east shore, but also some thin ice and water along shorelines making access difficult. Some perch, bluegill, pike, and crappie are being caught at the boat landing at Oconto. Anglers at Voyageur Park on the Fox River were reporting about 4 inches of ice, some walleye being caught. There were many anglers out from Dykesville up to Bayshore and Red River parks in search of whitefish and perch but with low numbers reported.

The waterfowl, turkey, pheasant and gun deer season are closed, but rabbit, squirrel, and some furbearer seasons remain open as well as archery deer hunting in metro units, which runs through Jan. 31. With fresh snow on the ground, this is a good time to check for animals tracks, including deer, coyote, fox, raccoon, otter and fisher.

Snowy owls continue to dominate the birding world in Wisconsin, with more than 225 snowy owls tallied in the state this winter, compared to nearly 175 as of this time last year, which was noted as another great one for this species. With the cold snap freezing open water, eagle watching should also improve as they congregate near remaining open water below dams.

Candlelight skis, snowshoes and hikes have begun at state parks, forests trails and nature centers, but a number of them that had been scheduled for this Saturday have already been cancelled or rescheduled due to cold or lack of snow. Search the DNR website for "get outdoors" for events and cancellations or call the park, forest or trail property directly to confirm events will be held.

Have a good weekend and stay warm!

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