Fishing line bins promote conservation at state parks

Visitors to Nebraska's state parks and fisheries have been experiencing fewer eyesores and better fishing thanks to a fishing line recycling program organized by the Nebraska Fish and Game Association.The program, which places PVC pipe bins around popular lakes in Nebraska, was originally brought to the association through a member who had seen similar programs succeed in other locations around the country.

After the program was established in early 2008, bins started popping up throughout Nebraska. By the end of the year, 24 bins had been placed throughout the state and four shipping boxes had been filled with used line. Steve Wagle, a director and program volunteer, estimates the bins produced 150 pounds of fishing line within the first year.

"The first year was slow going," Wagle said, "but the program has been getting better."

Wagle said more than 100 bins will be installed by this winter

Used and abandoned fishing line creates unsightly messes and endangers wildlife in and around Nebraska's lakes.

"Canadian Geese are having the biggest problems," Wagle said. "People are getting tired of seeing geese tangled up."

A flyer handed out by the association displays a goose with its legs entangled with fishing line as a visual reminder that line left by anglers can damage the ecosystem. When geese get stuck in fishing line, their chance for survival drops.

Stray line affects more than just wildlife. Fishing line routinely washes up amidst fishing piers, which makes it nearly impossible to cast a line without getting snagged. Boaters must also be wary as a ball of fishing line can easily damage a boat's engine.

Part of the growing problem is that anglers have been moving away from traditional nylon line and adopting braided line. Braided line is made from strong materials like Kevlar and is extremely hard to break. This stronger line is harder for fishermen to retrieve and for wildlife to escape from.

Terry Edwards, head of maintenance and security at Two Rivers State Recreation Area, has his own reasons for enjoying the bins installed at Nebraska's lakes. Admitting that he was skeptical about the use of the bins, Edwards said that the bins have been a success at keeping the park cleaner than it had been in the past.

"The bins are the best thing they've done for the lakes," Edwards said.

Before the bins were installed, Two Rivers had a hard time controlling used fishing line that had been left behind.

Reduced amounts of used fishing line in the lakes and on the grounds has also made the work of Two Rivers' staff much easier. "Line gets stuck in our lawn mowers," Edwards said. Less fishing line on the ground makes keeping the area clean easier.

The program operates through a network of sponsors and volunteers. Anyone can be a sponsor, from a lone individual to a large corporation. A pamphlet from the association reads, "We R.S.V.P all fishing line recycling bins!"

R.S.V.P stands for Request, Sponsor, Volunteer and Permission, which describes the process of setting up a recycling bin. After a request has been made for a bin, a sponsor is found to fund the bin, which is then maintained by volunteers. Permission must be obtained from the owner of the property where the container will be placed. Anybody can request a bin.

Volunteers check the bins a couple times a month. Boxes of line are then sent to Berkley Fishing to be processed into fishing structure. This structure is then given to Nebraska Game and Parks to be placed into state lakes.

Although the recycling program has grown over the past two years, it started from meager roots. At its conception, the program served to "keep the lights on," Wagle said, "at one point we pretty much were the bin program."

However, after two years, the program has expanded to become the "poster child" for the association's future plans. It hopes to expand its programs to deliver trash removal services to parks in Nebraska.

"The bins call attention to the problem of stewardship at the parks and lakes," Wagle said, "they are a jump off program.