AFS recognizes VFWD biologist Jud Kratzer's research on strategic wood addition
Jud Kratzer accepts an award to VFWD for Outstanding Project, from the AFS Fisheries Administration Section President Lynn Quattro (Assistant Chief Freshwater Fisheries, SC DNR). Credit Joshua Morse – VFWD
What has increased the count of Brook Trout in northeastern Vermont by over 76,000? According to Jud Kratzer and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the answer is strategic wood addition.
Last fall, the 2024 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Fisheries Administration Section named Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Project in the Sport Fishery Development and Management Category for work implementing and evaluation strategic wood addition in Vermont to benefit wild Brook Trout. In March, Jud Kratzer formally received this award (inset photo). Jud is a Fisheries Biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and also serves on the EBTJV Steering Committee as the AFS representative.
According to Lee Simard, Fisheries Biologist with the VFWD and EBTJV's Steering Committee Vice Chairman, “Jud is clearly one of the leading experts in Brook Trout habitat restoration. He has worked to not only develop and refine strategic wood addition as a management technique but also assess and quantify its benefits for Brook Trout. Jud then used this data to showcase the power of SWA allowing it to expand beyond just the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont into Brook Trout streams throughout their native range.”
Jud's research demonstrated the value of instream wood to Brook Trout and that strategic wood additions directly result in increased Brook Trout biomss.
Jud began investigating strategic wood addition over a decade ago. Over this time, Jud demonstrated that lack of instream wood was one of the main factors limiting Brook Trout biomass in Vermont (Kratzer and Warren 2013) and that conducting SWA directly results in increased Brook Trout biomass (Kratzer 2018).
Jud and partners at Trout Unlimited implemented multiple projects using strategic wood addition, including some funded through the EBTJV-NFHP funding. The team has since continued to monitor these wood additions for their longevity and to assess the other functions they perform, including retaining organic material, providing cover, retaining sediment, increasing instream complexity, and restoring floodplain access among others. Jud also developed the Vermont Strategic Wood Addition Handbook. This handbook has allowed SWA implementation to expand throughout Vermont and to several other states within the EBTJV network and beyond.
In response to our congratulatory messages, Jud mentioned "It was a great honor to receive this award on behalf of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and our partners, Trout Unlimited chief among them".
EBTJV is proud to help fund this work. EBTJV first provided funding for wood addition with TU starting in the Indian Stream, NH (2010) and Nulhegan River, VT (2012).
More detail on this award and Jud’s work can be found here and here. To see a video of Jud giving a presentation on his research, see our YouTube channel. Reach out to Jud for more information if you’re interested in utilizing this technique.
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