PEDRO — Saturday, May 14, is planned to be a memorable and fun-filled day at Lake Vesuvius for kids and their families.

In partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Izaak Walton League of America, Pedro Bass Club and the Wayne National Forest are hosting the JAKES Kids Fishing Derby.

JAKES, a program developed by NWTF, stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, and is dedicated to informing, educating and involving youth in wildlife conservation and the wise stewardship of our natural resources.

Kids and youth, ages 4 to 16, accompanied by a parent or guardian, are invited to come out to the lake’s boardwalk with their fishing poles, tackle boxes and bait to take part in the free fishing derby, which includes a lunch of hot dogs and beverages.

Derby registration will occur from 9:15-10 a.m. at the Lake Vesuvius boat ramp, with the fishing competition beginning around 10 a.m. Derby winners will be announced at 1 p.m.

In addition to the fishing competition, the JAKES Take Aim trailer will also be present at this year’s event. Lawrence County’s NWTF South Hills Longbeards Chapter will be bringing the Take Aim trailer, which is a fully equipped airgun trailer, containing everything needed to set up an indoor airgun range and teach the basics of range safety.

Information on the event is available by calling the Wayne National Forest Ironton Ranger District at (740) 534-6500. If possible, participants should bring their own fishing pole, bucket, bait, and chairs, but some poles and bait will be available for children who do not have their own.

All who attend are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather, including bringing a hat and sunscreen.

For additional safety of Derby attendees and participants, the Lake Vesuvius boat ramp will be closed during the event, but is anticipated to re-open by 2 p.m.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/wayne. Follow us on Twitter: @waynenationalfs and on Facebook.

The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The forest service’s eastern region includes 20 states in the Midwest and East, stretching from Maine, to Maryland, to Missouri, to Minnesota. There are 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie in the Eastern Region. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R9.

The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the forest service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year.

The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/.