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In this new section of our web site, we'll allow individuals the opportunity to vent their pet peeves, explore conservation issues, and maybe incite a bit of controversy. The views expressed here are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Flyfisher's Paradise, its owners, or its staff. We will consider submissions to this column, but reserve the right to edit or reject them.
When we added the Soapbox section to our site, we believed it would be a chance for not only ourselves, but also our customers, to air significant conservation issues. In the first article in the Soapbox, Steve Sywensky wrote about the pervasive litter that is still a problem along the streams in Centre County. Dan Shields next took up the editorial mantle when he described a pending bill that will bring increased offroad vehicle use to our state lands. Fred Bohls, Conservation Chairman of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, wrote compellingly about a development threat to the Letort. These articles are archived on the articles page, and we urge you to read them and act on them. Send your submission or comment about a soapbox article to: information@flyfishersparadise.com Please visit our support pages for the Spring Creek Chapter of TU and PVCA The following article details a number of noteworthy events of flyfishing, conservation, and water quality interest. We try to update this segment of the site as issues of importance develop. We also encourage you to email us about your concerns and post your comments on the site Forum. Conservation Notes Over the last two months several developments impacting on flyfishing in Central Pennsylvania have occurred. Details on these situations of interest and relevance are provided. Little Juniata Legal News In June 2003 the Pa Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), acting in concert with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), filed suit against Donald Beaver to enjoin Beaver and other defendants from interfering with public use of the Little Juniata River below Spruce Creek. The suit also asked that the navigability of the river be confirmed. Attorneys for the defendants attempted to have DEP's case dismissed via preliminary objections, calling the Commonwealth's complaint legally insufficient and claiming the state's statement of ownership was in error. Huntingdon County Common Pleas Court denied all the defendant's preliminary objections on 13 January 2004, and the trial will now proceed. This was an important early victory for DEP in what will undoubtedly be a protracted legal wrangle. A final decision on the merits of this crucial case may well be a year or more away, and appeals are probable. Possible Change in DHALO Regulations The PFBC is considering a change in the regulations concerning fishing in Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only (DHALO) areas. The rules change under consideration would allow baitfishing in the DHALO areas during the 15 June-Labor Day period when harvest of fish is legal. This possible alteration is at the behest of Traditional Anglers of Pennsylvania (TAP), a pro-baitfishing group that claims special regulations unfairly exclude bait anglers. DHALO areas are one of the most enlightened recent PFBC programs, since they provide fishing of reasonable quality to many anglers distant from Class A water. Even here in trout-rich Central PA, DHALO stretches on Black Moshannon Creek and White Deer Creek are popular with local and visiting fishermen. Allowing baitfishing during the harvest period seems a poor way to modify a program popular with both sport fishermen and landowners. Further, DHALO waters constitute but 90 miles of the 4,800 miles of water currently stocked by the Commission. A 1991 survey conducted by the University of Pittsburgh indicated that 70% of the 2,000 anglers surveyed wanted more delayed harvest water in the state. Since then, delayed harvest areas have become even more popular. Finally, DHALO regulations, as now written, do not discriminate against individual anglers, but rather an angling method. To express your opinion on this topic to the PFBC, write to:
Acid Run-off Threatens Buffalo Run I-99 construction in the Skytop area west of State College has exposed a sandstone layer heavily laced with iron pyrite. The rock is leaching acid and iron into Buffalo Run, a high quality tributary to Spring Creek that parallels PA Route 550 and empties into Spring Creek just north of Bellefonte. The PFBC is uncertain of the effect of the pollution on the small stream and is conducting additional tests to ascertain the level of damage, if any. Temporary treatment is being conducted by running the acidic discharge over soda-ash briquettes, but PennDOT and DEP are looking into a more permanent solution. The problem of final remediation of the acidic run-off is complicated in that the sheer volume of acid-bearing fill may be nearly three-quarters of a million cubic yards. Finally, some of the acidic rock may be buried under already completed sections of the new interstate highway. 52,000 Trout Die at Local Hatchery In late February 52,000 adult rainbow trout were lost at the Fisherman's Paradise hatchery. The cause of their demise was, according to the PFBC, oxygen deprivation. Ironically, the fish were scheduled to be stocked on 1 March, only one week after they died. If there is a bright spot, it is that there seems to be no inherent water quality problem at the facility, and even more important, there was no impact on Spring Creek and its wild browns. |