Pa. American Water to receive 2024 NBLT Community Stewardship Award

North Branch Land Trust will present its 2024 Community Stewardship Award to Pennsylvania American Water at the upcoming NBLT Annual Dinner and Auction on May 1.

Pennsylvania American Water is being recognized for its efforts to conserve lands surrounding Huntsville Reservoir and for its commitment to water conservation in the region and beyond.

“At Pennsylvania American Water, our top priority is serving our customers and protecting the sources that supply our drinking water,” said Justin Ladner, president, Pennsylvania American Water. “Collaborating with North Branch Land Trust to preserve and protect this part of the watershed helps further our mission to provide safe, clean drinking water for generations to come.”

North Branch Land Trust has partnered with Pennsylvania American Water since 2021 in the effort to conserve 220 acres of conifer forest and wetland that envelops the northern half of the Huntsville Reservoir and provide limited public access on a portion of the lands in a manner that maintains the natural beauty and integrity of the area.

“North Branch Land Trust is excited to celebrate Pennsylvania American Water and their effort to conserve this iconic Back Mountain natural area,” said NBLT Executive Director Ellen Ferretti. “The Huntsville Reservoir provides so many benefits to our community beyond drinking water — stunning habitat for birds and animals; healthy soils, plants, and trees; and a place for all to appreciate Northeastern Pennsylvania’s natural resources.”

But the Huntsville Reservoir is not the only conservation project Pennsylvania American Water has been committed to in the region. The company stewards a 3.5-mile walking trail around its Lake Scranton Reservoir and a 1.5-mile trail around the Dunmore #1 Reservoir. Additionally, six reservoirs in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties are accessible for shoreline fishing through a cooperative agreement with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.

North Branch Land Trust’s Annual Dinner and Auction is their longest-standing annual fundraiser where community members and regional conservationists come together to celebrate the successes of not only North Branch Land Trust and Pennsylvania American Water, but also the landowners, conservation partners, and supporters who make them possible.

North Branch Land Trust conserves lands, waters, and vistas in an eight-county region of Pennsylvania — Bradford, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Columbia — in the Upper Lehigh and Susquehanna North Branch Watersheds.

To learn more about the Annual Dinner and Auction or supporting their conservation work in Northeastern Pennsylvania, visit nblt.org.

The Huntsville Reservoir project is being financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, the American Rescue Plan Act, and a generous donation from Pennsylvania American Water.

PGC accepts comments on

proposed waterfowl seasons

Hunters and members of waterfowl organizations have several options to ask questions and voice opinions on the 2024-25 proposed migratory game bird seasons.

Questions or comments can be submitted to waterfowlcomments@pa.gov or a letter can be mailed to Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA, 17110-9797.

An online question-and-answer session will be held on the proposed seasons on Thursday, March 7, at 1 p.m. on the Game Commission’s Facebook page. The briefing will be recorded, and a link will be available to view at pgc.pa.gov.

“The Facebook Live event will include summaries of recent federal framework changes and other ‘hot topics’ with the opportunity for viewers to submit follow-up questions for real-time response,” said Game Commission waterfowl biologist Amanda Hoyt. “It’s a convenient option for hunters statewide to catch up on all things waterfowl without leaving home.”

Those submitting questions or comments by email or mail should provide the species, zone (if applicable), and county or counties they’re referring to. The comment period closes March 22.

A Waterfowl Open House will take place at the Game Commission’s Northwest Region Office at 1509 Pittsburgh Road, Franklin, PA, on Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Game Commission staff and view proposed seasons presented.

“For those able to travel to Franklin, the Waterfowl Open House will provide a weekend opportunity for more extended in-person discussion with Game Commission staff carrying out the research, regulation setting, habitat, and law enforcement elements of the agency’s waterfowl management program,” Hoyt said.

Each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with the states in the Atlantic Flyway meet to establish federal frameworks for migratory game bird seasons. These frameworks form the side boards that each state must set their season within. States can be more restrictive — fewer days or lower bag limits — but cannot be more liberal than the federal frameworks allow.

Generally speaking, frameworks do not vary widely from year-to-year, but changes in habitat conditions or populations of migratory game birds may cause them to change. For the 2024-25 seasons, there is one change. The Atlantic Population Canada goose season has been reduced from 45 to 30 days.

“The Game Commission annually considers various types of public input when selecting waterfowl seasons within the parameters established by the federal frameworks,” said Game Commission Wildlife Operations Chief Ian Gregg. “Results of periodic hunter surveys provide data on the general opinions of a broad cross section of hunters, while annual written comment periods and interactive events allow individual hunters to provide their specific preferences and concerns in more detail.”

With public comments and results of surveys considered, Game Commission staff will prepare and present the recommended 2024-25 waterfowl and migratory bird seasons, bag limits and related criteria to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final approval. Final seasons will appear in the 2024-25 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which hunters receive with the purchase of a license.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages and protects wildlife and their habitats and promotes hunting and trapping for current and future generations.

PFBC begins preseason trout

stocking operations statewide

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) this week began its annual operations to stock approximately 3.2 million trout in hundreds of lakes and streams in preparation for the spring trout season.

Species that will be stocked are: Rainbow Trout, golden Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Brook Trout.

With stocking underway, all Stocked Trout Waters statewide are now closed to fishing until the Opening Day of Trout Season at 8 a.m. on April 6, with the exception of Mentored Youth Trout Day on March 30.

However, there are some waters that will be stocked with trout that you can go fishing in right now. Among these waters are 24 stream sections in the Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters program.

For more information including trout stocking schedules, regulations, and to buy a fishing license, visit fishandboat.com.

Individuals of small groups of volunteers interested in stocking trout do not need to sign up in advance. Please review the trout stocking schedule for meeting times and locations and come to that location to help. Only large groups of volunteers should contact their PFBC regional law enforcement office in advance.

Pa.’s maple-tapping season kicks off at

100-year-old Bradford County maple farm

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week kicked off Pennsylvania’s maple tapping-season at Dewy Meadows Farm in Warren Center, Bradford County, celebrating Pennsylvania’s maple syrup industry alongside the Pennsylvania Maple Producers Council and Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget feeds growth in Pennsylvania agriculture, including the state’s $39 billion forest products industry, through smart investments in economic development, job creation, and innovation.

The budget supports the state’s maple producers and others in Pennsylvania’s leading forest products industry through a $725,000 investment in the PA Hardwoods Development Council, as well as PA Farm Bill Specialty Crop Grants, Agriculture Promotion Grants, and research funding to provide tangible solutions to challenges facing the industry.

“Pennsylvania agriculture is a sweet business to be in,” Redding said. “There’s no better place to tell that story than on a family-run maple farm like Dewy Meadows.”

Pennsylvania is the nation’s 5th largest producer of pure maple syrup, producing nearly 200,000 gallons per year worth $5.4 million. Dewy Meadows Maple, a Pennsylvania Century Farm, has been passed down through generations of the Andrew and Sally Dewing family, who have made maple syrup and sugar there for more than a century.

To continue Pennsylvania’s national legacy as an agriculture leader, the 2024-25 budget proposes investing:

• $10.3 million in agriculture innovation to help support and attract new agricultural businesses, including energy and conservation endeavors, and to continue to build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania.

• $145,000 for a novel pest detection program using dogs to prevent pest outbreaks without the expensive and potentially harmful use of pesticides.

• $8 million for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program to fund measures that protect soil and water resources critical for sustaining agriculture in the future.

• $2.18 million in Agriculture Research to help the industry embrace emerging technologies, stay ahead of challenges like diseases, pests, and climate change to stay at the cutting edge of progress.

• $13 million to fund the historic PA Farm Bill, which feeds progress in the forest products sector and across Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agriculture industry through grants and initiatives that build the future workforce, promote sales of PA-grown and made products, expand market opportunities, conserve resources and more.