Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioners voted to move ahead with the commission’s share of the purchase price of a 58-acre tract along Conewago Creek in Adams County at their quarterly meeting on Monday.
The property is located near Russel Tavern Road and Zeigler Mill Road in Butler Township. It will provide public fishing access to 5,340 feet of stream frontage.
Commissioners authorized a grant of as much as $84,000 to the Land Conservancy of Adams County, which plans to buy the property and transfer ownership to the commission.
The conservancy has also applied to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for half of the appraised value of the property and half of the acquisition costs: $220,578 total.
The conservancy will provide $120,578 towards the acquisition, and the Adams County Trout Unlimited Chapter will provide $16,000.
Commissioners also approved the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend fishing regulations at the commission’s 47-acre Opossum Lake near Carlisle. Under the proposal, the impoundment would be removed from the list of waters managed under special regulations that allow the harvest of trout but catch and release for all other species.
The special regulations have been in place since 2012, when a dam reconstruction project was completed at Opossum Lake, and the lake was refilled and restocked following a complete drawdown.
Commission surveys of the lake from 2015-2020 have revealed that warmwater species, including bass and panfish, have become abundant enough to sustain limited harvest.
If the special regulation is removed on final rulemaking, Opossum Lake will be recommended for addition to the Big Bass and Panfish Enhancement programs. All other species will be managed with Commonwealth Inland Waters angling regulations.
If approved on final rulemaking at a future meeting, the amendment will go into effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
In Huntingdon County, commissioners approved the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend fishing regulations at Whipple Lake. Under the proposal, the 22-acre impoundment owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, located within Whipple Dam State Park, would be regulated under Miscellaneous Special Regulations allowing for harvest of trout but catch and release for all other species.
Whipple Lake was drawn down in 2019 for dam structure improvements and sediment removal. With construction nearing completion, the commission plans to initiate stocking the lake in spring 2021, or as soon as refilling conditions allow, with adult trout and fingerling plants of other fish species.
If approved on final rulemaking at a future meeting, the amendment will go into effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Also, in Huntingdon County, commissioners approved proposed rulemaking to amend fishing regulations at Penn State’s 72-acre Lake Perez to allow the harvest of trout but catch and release for all other species. The special regulations have been in place since 2015, when a dam reconstruction project was completed at Lake Perez, and the lake was refilled and restocked and following a complete drawdown.
Commission surveys of the lake during 2019 and 2020 have revealed that warmwater species, including bass and panfish, have become abundant enough to sustain limited harvest.
If the special regulation is removed on final rulemaking, Lake Perez will be recommended for addition to the Panfish Enhancement program. All other species will be managed with Commonwealth Inland Waters angling regulations.
If approved on final rulemaking at a future meeting, the amendment will go into effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
In Centre County, the Board approved proposed regulation changes along Bald Eagle Creek. Under the proposal, Section 03 of Bald Eagle Creek would be managed under an experimental Miscellaneous Special Regulation designed to enhance stocked trout management. This regulation will be identical to the current Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only regulation, but all tackle types will be permitted. As such, the regulation allows for year-round angling with all tackle types and harvest of up to three trout per day at least nine inches in length from June 15 through Labor Day, with no harvest permitted the remainder of the year.
If approved on final rulemaking at a future meeting, the amendment will go into effect on January 1, 2021.
Commissioners also adopted a new strategic plan to guide the agency over the next three years. Since the spring of 2019, executive staff, members of the Board of Commissioners and members of the Boating Advisory Board have been collaborating on a new strategic plan through multiple work sessions
The Link LonkJuly 21, 2020 at 08:47AM
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PA Fish and Boat Commission gives nod to Adams County land deal, Cumberland County regs changes - pennlive.com
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