TTAAXXOONN TTIIMMEESS August 2011
Newsletter of the PA Biological Survey
http://www.altoona.psu.edu/pabs/index.html Officers Tim Maret, President Rob Criswell, President Elect NEXT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING Carolyn Mahan, Immediate Past President Greg Czarnecki, Treasurer Thursday January 26, 2012, 8:30–4:30 Betsy Leppo, Secretary (Snow date: Thursday February 2, 2012 ) Members-at-Large Location: Charles Bier, Western PA Conservancy DCNR Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey Greg Czarnecki, Wild Resource 3240 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown, PA 17057 Conservation Program Jon Gelhaus, Academy of Natural Sciences Phone: 717-702-2017 Laurie Goodrich, Hawk Mountain http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/about/mdt_off.aspx
Nels Johnson, The Nature Conservancy Roger Latham, Continental Conservation This newsletter contains the reports and discussions of the August 17, 2011 PABS John Rawlins, Carnegie Museum steering committee meeting at the Stackhouse School in Pleasant Gap. Reports of Natural History provided in their entirety unless otherwise noted in the report introduction. Copies of Kim Van Fleet, Audubon original reports available from the PABS Secretary, email [email protected] Lisa Williams, Wildlife Grants
Standing Committees Community Classification, Greg Podniesinski Climate Change, Greg Czarnecki Environmental Education, vacant
Agency Representatives Dan Bogar, PA Dept. of Environ. Protection Dan Brauning, PA Game Commission Sally Just, PA Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources Greg Podniesinski or Jeff Wagner, PA Natural Heritage Program Chris Urban, PA Fish & Boat Commission
Technical Committee Chairs Aquatic Arthropods, Jane Earle Arachnids, Charles Bier Bryophytes & Lichens, James Lendemer Collections & Systematics, vacant Fishes, Rob Criswell Mammals, Sandy Whidden & Mike Gannon Mollusks, Tim Pearce Ornithology, Margaret Brittingham THIS ISSUE: Special presentations on Marcellus gas development from the Protists and Fungi, John Plischke III Reptiles & Amphibians, Howard Reinert Marcellus Shale Coalition (pg. 5), the PA Department of Environmental Terrestrial Arthropods, Betsy Leppo Protection (pg. 9), and the PA Game Commission (page 14). Vascular Plants, Bonnie Isaac TABLE OF CONTENTS
MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE ...... 4 OFFICERS’ REPORTS ...... 4 Secretary’s Report...... 4 Treasurer’s Report ...... 4 President’s Report...... 5 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS – MARCELLUS SHALE ...... 5 Marcellus Shale Coalition...... 5 PA Department of Environmental Protection...... 9 Marcellus Shale Leasing on State Game Lands...... 13 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPORTS...... 16 Mammal Technical Committee...... 16 Ornithological Technical Committee...... 18 Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee...... 20 Fishes Technical Committee...... 20 Vascular Plant Technical Committee...... 21 Bryophytes and Lichens Technical Committee ...... 21 Protists and Fungi Technical Committee...... 22 Aquatic and Terrestrial Arthropod Technical Committees...... 22 Mollusk Technical Committee...... 24 Land Snail Subcommittee...... 24 Freshwater Snail Subcommittee ...... 24 Non-unionid Clam Subcommittee ...... 25 Bivalve Subcommittee...... 25 No Technical Committee Report ...... 25 Arachnids Technical Committee...... 25 Collections and Systematics Technical Committee, not active ...... 25 AGENCY REPORTS ...... 25 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...... 25 Department of Environmental Protection ...... 26 Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission...... 26 Pennsylvania Game Commission – Wildlife Diversity Program ...... 29 Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program...... 32 No Report - Agencies...... 33 Department of Agriculture...... 33 MEMBER-AT-LARGE REPORTS ...... 33 Audubon Pennsylvania ...... 33 Academy of Natural Sciences...... 36 Carnegie Museum of Natural History...... 36 Federal Wildlife Funding / State Wildlife Action Plans...... 36 Hawk Mountain Sanctuary ...... 37 Wild Resource Conservation Fund ...... 37 No Member-at-Large Report ...... 38 Box Scores ...... 38 The Nature Conservancy...... 38 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy...... 38
2 STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS (non-voting)...... 38 Climate Change Adaptation Standing Committee...... 38 Community Classification Standing Committee ...... 39 No Report – Standing Committees ...... 39 Environmental Education, not active...... 39 OLD BUSINESS ...... 39 NEW BUSINESS...... 40 NEXT MEETING...... 41
Late Summer Landscapes: Wet meadow adjacent to Tamarack Swamp, Clinton County, August 26, 2011
3 MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
Dan Bogar (Department of Environmental Protection), Dan Brauning (PA Game Commission), Margaret Brittingham (Ornithology and representing Fishes for Rob Criswell), Greg Czarnecki (PABS Treasurer, Wild Resource Conservation Program, also representing Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for Sally Just), David Day (PA Fish and Boat Commission), Jane Earle (Aquatic Arthropods), Chris Firestone (DCNR- BOF Wild Plant Management Program), Kim Van Fleet (Audubon Society), Jon Gelhaus (Academy of Natural Sciences), Jerry Hassinger (past PABS President and also a newly added Member-at-Large), Bonnie Isaac (Vascular Plants and representing Carnegie Museum of Natural History), Betsy Leppo (Terrestrial Arthropods and PABS Secretary), Carolyn Mahan (past PABS President), Tim Maret (PABS President and representing Amphibians and Reptiles for Howard Reinert), Bob Morgan (representing PA Fish and Boat Commission for Chris Urban), John Plischke III (Protists and Fungi), Greg Podniesinski (PA Natural Heritage Program), Sandy Whidden (Mammals), Mary Walsh (Bivalves and representing all Mollusks for Tim Pearce), Lisa Williams (Member-at-Large).
President Tim Maret opened the summer PABS steering committee meeting at 9:00 AM. Quorum was present based on representation of the steering committee.
OFFICERS’ REPORTS
Secretary’s Report
Secretary Leppo presented the minutes (formatted as the Taxon Times) from the February 11, 2011 Steering Committee Meeting. Mary Walsh moved to accept the minutes; Lisa Williams seconded. Minutes approved. Links the current Taxon Times and older newsletters and minutes will be posted on the PABS website at http://www.aa.psu.edu/pabs/index.html.
Treasurer’s Report
Electronic report provided by Greg Czarnecki, PABS Treasurer.
Omega Bank checking account
Deposits: Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology January……………………………………………………………………$ 420 March……………………………………………………………………..$ 600
Checks Written: None
Balance as of 07/31/2011 ...... $ 18,983.80
Status of sub-accounts within the PABS Treasury Ornithology Technical Committee...... $ 4,432.31 PABS general sub-account ...... ….. $ 14,551.49
4 Discussion: Bank account is broken into 2 sub-accounts, PABS general sub-account and the Ornithology TC. Balance of 2 combined just shy of $19,000 with ~$4,400 for OTC and the balance for PABS. There are periodic deposits for the OTC checklists. What can we do with the unobligated funds in the PABS general sub-account? Funds were generated by Windows on the Wild. Not generating interest. Should we be spending some of it to send people to meetings? The sportsman had a big Marcellus meeting near Johnstown, would have been an opportunity to interact with them.What about providing funds for research? Would be nice to fund research, but don’t want folks scrabbling over the funds. This amount of money for research wouldn’t go far. How about covering fees for meetings, education and outreach? The money came from publications. Can we use these funds to generate another product? The 30th anniversary of WRCP is coming up, will be putting together some sort of conference. How about a joint effort between WRCP and PABS? Education idea a good one. Maybe a book, maybe something more interactive like a web product with down-loadable products. The meeting could be a kick off for a new publication, maybe a webinar for Terrestrial Vertebrates of Concern? Probably too late now for a meeting this fall, talk further with Brittingham, Czarnecki, Brauning. Treasurers report approved by majority.
President’s Report
Presented by PABS President Tim Maret
Committees supposed to have chairs for 4 years. Quite a few chairpersons have served longer. Check with membership to see if someone else is willing to chair these committees. Important to try to get other people exposed to PABS. There is an interesting article in the summer 2011 WRCP Keystone Wildl! Notes (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp/wildnotes/summer11/summer11.pdf ). Maret was asked to define PABS strengths and goals and he identified two major challenges: Marcellus gas extraction and global warming. Marcellus will stress our resources, global warming will fundamentally alter ecosystems. So far the predictions are matching worse case scenario models for Global Warming effects.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS – MARCELLUS SHALE
Marcellus Shale Coalition
Guest: Robert Boulware of the Environmental Research Collaborative of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), a ‘multi-stakeholder group working to generate fact-based Marcellus-related research and analysis’ (http://marcelluscoalition.org/2011/05/2004/).
Contact: Robert Boulware, Program Director, Marcellus Shale Coalition, http://marcelluscoalition.org/ 4000 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 310, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317 [email protected]; Office: 724.745.0100; Direct: 412-477-3859
Summary PABS may be able to get involved in a "Marcellus Test Site" currently being developed in northern Washington County. A group of agencies are going to monitor a variety of potential impacts from pre-development through development, restoration, and production at one development site. PABS inquired about a list of projects
5 currently being conducted regarding Marcellus development. Boulware said he would look into that, but right now he knows of no central repository for that information. The other main recommendation PABS proposed to the MSC was that PABS could help the industry identify research priorities to help them decide what projects they should fund. Even better, the industry could provide funds to a nonprofit expressly for Marcellus research. That way priority research projects could be identified / solicited by the nonprofit board. Funding could be given to groups that don't want to accept money directly from the industry. It would help the results of such studies have greater legitimacy since they weren't chosen by or directly paid for by the industry. Finally, Boulware invited PABS members become involved by submitting their contact information to his ‘experts’ database, people to whom Boulware can direct appropriate questions. The full discussion follows.
Round Table Discussion - Introduction The MSC is an industry group that represents gas extraction interests. PABS invited Boulware to this meeting for a conversation more so than a presentation. The main concern of PABS is biodiversity and sound science to influence decision making. PABS is not one of the more visible and vocal environmental organizations, but our strength in membership as a group of scientists. Boulware: Helping pull together a combination of sectors from non-profit and government, a collaborative process. Training in journalism and communications. Worked for Columbia Gas for some years and managed the corporate giving program for them.
PNDI & Environmental Review Podniesinski described the PA Natural Heritage Program and the multi-agency partnership. Then described the PNDI environmental review screening tool. Each agency sets the list of what goes into PNDI for their jurisdictional species and decides which species are listed, delisted, T&E. Most support for the PNDI comes from DCNR and most funds through Oil & Lease fund. Also conservation research funded by state wildlife grants, WRCP, EPA.
PABS Concerns PABS: Previously conservation research was largely funded by State Wildlife Grants and the Wild Resource Conservation Program. Both have seen significant drops in recent years. Discussion on Marcellus often centers on ground water concerns, but it goes much deeper than that. Concerned about lack of basic surveys for wildlife in very remote portions of state. Environmental review for projects only comes up with conflicts with rare species and communities if there is data. Lots of questions such as what are the effects of noises of compressors on salamander migration, habitat fragmentation, water quality and effects on hellbenders and other aquatics, etc. Lots of basic research is needed. Need more work on inventory, best management practices, restoration practices. Some previously forested sites maybe should be returned to successional forest for birds like yellow-wings warblers. Stream impacts will come from a variety of directions including stream crossings by pipelines and roads and how well these are installed. Warming of water temps and lower of water levels a concern. Interested in the idea of reusing of acid mine waters for fracking, might be a good practice. Boulware: Liability is an issue, need to make sure drillers aren’t held accountable for cleanup of an entire site. National Fuels are testing this. Ben Franklin Industries working with Temple on a trout project. Methane migration is often a public concern: In a Chesapeake Energy study, 10% of tested water sources had methane before drilling took place. 40% of PA waters shouldn’t be consumed for a variety of reasons. Migration of methane can occur outside of gas development – there are standards for casings for drilling a gas well, but none for drilling a drinking well.
6 Potential PABS Involvement Maret: Can we become involved in the coalition or the appropriate committees? Boulware: There is not a simple way to get involved. Right now most experts/academics/researchers get involved by their relationships with MSC members who bring them in. Williams: PABS can be very helpful in identifying what the research priorities are and vetting proposed research ideas that come to MSC. Morgan: Invasive species – want to prevent the spread of them. Developing protocols would like to run past the agency. Need to get the agency involved to make it work. Is Boulware’s organization who he should contact? Boulware: Yes, a good place to start. The 25 committee chairs will bring in experts to talk about different issues. Boulware can filter to the appropriate chair person. Firestone: Can we join the coalition and participate in appropriate subcommittees? Boulware: Are deciding who are the collaborators, and are connecting with many of our agencies already. Building a website, and need to see who is working with whom and on what. Would like to do a project in every county like in Washington County, but won’t have funding. Involvement doesn’t have to be money only. Can get involved by providing contact information to Boulware for his ‘experts’ database. These are people to whom Boulware can direct appropriate questions.
Best Management Practices Walsh: It would be great to see more information about what is happening at well pad sites. Such as what management recommendations are being developed as research feeds in new data. Boulware: Marcellus companies negotiated the lease to the rights, but they may not be the driller. Water supply, fracking, can all be different companies. The MSC has 245 companies in membership. Boulware represents the industry of course, but at the same time, trying to establish Best Management Practices (BMPs). There are 25 operating committees within the coalition. Trying to establish Best Management Practices for what they have. Hassinger: We don’t know what the Best Management Practices are for most fauna. We like to call them ‘Adaptive Management Practices”. If something works, we do it again. If it doesn’t, we adapt and try something else. BMPs may lock you into one practice. If the practice is something well documented, like stream shading, erosion control, etc., that’s fine. But for many flora and fauna, we don’t know what they need. Adaptive management requires monitoring and modifications through research. Boulware: If look at well cases, the standard for the BMP has been adjusted multiple times in the past 5 years. Trying to make best use of technology. Used diesel in pump compressor stations, now trying to convert compression stations to natural gas. Now working on capturing fumes to improve air quality. Once Best Management Practices are developed, are they used? Members agree to use them. BMPs are posted on website at http://marcelluscoalition.org/. Not a lot out there yet, but will post as developed.
Sharing Information Day: List of projects that are getting funded so we know what is out there? Boulware: Wanted someone to do this but they didn’t want to take industry money. Boulware: Working on something with IUP, predrill water samples. Some tests sample out 2500 feet, others further from a drill site. DEP doesn’t have a searchable means of assessing the results, but there is a requirement to get results to the landowner and DEP within 10 days. Trying to create a repository where can put current and historical data as a searchable place. Ironically, a landowner threatened to sue for this sort of disclosure. The landowner knew their water was contaminated. They didn’t want the public to know because then they would be forced to clean it up.
7 Boulware: Issues with paperwork, right now the system is all paper. Need to get information digital, even if just as a pdf. Boulware: See http://www.fractracker.org/ for industry self-disclosure of fracking chemicals.
Marcellus Test Site – project description by Boulware There will be a pilot project this fall for an operating company involving a variety of state, federal, and academic institutions. A group of experts will study this particular pad site one year prior to any activity, and catalog plants, insects, etc., so they can track changes. There is a noise component. They will monitor the site through each phase of development. Great potential to understand the impacts of what is taking place at that location. Once the project is ready to move forward, we might be able to get involved. Outside of the Marcellus development footprint, are there about other impacts from previous mining, agriculture, etc. Want a diverse mixture of interests for this project. No industry funding for this project intentionally, don’t want the project to have appear ‘bought’ by the industry. Worked with a variety of government groups to come up with best management practices, how to return the site to way it was, or to examine if returning it to prior condition is the best plan. What to do with retention ponds? Restore them and maintain them as water sources? The drill site is geologically a matter of where is the best / flattest place to place the well. Talked to US Forest Service, if a plant is invasive in a particular place, is there a way to use the pad to wipe out small infestations of invasives? Trying to find ways to reduce use of freshwater resources. Already have heavy impact on acid mine drainage on streams. What about using/treating/storing water from impacted streams for frackwater? Researchers from Wilkes University and University of Pittsburg are doing research. Has a personal interest in trying to find ways to ‘keep the lights on’. People in industry are trying to get it right, but mistakes are made. Research needs to keep up with what is going on in the field. Funding is tight for everybody. Some people want the money but don’t want associated with the industry. But industry wants credibility of good researchers. Follow-up information sent via email 8/18/2011 by Boulware: NETL is the lead on this project… it is called “Marcellus Test Site.” The study will encompass impacts to: 1) groundwater and surface water abundance and quality; 2) air quality; 3) wildlife and aquatic habitats; and 4) current and future land use. Site is located in northern Washington County, PA in the general vicinity of Burgettstown.
Marcellus Test Site: Participants and Principal Role(s) NETL “Gatekeeper”, air quality monitoring, soil gas monitoring, frac tracer injection/monitoring, simulated weathering of drill cuttings EPA Monitoring of groundwater/surface water quality and quantity USGS Monitoring of groundwater/surface water quality and quantity; fugitive gas FWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic systems; Rare and Endangered Species USACE (United States Army Corps of Engineers) Monitoring regional stream water quality USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service – formerly US Soil Conservation Service) Monitoring soil properties; invasive species; landscape changes Pa. Topographic and Mud logging during the drilling of production and groundwater monitoring Geological Survey wells; mineralogy of drill cuttings Pa. Dept of Environmental Monitoring of aquatic systems Protection
8 Funding for Marcellus Research Podniesinski: How does funding work with the coalition? Boulware: People provide ideas which are vetted through the executive committee composed of larger company representatives. Works with Heinz and other charitable groups that already do the funding. Research funding – National Energy Technology Lab. Czarnecki: If credibility is an issue, what about giving money to an intermediate organization who would decide who gives the money independent of the coalition. Boulware: In the NE tier for example MSC is working through a couple universities, letting them pick the projects. RAND, URS are grantors they work with. Czarnecki: WRCP is an independent repository of funding where grants are determined by PGC, FFBC, DCNR. Leppo: Set aside funds for conservation preservation and research. Create a non-profit foundation like Heinz or Gates has done. Donate lease rights. Boulware: Developing a Marcellus Shale Coalition foundation is an idea they have discussed.
Upcoming Event Boulware: There will be a Shale Insight event in Philadelphia in September Sept. 7-8, 2011. For more info, visit http://shalegasinsight.com/.
Maret thanked Boulware on behalf of PABS for joining us in this discussion.
PA Department of Environmental Protection
Guest speaker: Jennifer Means, Watershed Coordinator, Eastern Oil and Gas Region, PA Department of Environmental Protection
. Maret: Means will give the framework of DEPs protocols regarding Marcellus Development. . Means: A new eastern oil and gas DEP office opened in 2008, based out of Williamsport, 2008. Two older regional offices were NW and SW based. Eastern office has 45 counties, 22 with new or active gas wells, 6 counties with very large gas storage fields. Program staff of 50, currently 45 filled. Drilling permits are still issued from Pittsburgh and Meadesville offices. In 2009 the Eastern Region office had just 17 people for compliance, oversight, and sediment control /Section 105 permitting. Now can have 50 staff at capacity. Means first got involved in Marcellus with water withdrawal issues.
Gas Drilling and Water Resources
Storm Water: Construction – Erosion and Sedimentation Required: E&S plan, possibly ESCGP-1. Prevent sedimentation into streams. With Marcellus, very few sites that are less than 5 acres in size. Over 5 acres, erosion and sediment control general permit required. Post construction: increase stormwater runoff due to increase in impervious area (well pads, roads). Required: post construction plan to deal with runoff
Permit Stream / Wetland Encroachments Need to cross streams/wetlands with access roads & gathering lines.
9 Required: general permit or joint permit from the department. Oil and gas responsible for gathering lines – can be substantial, 40 miles. Owned by the operator or min-stream operator until get to major transmission lines, at which point gets handled elsewhere (county conservation district, other branch of DEP).
Discussion: Means: No wildlife biologists or terrestrial habitat review except through PNDI. Stream classification usually puts HQ/HV streams into joint permit, won’t fall under a general permit anymore. Firestone: Seeing gas companies with longer gas gathering projects trying to break them up so that can do under a general permit and not a joint. Means: Yes, they do that. Army Corps working with DEP trying to address these concerns to make sure all impacts are at least addressed and accounted for. Not supposed to break the project up. But companies don’t want to wait for a big project to be reviewed. Morgan: Anything to cut down on the number of pipelines running through the same place for the same use. Different companies piggybacking pipelines. Have to review over and over. Means: In the same boat. No way to force different companies to combine. Discussion with industry, if PUC regulated as a public utility may help. Firestone: Has been successful with enforcing a corridor on BOF lands, everyone must use the corridor. Maret: Marcellus shale drilling laws could be amended to require pipeline infrastructure sharing.
Water Use Hydraulic fracturing uses large quantities of water +/- 5 million gallons. Susquehanna River Basin commission does a very thorough job of reviewing quantity withdraws. Drillers must develop a water management plan that identifies where they will get water and how it might affect flows and aquatic habitat. Within the Susquehanna River Basin, DEP defers to the SRBC. DEP doesn’t approve the water management plan until SRBC does. DRBC reviews projects within the Delaware River basin but not much going on there yet. Outside of Susquehanna River, it is DEPs responsibility to review withdraws. But DEP does not have a regulation for water withdraws except for public water supplies. No other regulatory authority of stream withdraws. May be able to use clean Stream Law. Potential impacts to fresh water aquifer during drilling. DEP doesn’t permit for the hole in the ground, but does investigate complaints, inspect all sites (how often depends if there are issues or not), and enforce regulations. Operator is responsible for replacing water supply if quality or quantity affected. Getting busier with complaints from people thinking their water was impacted by drilling activity. DEP has not seen an impact to water supply from fracking yet, but have seen impacts to aquifers. Under oil and gas act have some presumptive clauses. If have an impact from drilling within 1000 feet of a water supply that occurs within 6 months, the pollution is presumed to be due to drilling. If drilling took place 1000 feet or more from the water supply, the burden of proof is upon DEP to show why the operator is responsible.
Fluids Management Storage and transport of fluids used or generated during drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Spills of all kind happening. Historically wasn’t as much an issue, but with Marcellus everything is a lot bigger, size of site, amount of water and chemical use on site. When fracking, the water that goes down the hole with chemical is very dilute. But the chemicals and water are stored on site in giant tanks and this is where potential for spills or impacts is greater. Secondary containment needed, has come a long way. Almost all operators are using liners. Double walled tanks.
10 Spill reporting and preparedness is better. Each site is a complex system of pumps, valves, etc. Need to be prepared with secondary containment and spill response. Many now have response crews on standby in case of a spill to vacuum it up. This has come very far, a major accomplishment. No specific requirement for secondary containment, but if they have a spill and weren’t prepared, DEP can escalate penalties. Companies can use pit or impoundment on well site to service wells on site and can legally put flowback in it. Must restore within 9 months of drilling. Have had many spill and leaks. Many operators now using tanks for flowback, but sometimes valves open on tanks and the entire contents spill. Some companies have very large impoundment to service many wells in area. These require a separate dam permit, require double lining, leak detection, stricter construction standards. Maybe ten permits in region at this point of this type.
Discussion: Czarnecki: What about waterfowl and other wildlife using these big water storage areas and getting exposed to the chemicals? Means: Nothing on DEP end to prevent this. Brittingham: How long can the frack pond be left open? On one site it’s been a long time. There is a small fence around one pond that is only a foot tall, animals can get over. Capouillez: On PGC sites ponds are fenced. Not required, but looking at putting in a mesh across the entire impoundment to impede waterfowl from landing. Reusable plastic balls to float on surface to reduce evaporation and discourage waterfowl from landing. Means: There are freshwater impoundments in Bradford Co., but not as many specific requirements for them. Not required to be fenced. Operators are becoming protective of sites due to vandalism, dumping, etc.
Wastewater Disposal Once frack the well, have flowback of 10-20%. What do with that? Required: identify disposal facilities in control and disposal part of PPC plan. Are trying to reuse/recycle to some degree – a good thing. The other side is now they are transporting and storing those fluids – opportunity for leaks from tanks or impoundments. Treatment plants need DEP approval to accept waste.
Discussion: Maret – Is frackwater treatment tracked? Means – Frackwater treatment must provide a 26R residential waste report and an annual water production report, but it’s complex and hard to track where frac water is going. This is a concern. Means – Where to store frackwater until it can be treated is a big issue. Mobile treatment systems make the water reusable by removing solids, etc. Those types of mobile treatment systems are approved but it’s not a permitted thing. If they want a waste processing utility for long term processing of waste from wells in the area, they need a different permit. A new general permit recently has become available to set up a centralized treatment area of waste. An evolving issue. Maret: Are there plants in PA capable of reducing TDS to acceptable levels?
Stray Gas / Gas Migration This is tied to the water supply complaints. Methane gas moving through the subsurface geology and expressing itself in water wells, springs, and streams. It’s a health hazard, while it’s not dangerous to consume it is a fire hazard. Need better well construction, casing, and cementing. There have been
11 Typically test for methane, barium, iron, manganese, which are all naturally occurring. Trying to figure out when gas migration is related to drilling versus when it is naturally occurring. Can look for elevated levels, but even in natural water supplies not located near any drilling you can find very high levels of methane, barium, etc., so elevated levels alone doesn’t always give the answer. Isotopic sampling of the water supply and of gas from nearby gas wells can be sent to a special lab to tell if it is of similar origin: biogenic (swamp gas) or thermogenic (deep gas). Usually the results find it is thermogenic in origin, which still doesn’t answer the question. Thermogenic gas also occurs naturally in water supplies. DEP pays for this testing, and it is very expensive. When have an enforcement case, can sometimes get cost recovery but not always. Very complex cases. Regulation change to require companies to initiate their own investigation. Not really well defined, e.g., within x miles of the drilling. Those regulations just became effective and are sorting out implementation. Companies may need to vent wells, put in methane alarms, methane mitigation under subsurface of home. The methane is odorless.
Recent Regulatory Changes to Address Gas Migration Address four main issues: 1. Protection and replacement of water supplies. 2. New casing and cementing standards. 3. Required pressure testing. 4. Stray gas response. Landowners should get water tested as soon as possible before drilling starts. Do a basic test (for about $400) to look for main things that get elevated. Presumptive clause, no requirement for operators to do any predrill testing. Most of them do within that presumptive distance. To cover themselves legally, they have a test to show something was there. Many operators are going out much more than 1000 feet to document conditions pre-drilling. Many going 2500, some 4000 feet. Some test by township, they have so much drilling going on.
Discussion: Bogar: no regulation on private wells Means: no, and this is a complaint of the Marcellus gas industry. Private well construction could be to blame for water quality problems, but there are no standards for private wells and little information.
Marcellus Drilling Permitting Numbers (2007-2010): Total permits from 2007-2010 (all types oil/gas including Marcellus): 7272, 7927, 6239, 6518 Marcellus permits only from 2007-2010: 71, 476, 1984, 3314
Discussion: Van Fleet: Anyway to tell which sites have actually been drilled? The SPUD report (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/rig09.htm) might tell which wells have been drilled. The SPUD date is the reported date drilling began at a well site. The API number is the drilling permit number issued to the well operator. Need to call 24 hours ahead of work. Isaac – are any drilling permits denied? Means – A few have, but 90+ percent are approved. There are very limited reasons why DEP can deny a permit. Permits are good for 1 year and they can renew for at least another year.
12 Challenges Staffing, building a new program, gas field activity rate and volume, technology, shifts in cultural practices.
Discussion: Bogar: WQN network expanded for heavily permitted regions. Data loggers to monitor water quality. Means: DEP is not staffed to fully monitor changes over time, but still staff want to get out, looking at cause/effect spill effects. Means: 5 million gallons are used for one frack job at one well. Maret: By 2030 expect 10,000+ wells. That is a lot of water Marcellus Coalition shows that the amount of water used by Marcellus drillers is dwarfed by the amount used for nuclear power plants Means: SRBC does have graphs and shows how much water usage is used by other industries, agriculture, golf courses, etc. Originally afraid Marcellus would take a lot of headwaters for fracking use, but once these requirements in place for SRBC approvals, they are mostly trying to focus on a few large withdraws, for example on the Susquehanna, rather than from small streams close to the site. Walsh: a few months ago in the news, it was reported that any citations on drillers had to go through a central office in Harrisburg for approval. How has that affected actual enforcement of rules? Means: There was some evaluation of what was being enforced across the state but it hasn’t affected enforcement yet. Means: 100 foot set-back currently defined in the oil and gas act. Set-back is measured from the well site which DEP considers the edge of the pad and well. Wetlands greater than 1 acre in size also under the 100 ft setback. Maret: Governor’s task force has proposed strengthening the set-back to 300 feet for a stream. Hopefully this will come about. Firestone: BOF has a 300 feet setback for wetlands with Species of Concern. 200 feet for all wetlands and streams, and no size requirement (vernal pools included). For the complete document see DCNR-BOF Guidelines for Administering Oil and Gas Activities on State Forest Lands, available online at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_004055.pdf. Means: DEP has no authority to regulate noise/air pollution.
Maret thanked Means on behalf of PABS for providing us with this educational presentation.
Marcellus Shale Leasing on State Game Lands
Guest speaker: Bill Capouillez, Director Wildlife Habitat Management, PA Game Commission
Capouillez: Marcellus shale not as thick in SW PA. Development NC and NW PA is a dry gas, not as much oil or liquid petroleum, higher BTU content. SW PA shale has more oils, liquid natural gas, butanes and methanes, so there is more opportunity for development of additional resources from that shale. 67% of State Game Lands are in Marcellus play.
Steps in Development: Leasing & acquisition > Seismic exploration – science > Drilling-development > Water-source / fracking and flowback recovery > Gathering systems and pipelines
13 Rights-of-Ways Why don’t companies in an area utilize the same right-of-way? Lots of business reasons behinds why pipelines go where they do when they do. It depends on the right-of-way agreement each company can negotiate with landowners. The logistics of these agreements can overwhelm the ability to follow general best management practices. However each individual landowner agreement is a place where BMPs can be placed and enforced, therefore is the best place to incorporate protections.
Leasing/Pooling Leasing: A bonus is paid up front. The royalty is a percent sale of gas, 12.5% is the minimum. Rental is paid for un-developed acreage. Terms – primary, secondary, unitization, pools. Most leases are pooled. Start with a primary lease (e.g. a 5 year term). Once drilling occurs or the lease is unitized/ pooled, goes to a secondary lease in perpetuity. Now getting about $6000 an acre (previously $10 an acre). Getting infrastructure in place is slowing development. Now companies need to focus on drilling the leases they bought. Push on pipelines to get the wells connected. Unitization/pooling: no forced pooling in PA. DEP can control the unit sizes, but they haven’t yet. In the past 640 acres (a square mile), was the standard unit. Pooling supposed to be a means of getting fair and equitable royalty distribution. A gas company can take gas through a cone of depression from any adjacent property even if that landowner didn’t sign a lease. Precedent from how water wells are treated. Gas companies want efficient production of reserves. If landowner denies a lease, the company will crowd the boundary and can run a lateral line along the edge of the property and can legally pull 500 ft of gas from under the landowner’s property via cone of depression. While they can’t send the line under the landowner’s property, they can run the line perpendicular to the property line and withdraw up to 500 ft. of gas using the cone of depression. The gas company gets some of that landowner’s gas, but without a lease the landowner will not gain proceeds on the royalties. Forced pooling example – you have 10 acres but you don’t want to lease your land. Everyone around you leases. In a forced pool scenario, you are forced to lease your land and you are given the going royalty rate. The advantage is this lessens number of wells that need to be drilled. Once become unitized/pools, payment based on number of acres landowner owns within the total pool. Regardless of where the drilling takes place within that entire pool area, or how many are built, everyone gets their designated percentage. PGC can agree to be unitize, but can also refuse to have the drills placed on the surface of PGC properties. The company can put their wells on another property and go underground to get the gas from underneath the gamelands. There are really bad leases out there that allow for all sorts of industrial activities. Standard industry leases are not good and landowners should scrutinize them closely, though they are better now than they were even a few years ago. PGC would discuss unitization and require X ratio of the pool and 25% royalties. No impact, just revenue. Goes to wildlife programs. PGC approves/denies roads, pipelines, parking lots, well locations. Controls location, development, timing, unitization. PGC Lease averages 30 pages versus 1.5 standard industry lease.
Surface / Subsurface Rights Severed Oil-Gas-Mineral rights…exceptions and reservations in deeds,
14 PGC does not own all subsurface rights. Private oil/gas estate owner can lease under State Game Lands. PGC receives ZERO royalties in this scenario. Mineral estate is dominant over surface estate.
Seismic Activity Most lines oriented NW/SE based on geologic lines. 3D seismic testing becoming more common. Uses a grid pattern versus 2D testing which runs two lines. Results in some vegetation damage. They drill 18 foot deep cores and use geophones to pick up signals from small explosions in the cores. In really remote areas, helicopter or drop supplies in. Lines spaces 1000 to 1200 feet. Shot/receivers every 200-250 feet. PGC charges for vegetation disturbance. They drive little tracked vehicles around. Wetlands, Threatened and Endangered species locations, and streams, they have to treat different. They have to pay for surface damage and follow guidelines about sensitive areas. If don’t follow guidelines on sensitive areas, PGC will halt their operations. Thumper trucks lay geophones along roads and pound the road rather than use explosions. PGC gets to see where the sale of this info is going, to whom, and for how much. Seismic info is worth $60,000 a square mile and some of these seismic runs are 100 square miles. Avoidance areas for geophones or driving or access period or timing etc. based on T&E species, bat hibernacula, woodrat habitat, and nesting birds. 3 million in seismic permits coming in (PGC total operational budget is 80 million). It is a one time payment, but a big amount of funds. In a year or two the damage closes up.
Drilling PGC requires double liners, leak detection, fencing, control over siting. Water transportation: different surface impacts with running a six inch water line overground versus all the truck traffic to bring in water. A closed loop system reuses frack water. Drilling horizontal is not going down vertically then turning a 90 degree bend. Rather they make small bends in the drilling motor assemble, roughly 1-2 degrees at a time on a curve. Frack fluid composition: 94.6 water 5.25 sand 1.25 other additives. Extensive network of pipelines especially in SW and NW. Huge development in NE in six county areas. Susq, Tioga, Brad, Sullivan, Wyoming. Equipment on pads: wellhead, brine tanks, heater/separator, meters. Do land swaps on compressor stations.
Reclamation Special attention to slopes, invasive species, revegetation, and planting mixture. Details in leases, required on properties PGC controls. Try to get industry to adopt these measures voluntarily on all sites.
Net Effect Outside of Marcellus funds, PGC has approx. $150,000 available a year for acquiring land. Marcellus brings 6 million into an escrow to purchase land for replacement recreational purposes and also important wildlife habitats. Under this mechanism not limited to payment of $400 an acre for land purchases. Recently picked up 9,306 acres with a recent gas agreement to add to SGL 87. Leases designed for adaptability with new information (new species of concern).
15 Larger gas companies would like to do voluntary agreements like PGC did with wind energy. Would like the Marcellus coalition to move forward on voluntary agreements. Certain things and priorities we know do and don’t work. Try not to spend a lot of time effort on research that has uncertain real-world application or ambiguous results. Need suggestions to get results and recommendations fast.
Maret thanked Capouillez on behalf of PABS for providing us with this informative presentation.
Discussion: Marcellus Outreach organization at Penn State may have model leases for landowners? Extension has been involved with how to get the best deal in a lease. Natural resources are not really addressed yet. Most of the leases are done already, and have been for a while. BOF has been working on BMPs. Ellen will speak at an extension meeting on BOF BMPs and distribute them to landowners. But big picture it’s a little late to make a big impact at the lease level because the leasing happened early on. But as landowners earn money from gas development they may be willing to invest some back into their land. This may be the angle to get involved. The pipeline development is still up and coming. In some cases pipeline agreements have already been incorporated into leases, but not always, so there is still time for many landowners to develop lease language to protect natural resources. See DCNR-BOF Guidelines for Administering Oil and Gas Activities on State Forest Lands. Available online at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_004055.pdf
Penn State Extension Lease Guidance for Landowners Natural Gas Pipeline Right-of-Ways: Understanding Landowner Rights and Options http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/news/2010/04/pipelineinfo Natural Gas Exploration – a Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land in Pennsylvania: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/ua448.pdf
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Mammal Technical Committee
Report submitted by Sandy Whidden and Michael R. Gannon, MTC co-chairs.
The Mammal Technical Committee held its Spring meeting on 2 April 2011 at Penn State – Altoona, with 16 members and 2 guests present.
Whidden reported to the committee on the PABS Steering Committee’s discussion of policies for adding members to the technical committees. The MTC adopted a policy where the committee will vote to recommend new members for approval by the MTC chairs. Gannon also noted the need to regularly evaluate our membership and drop members who aren’t attending to ensure that we have a quorum at meetings.
The MTC reviewed the listing proposals for little brown bats, northern long-eared bats, and tricolored bats that had been prepared following discussion at the MTC’s Fall 2010 meeting. These proposals recommend that these species be listed as Endangered in Pennsylvania due to drastic declines from White-nose Syndrome. The MTC voted unanimously to approve the forwarding of these proposals to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
16 Whidden presented the proposals to Dan Brauning at the annual meeting of the MTC and OTC chairs with Executive Director Roe and his senior staff, and the MTC is waiting on decisions from the PGC.
The MTC also discussed the porcupine hunting season that was recently adopted by the PGC. Several members voiced concern that this decision was made without data on porcupine population trends and without a management plan for the species. This led to a discussion about the importance of using science and data to inform management decisions. The PGC’s recent beaver management plan was suggested as an excellent example of this being done.
The MTC remains concerned about the extent of bat mortality at wind farms in Pennsylvania, and the absence of mandatory mortality avoidance practices at commercial wind energy facilities in the state. Carolyn Mahan suggested that we invite Bill Capouillez, Director of the PGC’s Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management, to a future MTC meeting to discuss wind energy issues with the committee. This suggestion was supported by the committee.
Hart and Butchkoski discussed a new MTC-sponsored state-wide monitoring program for bats. MTC members from various parts of the state were asked to perform emergence counts at known bat colonies near their homes. Hart and Butchkoski passed out a list of known roost sites and MTC members signed up to monitor colonies. The MTC hopes that this bat monitoring program will continue in future years and be followed by similar monitoring programs for other species.
Finally, the MTC discussed Marcellus Shale development and its impact on Pennsylvania’s mammals. Several committee members suggested that we initiate research on habitat changes and the impacts of fracking on mammal populations. Larkin noted that we don’t need more fragmentation studies but instead guidance on how to mitigate for disturbance.
Our next meeting will be held in State College in October or November, on a date that is still to be determined.
Discussion: Bat emergence counts by Mammal Technical Committee (MTC) members. Dramatic population declines due to White Nose Syndrome (WNS). Little brown bats really bad. Mostly big brown bats remaining, but spectacular decline in little brown bats. Much of the bat data is from PGC’s hibernacula surveys that go back decades. How to you regulate a species like the little brown that is so wide spread and had so many records up until recently? Pragmatic concerns about how we’d handle the process if little browns are listed. More so than long ear and pipistrelle, since they don’t share the same use of human structures. What should we do when a common widespread species crashes? Regulatory framework not designed to deal with this scenario. We are looking at likely extinction of the little brown bat across most of its range in 16 years. Wisconsin preemptively listed little brown bats even without WNS occurring in the state because they see it coming. May be useful to talk to Wisconsin because they dealt with the same issues and sent precedent for preemptive listing. Vermont also listed. The US Fish &Wildlife may make the whole point mute. Other states are considering listing. Give regulators wide latitude in enforcement considering that the little browns bats use residential buildings. Usually they are not in large colonies in occupied buildings. Larger colonies are more frequently found in empty buildings, barns, etc. The MTC-PGC relationship is constructive. PGC is specifically guided by policy to look to the MTC for listing nominations. Not limited to or obligated to follow MTC recommendations, but it is a good relationship. PGC not moving rapidly to listing. Typically a couple pieces needed to accompany listing,
17 The longer we wait to act, the harder it will be to have an impact. But what does it mean to list when disease caused the decline? Listing does empower tools to protect remnant populations. Can we go to key players and ask for cooperation now to protect the species, or will listing be inevitable? Does it work to garner earlier cooperation? PGC is already doing this and working with the caving community. Can’t get more publicity from listing than have already had from the disease. How long will it take PGC to prepare the data? There are timeframes in standard operating procedures for this, certainly this fall the data compilation should take place. In October the Commission does not advance on bird or mammal listings. The next formal regulatory process for birds and mammals is in January. What might the public response be? Through the MTC important feedback has already been obtained. Important constituents are pest control, rehabilitators, cavers, industry, maybe homeowners associations. Depending on how the information is presented there may be a lot of public input. How will PGC evaluate existing records to put into PNDI? Climate change research is also looking at common species that are becoming rare like sugar maple, which is tracked in Virginia and is in decline in PA already. With white nose syndrome, we have a level of decline in common species that is unprecedented. Something like 1000 bats in a hibernacula/nesting site was the past trigger, the minimal number, to trigger a hit. The US Fish & Wildlife is currently in a 90 day comment process for northern long-eared bats and eastern small footed bats. There is a petition for the little brown bat. Gannon was going to forward Fish & Wildlife the MTC proposals on the little brown bat. PGC will do a data dump to Fish & Wildlife as part of the standard review process. Bats are in a very obvious steep decline, and they congregate at certain times of year when can find them and document that decline. It is even more difficult with species like box turtles that are on a more gradual decline and don’t congregate for easy surveys. You need a time frame for when to document the decline. You pick a year to start your documentation, and define a current versus historic record. Will want to start fairly recently for the little brown bat.
Ornithological Technical Committee
Presented by Margaret Brittingham, committee chair
The OTC Spring meeting was held May 5, 2011 at Penn State University, Margaret Brittingham hosting. The PGC/OTC/MTC meeting was held on May 12th 2011 at the PGC headquarters.
Breeding Bird Atlas Update
Atlas is completed, data have been verified and accounts have been written and are being edited. Book is on target to be published by Penn State University Press in Fall 2012.
18 Species Status Change Nominations
OTC members voted on species status changes at the Fall and Spring meetings and presented these changes to the PA Game Commission in May. Recommended changes are listed below. Date is date of OTC vote.
Endangered Upland Sandpiper – Formerly Threatened (Fall 2010)
Threatened Northern Harrier – Formerly Near Threatened (Fall 2010)
Near Threatened Common Nighthawk (Fall 2010) Marsh Wren – Formerly Vulnerable- ( Spring 2011) Golden-winged Warbler (Spring 2011)
Vulnerable Whip-poor-will (FA2010) Red-headed Woodpecker (SP2010) Purple Martin (FA2010) Northern Waterthrush (FA2010) Henslow’s Sparrow (SP2011)
Reviewed and Status not Changed Barn Owl (Fall 2010 – Near-Threatened) Wilson’s Snipe (Spring 2011 – Vulnerable)
Other species recommended for consideration include: American black duck, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, long-eared owl, northern goshawk, Kentucky warbler, and northern bobwhite
IBA Evaluations: No new IBAs
Golden eagles and Wind power
Todd Katzner and Trish Miller continues to lead this effort with collaborators from Quebec, West Virginia, and Virginia. Results will be used to provide guidelines on ways to minimize effects of wind power on eagles. Approximately 30 birds are currently being tracked.
Marcellus Shale Updates
Margaret Brittingham gave an update on the research she and colleagues from PSU have initiated this summer. Project is funded by a PSU seed grant, Heinz endowments, PGC, and Wild Resource Conservation Program.
Populations of some species of aerial insectivores are dropping precipitously, like the Common Nighthawk. Really a concern as these were formerly very common species. Not sure what is going on.
19 The biggest obstacle so far with the Marcellus study is gaining access to sites. It looks like the majority (85%) of the wells are on private land. Hard to move the project forward without access. Would like to do some demonstration sites for restoration but that is far down the road. May take decades to get some wells online. Companies need to start activity at so many well sites they are hopping around and may even need to refrack later. Also can’t get information on the gathering lines. Have to go out and take GPS points where the gathering lines come across breeding bird atlas blocks to get average numbers on road widths, etc. So far have 14 sites where did surveys at the pads at some distance from the pads. Also did breeding block surveys. This turned out to be way too big a scale to get a good picture, so divided each block into 9 miniblocks. May need to go to even smaller block sizes. These will be for gathering long term data.
Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee
Presented by Tim Maret on behalf of committee chair Howard Reinert
The chairmanship of the Reptile and Amphibian Technical Committee has changed. The previous committee chair, Tim Maret, has taken on the duties as Chair of the PABS Steering Committee. Howard Reinert was elected by committee vote on at the Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee meeting on December 16, 2010. He was officially appointed as Chair of the Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee at the PABS Steering Committee Meeting held in January, 2011. The new chair is currently reviewing and updating the membership list of the committee. Several committee members have not attended meetings for several years and have asked to be removed from the committee roster. The Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee is planning a full committee meeting in the fall of 2011.
Fishes Technical Committee
Presented by Margaret Brittingham on behalf of committee chair Rob Criswell
The committee further refined documentation for a change of the status of the Chesapeake Logperch, which will likely be proposed for listing as threatened. It is endangered in MD and occurs only in the lower Susquehanna and a few tributaries. The committee revised its list of PA fishes to reflect recent status changes and discoveries. The committee updated its PABS web page, with revised text, E, T, and C species list, new photos and research projects, and the aforementioned fishes list. The new page is now up on the PABS site, thanks to Carolyn and her staff. The committee had provided input toward the range-wide status review of the Spotted Darter, and PA- threatened species from the Allegheny River and French Creek. The review was conducted by USFWS and a final determination has (finally) been made not to elevate this taxon to candidate status for further consideration under the ESA. More information may be found at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eco_serv/soc/fish/SpottedDarterCandidateAssess.html Committee members reviewed new records for the Blacknose Shiner from McKean County. Specimens were collected by DEP and Conservation District personnel. This species was considered extirpated until 2009 when it was detected in Potato Creek, also McKean County – the first PA record since 1938. Committee members continued field work on lampreys in northwestern PA this spring in an effort to further refine the distribution and status of several species of conservation concern.
20
Vascular Plant Technical Committee
Presented by committee chair Bonnie Isaac
The annual Rare Plant Forum was held on 9 April 2011, at Jennings Environmental Education Center. Sixteen species were proposed for POSCIP status changes. Seven species had ranks lowered, nine species had ranks elevated. Seven species were changed from Tentatively Undetermined to a specific rank. This has been a long term project to get meaningful ranks on our TU species. Full details can be found on the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s web site. Triadenum walteri was found new for Pennsylvania by Jim Bissell of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It was found in Marsh Creek Fen or Bog Candle Fen in Crawford County in the Oil Creek drainage. There were several hundred plants. We proposed listing it as Endangered. We discussed the new requirements & application process for wild plant management permits. There is a lot more info on the new application. It is now requests more information to evaluate botanical credentials to ensure finding surveyors who are qualified to do rare plant surveys. Several members of the VPTC attended the Pennsylvania Flora summit which was held at Fisherman’s Paradise from April 12 to 14th. This is a Western Pennsylvania Conservancy project to categorize the taxa in our flora according to their geological affinity.
Bryophytes and Lichens Technical Committee
Presented by Betsy Leppo on behalf of committee chair James Lendemer
Status of Specimen Data
Members have continued surveying bryophytes and lichens throughout the commonwealth. We have continued to incorporate these specimen records into the Virtual Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden and they are available online at www.nybg.org. As of January, 2011 the database now includes 6024 [increase of 22] vouchers of bryophytes and 9346 [increase of 112] vouchers of lichens and lichenicolous fungi from Pennsylvania.
New Reports and New Species Lichen fieldwork conducted in 2011 resulted in the discovery of 14 new records for the state (publication in press. in Evansia). It is noteworthy that many of these species appear to be restricted to remnant high quality natural habitats such as mature hardwood forests with little history of past disturbance. These species can be classified as 1) species at the edge of their range in PA but that are common elsewhere, 2) disjunct populations of species the occur much further north in the boreal forests, and 3) isolated remnant populations of species that were once common in the region but have been extirpated from much of their range. Fieldwork in Mifflin County led to discovery of a second North American (and PA) population of the rare lichen Opegrapha bicolor. The species was described from a single locality in DWGNRA and subsequently reported from a single site in Uganda, Africa. In April the results of a taxonomic study of the aquatic macrolichen Peltigera hydrothryia (syn. Hydrothyria venosa) were finally published. This study, which included PA populations and was based on studies of DNA sequence, chemistry, and morphology, resulted in the description of the populations of this species
21 from western North America as a new species. Thus P. hydrothyria is now restricted to the populations occurring in eastern North America, including Pennsylvania. Studies in the west have shown that those populations have a very narrow ecological amplitude, and that even slight changes in habitat can very negatively impact the health of populations. It is essential that similar studies be carried out on P. hydrothryia so that this unique species can be properly managed. Baseline studies are also needed to measure the potential impact of Marcellus Shale drilling on this species. Habitat fragmentation and changes in water quality, even minute ones, may present significant issues. Earlier this year a new ephemeral lichen species was described from Bald Eagle State Forest (article in Notulae Naturae). The species, Vezdaea schuyleriana, was named in honor of Philadelphia botanist Alfred Schuyler and so far is known only from the type locality. Also earlier this year a new species of crustose lichen, Melanophloea americana, was described from southeastern Pennsylvania and New York. The type locality is actually within Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. This species appears to be restricted to periodically submerged rocks in riparian areas. Further study is needed to determine the status of the species in the Commonwealth.
Protists and Fungi Technical Committee
Presented by committee chair John Plishke III
North American Mycological Association Foray 2011 On August 4-7, the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club hosted the 2011 North American Mycological Association’s Dr. Richard Homola Annual Memorial Foray at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. The event was preceded by an Ascomycetes workshop and a trustees meeting which started on the 2nd. Hundreds of people came from across the country to study Pennsylvania’s fungi. There were 30 mycologists and presenters at the foray. John Plischke III has completed a draft species list from the foray. The list includes the genus, species, and voucher number, when available. Over 300 species were photographed, dried, vouchered, and sent to the Chicago Field Museum for permanent storage where scientists can access the information. This list represents only a few of the fungus at this site that visible on the dates of the foray. The list has been compiled and verified by over 30 of the top mycologists from throughout the country. The list should be considered a starting point for further research. It is submitted with the hope that this will lead to a better understanding of the ecosystem at the site. A number of fungi that have never been reported from the state before were collected and vouchered. This helps expand our knowledge of the fungi that occur in this area of the state. Approximately $6,000 dollars was spent to voucher the fungi.
Upcoming Events In 2012 The North East Mycological Federation (NEMF) foray is coming to Pennsylvania. Several people from the Fungi Technical Committee are working on the event. Details for this foray are still in the works but the tentative dates are August 2-5, 2012 at Stroudsburg University. The NEMF foray is similar in size to the NAMA foray mentioned above so it will be a big event. We expect over 250 people will attend. In addition to these forays, planning is underway for the 2011 and 2012 WPMC foray in Pittsburgh.
Aquatic and Terrestrial Arthropod Technical Committees
Joint report presented by Betsy Leppo, TATC chair, and Jane Earle, AATC chair
22 Entomological Society of Pennsylvania (ESP) Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the ESP is scheduled for October 7-8 at the Camp Bashore Boy Scout Camp in Lebanon County. The meeting will begin at 12 PM on Friday and end around 12 PM on Saturday.
Student presentations and posters are encouraged for the meeting. All student posters will be automatically entered into a competition with the winner being awarded a monetary prize. Students must be enrolled in a collegiate program and must present research material related to entomology. For more information on student awards, please visit http://entsocpa.org/?page_id=34. In addition to the poster session, ESP will offer prizes for Outstanding Student, Young Entomologist, and Outstanding Amateur.
New Pollinator Database
The new Inouye Database is a comprehensive source of almost 10,000 bibliographic citation records for publications gathered over the course of Dr. David W. Inouye’s extensive research on bees, flies, hummingbirds and wildflowers in the U.S. and abroad; and in the context of pollination biology, flowering phenology, plant demography, and plant-animals interactions. The database contains citations from as early as 1793 and in languages other than English (e.g. German): http://www.nbii.gov/inouye/home.html.
Treehopper Website
Submitted by Dr. Matt Wallace
Upgrades have been made to the new treehoppers website. This website provides extensive information on treehoppers, including sound files, photos and references. It has several keys including an interactive key to the genera of the U.S. The website address is: http://treehoppers.insectmuseum.org/public/site/treehoppers/home
New Moth Records
Submitted by Steve Johnson
A new North American record for a Scythrididae moth, Scythris sinensis, was recently documented. Scythrididae are a family of micromoths called ‘flower moths’. The original specimens were caught on 7 July, 2011 by Jesse Babonis in Montour Co. near Danville. Steve Johnson also collected adult and larvae. The caterpillars were found webbing the leaves of Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album).
Jean-François Landry of the Canadian National Collection of Insects has examined over 20,000 scythrids from NA during the past 20 years. He has never seen this species before and believes it is a recent introduction. The species is distributed in Eastern Asia, central Russia, southern Siberia, the Baltic States and the UK. Jean- François plans to barcode the moth and prepare a note to report this discovery. He will be working with Steve Johnson and Jim Vargo.
Steve caught five Acossus centerensis in Tioga Co. near Arnot on June 8, 2011. This is a possibly a new moth record for the state. It is a species of carpenterworm moth that is usually more northern.
Regal Fritillary Report
Submitted by Mark Swartz
The 2010 annual field season report for regal fritillaries (Speyeria idalia) at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Lebanon/Dauphin Counties reported that 925 regals were observed during 2010
23 census routes. The ratio of males to females was 1.47 to 1. There was a 41% increase in numbers, making 2010 the best year in terms of numbers since the regal monitoring program began at FIG. There was a worrisome crash in numbers in 2006, but the population has steadily grown since that year.
Northern Metalmark Colony
Submitted by David Wright
A Northern Metalmark (Calephelis borealis) colony was found to persist in Mifflin County six years after its initial discovery. This small orange butterfly is globally vulnerable butterfly (G3G4 rank). Plentiful ragwort hostplants (Senecio obovatus and Senecio aureus) were found side-by-side on site. There are likely other metalmark colonies in this rugged part of the Ridge and Valley. It's encouraging that forward-thinking folks like the current landowners are working with a local Conservancy have considered conservation in their plans.
Annual Treehopper Gathering
The 19th Annual Treehopper Gathering took place June 3-5, 2011 in Little Orleans, Maryland. The group included workers interested in treehoppers (and other less outrageous insect groups) from across several eastern states of the US, as well as Kansas and even Brazil. Pennsylvania was represented by East Stroudsburg University. Fifty-six treehopper species (23 genera) are recorded from Little Orleans (Bartlett et al. 2008, Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 110: 130-143). [L. L. Deitz]
Entomological Society of Pennsylvania (ESP) Annual Collecting Trip
Submitted by Betsy Leppo
The ESP held its annual collecting trip to Parker Dam State Park and adjacent State Forest areas on June 24-25. The trip was supported by Parker Dam State Park who provided the Cabin Classroom as a gathering area for ESP. New occurrences of the gray comma (butterfly, G5 S3), Melsheimer's sack bearer (moth, G4 S1), and a noctuid moth (Apamea cristata, G4, S2S3) were documented. Additional results are pending from ESP collecting trip participants.
Mollusk Technical Committee
Presented by Mary Walsh, bivalve subcommittee chair, on behalf of Tim Pearce, mollusk chair.
Land Snail Subcommittee
PA Land Snails & Climate Change
Field work continues on WRCF funded study to determine which PA land snails might be susceptible to climate warming. Sampling from 12 replicates at each elevation from 100-900m will allow assessment of species elevation ranges. If certain species occur only on mountaintops and if climate warms, there is no up for the species to migrate so it would likely perish. Similarly, snails only on the northern edge of PA could move to NY with warming climate, but PA would lost them from the state fauna.
Freshwater Snail Subcommittee - No new information
24 Non-unionid Clam Subcommittee - No new information
Bivalve Subcommittee
The Subcommittee met in May 2010.
Mussel Research & Inventory Projects
Mussel projects by committee members include in a large river assessment of the lower Allegheny River and Monongahela Rivers and surveys of the West Branch Susquehanna River and the Lower Susquehanna River Basins. Work on a mussel propagation facility has begun at Cheyney University; caging studies to assess potential mussel relocations in the Delaware River watershed are underway. Surveys in the tidal Delaware River located extensive mussel beds with 5 species. Research on the dwarf wedgemussel’s flow requirements includes lab studies and flow modeling. Field studies are examining the relationship between American eels and eastern Elliptio populations. Other projects include studies of climate change’s influence on mussels, predictive models of mussel biomass, and assessing the functional role of mussels. A study of mussel refuges from zebra and quagga mussels in Lake Erie and tributaries began this summer.
State Rank Updates
Three horned wartyback now is known from a number of sites in the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers. Its status was changed from SX to S2. The pink papershell occurs in three locations in the Allegheny River navigational pools. Its state rank was updated from SNR to S1.
Discussion: What is the PABS rank and what is its purpose? The PABS rank is basically the proposed rank.
No Technical Committee Report Arachnids Technical Committee Collections and Systematics Technical Committee, not active
AGENCY REPORTS
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Presented by Greg Czarnecki on behalf of Sally Just (Director, Office of Conservation Science at DCNR). Sally Just is retiring in two weeks. Rick Allen new secretary of DCNR. Was a founder of the North Branch Lands Trust. Ellen Ferretti, who was most recently Vice President of the PA Environmental Council, has been named the DCNR Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry. Sarah Nicholas (Greg Czarnecki’s predecessor at WRCP), is the new policy director at DCNR. DCNR has an initiative called iConserve (http://iconservepa.org/). Developing series of short videos on global climate change. One part is for the public to get involved in monitoring, e.g. bird sightings An invasive species tutorial online is being updated.
25 Have 15 new people for monitoring Marcellus in DCNR. New foresters, water quality, biologists in Ecological Services.
Department of Environmental Protection
Presented by Dan Bogar, Water Pollution Biologist for DEP-Bureau of Watershed Conservation.
Discussion: Is there a DEP advisory council. How can we get on it? Sue Wilson is the director. PABS should reach out to her to inquire about having a PABS representative on the advisory council. DCNR has an advisory board as well. The board has a designated number of people appointed by governor, senate, and house. Mahan will talk to Steve Robsly (DCNR) and Maret will contact Sue Wilson (DEP) regarding participation in the advisory boards. The directors are employed by the Department, but they are political appointments.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Presented by Bob Morgan on behalf of Chris Urban (PFBC Natural Diversity Section Chief)
Threatened and Endangered Species listings/de-listings
PFBC staff have been working with Pennsylvania Biological Survey (PABS) Technical Committees towards adopting the IUCN listing methodology with taxon specific modifications and a nomination/documentation process of the species in question. The PFBC reviewed and adopted the taxonomic specific criteria for fishes, amphibians and reptiles, and bivalves. In 2009, 5 fish species occurring in the Ohio Basin were removed from the endangered, threatened, and candidate species lists, mostly due to improved quality and recent improvements in deep-water sampling techniques (benthic trawling): Smallmouth Buffalo, River Redhorse, Longnose Gar, Longhead darter, and Channel darter). Also in 2009, 4 freshwater mussels went through the rulemaking process and were formally listed (Salamander Mussel-endangered, Rabbitsfoot-endangered, Snuffbox-endangered, and Sheepnose-threatened). The Rayed Bean (proposed threatened) remains in a study status, as their historic populations undergo further study (Shenango River, Conewango Creek) in 2009-2011. This species is on a parallel track to be listed federally by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Five more species of fish were de-listed (Skipjack herring, Mooneye, Goldeye, Brook Silverside, and Silver Chub).in the spring of 2010. Most recently (2011), three species were listed as endangered: the Northern Redbelly Dace, Northern Cricket frog, and Blue-spotted salamander. A number of species are currently under review for potential listing (Chesepeake Logperch, Eastern Mud Turtle, Round Hickorynut and Pistolgrip mussels, and Acuminatus crayfish) and de-listing (American Brook Lamprey, Ohio Lamprey, Bowfin-under review). We have also recently supported federal listing proposals (endangered) for the rayed bean, snuffbox, and sheepnose mussels.
Also at the fall 2010 Commission meeting, final rulemaking occurred in favor of a prohibition on collection of freshwater mussels and clams.
26 Grants
The State Wildlife Program national allocation was drastically reduced in 2011. Besides the “Assessment of paddlefish reproduction in the Ohio Basin” project (partner California University), the PFBC changed its priority in funding external grants/initiatives, and opted to extend current staff positions (Natural Diversity positions) for the 2010 apportionment. Likewise, in 2011, priority will go to extending funding to biologists in our Habitat Division. Remaining money, if available, will go to funding prioritized and PFBC supported/approved projects (Fish and herpetofauna comprehensive data compilation projects, Habitat Management for endangered reptiles – Eastern Massasauga)
Additional projects that are funded and in the process of initiation: a bog turtle habitat restoration project through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a USFWS aquatic invasive species grant, bog turtle population monitoring in close proximity to development project (a traditional Section 6 grant-year 5), a multi- state Great Lakes Restoration project that deals with identifying freshwater mussel refugia in the Lake Erie drainage basin (multi-state grant-approved), Blanding’s Turtle Conservation and Recovery (multi-state grant).
Timber Rattlesnake Population Study
The second phase of the Commission’s SWG funded Statewide Timber Rattlesnake Site Assessment and Inventory Project was initiated in the spring of 2007, with a focus on finding new den sites (filling data gaps), but also with confirmation and habitat assessment of den/maternity sites, PIT tagging at mark-recapture study sites and organized hunts. This second phase of the study is winding down and is expected to conclude in the winter of 2011. Thus far, more than 1,200 sites have been assessed since 2003 (first phase and second phase of study combined), as well as 1,500+ rattlesnakes have been marked with PIT-tags for population monitoring purposes, and monitored at organized reptile hunts. This has been a remarkable effort mainly driven by trained volunteers (>30,000 hours logged to date). On another aspect of the study aimed at identifying difficult to locate den sites, the PFBC has been working cooperatively with the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) staff by conducting telemetry studies of timber rattlesnakes on the ANF. Likewise, we have been working with DCNR biologists to track snakes (10) in the South Mountain. Phase 3 of the project is to begin in the winter of 2011. This project will focus on monitoring of study sites, habitat management, and development of a conservation management plan.
Natural Diversity Section Staff Activities
Thus far in 2011, approximately 1,500 rare, threatened and endangered species impact reviews were conducted for proposed developments occurring across the Commonwealth. As one would expect, energy projects (oil & gas, pipelines, well pads) continue to dominate our workload.
The Scientific Collector Permit (SCP) interactive website application and reporting tool was recently upgraded to include increased capacity, interactive mapping, and other tweaks to the system.
Natural Diversity Section staff conducted a variety of habitat and presence-inferred absence surveys on a number of endangered, threatened, and candidate listed species, such as the Eastern Massasauga, Bog Turtle, Redbelly Turtle, Eastern Spadefoot, and Timber Rattlesnake.
27 Staff continue to be engaged in the Dunkard Creek pollution investigation. In Dunkard Creek, a significant number of fish, freshwater mussel species, and mudpuppies were killed from a pollution event that spanned 30+ miles of stream in PA and WV. PFBC completed the biological damage assessment for the kill in PA. We continue to work with our legal and law enforcement staff in the ongoing investigation.
The PFBC Strategic Plan. Please see the following link to review the plan or go to the PFBC website under “featured topics”: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/stplan.pdf. Our workgroup is associated with a number of strategic goals regarding listed and AIS species.
Staff recently developed Aquatic Invasive Species Action Plans for the Asian carp complex (silver, bighead, and black carp), Didymo, Golden Algae, Water chestnut, and VHS. Staff have also developed Action Plans for a number of listed species: Eastern Pearlshell Mussel, Bog Turtle, Eastern Spadefoot, Eastern Massasauga, and Timber Rattlesnake. Implementation of these plans is part of the focus of the agency’s strategic plan for the next five years. AIS and T&E Action plans are tied to agency 5-year Strategic Plan. They can also be viewed on our website.
Staff have been involved with the Governer’s Invasive Species Council, and have been working internally with other Fisheries staff on a biosecurity protocol. Bob Morgan, is our lead on giving in-house technical “biosecurity” training for technical/field folks including culturists, law enforcement. We have also recently developed Bob is also working with PA Sea Grant, to develop general agency training for all PFBC staff.
Other Section highlights include: North American Amphibian Monitoring Program in PA; staff trained Waterways Conservation Officer cadets (20th class) on Nongame/rare, threatened and endangered species; the Natural Diversity Section is undergoing a workload analysis of the Species Impact (PNDI) Review program; staff are active with meetings with the Invasive Species Council’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Workgroup, Wild Resource Conservation Fund Advisory Committee, PA Natural Heritage Program, and PA Biological Survey Steering and Technical Committees. Staff also actively participated, had significant involvement with, or gave presentations at meetings with professional societies and organizations.
Please read “An Executive Decision” by PFBC Executive Director, John Arway (http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/people/exec_dir/straight_talk/2011_05_06_execdec.pdf) regarding the sale of water access at PFBC properties and the leasing of natural gas beneath these properties.
The PFBC has been working with the Office of Administration on a number of initiatives, including a “climate” (morale) study, and an organizational structure analysis. Staff workgroups have been established to actively work on morale issues, and the organizational structure analysis has lead to recommendations that are in the process of being implemented. The official organizational structure changes are pending and will take place in the late summer/early fall.
Discussion: A lot of listing and delisting packages in the works. SWG funding has been gutted by congress. There will be no external project funding if it doesn’t get reinstated, PFBC will just try to keep agency positions going. T&E and invasive species action plans on website as part of strategic action plans. Selling water and leasing gas rights on a small scale. Trying to manage development proactively, otherwise industry will use resources regardless without providing compensation or receiving agency input.
28
Pennsylvania Game Commission – Wildlife Diversity Program
Presented by Dan Brauning, PGC Wildlife Diversity Section Chief
Personnel Changes Doug Gross was promoted to Non-game and Endangered Bird Section supervisor; Patti Barber replaced him as endangered bird specialist. Cathy Haffner is our new Wildlife Conservation Coordinator, replacing Lisa Williams, and will be overseeing revisions to the Wildlife Action Plan. Grants Coordinator position is still vacant, but with plans to fill it this fall. Recent Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologist appointments: Clay Lutz (formerly deer program) in SC; Stacy Wolbert (formerly wind program) in NW.
Bald Eagle The Board of Commissioners officially accepted the Bald Eagle Management plan at its April 2011 meeting. Advances include greater engagement of volunteers for monitoring, increased emphasis on public education, and use of the bald eagle as a flagship and umbrella species for conservation of riparian forests and wetlands. Current 2011 active bald eagle nest count is 212.
Peregrine Falcon There were 31 active peregrine nests in 2011; 23 were successful; 52 nestlings were banded at 17 sites. Cranes were provided by PennDOT, PPL, and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to assist bandings at some sites. Three of 5 cliff nest sites were successful, with 7 (3, 3, 1) young banded; 2 cliff nests failed. More than 100 volunteers and about 30 cooperators participate in the peregrine falcon nesting program.
Osprey The citizen-science online survey activated in 2010 resulted in 115 confirmed nest sites. Nests were reported in more than 20 counties, with the top 4 counties accounting for more than 65% of the total. Osprey nests appear to be more strongly associated with manmade bodies of water and manmade structures than are bald eagle nests.
Piping Plover In recovery efforts at Presque Isle State Park, pre-season mowing on critical habitat was completed following approval by USFWS. A piping plover visited Gull Point in late April and in mid-August; partial band information indicated it may have been a female that nested at 2 different Michigan beaches in the last 2 breeding seasons.
Golden-Winged Warbler We completed GWWA “Atlas” monitoring quads, with several new survey points documenting newly discovered populations, including DCNR state forests in Carbon and Sullivan counties and 2 Pike County game lands.
Northern Forest Birds Yellow-bellied flycatcher and blackpoll warbler (both state endangered) were found on territories on a Wyoming County state game land. Swainson’s thrush (WAP vulnerable) also were located in appropriate habitat on state lands. Adults carrying food for young were found at a Luzerne County state park and a Sullivan County state forest; a nest was found in the state forest.
29 Barn Owl Results for 2010: 43 of 62 active nests were in nest boxes (69%), most commonly boxes installed inside barns (42%); 12 of 62 were new sites; 254 nestlings and 3 adult owls were banded at 52 sites; 35 of 49 recently active sites in the Southcentral Region were not checked during 2010 due to a vacancy in the regional diversity biologist position (now filled). In 2011, regional diversity biologists banded 56 barn owl nestlings at 11 sites by the end of May, with many more bandings to come.
Bats/White Nose Syndrome
Diversity Division continues to participate in the multi-state WNS response project and development/implementation of the WNS National Plan. We pursue multiple agency studies and collaborative projects with in-state and out-of-state partners. In March 2011, we attended a meeting of the NE, SE & Midwest bat working groups in Louisville KY, providing a presentation, developed with NY and VT, designed to facilitate discussion of state listing of cave bat species and potential results in the form of limitations and regulations. In May, WDD staff provided presentations on a spore retention study and the use of UV light in diagnosis of WNS at the national symposium.
Sixteen states and 4 Canadian provinces have confirmed WNS; 3 additional states have sites where G. destructans has been found but infection has not been confirmed in bats. PA had 35 confirmed WNS sites in 14 counties by the end of winter 2010-2011; visual evidence of WNS was found at hibernacula in 7 additional counties not lab-confirmed. Of the 35 confirmed sites, 11 had interior count data from before WNS and at least 1 full year of data after its arrival. Rates of decline for little brown bats, northern long-eared bats and tricolored bats were greater than 90% at those 11 sites. Small-footed bats (state threatened) decreased by 20%. Big brown bats decreased by 40%. In PA, the federally/state endangered Indiana bat occurs in very low numbers at only a few sites that have been sampled post-WNS. Using combined data from PA, VT, NY, WV and VA for Indiana bat hibernacula with 2 years of WNS infection, the average decline for Indiana bats was 72%. Using data from 42 WNS hibernacula across those 5 states, the decline for all 6 species of cave bats combined was 88%; for individual species: small-footed bat 12%, big brown bat 41%, tricolored bat 75%, little brown bat 91%, and northern long-eared bat 98%. Adopting USFWS recommendations, PGC limited entry into bat hibernacula during winter 2010-2011 to reduce disturbance stress to bats surviving WNS. In spring/summer 2011, counts of 8 maternity colonies linked to a known WNS hibernaculum declined by 79-99% compared to 2009 numbers, both before and after young of the year were capable of flight. Other summer colonies sampled by PGC staff suffered similar declines.
Other Bat Research WDD staff captured 9 northern long-eared bats in mature upland forest in Lycoming Co, 4 were lactating females, indicating reproduction. Contractor surveys for Marcellus shale development indicated the area is core habitat for the species. WDD staff are using mist-netting and acoustic monitoring to identify optimal sites for continued sampling over years to track population trends. In late May 2011, a female silver-haired bat was captured and radio-tagged in Lycoming County by a bat survey contractor, then lost; a PGC aerial search to relocate the bat was unsuccessful. The capture site was 20 miles from a Tioga County site where a different contractor captured a lactating female in 2007 and tracked it to Pennsylvania’s only identified silver-haired bat maternity roost.
30 Allegheny Woodrat Biologist aides surveyed 3 previously known Allegheny woodrat sites. Good sign was found at 2 sites: a southern Huntingdon County state game land (SGL) and private property in the Lewistown Narrows, Mifflin County. Old sign and rattlesnakes were found at a second Mifflin County site bordering an SGL. Staff from the PGC bureaus of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Habitat Management and DCNR Bureau of Forestry met with a consultant for a Marcellus shale developer to field-review a proposed Allegheny woodrat mitigation site in a Lycoming County state forest. Mitigation will include a management inventory and implementation to improve woodrat food production based on methods developed for the 2009 workshops funded by the federal State Wildlife Grants Program.
Northern Flying Squirrel Thanks to help from the PGC NE Region, 1,500 red spruces were planted in habitat on a Luzerne County SGL with an active NFS population. Targeted areas were in core habitat as well as supporting habitat intended to provide corridors to other suitable habitat in the area. Once established, the spruces should improve food availability, increase core habitat, and potentially increase gene flow. Another 500 native red spruces were planted in Warren County state park bordering SGL; DCNR staff and a volunteer participated in planting.
Outreach Citizen volunteers monitor/report bald eagle, peregrine, osprey, colonial waterbirds, and many other bird species through online surveys and in response to requests distributed through PA eBird, the PSO newsletter, PA Birds Listserve notices and PGC news releases. Volunteers also survey bat summer maternity colonies and report unusual bat activity through the agency website. In addition to WNS presentations described above, WDD staff presented at 10 public and professional meetings, contributed to at least 6 newspaper and magazine articles and 10 PGC news releases, wrote PA eBird articles and PSO newsletter columns, recorded radio spots on SGCN, and answered many questions received through the agency’s GM Comments option. Coverage of peregrine falcon bandings generated much positive media coverage, including live TV and stories broadcast on evening news, as well as newspaper articles.
Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologists During the first 5 months of 2011, RWDBs completed ~35 Private Landowner Assistance Program habitat management plans for 5,000 acres. They also contributed to comprehensive planning for SGCN on SGLs. The former NC RWDB located and recorded coordinates for 111 vernal pools on a single game land. RWDBs also provided more than 20 presentations with a total audience over 750 members of the public.
State Wildlife Grants The FY2011 SWG appropriation was 30% percent lower than in recent years, but significant considering the FY2011 Continuing Resolution as originally proposed by the House of Representatives included no funds for SWG. Future funding for SWG is uncertain, and continued expressions of support to members of congress are appreciated.
Discussion: At a staff level, fair amount of change in wildlife diversity section. Same people there, shuffle in positions. One new hire for the grants coordinator to do what Patty used to do. At an agency level, Bill is getting ready to hire 2-3 internal biologist positions for the next version of the conservation planning project. More GIS work with element occurrences. Picks up what was finished several years ago with State Wildlife Projects. Depends on if there is a hiring freeze in place. Limited term positions in Harrisburg.
31 Advise students & others seeking this sort of work to get on the civil service list for as many positions as seem potentially relevant. Would help if PGC gave guidelines on what terminology to use on the application in order to be eligible for these positions. Brauning will work with Firestone to make a list of what categories are usually used for these positions, e.g., water pollution biologist, ecological program specialist, natural resource specialist.
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
Presented by Greg Podniesinski, PNHP Program Manager
Program-wide Activity
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program greatly improved the accessibility and utility of the County Natural Heritage Inventory (CNHI) reports by converting them into a web-based seamless statewide GIS map (http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/cnhi/cnhi.htm). Brief polygon descriptions are available by moving the cursor over the polygon of interest, while clicking on a polygon will link to the detailed county inventory site description. Since the deployment of the tool in late February 2011 through June 30 2011, the site has been accessed 3,820 times. Users are from 13 countries, 44 states, with the top states being Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Texas. User comments have been mostly positive. The layer was updated in August, including new data for the recently completed Indiana County Natural Heritage Inventory (http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/CNAI_PDFs/Indiana_CNHI_Report_2011_WEB.pdf), and the County Inventory update for Pike County (http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/CNAI_PDFs/Pike%20CHNI%20Update%202011%20web.pdf).
Draft CNHI update reports are in review for Butler and Delaware Counties and de novo reports for Jefferson and Cameron counties have also been distributed for review.
The HGIS online screening tool was used for 53,489 searches in 2010, an all-time high and the first year the total number of searches exceeded 50,000. The increased activity was presumably due to Marcellus shale gas development, given the general decrease in housing and commercial building activity.
The PNHP has published the first three issues of its updated online quarterly newsletter “Wild Heritage News” in the first half of 2011 (http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/News.aspx#issue2). The August issue was posted just this week. The updated format includes longer articles on several projects each issue and updates on the program activity along with graphics and photos.
The PNHP has completed climate change vulnerability assessments for 85 species of plants and animals using a methodology developed by NatureServe and revised based on pilot study work by PNHP (http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/CCVI.aspx).
Zoology
Freshwater mussel surveys continued this summer on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and on the Lower Susquehanna River. Staff zoologists will also be participating in mussel surveys in Lake Erie and some of its bays.
32 Surveys for the mountain chorus frog focused on Southwestern PA at historic locations and promising habitat only yielded one new location.
Staff zoologists conducted surveys for the northern water shrew and mist netted for bats on State Forest Lands. Northern water shrews are of particular interest as potential indicator of stream health in the Marcellus region and it’s potential sensitivity to climate change impacts.
Botany/Ecology
PNHP ecologists started a limestone flora project this spring, beginning with a summit of botanists to assess the relative fidelity of PA plant species to broad pH categories. Field assessments are now underway on limestone influenced sites in southwestern and central PA.
PNHP has been actively updating older plant and animal records on Bureau of Forestry lands in the Marcellus Shale region, with the greatest focus on Susquehannock, Loyalsock, Forbes, Cornplanter and Delaware State Forests. Work will continue through the end of the 2012 field season and will also include surveys in areas I need of de novo inventory.
Information Management
PNHP data management and zoology staff are developing a database for tracking aquatic invasive species. PNHP will work with the New York Natural Heritage Program to implement a PA-node of the iMapInvasives database platform. Eventually, PNHP is planning to use this platform to track terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.
No Report - Agencies Department of Agriculture
MEMBER-AT-LARGE REPORTS
Audubon Pennsylvania
Presented by Kim Van Fleet
Atlantic Flyway Initiative
Audubon PA IBA staff continues to contribute to the Atlantic Flyway Initiative (AFI) which focuses on conservation planning and actions related to habitats associated with forests, grasslands and wetlands. This effort identifies priority species, habitats and conservation strategies along the Atlantic Migratory Flyway, will address climate change adaptation and mitigation, supports bird, wildlife and human communities and complement other regional initiatives of Audubon.
Southeastern Pennsylvania
Philadelphia - Keith Russell
33 Concluded a 3 year bird collision study monitoring a 3.5 block section of downtown Philly this spring. Monitoring occurred 7 days a week (5:30 through 8 am) from mid-August through the end of October (fall) and early April through the end of May (spring). We found approximately 1000 collisions a year occurring in the study area.
Also working at Temple University on testing solutions for collisions and based on some monitoring we also did there. It was estimated that the collision rate on the Temple campus is even greater than in the downtown study area. This is due to the larger number of trees at Temple’s main campus in North Philly. We also determined by examining the roofs of tall buildings that contrary to what has been believed collisions do occur all over tall buildings and not just mainly at the first two floors.
We found that collisions appear to occur 24 hours a day in Philly although most occur at night and up to two hours after dawn. We found lots of dead birds at night that had already been dead for hours when we encountered them and we sometimes saw them flying around then too. Although many species are involved a set of species seem to dominate the list of birds found every year including ovenbird, common yellowthroat, hermit thrush and white-throated sparrow. A total of 55 species were recorded over the 3 years; of which 80% were dead while 20% were injured birds. Glass is the key factor in these collisions. Ambient lights contribute at night by making reflective glass surfaces visible to birds and interior building lights contribute by illuminating building interiors making birds want to go inside.
Fairmount Park – Keith Russell
We are doing 3 habitat restoration projects in Farimount Park using stimulus funds from the Forest Service. The largest project is a 50 acres meadow/grassland restoration. The area being restored attracted a large variety of interesting species as breeders including Blue-winger Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, American Woodcock, etc. until the 1970s. We removed hundreds of trees last winter and are now reseeding little bluestem grass and adding many other native shrubs and plants. After tree removal this summer we found 3 chats, Blue Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird, Willow Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole – all new species or old species that have now returned after an absence of 20+ years. Other new species that appeared last year when we first installed nest boxes are Tree Swallow and Eastern Bluebird. We are trying ot increase existing remnant populations of thrasher, Field sparrow, Black-billed Cuckoo etc. It is a really great area and the results have been very encouraging. The park is also removing Norway maples from high priority areas and replanting natives (30% oak), and working on another smaller meadow restoration.
Middlecreek WMA IBS – Brian Byrnes
The Middlecreek Conservation Initiative (MCI) is helping to protect vital bird habitat, improve bird monitoring in the region, and engage local citizens and organizations in the ongoing stewardship of this waterfowl stopover site. Audubon staff were greatly involved in the development and completion of the strategic plan for the Middlecreek Conservation Initiative. The plan covers a full range of possible conservation actions and a proposed action plan for the next two years that will benefit both the migratory waterfowl that utilize this site and its surrounding environments as well as local landowners.
Brian also worked with George Gress (Project Manager of the Acopian Preserve and PA Fire Specialist with The Nature Conservancy) in completing aerial photography of the project area and captured – on camera – the
34 Tundra swans during their stopover in the Lebanon Valley. This information will be added to the action plan as it is finalized. The Executive Summary of this plan will be posted on the Conservancy website in May.
Central Pennsylvania
Allegheny Front, Greater Tussey Mountain and Bald Eagle Ridge IBAs – Kim Van Fleet
Conducted cerulean warbler surveys along the Allegheny Front in Bedford, Somerset and Blair Counties (spring and summer 2011) and spring and fall raptor migration surveys at sites located in Bedford and Blair Counties (fall 2010 and spring 2011). Others involved in both studies include Cory Ritter, Francesca Massarotto and Chris Payne (Student Conservation Association interns), and members of Juniata Valley and Allegheny Plateau Audubon (which has taken on the Tussey Mountain site) Societies, and the Bedford Bird Club. Impressive numbers of cerulean warblers were found at additional locations this year including an expansion of efforts on Altoona Water Authority lands and SGL 198. Early results from raptor migration surveys indicate that both Tussey Mountain (Bedford Co.) and Dunning mountain (a lower extension of Bald Eagle ridge in Bedford and Blair Co.) support substantial numbers of migrating golden and bald eagles during both spring and fall.
Kiwanis Lake IBA – Gwen Lehman
This past spring Gwen Lehman, Project Assistant and other Audubon staff worked in conjunction with students and faculty from Hannah Penn Middle School (York City School District), 4-H, York Audubon Society, Penn State Extension and Master Gardeners of York on two projects located on and adjacent to the school grounds. We expanded the rain garden project which was initiated last year to catch the runoff from the school parking lot before entering Poor-house Run and planted 12 large native trees suited to floodplain habitat along Poor- house Run in Memorial Park. On August 12, 2011 Audubon staff and local volunteers numbering 70 people conducted a clean-up along Willis Run in Noonin Park immediately adjacent to Kiwanis Lake.
Northwestern Pennsylvania
Piping Plover Monitoring Project, Presque Isle IBA – Sarah Sargent
Audubon Pennsylvania conducted its second piping plover monitoring training in April and continued with our second year of piping plover monitoring at Presque Isle State Park in Erie County. Audubon staff and or volunteers conducted surveys six days a week through April and may. Efforts paid off this spring when monitors spotted a piping plover on April 26, 2011. The banded bird was identified as a female that had been born in Michigan in 2007. Prior to this siting the last time a piping plover was seen at Presque Isle was May 4, 2009 at Gull Point. In addition Audubon Pennsylvania and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy are working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission on a two year project to restore piping plover habitat through monies received by the PGC through the federal Endangered Species Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants Program.
Bird banding Presque Isle and surrounding areas
The Presque Isle Bird banding station has expanded to several other locations during different days of the week to include Fry’s Landing, Niagara Boat Launch, Fry’s Landing and Erie Bluffs. Audubon staff and student
35 interns operated the banding station 6 days a week and hosted a number of individuals and group visitors. Spring totals include the following highlights: Total number of birds banded: 899 Total number of recaptured birds: 56 Total number of days in the field: 17
Here are our top 10 in terms of individuals caught: 221 white-throated sparrow, 86 gray catbird, 60 yellow warbler, 45 myrtle warbler, 43 blue jay, 41 palm warbler (western), 32 common yellowthroat, 28 dark-eyed junco, 25 magnolia warbler and 21 white-crowned sparrow.
Academy of Natural Sciences
Presented by Jon Gelhaus, Curator of Entomology
The Academy of Natural Sciences entered into agreement with Drexel University. The Academy will become part of the University, which is located center city Philadelphia. Drexel is very interested in having academy expertise in organisms and environmental biology. Many curators will teach and have students in addition to other duties. Drexel is a big institution with an ~500 million endowment versus the ANS endowment of ~50 million. This move brings financial stability for the Academy. Curatorial ranks have dropped considerably…over the past 20 years they dropped from 14 to 6 systematic curators. This decision was just announced in June. As new curriculum is developed, there will be opportunities to hire additional staff to fit what is needed in terms of curriculum and collections.
The ANS report from the last meeting covers most ongoing projects at the Academy, see the February 11, 2011 TaxonTimes for details. The Patrick Center is still involved in some Marcellus Shale research.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Presented by Bonnie Isaac, Collection Manager, Section of Botany, CMNH.
CMNH recently posted a job for a herpetologist, they hope to fill it by January. Job is posted until end of October.
Federal Wildlife Funding / State Wildlife Action Plans
Discussion led by Dave Day and Dan Brauning
There was a big battle over State Wildlife Grant funding. The funding was initially zeroed out. There was 90 million just 2 years ago. With a lot of support, the funding was reinstated to 49 million. This year funding was proposed at 22 million. However, the interior appropriation draft budget was rescinded after the debt reduction debate. Now they are starting over and level of SWG funding is unknown. Good to have NGOs participate in the on day ‘fly-in’ effort. Its’ a very positive interaction with legislators and staffers. The Teaming with Wildlife Fly-In is a one-day visit to Washington DC, typically in late February / early March, to meet with Congressional delegates to promote wildlife funding. Within 2 years or less we’ll need to start revising the State Wildlife Action Plan. New plan by 2015.
36 Lisa Williams was reporting on wildlife grants, but Dave Day from PFBC or Cathy Haffner from PGC are more involved with this now.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Report provided by Laurie Goodrich, Senior Monitoring Biologist
Hawk Mountain has launched a new website, www.hawkmountain.org, as of August 15th. New features include Raptorpedia, a source of raptor questions and answers, and Recent Sightings page that will include journal notes regarding recent happenings with wildlife and the forest.
We hosted more than 72,000 visitors and 8,000 school children in 2010 and continue to upgrade our educational program content on raptors. We plan on using the website to provide links for further learning for adults and children. We have a teacher manual, coloring books on raptors and vultures, and powerpoints for in-class use.
Conservation science staff, volunteers and interns conducted spring and autumn migration counts, monitored breeding and wintering birds on-site, conducted research on nesting American Kestrels and on Turkey Vulture migration ecology. The website also has links to satellite tracks of tagged vultures from across the continent. Both Black and Turkey vultures have been tagged with wing tags and Hawk Mt seeks reports of sightings of tagged birds, including the date, time, behavior, location of the bird. Tags are numbered individually so each bird can be identified.
Wild Resource Conservation Fund
Presented by Greg Czarnecki, WRCP Director
Invites everyone to visit the WRCP website and register for Keystone Wild! Notes newsletter. Go to http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp/, click on ‘Keystone Wild Notes’, then click on ‘Subscribe’. When it was a printed publication, there were 30,000 subscriptions. When newsletter went online, subscriptions dropped to 5,000. Want to boost those numbers. The newsletter is better than ever with multimedia articles. In the summer issue, Czarnecki wrote an article titled ‘PA Biological Survey – Biodiversity’s Dream Team!” The issue is available online at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp/wildnotes/summer11/summer11.pdf. Working on making WRCP-funded reports available online. Already built database, but didn’t have enough money to populate it. With new oil & gas funds, hoping to have it revamped and complete, available, searchable. Thirty years of reports. Want to allow outside researchers to put their research into the database. Would like PABS to help flesh that part out, define what should be included. Data sensitive material in reports: Have the sensitive species list. Will not provide reports beyond executive summary for reports with sensitive species. People will have to contact WRCP for those reports, and WRCP will bump permission for distribution of those reports to the appropriate jurisdictional agency. Next WRCP festival will be held in Pittsburgh. Will have fishing and electrofishing demos along with other activities. WRCP would like to host or co-host a symposium. Could be used as a kick-off for the revision of the State Wildlife Action Plan.
37 No Member-at-Large Report Box Scores The Nature Conservancy Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS (non-voting)
Climate Change Adaptation Standing Committee
Pennsylvania Global Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Presented by Greg Czarnecki, Wild Resource Conservation Program
Climate change adaptation plan for Pennsylvania. Act 70 in 2008 mandated an adaptive action plan for PA to address global climate change. Four aspects: 1) Outdoor recreation (Tim Shaffer Fish & Boat), 2) Health, 3) Infrastructure (Penn Dot), and 4) Natural Resources (Nels Johnson and Sally Just).
The plan “Pennsylvania Climate Adaptation Planning Report: Risks and Practical Recommendations” was completed January 2011 and is available online at: http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document- 82988/7000-RE-DEP4303%20combined%20report.pdf.
The Natural Resources group was broken into three parts: monitoring (not off the ground yet), vulnerable species and habitats, and communications and outreach. It is important that PABS is part of this natural resources group. Jane Earle will be our official person there. Meetings of group/subgroup open to anyone. Nels Johnson and Greg Czarnecki will host the effort. Group has recognized that we are part of something much bigger, a regional/national effort. It will hopefully move ahead on its own.
National Climate Change Initiatives
Presented by David Day - PA Fish and Boat Commission.
Last fall the NE Association of Fish & Wildlife assigned a working group to get together with existing committees to develop white papers on how climate change can be incorporated into those committees. That workgroup is just getting started.
Another effort is the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. See the factsheet handout available online at http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/New_Strategy_Factsheet.pdf. Need a national strategy for the U.S. Four tech committees: grasslands, forests, coastal-marine, and inland waters. Day is involved with the inland waters team. Had three face to face meetings with this group of 90 on the entire team. Want nation-wide participation. Submitted a draft chapter with final revision last Monday. This will go through review by NAFWA F&W associated agencies, then will go to public review and regional meetings. Public comment period roughly Dec-Jan-Feb. May be a good time to go into more detail. Check the website and feel free to comment. Roll-out May of 2012. Other global climate change national efforts, but this is the only one addressing fish, wildlife, and plants. Visit the website http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/ for more info.
38 Community Classification Standing Committee
Report provided in absentia by Ephraim Zimmerman, Ecological Services Coordinator, Western PA Conservancy.
While the Committee has not met in the past quarter, PNHP has continued to make progress on the wetland portion of the PA Plant Community Classification update (update to Terrestrial and Palustrine Plant Communities of PA, Fike, 1999). This publication is no longer in print and PNHP will be moving all plant community descriptions to a web-based application. Revising the wetland portion of the classification was made possible through funding from the EPA (Region 3 Wetland Development Program Grants) and DCNR Wild Resources Conservation Program. In addition, Ann Rhoads and other members of the PABS Standing Committee made contributions to the community types. The committee will be reviewing the community descriptions and plant lists in the next two months and the classification will be live, hosted on the PNHP website, in the Fall of 2011. With the wetland plant communities of Pennsylvania complete, PNHP and the PABS Community Classification Committee will be turning their attention to adding to and refining the terrestrial communities found in the state.
As part of this effort, a new project to investigate limestone habitats was undertaken by PNHP and included several of the state’s recognized botany experts. Through this project, PNHP intends to refine terrestrial community types influenced by limestone bedrock and learn more about their distribution and quality across the state. An important aspect of this work has also been the assigning of affinity rankings for plant species, much like the system used to determine wetland status (e.g. obligate, facultative).
Discussion: PNHP worked with NatureServe for a standard classification. Completed habitat mapping for all NE states as part of Doris Duke grant. Now have common GIS coverage for 13 states available for download on RCNgrants.org (regional conservation needs). See heritage newsletter. There is a terrestrial classification and an aquatic one that was completed some years ago.
No Report – Standing Committees Environmental Education, not active
OLD BUSINESS
Workshop / Symposium / Webinar Ideas In June or October of next year, PGC wants to sponsor a workshop on conservation planning/status of knowledge of wildlife, birds and mammals. Audience: conservation decision makers from county planners, academics, land managers. Partnering with PABS a possibility. WRCP is also interested in hosting some sort of workshop, maybe research related, to address threats. Can we combine these into two day conference? Will be addressing many of the same people. Is there interest in a webinar on species of special concern (terrestrial vertebrates)? Idea is that webinars would build upon the release of the book. Could hold a symposium hosted by PGC/WRCP with access to webinars as follow-up? Do people just go to a webinar? Cornell and Forestry have a hundred people signing up for Marcellus and other webinars. It is a live presentation and you can record to view later. Can build a class upon a series of webinars. Would we need money to develop a webinar series? Or can we incorporate this as part of an extension program? Making webinars is not very expensive, but it takes people
39 It sounds like the PGC/WRCP ideas are more likely to get off the ground this year, so we should focus on this. Do we need a subcommittee to look into this? If the PGC prospectus gets approved they will move forward aggressively. Brauning and Czarnecki will correspond and see if ideas converge. Brauning will share PGC prospectus by this fall.
Marcellus Position Letters The impact fee recommendation came out of commissioner reports. Impact fees are applied to the transport of goods and supplies, versus a targeted gas extraction fee. What should PABS do at this point? The Arway initiative hasn’t gone anywhere, there is no bill linked to it. PABS postponed writing a statement regarding additional Marcellus leasing on state forest lands since the Governor has made no indication that he wants to open more state forest lands in the short term. But the BOF is preparing for this in the event it happens. Industry is currently busy developing what has already been leased. PABS did issue a position statement on how a tax should be used. But we haven’t issued a statement since Corbett became Governor. Action: Mahan will write a letter to Corbett supporting the Arway and Roe comments. Talking with Boulware, sounds like in order to have a seat of the table, may need to be members. Do we want to be a member of the coalition so we can be represented?
NEW BUSINESS
Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission Report The PA Environmental Digest is a great way to find out what is going on. See handouts: “Envir. Groups on Marcellus Commission Call Report Meaningful first step, more needed” “PA Environmental Council, CBF Propose Changes to Marcellus Shale Drilling Laws” Currently proposing $17,000 for site. For a hazardous response it costs $1,500 just to get to the site. $17,000 will not touch the expenses of one hazmat company going to a spill. How should PABS respond? Much is lacking in the recent report, this report doesn’t do anything for biodiversity. No information, data, conclusions. Report lacking in collaboration. Fish & Boat and Game Commission not even a part of the initial coalition. Only one PFBC recommendation in a policy table. No PGC recommendations. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Environmental Council has an initiative. Does PABS want to write a letter of support for this? Read closely and make sure we really support all 50 proposed amendments. Can put our concerns in a letter that biodiversity didn’t get needed attention. Transmission lines hardly mentioned. Wildlife needs to be a priority, we need assistance with site access. Report didn’t address biodiversity, it should be a priority. We need to do our own studies and put together a white paper with respect to recommendations. What is critical habitat? Need a definition. Action: Motion that Hassinger and Mahan will prepare a letter to acknowledge the report. Will highlight the lack of attention to biodiversity and lack of next steps. Send PABS letter then send press release. Motion seconded and majority approved. Note: Individuals can submit any comments they want. But if making comments as a Technical Committee, make sure the PABS President gets a copy. Marcellus development could cause PA to lose forest certification. Forest managed as ‘high conservation value’ can’t be degraded through gas development. Marcellus could impact whether BOF keeps its green certification. This has an economic impact on timber value. Through the Marcellus meetings, the new
40 http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_004055.pdf
NEXT MEETING Mahan: Motion to adjourn, Isaac seconded, unanimous approval. Meeting concluded 4:34 PM Winter 2011 meeting to be determined (somewhere in/near Harrisburg)
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