PA Trout Spring 2015
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Spring 2015 Publication of the Pa. Council of Trout Unlimited www.patrout.org Range of activities on tap for National TU meeting in Scranton By Charlie Charlesworth National Meeting Chair Many of you who have expressed inter- est in coming to Trout Unlimited’s Annual Meeting in Scranton from Sept. 16-20 have asked the same question, “Will there be activities for my spouse to take part in while I am busy attending break-out ses- sions or meetings?” NPR Stateimpact PA Photo An unplugged oil well in Tamarack Swamp, Warren County, results in an oily film It would probably be best if my wife on the water’s surface. addresses that issue. Rosangela says: “Last year, National TU conducted the greatest spouses’ tour and In search of abandoned wells activities in Santa Fe (NM). I am a fisher- By Genevieve Elsworth Titusville by Edwin Drake. Working for man and a member of TU, but I elected PSU Earth and Environmental Systems Institute the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company in to forgo the meetings and go on the tour search of petroleum as an alternative to with a fantastic group of ladies. I told my Pennsylvania has a nearly 150-year his- rare and expensive whale oil, Drake’s first husband that he was going to have to come tory of oil and gas development, beginning productive oil well extended 69 feet below up with something very special to outdo in 1859 with the first oil well drilled in See WELLS, page 3 what was done last year.” Well it certainly looks like Nancy Brad- ley and National TU have done just that. PATU award nominations due July 31 Friday and Saturday tours and shopping The Pennsylvania Council of Trout Oct. 3, 2015. will brighten the trip for those who take the Unlimited will present its annual awards There is a huge amount of extraordinary spouses’ tour. I can’t elaborate on every- during the fall meeting at the Shavers Creek work being accomplished by PATU thing because some things have not been Community Building in Petersburg, PA on See AWARDS, page 10 See MEETING, page 5 IN THIS ISSUE Coldwater Heritage Partnership Grants ...............2 Treasurer’s Report................................................10 Headwaters .............................................................4 Merchandise Order Form .....................................12 EXCOM Minutes ......................................................8 Chapter Reports ...................................................14 CHP announces grant awards The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is the Rock Run wa- pleased to announce that over $58,000 tershed, Lycoming in grants have been awarded to local County that may be organizations to protect and conserve PA COUNCIL OF used to secure addi- TROUT UNLIMITED Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams. The tional funding for the PO Box 5148 Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a collab- restoration projects Bellefonte, PA orative effort between the PA Department to enhance the native 16823 of Conservation and Natural Resources, brook trout fishery. Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition of PRESIDENT -- Brian Wagner PA Fish and Boat Commission and PA 137 South New Street Abandoned Mine Reclamation Nazareth, PA 18064 Council of Trout Unlimited. $5,000 to complete an assessment of Phone: 484-894-8289 The purpose of the program is to provide natural trout populations and potential E-mail: [email protected] leadership, coordination, technical assis- AMD and AML impacts to the Laurel VICE PRESIDENT -- tance, and funding support for the conser- Run, Luzerne County, a tributary in Charlie Charlesworth vation and protection of Pennsylvania’s the Mill Creek watershed. 200 Camins Parkway coldwater streams. The program awards Implementation Grants Clarks Summit, PA 18411 planning and implementation grants to Heritage Conservancy Phone: 570-586-3363 conservation organizations in an effort E-mail: [email protected] . $6,923 to improve the habitat quality to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s VICE PRESIDENT -- Greg Malaska coldwater resources. and stream buffer along the Cooks 218 W. 13th St. The planning grant is awarded to organi- Creek, Bucks County. Jim Thorpe, PA 16229 Trout Unlimited, Eastern Abandoned Phone: 570-657-7169 zations to create a coldwater conservation plan that evaluates the biological, physi- Mine Program E-mail: [email protected] . cal, and chemical features of the stream $4,000 to stabilize 500-600 feet of TREASURER -- George Kutskel eroding streambank and enhance habi- 107 Simmons Street or watershed to identify potential threats, DuBois, PA 15801 impacts, and opportunities and compile tat through the placement of multiple Phone: 814-371-9290 recommendations for future protection. PFBC-approved habitat structures on E-mail: [email protected] The implementation grant is awarded to the Chase Estate property in the Potts SECRETARY -- Bob Pennell organizations to complete projects listed as Run watershed, Clearfield County. 2319 Valley Road recommendations in Coldwater Conserva- Wildlands Conservancy Harrisburg, PA 17104 tion Plans or similar documents. Potential . $7,000 to implement stream restora- Phone: 717-236-1360 tion recommendations along high E-mail: [email protected] projects must conserve, protect, or enhance the resources. priority reaches in Coplay Creek, PA TROUT EDITOR & DESIGNER -- Grants have been awarded to the follow- Lehigh County. Brad Isles Monocacy Chapter of Trout Unlimited P.O. Box 23 ing organizations: . Grove City, PA 16127 Planning Grants $7,000 to restore Monocacy Creek, Phone: 724-967-2832 Natural Lands Trust, Inc. Northampton County through dam E-mail: [email protected] . $5,000 to create a collaborative and removal as recommended in the PA TROUT ADVERTISING -- comprehensive plan in an effort to Monocacy Creek Management Plan. Charlie Charlesworth understand and protect Shade Creek, Lackawanna Valley Chapter of Trout 200 Camins Parkway Luzerne County. Unlimited Clarks Summit, PA 18411 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy . $7,000 to complete instream habitat, Phone: 570-586-3363 shade tree plantings, bank stabiliza- E-mail: [email protected] . $4,300 to develop a Coldwater Con- servation Plan for the East Branch Tio- tion, riparian buffer improvement and WEB EDITOR -- Bob Pennell knotweed eradication on the Lackawa- 2319 Valley Road nesta Creek, McKean County to aid Harrisburg, PA 17104 regulatory agencies, local residents, nna River, Lackawanna County. Phone: 717-236-1360 and conservation groups in a more Penns Valley Conservation Association E-mail: [email protected] informed manner in the management . $7,000 to complete 20 fish habitat and of the resource. streambank stabilization structures, COPYRIGHT 2015 Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlim- and establish a 2.5 acre forested buf- Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited ited fer of 400 native trees and shrubs No portion may be reproduced without permission. $5,000 to develop a comprehensive in Muddy Creek, Centre County, a Coldwater Conservation Plan for tributary to Penns Creek. 2 PA TROUT ... Spring 2015 www.patrout.org WELLS of undocumented wells verified by the PA from page 1 Department of Environmental Protection PA COUNCIL Abandoned and Orphan Well Program, the OF TROUT the surface and produced between eight government agency responsible for docu- and 10 barrels of crude oil daily. Since this menting and plugging abandoned oil and UNLIMITED first successful attempt at oil extraction, gas wells, are substantially lower with only 2015 COMMITTEES Pennsylvania has experienced an explosion approximately 12,000 wells located. The proportion of these undocumented oil and Awards -- Ed O’Gorman in oil and gas development. 1220 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, PA This industrial development proceeded gas wells that are unplugged is relatively 17018 unfettered for nearly 100 years, until the unknown. 717-580-3186 / [email protected] passage of legislation required permitting Unplugged or improperly plugged oil Coldwater Heritage Partnership Admin. to drill through coal seams in 1956 and and gas wells can negatively impact the 450 Robinson Lane, Bellefonte, PA 16823 environment. These wells can act as a 814-359-5233 / permitting to drill all wells in 1963. Regu- [email protected] conduit for the migration of natural gas, lation of oil and gas wells that had been Coldwater Heritage Partnership TU Delegate abandoned by responsible operators was oil, or brine to the surface, potentially Ken Undercoffer not established until 1985, with the pas- contaminating surface waters or subsur- 1510 Village Rd., Clearfield, PA 16830 sage of the Oil and Gas Act of 1984, which face freshwater aquifers. Additionally, 814-765-1035 / [email protected] required operators to plug nonproducing the emission of greenhouse gases, such Communications -- Brad Isles wells and established the Abandoned and as methane, to the atmosphere from such PO Box 23, Grove City, PA 16127 724-967-2832 / [email protected] Orphan Well Program to plug wells aban- wells contributes to air quality degradation. To mitigate these harmful environmental Delaware River -- Lee Hartman doned before 1985. Additionally, this leg- 4978 Hancock Hwy., Equinunk, PA 18417 islation established the distinction between effects, it is important to locate and docu- 570-224-6371 / [email protected] abandoned and orphan wells. ment abandoned and orphan oil and gas Development -- George Kutskel Although both terms describe nonpro- wells. Many of these undocumented aban- 107 Simmons St., DuBois, PA 15801 ducing oil and gas wells, an abandoned doned wells