Summer 2018 Publication of the Pa. Council of Trout Unlimited www.patrout.org Annual Membership Meeting set for Sept. 8 PA Council’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the Pennsylvania Fish & See page 10 for more information and Boat Commission’s Centre Regional Office in Bellefonte, PA. registration for the PATU Annual This event promises to offer a variety of activities and learning Membership Meeting at PFBC’s Centre opportunities for chapter officers and members alike. Annual Regional Office in Bellefonte. awards will be presented and the election of PA Council Officers Deadline to register is Monday, Aug. 27. See MEETING, page 11 Trout Unlimited plays key role in Unassessed Waters Initiative By David Kinney TU Eastern Policy Director Not long ago, Trout Unlimited vol- unteers and other groups representing sportsmen and women beat back a legis- Contributed Photo A key part of the Pennsylvania Brook Trout Odyssey was research conducted on lative proposal that would have made it the commonwealth’s state fish. more difficult for Pennsylvania to build a comprehensive list of wild trout streams Odyssey offers glimpse of deserving conservation. Now, that success is translating into important on-the-ground protections. challenges facing brook trout Over just the past two years, Pennsyl- By Matteo Moretti geeks were presented with the opportunity vania has protected nearly 1,000 new wild to create a life-long connection to the na- trout stream sections, including 180 new Not very often does a college kid get tive brook trout that call Pennsylvania’s Class A waters. told that they’ve been selected for an all- waters home, there was not a second of Credit goes to the Pennsylvania Fish & expenses paid, three-week long adventure. hesitation. Boat Commission, which has prioritized So, you know that when four passionate, The trip: The TU Pennsylvania Route 6 science-based documentation of naturally engaged, and, frankly, pretty quirky fishing See ODYSSEY, page 6 See INITIATIVE, page 2 IN THIS ISSUE PATU members meet with lawmakers ..................3 Minutes ....................................................................8 Headwaters .............................................................4 TU Technical Assistance Program ........................9 Treasurer’s Notes ...................................................5 Chapter Reports ...................................................12 INITIATIVE is proposed that may affect an officially from page 1 designated stream, developers must take those wild trout populations into account. reproducing trout populations in the state’s Water quality in Class A streams may not 86,000 miles of streams and rivers. Once be degraded by a project; wetlands con- nected to a wild trout stream may not be PA COUNCIL OF these populations are identified through damaged. Another 20,000 miles of tributar- TROUT UNLIMITED the Unassessed Waters Initiative, they can PO Box 5148 be conserved. ies receive the same protections. Bellefonte, PA Trout Unlimited has played a key role Some of these are prized fishing destina- 16823 throughout the eight-year history of the tions, such as Penns Creek, where another PRESIDENT – Charlie Charlesworth program. Every summer, staff biologists 3.8-mile stretch was upgraded to Class 200 Camins Parkway and interns canvas streams in the Susque- A in July 2018. Nearly 30 miles of this Clarks Summit, PA 18411 hanna and Delaware watersheds searching legendary stream is now protected, and Phone: 570-954-5042 PFBC is proposing to add a new Catch Email: [email protected] for undocumented wild brook, brown, and rainbow trout populations. About 40 per- and Release section. Public comments are EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – cent of the time, they find them. being accepted through Sept. 19 at http:// John Leonard www.fishandboat.com/Regulations/Pages/ 222 Brindle Road “The Unassessed Waters Initiative has Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 been extremely valuable to TU’s overall ProposedRecentRegulations.aspx. Phone: 717-512-4620 mission of protecting and restoring cold- Many other stretches of wild trout water Email: [email protected] water fisheries,” said Shawn Rummel, are tiny unnamed tributaries that provide EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – field and research manager for TU’s Penn- critical habitat for spawning and thermal Greg Malaska sylvania Coldwater Habitat Restoration refuge. 218 W. 13th St. Program. These streams, though different in set- Jim Thorpe, PA 16229 “It has provided valuable data to deter- ting, have one thing in common: The water Phone: 570-657-7169 quality is good enough to negate the need Email: [email protected] mine where wild trout populations exist,” he added. “These data have not only led to for supplemental hatchery trout, thus al- TREASURER – George Kutskel increased protection for those streams, but lowing for a completely wild trout fishing 107 Simmons Street experience. DuBois, PA 15801 have also provided valuable information Phone: 814-371-9290 for the development of watershed restora- PFBC has an opportunity to do even Email: [email protected] tion plans. We use the data to prioritize more to protect these waters. Twelve designated Class A sections of streams SECRETARY – Bob Pennell culvert replacement work, and have incor- 2319 Valley Road porated it into TU’s conservation planning throughout the state continue to receive Harrisburg, PA 17104 for water quality and habitat improvement trout stockings, and thousands of miles Phone: 717-395-5124 projects throughout the state.” of designated Wild Trout Streams receive Email: [email protected] TU volunteers play a critical role in this hundreds of thousands of stocked trout PA TROUT EDITOR & DESIGNER – process by submitting public comments annually. By ending these stockings, the Brad Isles in support of these waters. The process is cash-strapped PFBC could save money – P.O. Box 23 simple. Every quarter, the PFBC posts a and give the fishery a boost by allowing Grove City, PA 16127 Phone: 724-967-2832 list of about 100 proposed new wild trout these wild trout to thrive without competi- Email: [email protected] stream sections. For 30 days, citizens tion from hatchery stock. Pennsylvania’s systematic effort to PA TROUT ADVERTISING – have a chance to make their voices heard. Brad Isles TU creates maps showing the locations locate and conserve these populations P.O. Box 23 of these waters. The public comments is something TU holds up as a model in Grove City, PA 16127 are compiled by PFBC and shared with neighboring states where we are work- Phone: 724-967-2832 every member of the Commission before ing to fill data gaps in our knowledge of Email: [email protected] the vote. where trout populations thrive, including WEB EDITOR – Bob Pennell Over the past two years, TU volunteers West Virginia. 2319 Valley Road have helped generate more than 800 sup- Several hundred streams are awaiting Harrisburg, PA 17104 port letters to send to the Commission, action by PFBC over the coming year. Phone: 717-395-5124 Email: [email protected] demonstrating the unflagging support from Help us ensure that they get the protections sportsmen and women for the protection they deserve. Please don’t hesitate to reach COPYRIGHT 2018 of Pennsylvania’s 15,000 miles of wild out to me at [email protected], or Rob Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited trout streams. Shane, Mid-Atlantic Organizer, at robert. No portion may be reproduced without permission. These waters receive regulatory protec- [email protected], to talk about how to help tions in the commonwealth. When a project with this or other efforts in Pennsylvania. 2 PA TROUT ... Summer 2018 www.patrout.org Trout Unlimited, PA COUNCIL OF TROUT PA chapter UNLIMITED leaders meet 2018 COMMITTEES Awards – with lawmakers Ed O’Gorman By Rob Shane 717-580-3186 / [email protected] TU Mid-Atlantic Organizer Coldwater Heritage Partnership Admin. – Ashley Wilmont This spring, volunteer advocates from 814-359-5233 / [email protected] TU trekked to Washington, D.C., and Har- Coldwater Heritage Partnership TU Delegate – risburg to educate their elected officials Ken Undercoffer 814-765-1035 / [email protected] about legislative issues pertaining to clean Contributed Photos Communications – water and wild trout in Pennsylvania. And, Above, Don Miller and Greg Malaska Brad Isles from the Brodhead chapter met with of course, we shared a few fishing stories 724-967-2832 / [email protected] while we were at it. lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Below, Delaware River – In April, Greg Malaska and Don Miller PA State Rep. Steven Mentzer met with Donegal TU’s Bill Nolan while, at bottom, Lee Hartman from the Brodhead Chapter met with April Swope and Richard Lewis from Ad- 570-224-6371 / [email protected] Congressman Marino, and with staff from ams County TU met with PA State Sen. Development – the offices of Senators Casey and Toomey Rich Alloway (center) in Harrisburg. George Kutskel and Congressman Cartwright. The purpose 814-371-9290 / [email protected] of our visit was to thank lawmakers for Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture – funding the Delaware River Basin Restora- Ken Undercoffer tion Program and to encourage continued 814-765-1035 / [email protected] funding for the conservation measures in Environmental – the federal Farm Bill. Jeff Ripple 814-267-4086 / [email protected] Then, in June, six volunteer TU ad- Membership – vocates took to Harrisburg to discuss Russ Thrall legislative issues directly impacting our 570-620-8677 / [email protected] coldwater resources and the wild trout we National Leadership Council Rep. – so enjoy pursuing. Volunteers from the Brian Wagner across the state spoke to 16 Pennsylvania 484-894-8289 / [email protected] legislative offices, where they explained Trout in the Classroom – the importance of increased funding for Ashley Wilmont the PA Fish and Boat Commission and 814-359-5114 / [email protected] the Susquehanna and Delaware river basin Trout Management – commissions. They also discussed the need Richard Soderberg for strong water quality protections for the 570-662-4539 / [email protected] Ken Undercoffer conventional oil and gas industry.