Banknotes: 2015-Summer (Pdf)
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Summer 2015 BBANKNOTEANKNOTESS VALLEY FORGE TROUT UNLIMITED A Cut Above the Rest Inside this issue: Valley Creek Advocate and Champion of VFTU’s Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing ho is this guy, Chuck Cutshall? Chapter of TU. Chuck served as a Prez Notes 1 W Well, he is a man of action cer- VFTU executive officer for several tainly not the type of years and was instrumen- Environmental Update 3 person that waits tal in developing our pol- around for opportunities icy for managing our El Cheapo Fly Tyer 4 to come to him. funds. Press Release 5 Chuck is a wide eyed, Chuck gets the fact that if Cheshire Cat smiling fly we don’t protect our envi- fisherman that exudes ronment that we stand a Dusinberre Award 1/6 ideas. But what is really good chance of losing our remarkable is that he streams and the fish that Names, Numbers & Email 11 follows those ideas up reside in them. With with action. Chuck’s Trout Creek flooding his day job is as a financial back yard during every Points of interest: professional, but that rain storm he under- doesn’t seem to get in stands stormwater run- · Don’t miss the “Night on the his way. He finds plenty Chuck Cutshall off. That is why he has of time to fish Valley Creek. He serves pushed initiatives such as reduced Pond” picnic on the Environmental Advisory Council mowing in areas of Wilson Farm Park · Update on Proposed Delayed of Tredyffrin Township and was instru- and has partnered with Green Valleys Harvest Artificial Lures Only mental in bringing Project Healing Wa- (Continued on page 6) changes ters Fly Fishing to the Valley Forge · Press Release from PA Fish and Boat Commission con- NOTES FROM THE PREZ cerning cancer found in eather wise, it seems like March though given a salmon fishing tip later Susquehanna smallmouth W jumped directly into July. Bob this summer I doubt I will spend the bass Bonney got a late start on stocking fish additional money this year. · El Cheapo’s veterans pro- in Chester and apparently surrounding gram update includes a counties as we were still locked in the This Trout Show’s Keeper of the whopper of a fish tale jaws of winter. The last two months Stream Dusinberre Award winner is have been so warm and dry—I do Chuck Cutshall who apparently took hope we get some rain as we really some prompting to look at the program need it. By the time this is published I cover to learn that had been selected, can only hope I have gone fishing… a problem I am fortunate to be familiar with having done the same thing. He Protecting and Enhancing March hosted another successful Trout was delightfully surprised and a very Chester County Trout Streams Show; Steve Schweitzer’s presentation worthy recipient. The hand writing in for more than has me thinking about using frequent his thank you note, as you will see in 30 Years flyer miles and making a trip west (Continued on page 2) NOTES FROM THE PREZ (Continued from page 1) the copy included in this issue, is completely emblem- atic of the optimist he demonstrates himself to be. Chuck was instrumental in getting the VFTU Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Program up and running, and got the right enthusiastic volunteers involved to sustain the program (and expand it) when he moved on to be involved in PHWFFP on a regional basis. He has also worked with other groups and Tredyffrin Township on several major initiatives in Wilson Farm Park for managing storm water and advised VFTU in establishing management of treasury funds. More recently we received the good and bad news. The bill was adopted by the committee 8-3 with 2 ab- Bad news first, the US Congress is back to trying to stentions. Trying to decipher on the website what will derail the process of EPA’s proposed rule to clarify the go to the floor is beyond me. What I can tell is Shus- inclusion of intermittent ter (PA) Republican and ephemeral streams VFTU and WCFG&W “Clarifies the Act will be (headwater of many PA carried out with existing trout streams). These “Night on the Pond” funds and a group of Re- small streams are essential We will be set up at the trout nursery publicans lead by Palmer for trout and hunting and *** (AL) submitted an amend- are the initiating source of Thursday June 11th ment prohibiting “the Sec- drinking water for many of Paradise Farms Camp retary of the Army and us. Our legislators want to the Administrator of the allow politics rather than Downingtown, PA Environmental Protection science determine what *** Agency from proposing waters should be protected Food—Soft Drinks—Raffles future rules to define the under the Clean Water Act Please bring desserts & salads...everything else term "waters of the (CWA). The U.S. House of will be provided United States" as used in Representatives introduced 6:30 PM until past dark... the Federal Water Pollu- H.R. 1732 which was voted tion Control Act.” on in committee on April 29, 2015. The bill allows poli- So the bad news is looking grim. Most of us are old tics, rather than science, to determine which waters enough to remember when the Cuyahoga River burned should be protected under the Clean Water Act. The and at least part of Lake Ontario (and probably Erie) House also considered a rider to an Energy and Water weren’t exactly swimmable BEFORE the CWA. I have Appropriations bill that would cut off funding for the been asked by TU to join members of TU, National rulemaking for a year, thus stopping the rule dead in Wildlife Federation, and Theodore Roosevelt Conserva- its tracks. tion Partnership to meet with elected representatives during a two-day visit to Washing, D.C. I suppose I had better go back and study and re-read my Prez VFTU GENERAL MEETINGS Notes in the Winter 2015 Banknotes; I am not at all East Whiteland Township Building—Frazer sure why they think I might be sufficiently articulate to 209 Conestoga Road help with this quest. On Route 401 just south of Rt 202 ramps The good news is the Commissioners of PA Fish and General Meetings are held the Boat decided to withdraw the changes proposed for second Thursday of each month Delayed Harvest Areas because only one of the initial 7:30 PM 300-some postcards they had received were supportive September through May of the change. Thank you Pete Goodman and Ken Van NOTE: No General Meeting in March (Continued on page 7) WWW.VALLEYFORGETU.ORG SUMMER 2015 2 ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE Projects, Progress and Happenings in the Valley Creek Watershed redyffrin Township as a result of the consent de- system is working. T cree produced an “Emergency Response Plan” for Frank Donohoe and I have met with Trammell Crow dealing with future sewer line breaks. Finally. We and have revived our discussions regarding a perpetual have been asking for such a plan since break number maintenance agreement for the cold water discharge two. Predictably however, the plan does not preclude system between VFTU and the property owners asso- the further fouling of Valley Creek in the event of an- ciation of Atwater. And also a “covenant of restric- other sewer line break. To insure that Valley Creek tions” for the riparian area – 100 year flood plain pro- would not see sewage again was just too expensive. tecting it in a fashion similar to a conservation ease- The plan represents more of a, ”who gets notified and ment between Trammell Crow and VFTU. These two does what” plan than an actual “if the agreements are approved by both par- line breaks here this is what we have to ties in general and we are awaiting final do to prevent environmental damage documents for review and signing. and protect Valley Creek” plan. Wilson Farm Park Rain Gardens Some selected comments by one of our board members that reviewed the I stopped by the gardens yesterday. I documents are, “It seems that the op- was disappointed in myself for not tions for repair and response were making more of an effort to get to heavily steered in the direction of being these gardens for winter maintenance. undoable by cost or physical re- They are very rough looking with the straints.” He further commented that dead vegetation of last year still stand- reductions in line flow from major con- ing or matted down by our snows. tributors was not referenced and that They are however showing signs of considerations of multiple actions such coming to life. Spring is happening. as pump and haul in conjunction with So, when I return from this fishing trip temporary bypass might be an options I am going to have to organize a group that were not considered or at least discussed in the of volunteers to get the gardens back into shape. I documents reviewed. have again requested – this will be the third year – that the downstream berm be built. Hopefully three is We are hearing that there is much interest in installing the charm. a lining in the existing pipe. Probably because that is the cheapest option and pushes the problem of the Look for my call for volunteers in a Currents. disintegrating sewer line down the road. Crabby Creek Park and Radbill Park Atwater Lake Cold I haven’t been to either of these parks recently. I Valley Forge Water Discharge know that we have some work to do there as far as It appears that replacing/repairing deer protection.