1700 acres purchased for State Park in SE PA

[afishinado]

Southern Chester county land acquisition. Good news for all.

https://whyy.org/articles/pa-completes-decadelong-land-acquisition-creating-the-biggest-state-park-near-philadelphia/?fbclid=IwAR0yqEbZq5Ls5koKMTnb0AlrgljmOQheleM6OEHTCUChKu7n0pOTwDltIvw

 

[HopBack]

I'm glad that is being turned over to the state. The Natural lands trust holds a lot of the conservancies in Chester and Delaware counties and they really limit what you can do on the land.

Hunting, fishing, hiking, and many other activities will be open for public recreation.

 

[Tigereye]

Great new for my SE neighbors, no fishing though??? Too lazy to research elk crk as I will probably never fish it. Does it hold fish? trout in particular? Looks like a nice stream.

 

[HopBack]

Great new for my SE neighbors, no fishing though??? Too lazy to research elk crk as I will probably never fish it. Does it hold fish? trout in particular? Looks like a nice stream.

Big Elk is Stocked above the current state park locale. Perhaps the PFBC with consider adding this section to the stocking list but I doubt it. It is a very nice stream section but no wild trout to my knowledge (too warm) but I may check it out for smallmouth.

 

[Tigereye]

Thanks HB, the article didnt mention fishing as an activity. Wondering it was an oversight? At first I thought it may have been a negotiation point, ( liability ) but they allow hunting. Who knows. Just good to see that large a parcel set aside and protected from development.

 

[Mike]

I alerted my former colleagues thanks to Afish. Typically for SE Pa there would be a high probability that they would be interested in this development and fisheries management potential. This transaction was expected by my former office for years. Likewise, one in southern Lancaster Co if it ever comes to fruition.

 

[poopdeck]

I'm thinking it just opened up a lot of snakehead territory.

 

[Mike]

Not sure if there are any dams to act as blockages on Big Elk or the Elk River in MD.

 

[Fredrick]

poopdeck wrote:
I'm thinking it just opened up a lot of snakehead territory.

Amen brother , Depending on the length and habitat, if stocking is on the table , I vote for an DHALO , The amount of year round trout fishing in SEPA is poor considering the population of anglers .

 

[Mike]

There are temperature requirements for DHALO areas and I have serious doubts that the subject portion of Elk now in DCNR ownership would qualify. DH Areas aren’t just “slapped” on any old water. When anglers fought against moving the opening of the harvest season forward by 2 weeks they eliminated a number of potential DH Areas from possible consideration because of water temps. So what was more important, preventing the very limited harvest for two more weeks on existing DH areas or getting more DH areas to fish? Another case of cutting one’s nose off to spite one’s face.

 

[HopBack]

I vote for an DHALO , The amount of year round trout fishing in SEPA is poor considering the population of anglers .

There are actually already a number of Regs waters within a 30 miles radius of this stream section, 4 I believe, and if you push that a little further then you can also include a few others as well.


Mike that's good news about the potential stocking. Its a very nice section of water, at least what I could tell from smaller section that flows into MD.

 

[Fredrick]

Mike wrote:
There are temperature requirements for DHALO areas and I have serious doubts that the subject portion of Elk now in DCNR ownership would qualify. DH Areas aren’t just “slapped” on any old water. When anglers fought against moving the opening of the harvest season forward by 2 weeks they eliminated a number of potential DH Areas from possible consideration because of water temps. So what was more important, preventing the very limited harvest for two more weeks on existing DH areas or getting more DH areas to fish? Another case of cutting one’s nose off to spite one’s face.

Then keep it open for year round angling with no closed season , we don't want the opening day crowd there to litter it with wax worm containers and eagle claw snelled hook wrappers every April .

 

[Tigereye]

"The park is free and open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset and allows biking, hiking, horseback riding, hunting and swimming. There are no overnight facilities. Limited parking is available for the Springlawn Trail along route 841 and on Strickersville Road."

Where are you guys getting that fishing will be allowed??

 

[Fredrick]

Tigereye wrote:
"The park is free and open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset and allows biking, hiking, horseback riding, hunting and swimming. There are no overnight facilities. Limited parking is available for the Springlawn Trail along route 841 and on Strickersville Road."

Where are you guys getting that fishing will be allowed??

Where are you getting that it isn't already, it's public land is it not ?
No different then the access at the Lehigh Gorge ?
And the state already stocks sections of the stream.

 

[Mike]

I know of no state park where fishing is not permitted other than some isolated locations, such as swimming beaches, and more to the point, it is fully allowed in the present White Clay Creek Preserve, so that suggests pretty strongly where fishing will most likely fit into the picture.

 

[HopBack]

Where are you guys getting that fishing will be allowed??

“A very short trip would get you out into a … feeling of being in nature, and the ability to go for a walk in the coolest of the shade of trees and maybe perhaps go to Big Elk Creek and take a dip in the water, or fish, or birdwatch or just relax,”

 

[Tigereye]

My what a testy bunch.. I am just asking for some clarification here.

With all my heart I hope they do allow fishing. BUT the article states

"The park is free and open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset and ALLOWS BIKING HIKING HORSEBACK RIDING, HUNTING AND SWIMMING."

That statement leaves me to believe fishing and camping are not allowed. I may very well be wrong. It may be oversight and it is not an official DCNR statement.

Call me anal, but I wouldnt want some over zealous Barney Fife wannabe making an example out of me. People are cited for alot of seemingly innocuous activity. This is certainly not the only vague regulation on the books subject to interpretation.

You do as you wish.

 

[JackM]

I think you are being testy. It also doesn't say you can kiss your partner while walking hand-in-hand, but I bet you can.

 

[krayfish2]

"partner"..... politically correct or is there a high cowboy population in the area?

 

[poopdeck]

Fishing is permitted in state parks unless designated otherwise. Swimming is not permitted in state parks unless they have a designated swimming area. I say any confusion is caused by the writing of an article meant to warm the hearts of those seeking unicorns.