Eden Environmental Restoration

[lowkey]

We're finally getting the ball rolling at Eden. It's been a long time coming, but it won't be long and we'll be helping others here in York in as many ways as possible, but my heart is always with our salvelinus fontinalis. Streams will be our focus, but restoration of family farms and even families themselves will occupy us. We will not only restore, we will dramatically improve....

Check out my linkedin profile, where I first announced us. I'm under Jonathan Allison.

Cheers! And let May find us ready for the sport of yeoman.

(I welcome all feedback)

 

[Shaner]

What are the plans for York?

 

[lowkey]

Shaner, thanks for asking. We hope to work with small family farmers initially. In particular, those who are struggling to make ends meet. Our first objective is to help them simply survive so that they are not forced to abandon their farms. Next, we will offer to create a plan, in keeping with their own vision, that would help the land reach high levels of production with less and less input. Our plan would also include riparian buffers along streams til they run crystal clear and attracting all manner of native wildlife.

My founding partner and I do not yet have a step by step plan. This spring, however, we are planning an event on Druck Valley Road. We will invite the locals of course and all who are interested. At "Druck Valley Days" we will celebrate the history, families, land and springs. Of course we will offer ideas about how we can restore and even improve on that little green valley.

Thanks again for asking and I will happily answer any more questions.

 

[sarce]

Sounds like a good approach. I think it's great that you are not making it all about the fish. There are so many potentially good streams that are ruined by poor land use practices.

 

[troutbert]

lowkey wrote:
Shaner, thanks for asking. We hope to work with small family farmers initially. In particular, those who are struggling to make ends meet. Our first objective is to help them simply survive so that they are not forced to abandon their farms. Next, we will offer to create a plan, in keeping with their own vision, that would help the land reach high levels of production with less and less input. Our plan would also include riparian buffers along streams til they run crystal clear and attracting all manner of native wildlife.

How will this work financially?

Where will the money come from?

 

[RLeep2]

Depending on the extent of the efforts and how they are framed in terms of objectives, I'd think there would be a lot of potential sources of funding from NGO's like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to the whatever it is they call the old Soil Conservation Service (Federal) now to Wallop/Breaux-style sportfish restoration grants and on and on.

But a lot of it probably depends on who you (Eden Env.) are (for-profit or 501c3?) and what the actual scope of the work will be.

I know that some of the states in the Upper Midwest have active programs where they work with farmers to conserve/preserve pasture being lost to erosion and improve trout habitat (as well as access through easement acquisitions) at the same time through riparian buffer and in-stream device work. Its been a win/win...

 

[Shaner]

I am curious on what streams you are planning on doing this to. I enjoy this kind of stuff and may be into helping. Need to make some more wild brookie water :-D...only really 2 that hold great numbers in the county-only know a few others that have a few.

 

[troutbert]

Allowing the vegetation to grow in a wide buffer is the main thing streams need.

But that has been known for a long time. People knew that and were working on it when I began flyfishing, around 1970, i.e. 46 years ago.

The question is how to get landowners to allow a wide riparian buffer of vigorous vegetation.

Many landowners don't want that.

Even some fishermen don't want that.

 

[jpavoncello]

I'm a photog with the York Dispatch and would really like to do a story on this project. I recently worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Susquehanna River project and have some contacts there that may help you. Please PM me or give me a call (717) 515-9709. Would love to get the word out about this and lend a hand.

John

 

[lowkey]

Thanks John and all the rest. Been very busy lately but will offer more. Will be in touch John.

 

[HopBack]

Lowkey I'm just curious...... There are already good projects from tu that are in progress or completed on landis run and litiz run. What else are you my aiming for in the Eden area? Most farms outside of the immediate area that affect the conestoga watershed are Amish owned properties. They typically do not respond well to theses types of actions that you are talking about. Is there a stream or wAterway that you are targeting?

 

[lowkey]

Hopback, good question. We have yet to target a particular stream or farm for that matter. We are brand new in terms of activity, although the vision began almost 5 years ago.....A stream that comes to mind however is Kreutz Creek. I grew up in Hellam township, so that one is close to home.

I am especially partial to the little stream that flows through my dad's farm. It's called Dee Run. Wild brookies from the next stream over were planted there some years ago. I did see at least one brookie parr since then. I was delighted of course. But I haven't seen any the last couple of years. Of course this must change. There's no good reason that stream shouldn't be a brookie nursery.

It looks as though we'll be targeting the Hellam area first (druck valley especially), as that's where my roots are. But we will go wherever we are needed and invited.

The Amish are another question. We must find win/win solutions....

 

[lowkey]

Troutbert, thanks for asking. We will primarily be looking to restore family farms with stream restoration being a sort of touch stone. As to persuading farmers to protect the streams....I'm not really sure, but we are determined to find incentives for them.

One of the possibilities is to grow food for livestock and humans in the riparian buffer. This is a new model, at least I hope it will be. We hope to prove that the land within the buffer will prove to be more profitable than the pasture or corn fields that surround it.

See this video for how permaculture principles work. (low cost, low input, high productivity, perennial plants)

https://vimeo.com/22330819

We intend to apply these principles on whole farms but initially in buffer zones.

Also, this site provides excellent videos to explain the agricultural methods we intend to promote.

http://geofflawton.com/

 

[lowkey]

This may prove to be a difficult obstacle, but one we're determined to overcome, of course. We have talked about fund raisers to get started but what else is possible, I have no real certainty. My partner has experience in sales and marketing, so I'm anticipate applying his skills.

We are very open to suggestions!!! :hammer:

 

[Shaner]

lowkey I lived on/near Kruetz creek my whole life. I posted pictures on FB not that long ago of an N.P.D.E.S. that flows into Kruetz creek.
This used to be a clear discharge now almost black within the last year. Emailed DEP they replied that they were within the permit limits last survey on 4/28/15 if you would like to see the pictures here-

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10207632365019920&id=1015141748

 

[troutbert]

Will this be a business or a non-profit conservation group?

 

[lowkey]

Non profit, troutbert. All voluntary. I make my living with my hands.

 

[Mike]

We sampled Kreutz Ck and Dee Ck in December, 2014 for wild trout presence. Wild browns in very low density were found about a mile or so upstream from the golf course that is immediately west of Wrightsville. We found a better population in a near-by trib. It may be that there is greater abundance in Kreutz upstream through the East York area and up to the headwaters. A survey was tentatively planned for that area in 2015, but time ran out. Do you have any information that there are perhaps better populations in those upstream areas?

As for Dee, we surveyed it near its mouth. No trout were found. In driving from the headwaters area down to the last road crossing near the mouth the stream looked questionable for wild trout. Do you have any information that would strongly suggest that wild trout are present farther upstream than our sampling site? Open areas, ponds, and erosion suggested that wild trout would not be present. Again, any information that there are in fact wild trout present farther upstream would be helpful. PM's or email are fine mkaufmann@pa.gov

 

[lowkey]

Thanks, Mike. I can't speak to trout in Kreutz creek. As for Dee Run, I haven't seen any for the last 2 years.....

 

[Shaner]

I sent Mike an email on Kreutz-My parents property line was the creek up by RT124(east prospect rd). As a kid I fished this stream for fun never caught a wild brown trout till this year. I know it is club stocked hard just below Hellam. I am hoping that's where they started reproducing from and really take off. I have caught one reproduction rainbow in this stream before. "I'm guessing" cause it wasn't even 4 inches. This is not a good wild Trout stream yet unless you like lots of Chubs.