Penns access news

[nymphingmaniac]

See article:
http://www.statecollege.com/news/centre-county-gazette/bald-eagle-state-forest-eyes-potential-land-donation,1476146/

Penns access

FYI; Western Pennsylvania conservancy is a fantastic group worthy of your support. They were responsible for purchasing the Indian caverns land on Spruce Creek, provided thousands of dollars in grants to the LJRA for habitat improvement, among others.

https://waterlandlife.org

HAINES TOWNSHIP — The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy plans to apply for funding for a grant to purchase land in Haines Township, south of Coburn in the Village of Ingleby, so it can donate the land to the Bald Eagle State Forest.
The land currently is owned by Ridge Construction Company. It includes a 1-mile section of the abandoned Lewisburg-to-Tyrone rail grade, which currently is a gap in the ownership of the rail corridor.
According to Michale Loop, of the WPC, the rail corridor is key linkage between the Centre Region and the Susquehanna Valley and will also link both regions to the Mid-State Trail.
Centre County director of planning Robert Jacobs said the 265-acre parcel contains a key component of potential trail system in Penns Valley, so securing the section is a step toward completing that. Jacobs also noted that Penn Creek is located on the property.
“It will provide additional access to trout fishing on that stretch of the stream to the Bald Eagle State Forest,” said Jacobs.

 

[Dave_W]

Wow. This is good news.

Land Convervancies are indeed great organizations. In my neck of the woods, the Central PA Conservancy has completed their fundraising and puchase of some key property on Letort.

Thanks for the heads-up. Please keep us informed.

 

[dc410]

That is very encouraging to hear. Thanks for passing along the info.

 

[JackM]

The mods won't mind:

Throughout the year, there are several ways you can get involved in our watershed conservation work! Whether through volunteering to plant a tree or helping with office or clerical work, you will make a difference.

Volunteers are always needed to help with riparian planting.
Are you a farmer looking for assistance with BMPs? We can help.
Join our army of watershed conservation interns.
Use paddle access sites funded by our Canoe Access Development Fund.
Become a member of WPC and support our watershed conservation work across the region.
To support landowners, farmers and conservation organizations, our watershed staff provides a full range of services to the community in watershed restoration. Contact us at 724-471-7202 or info@paconserve.org for more information.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Write your checks, folks. Put your money where your "mouth" or desire it. If you like this, and I'd bet everyone here does, cut the West Penn Conservancy a check. That $1200 fly fishing rig won't catch many trout if you can't get onto a creek.

I already belong. They've done a lot around here in NW PA. They bought the President Oil Lease to protect about HALF of all the wild rainbow trout habitat within the Commonwealth, the Hemlock Creek watershed. They're doing a project out in the 10 Mile Bottom region to rehab Massasauga rattle snake habitat.

Syl

 

[bikerfish]

Agreed about the good that the WPC does. They are also responsible for many of the state game lands, buying the property and gifting it to the game commish so it stays open to the public.

 

[FarmerDave]

bikerfish wrote:
Agreed about the good that the WPC does. They are also responsible for many of the state game lands, buying the property and gifting it to the game commish so it stays open to the public.

Agreed.

gifting or selling.

In the case of the President Oil Company land (mentioned above), I think they wanted to sell that to the Game Commission, but many of the camps and dwellings around President are on long term leased land. Apparently WPC and/or Game Commission didn't want to sell the land under the dwellings, or extend the lease term. There were threats of legal action, so the Game Commission backed out. WPC then timbered part of it to recoup some of their money and then sold the land to a large lumber company with deep pockets. HOWEVER, they put restrictions on it. Future timber cutting is to be done by "Best Practices," as established by Penn State (I think). They also kept the recreational rights to the land so it will never be posted.

I may have oversimplified that and it is all second hand info. Point is that the land is now protected thanks to WPC.

The above text is not meant to discredit or disparage WPC in any way. It's just that sometimes while trying to do a good thing, you run into legal roadblocks. I think WPC did the next best thing.