PFBC Trout Management Plan Meeting

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afishinado

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Fisheries Committee to Meet in Erie
to Discuss Draft Trout Management Plan
November 13, 2015


HARRISBURG, Pa. (Nov. 13) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has scheduled a special Fisheries Committee meeting in Erie on Nov. 24 to discuss a draft update to the trout management plan.

The meeting will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16505-2042. The center is located outside the entrance to Presque Isle State Park.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting.

“The goal of the strategic plan is to ensure that adequate protection is afforded to wild trout resources and that fisheries provided through the management of wild trout and the stocking of adult and fingerling trout will continue to provide excellent angling opportunities in Pennsylvania,” said Jason Detar, Chief of the Division of Fisheries Management.

“The plan includes input provided by a work group that consisted of commission staff, anglers affiliated with a variety of sportsmen’s organizations, and independent anglers not affiliated with a sportsmen’s organization,” he added.

As part of the plan, 19 priority issues have been identified encompassing four primary resource categories, which include:

management of wild trout streams,
management of stocked trout streams,
management of stocked trout lakes, and
trout management in Lake Erie.

The 2015-2017 version of the plan will primarily focus on issues that haven’t been completed from the previous plan and add several new issues that need to be addressed. Addressing these issues will be the primary focus of PFBC trout management through 2017.

In addition to the trout plan, there will be brief updates on a number of other initiatives, including the Carp Work Group, tailwater fisheries management, Susquehanna River smallmouth bass fishery, Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters program, and the Lake Erie steelhead fishery.

Following the committee meeting, a date will be established to post the draft plan on the Trout Plan page for review and public comment. The public comment period will be 30 days. The current trout management plan also can be viewed on this page.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/news/2015pr/trout-plan-draft.htm
 
How convenient it is that the meeting on "wild trout management" is held in the part of the state with the least amount of wild trout, and, therefore, the area most dependent on stocking.

 
BrookieChaser wrote:
How convenient it is that the meeting on "wild trout management" is held in the part of the state with the least amount of wild trout, and, therefore, the area most dependent on stocking.
Click to expand...

Well its not a Wild trout Management meeting, that's only part of it. based on the four listed it makes it 25%

And by a long shot, the SW corner is the worst WT area. so....

Any decisions made or policies executed will be up for public comment.
 
Read paragraph 4. Do you think the mention of wild trout management first is coincidence?

The southwestern part of the state is still in the western part of the state. So... Thanks for proving my point!

As for your warm and fuzzy feeling because we get to "comment". We all saw how good the vote ended up when public comment was solicited for Class A stocking. What was it? 167 against vs 20 for (I don't recall the exact numbers anymore) yet the "for" votes won.





 
I believe the "stocking over Class A" resolution included approximately 10 stream sections, to be stocked only if they had been stocked in the past and only preseason. No?

On a positive note, they rescinded both proposals to the DHALO reg changes and the FFO Centerpin issue through Public Comment.

Do you really believe they are sitting in a back room rolling their hands discussing how they can destroy the wild trout resources in the state?

If so take some time off and sharpen your pitchforks, soak those clothes and take to Erie to save our streams.

I will save my pitchforks and torches when the proposals and rulemakings make it to the comment stage.
 
Yes, those 10 streams were the body of the resolution.But, if I remember correctly, it held a clause stating any Class A stream could be stocked with only the director's signature. Regardless of use.

But alas, oh great moderator, you're missing the point. What's in the resolution has nothing to do with it. When an overwhelming majority is ignored when public comment is solicited the plea for public comment loses validity. The commissioners proved they'll do whatever they want regardless of public comment.
 
New Trout Management Plan

PFBC Annoucement For Meeting

The Pennsylvania Fish Commission announced that the Fisheries Committee would meet in Erie on November 24 to discuss a draft Trout Management Plan. The public is invited. When we first heard about the new Trout Plan some months ago we were told that the commission would be seeking angler input. Why then Erie which is 350 miles and 6 hours away from the southeast. Also who exactly comprises the committee? Is it the same group that a year ago was pushing bait fishing on all DHALOs? It behooves us all to pay attention and make sure that the commission is aware of your concerns. There is a long history of concentrating on hatcheries and stocking adult trout to provided easy fishing for naïve fish in the hope of improving license sales. The financial concerns are understandable and the stocking of adult trout is important to maintaining public interest. But perhaps you can also improve and maintain sales by improving the sport fishery with special regulations that places emphasis on reduced harvest and reutilization of trout. No Kill works very well.
Please pay attention.
 
The fall Commission meeting has, for as long as I can remember, been traditionally held in Erie. Furthermore, the NW Pa fisheries management area is no slouch for wild trout streams. See the list of streams that support reproduction of trout, AKA the wild trout streams list, and you can determine that for yourselves.

As for who comprises the Fisheries Committee, it is made up of the following Commissioners:

Glade Squires (Chairman)
Eric Hussar (Vice-Chairman)
Leonard Lichvar
William Sabatose

 
Mike wrote:
The fall Commission meeting has, for as long as I can remember, been traditionally held in Erie. Furthermore, the NW Pa fisheries management area is no slouch for wild trout streams. See the list of streams that support reproduction of trout, AKA the wild trout streams list.

As for who comprises the Fisheries Committee, it is made up of the following Commissioners:

Glade Squires (Chairman)
Eric Hussar (Vice-Chairman)
Leonard Lichvar
William Sabatose
Click to expand...

Mike, thanks for the reminder that the meeting venues are rotated and held in different parts of the State to allow easier access for anglers in different regions attend.

As Maurice pointed out, there's no nefarious intentions or conspiracy to exclude wild trout advocates. The discussion of wild trout streams is only one part of the meeting agenda. As well, a discussion of Lake Erie and the tribs is part of the agenda, along with policies for general stocking throughout the state.




 
I attended the PFBC Trout Management Committee meeting in Erie yesterday. As I live in central Erie County, it was only a 25 minute drive for me.

I enjoyed myself. I renewed acquaintances with a number of folks from Commission staff that I had known and interacted with back in the 90’s when I was active in State TU stuff and it was nice to see them again and catch up a bit. I also met some of the newer folks on staff and was favorably impressed with all of them. I met several of the Commissioners and, umm, for the most part, was favorably impressed with them as well.

Fisheries Management Division Chief Jason Detar made a concise and excellent presentation on the proposed Trout Management Plan for 2015-2017 that occupied the majority of the time allotted for the meeting. Without going into any real detail, it seems like a pretty good plan to me that balances finite Commission resources (particularly fiscal and staffing..) with the broad attitudinal variance of the angling public and other realities. I’ll leave it like that. The minutes of the meeting will be up online soon as will an opportunity for public comment on the proposed plan.

After Jason’s presentation, the meeting moved on to address a number of topic that varied from the Commission’s Carp Work Group through to the status of the Lake Erie tributary salmonid fishery. There was an interesting discussion as to how to address the fact that the increasing privatization of the trib fishery is almost totally supported by fish raised and stocked with public angler’s dollars. Exec. Director Arway spoke at some length on this matter. This too will be in the minutes, I would imagine, so I won’t elaborate. But John’s comments on this matter struck what to me seemed to be the most important theme of the entire meeting: The Commission really needs the help of the angling public in, district by district, speaking up for the best interests of all our fisheries by bringing their concerns to the attention of their respective representatives in the Pennsylvania legislature. And doing it again and again until our voice is sufficient to move them to action. These are not John’s words, they are mine. But whether the matter on the table is the needed legislative clarification of the public fish/privatized stream section conundrum on the Lake Erie tribs or ways to speed the DEP permit process for TU chapters and the like who wish to do habitat and stream improvement work and have the manpower and the money ready to go, but are stuck in a holding pattern by staffing shortages in the granting agencies or the importance of wild trout in the overall trout management picture, the Commission needs our help and our partnership. Fiscal realities being what they are, the days when they could largely do it by themselves are gone, probably forever.

Anyway, I’m glad I went and even more glad that I didn’t have to drive 6 hours/300+ miles to do so. I think they should have more of their meetings in Erie….:) But of course, I don’t expect everybody to agree.



 
Thanks RleeP for the concise summary and overview.

The PFBC is indeed spread thin and we need to understand and appreciate their broad mandates and constituencies however much we may wish to see further focus on wild trout or our own particular priorities or biases. Theirs is a difficult mission and our input to legislators should be forthcoming - early and often.
 
Yes Thanks for the report.
 
What were the regs for this area before this change?

"Potter and Tioga counties, approved the designation of the upper Kettle Creek basin as Catch and Release All-Tackle. The upper Kettle Creek basin includes 28.3 miles of streams and stretches from the headwaters downstream to the confluence with Long Run. It includes Long Run and all tributaries upstream to the headwaters. The change will go into effect upon publication in the PA Bulletin."
 
acristickid wrote:
What were the regs for this area before this change?

"Potter and Tioga counties, approved the designation of the upper Kettle Creek basin as Catch and Release All-Tackle. The upper Kettle Creek basin includes 28.3 miles of streams and stretches from the headwaters downstream to the confluence with Long Run. It includes Long Run and all tributaries upstream to the headwaters. The change will go into effect upon publication in the PA Bulletin."
Click to expand...

They were under Wild Brook Trout Enhancement (WBTE). Catch and release, for brookies only. Other species fair game to be creeled..
 
Ahh, I see.

Some additional info from the meeting I saw in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review-


"The Fish and Boat Commission acquired more access for steelhead anglers. At their meeting Thursday, commissioners authorized the purchase of three easements and bought a fourth property outright, all on Elk Creek in Erie County.

• One easement, purchased for $18,000, provides access to 1,175 linear feet on the creek in Fairview. It's located off Elk Valley Road, downstream of Fairview's Struchen Flats property.

• The second easement, purchased for $13,500, offers access to 870 linear feet. It also is downstream of Struchen Flats and adjoins the aforementioned site.

• The third easement, purchased for $5,500, provides access to 410 linear feet in McKean. It's located on Rick Road, upstream of the commission's Rick Road access.

• The commission also purchased for $100,000 an 8-acre parcel that fronts Elk Creek in McKean. It provides access to 1,600 feet of stream and is located immediately west of I-79 at the end of Skinner Road near McKean."
 
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