Pennsylvania Mixed Bag: Great American Outdoor Show set for Feb. 3-11

Harrisburg — The Great American Outdoor Show will be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 3-11.

Sponsored by the National Rifle Association, the nine-day show features more than 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers to outfitters to fishing boats and RVs, and archery to art covering 650,000 square feet of exhibit hall space.

Not to mention a jam-packed schedule including speaking events, archery competitions, celebrity appearances, seminars, demonstrations, and much more.

Myers Family Farm Wins Conservation Award

Harrisburg — Myers Family Farm of Spring Mills is the 2023 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award recipient.

The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.

Brothers Joel and Don Myers, who own and operate Myers Family Farm, received the award at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg Jan. 8.

They receive $10,000 and a crystal award for being selected by the Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust.

MORE COVERAGE FROM PENNSYLVANIA OUTDOOR NEWS:

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission offering grants for programs that promote fishing, boating

Pennsylvania wildlife biologist Gary Alt honored with Lifetime Achievement Award after years of tackling tough topics

Frozen flight feathers cause barrage of birds to fall from the sky in central Pennsylvania

New ATV Regional Trail Connector

Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced it will operate an ATV Regional Trail Connector through the 2025 riding season, following the conclusion of the ATV Regional Trail Connector in 2023.

The Fiscal Code in the 2023-24 state budget instructed DCNR to continue operating the regional system for 2024 and 2025, as the agency’s authority for the pilot program has ended.

The ATV Regional Trail Connector pilot was created in response to growing ATV purchases, registrations, and public demand for increased riding opportunities.

Maryland Winter Turkey Season Concludes

Annapolis, Md. — Maryland hunters who did not harvest a turkey during the fall had another chance to do so during winter season, which ran statewide Jan. 18-20.

During the winter turkey season, hunters only were permitted to use shotguns loaded with No. 4 shot or smaller, crossbows, vertical bows, or airguns that shoot arrows or bolts.

Ambosie Now Game Warden Group Supervisor

Dallas, Pa. — Sgt. Dale Ambosie recently assumed the role and responsibilities as the Game Warden Group Supervisor in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.

Ambosie, who was assigned to Luzerne County upon graduating from the Game Commission’s training school in 2021, assumed his new duties in September 2023.

Ambosie, a native of Dorrance Township, Luzerne County, is a 2004 graduate of Crestwood High School and holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Misericordia University. He is a graduate of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation’s 32nd cadet class.

Chesapeake Bay Oysters Have Great ‘Spatfal’

Annapolis, Md. — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Fall 2023 Oyster Survey recorded a remarkable year for juvenile oysters in Maryland waters, finding both prolific numbers and a widespread distribution throughout many regions of the Chesapeake Bay.

The survey’s spatfall intensity index, a measure of reproductive success and potential population growth for oysters, was 86.8 spat, or juvenile oysters, per bushel, nearly four times the 39-year median of 23.6 spat per bushel, and the fifth highest in that timeframe.

Restoration Work at Big Elk Creek State Park

Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is beginning restoration work at 1,800-acre Big Elk Creek State Park in southern Chester County.

In 2023, about 80 acres of meadows were seeded on former agricultural fields which will come into bloom this spring. In April 2024, tree plantings will occur on more than 255 acres of streamside buffer areas at the park.

The work is being accomplished in partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay with a grant through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program.

New Manager for Worlds End State Park

Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced the appointment of Matthew Pecora to manage Worlds End State Park in Sullivan County.

Pecora worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and then the Student Conservation Association Excelsior Corps in Morrisville before becoming a project leader with the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps in Williamsport. His most recent assignment with DCNR was as assistant manager at Delaware Canal State Park.

ANF Began Closing Road Gates in January

Warren, Pa. — The U.S. Forest Service announced that beginning Jan. 22 gates were closing on roads temporarily opened for hunting season access in the Allegheny National Forest.

Some hunter roads on the Marienville Ranger District will remain open, conditions permitting, until Feb. 19. Hunters are reminded to remove their treestands and hunting blinds.