Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission acquires land easements along North Blacklick Creek

Harrisburg — Pennsylvania Fish & Boat commissioners voted to authorize the acquisition of a property easement along North Blacklick Creek in Barr Township, Cambria County.

Utilizing funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and pending due diligence, the Fish & Boat Commission will pay $35,000 to the property owner to obtain public fishing access and riparian and fishery management rights on approximately 2,440 linear feet along both sides of North Blacklick Creek.

From 2019-23, the commission completed a number of stream habitat improvements throughout this section and the owner has kept it open to the public.

This section of North Blacklick Creek provides exceptional fishing opportunities for stocked trout, and because of the unique level grounds at the parking and stream access sites, this easement will allow for additional fishing access for people with a range of physical abilities.

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Commissioners voted to authorize the acquisition of a property easement along Pine Creek in Pike Township, Potter County. Utilizing funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and pending due diligence, the commission will pay $55,000 to the property owner to obtain public fishing and boating access and riparian and fishery management rights on approximately 3,980 linear feet on both sides of Pine Creek.

Pine Creek supports Class A wild trout populations in its upper reaches, and then as the stream gets larger as it approaches the town of Galeton, it transitions from a coldwater to coolwater fishery and is stocked with trout by the commission.

The proposed easement is located a short distance upstream of Galeton in Section 03, which is managed as a stocked trout water.

Commissioners voted to authorize the conveyance of a permanent property easement to Shrewsbury Township, Sullivan County.

The township is undertaking a construction project at a bridge located on state Route 42 within the commission’s Hunter’s Lake property, and, as a result, will require two permanent rights of way, one on each side of Rines Road, for a combined area of approximately .013 acres on the eastern side of state Road 42.

The commission has been a partner in planning this project, and in return for this right-of-way, the bridge project will create better fish passage, match streambed slope, and will not destabilize the streambed at the structure outlet, resulting in an overall improvement in habitat.

Any trees removed during construction will be replaced by the township.

Commissioners voted to authorize the removal of timber from a section of the commission’s Oswayo State Fish Hatchery property in Oswayo Township, Potter County. A weather event in 2021 resulted in a blowdown of trees that remain on approximately 16 acres of the property.

A consulting forester has identified and marked the timber for removal during 2025 and proceeds from the sale of the timber is expected to be approximately $53,000.

Commissioners authorized the acquisition of a flowage easement on a property located near Miller Pond, a commission-owned lake located in Mount Pleasant Township, Wayne County. The lake was drained in 2015 for safety reasons and a dam rehabilitation project is expected to begin in 2025.

Under the new design of the dam, additional flowage rights will not be required, but recent research and surveys revealed that a small area (.166 acres) was previously missed during the original acquisition of the Miller Pond property in 1917 and is not covered by the existing flowage rights.

The current owner has agreed to donate the easement to the commission.