Pennsylvania Mixed Bag: West Falls Access to be temporarily limited to carry-in, unpowered boat use

Harrisburg — The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission recently announced that the West Falls Access, which provides fishing and boating access to the North Branch Susquehanna River in Exeter Township, Wyoming County, will be limited to carry-in, unpowered boat use through Sept. 10.

During this time, public vehicle access to the boat launch will be restricted by a gated entry and all powered boat use at the access will be prohibited.

Operators of powered boats who are affected by this temporary closure should plan accordingly to find alternate access to the North Branch Susquehanna River by using the commission’s Tunkhannock Access upstream, the commission’s Appletree Access downstream, or other local access points.

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New Manager for Ohiopyle State Park

Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced the appointment of Chris Houck as the new manager for the Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County.

Houck comes to Ohiopyle after spending four years at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. He began his career with DCNR at Black Moshannon State Park, working first as a laborer and then ranger.

Completing the bureau’s park manager trainee program in the eastern region of state parks, he worked as the manager of the Memorial Lake State Park Complex, and then assistant manager at the French Creek State Park Complex.

Houck is a native of Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County, and  holds a bachelor’s degree in recreation, park and tourism management from Penn State.

PGC to Host Program on CWD

Honesdale, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Game Commission will hold a public informational program on chronic wasting disease from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at Honesdale High School, at 459 Terrace St. here. The program will take place in the high school auditorium.

This free program is open to the public and aims to educate residents about CWD – an always-fatal brain disease that affects deer and elk. CWD is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion and is in the same family of diseases as scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

Disease Management Area 10 was established in April in response to a new CWD detection and includes portions of Damascus, Manchester, Buckingham, Lebanon, Mount Pleasant, and Preston Townships within Wayne County.

At the event, Game Commission staff will provide updates on the current status of CWD in Pennsylvania, explain how the disease affects deer populations, discuss testing and outline the agency’s ongoing CWD Management Plan. No reservations are required.

‘No Fracking’ Pledge Launched for Delaware River Watershed

Easton, Pa. — The “Pledge to Defend the Delaware River Watershed from Fracking” was launched June 11 before the start of the Delaware River Basin Commission public meeting here.

A permanent ban prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in the Delaware River Watershed was adopted by the  commission in February 2021 following a moratorium on gas drilling instituted in 2010. The ban on fracking has come under attack recently, evoking pushback from the public and representatives of the Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition.

The Pledge is intended to support the commission’ commitment to preserve the ban for the benefit of the watershed and its communities and habitats.

DCNR’s Wildland Firefighting Training

Harrisburg — More than 450 wildland firefighters from 11 states gathered for intensive wildfire suppression training in early June through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at Shippensburg University in Cumberland County – preparing them to respond to wildfires in Pennsylvania and across the U.S.

The weeklong training, hosted annually by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, ensures that firefighters are fully qualified to deploy to wildfire and natural disaster assignments nationwide. This year’s academy issued 384 certificates to participants from nearly every county in Pennsylvania and 12 states.

The training emphasized safety, interagency coordination, and the specialized skills needed for dangerous and fast-changing wildfire conditions.

Learn to Trap at Free Southwest Pa. Session

Waynesburg, Pa. — Are you interested in learning how to trap? If so, consider joining the Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Trappers Association in here Aug. 1-3 for a free three-day “Learn to Trap Course.”

Participants will spend time in the classroom and in the field to learn everything needed to begin trapping. The Friday–Sunday course will cover types of traps, regulations, wildlife biology, trap modifications, skinning demos, and an in-field portion where participants will set their own traps and possibly catch target species.

All equipment needed will be provided, and each participant will receive a beginner trapping kit to help get started this season. Lunch will be provided, but attendees must arrange for their own lodging. Participants will be expected to participate in all three days of the course.

For details and registration, visit here.