Pennsylvania Mixed Bag: New crappie regs for Hammond Lake

Harrisburg — Pennsylvania Fish & Boat commissioners, at their recent quarterly meeting, voted to add Hammond Lake, Tioga County, to the Panfish Enhancement Program for crappies. Hammond Lake is a 640-acre lake owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the Fish & Boat Commission.

Panfish evaluations conducted in 2024 documented robust black and white crappie populations, with the majority of the fish captured being greater than 10 inches in total length. Given the unique size structure and the propensity of anglers to harvest crappies, a more restrictive regulation is needed to conserve and enhance the fishery, commissioners decided.

Panfish Enhancement regulations allow for year-round harvest of both black and white crappies greater than or equal to 9 inches long with a daily limit of 20.

MORE COVERAGE FROM PENNSYLVANIA OUTDOOR NEWS:

Bevy of outdoors-related bills advancing in congressional committees in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania bats show some resilience to devastating white nose disease

Controversy grows over planned turnpike deep ‘cut’ through Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountain

Longhouse Scenic Drive Road Construction

Warren, Pa. — Work is advancing on Longhouse Scenic Drive as the Allegheny National Forest resumes a major improvement project that will bring long-term benefits for travelers, local communities, and the forest ecosystem.

The road closed May 13 to through-traffic between Dewdrop Campground and Elijah Run Boat Launch, through late July.

This stretch of construction is part of a larger effort to modernize and strengthen one of the Allegheny National Forest’s most iconic scenic routes. Recent work on Longhouse Scenic Drive – one of the largest road repair projects funded under the Act – has already included repaving miles of scenic roadway, repairing a landslide area, replacing guide rails, and updating road signs to improve the visitor experience.

A key focus of this project is replacing 156 undersized culverts and installing two aquatic organism passages. These upgrades help protect the road from flood damage and ensure that fish and other aquatic species can move freely through streams.

In total, the work will rehabilitate about 11 miles of paved roadway, giving visitors a smoother, safer drive along this popular route. A $12.3 million construction contract was awarded to Bob Cummins Construction of Bradford, Pa.

DCNR Spraying to Kill Gypsy Moths

Harrisburg — After two years of aggressive and successful suppression efforts, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently began targeted aerial treatment of state woodlands to combat gypsy moth and fall cankerworm populations poised for spring outbreaks in many sections of the state.

After defoliating 55,286 acres in 2025, spongy moth impacts are declining. This year’s treatment – insecticides Bacillus thuringiensis that must be ingested by young caterpillars as they feed on emerging foliage – will cover just over 3,100 acres. That’s down from more than 75,000 acres last year and 227,000 the year before – reflecting the success of suppression efforts statewide.

DCNR will oversee treatment of seven treatment blocks totaling 3,160 acres. Included will be portions of Delaware State Forest, in Monroe and Pike counties. The Pennsylvania Game Commission will not be conducting an aerial treatment program in 2026.

DCNR will also conduct aerial treatment across six treatment blocks totaling 5,345 acres in Forbes State Forest, in parts of Somerset and Fayette counties, to protect stressed forests from fall cankerworm defoliation around the same time as the spongy moth suppression program. These areas have faced repeated damage from pests and drought in recent years, making them more vulnerable.

Child Fishing in N.J. Attacked by Beaver

Mahwah, N.J. — An eight-year-old boy was fishing on the shore of Lake Henry near here on May 3 when a beaver emerged out of the water and set its sights on the young angler. In his attempt to flee the raging rodent, the boy tripped on a root, which allowed the beaver to sink its teeth into his thigh.

Luckily for the boy, help came quickly. Nearby family friends kicked the beaver off and tossed it back into the water. The boy was taken by Mahwah EMS to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York, for treatment.

Animal control officers responded to the scene, trapped the beaver, removed it from the park, and had it tested for rabies. It tested positive.

The Township of Mahwah posted on Facebook that several people had contact with the infected animal, noting that individuals who were bitten are currently undergoing treatment.

Waterkeeper May Sue Neville Chemical

Pittsburgh — The non-profit Three Rivers Waterkeeper, represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates, in April sent a 60-day notice to Neville Chemical of its intent to sue the company for violating its water pollution permit nearly 9,500 times.

After receiving complaints about intense smells around Neville Island, along the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, the Waterkeeper group started analyzing self-reported water discharge data from permitted facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania submitted to the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Of the 69 facilities the group included in its analysis, many had permit violations, but Neville Chemical, which makes adhesives and sealants, stood out as one of the worst offenders, according to a spokesman for the Waterkeeper.

According to the group, the company’s Neville Island plant exceeded its permit limits for hydrocarbons, such as benzene, as well as pH, total suspended solids, and oil and grease.