DEP declares drought watch; recommends voluntary water conservation

Jun. 17—Following a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a statewide drought watch.

While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing their non-essential water use.

"Although this week has brought some welcome rain to much of the state, it's not enough to make up for the lack of rainfall this spring, following a winter that brought little snowfall in many areas," said DEP Acting Secretary Rich Negrin. "As a result, we're seeing lowered stream flows, dropping groundwater levels, and persistent precipitation deficits. Water conservation, always a good practice, is especially helpful now as it'll lessen potential future impacts on water supplies if rainfall continues to be scant this summer."

Residents and businesses are encouraged to reduce their nonessential water use by 5-10%. For example, at home there are many simple ways to use less water:

—Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often, and only with full loads.

—Don't let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Take shorter showers. For example, consider not washing your hair daily.

—Water your lawn only if necessary. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Watering grass lightly and efficiently will encourage healthier, deeper grass roots. Over-watering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought.

—When mowing your lawn, set the blades 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil, improving moisture retention.

—Water your garden less often. If necessary, water only in the cooler evening or morning hours, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant. Focus on new plantings, which have shallow root systems. Older plants may endure dry conditions longer.

—Skip the car washing. If you have to wash your car, it's better environmentally to go to a drive-through car wash that recycles the water.

—Sweep your sidewalk, deck, or driveway, instead of hosing it off.

—Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.

—Set up a rain barrel to be ready to re purpose rain when it does fall. For helpful information, see this Penn State Extension guide. Or just set out a bucket to capture water in the event of rain, and reuse it to water plants or the bird bath.

At this time, 18 public water suppliers are asking for voluntary water conservation in their communities. DEP is notifying all water suppliers of the need to monitor their supplies and to update their drought contingency plans as necessary.

The Department of Agriculture encourages farm operations to plan to help protect their viability.

"Risks and volatility in farming are weather-related more than in any other business," Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. "Pennsylvania's beneficial natural average rainfall has been upended by weather extremes and unpredictability in recent years. This year is no exception, with more than 90% of the topsoil across the state either short or very short in moisture content in the past week."

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) urges Pennsylvanians to be aware of increased fire risk.

Low precipitation has dramatically increased the number of wildfires in Pennsylvania this year. There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year's wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022.

"We've had an unprecedented year for wildfires in the Commonwealth, and we encourage all Pennsylvanians to act responsibly to prevent wildfires as dry conditions persist," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.

Susquehanna Warrior Trail great

place for hiking, biking, more

Spring is here, the smoke is gone. Time to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Nearby, going from West Nanticoke to the Riverlands below Shickshinny, is the Susquehanna Warrior Trail.

Ray Zajac and Lance Kittleson provided a lot of good information about the trail.

This trail was developed by a dedicated group of volunteers who first secured a right of way and then developed plans and started grant writing and fund raising.

It now extends for 12 miles along the Susquehanna river and the North Branch Canal. The entire trail is maintained by a small group of dedicated volunteers who control plant growth with constant trimming and mowing.

The trail does not cross any major roads and is a great place for a family stroll, a hike, bike ride or run. The crushed stone surface provides lower impact for walking and running and much of the trail is cooler and shaded.

The trail is free and open to the public. It is handicapped accessible and trail head parking areas are clearly marked along Route 11.

Make a plan to come out and enjoy the trail, and if you like, you are invited to attend a trail council meeting and possibly get involved either with physical help cutting and trimming, or as a safety person to accompany the mower, or if you are talented in promotion, fund raising, grant writing, or overseeing construction, your skills would be helpful..

So come on out, join us on the Susquehanna Warrior Trail.

Go to — susquehannawarriortrail.org — for more information.

Marmota monax: The

Humble Groundhog

"The woodchuck, despite its deformities of both mind and body, possesses some of the amenities of a higher civilization." — New Hampshire Legislative Woodchuck Committee, 1883

Karley Stasko, Marketing & Development Director at the North Branch Land Trust, offered this story about groundhogs.

"If it's not Feb. 2, you may have forgotten.

You've probably seen at least two this week munching on the side of a road, oblivious to the traffic whizzing past. Or they've become a nemesis, undermining your garden and stealing your vegetables.

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, can be such a common sight in Northeastern Pennsylvania that they sometimes can escape our attention.

North Branch Land Trust's office is located right off the Memorial Highway in Dallas, but the natural resources of the Back Mountain Trail provide wonderful habitat for a variety of species.

One cloudy afternoon, I observed a chunky woodchuck enjoying the dandelions on the lawn and set up next to the window to take some pictures. After a few minutes, her child came bounding into the open. As soon as she spotted the little rascal, she chased him into the high brush, flapping her tail and growling. It felt incredibly familiar. I could almost hear my mother flapping her arms and yelling 'I told you to stay put!'

The Woodchuck Committee of 1883 was right about their capacity for higher civilization! These rodents are intelligent. They have social structures. They whistle to warn about danger including predators or territory disputes. They work cooperatively to solve tasks. They've uncovered major archaeological sites in Pennsylvania and Ohio without a degree! (Though the sites at Ufferman and Meadowcroft were probably accidental discoveries on their part.)

The first time I had really considered the groundhog was as a child at my grandmother's storage business. She had a habit of feeding the stray cats, and one day a groundhog decided to help himself. I approached him with the confidence of someone who had watched too much Animal Planet, but too young to understand danger and I lightly touched his fur. Now that my frontal cortex is developed, I wonder who let me get that close to wildlife. Thankfully his gluttony and apathy allowed for a brief interaction.

Groundhogs are not known for their friendliness. Despite spending plenty of time in proximity to humans, they are rarely looking to hang out.

Doug Schwartz, a groundhog trainer at the Staten Island Zoo, has said, '(The Groundhog's) natural impulse is to kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out.' It is that feisty survivalism that has allowed them to adapt to human interaction. With large incisors and front claws, confronting a woodchuck can be a dangerous game.

When you see a woodchuck above ground, what you are not seeing is a system of burrows that act as safe haven for 'chucks and helps to maintain healthy soils. They are habitat engineers whose herbivorous habits turn over nutrients in the soil and can increase the ground's ability to absorb surface water.

And while woodchucks can climb a tree, rarely would they take a nibble. In fact, the name woodchuck has nothing to do with wood or chucking! Instead, the Algonquin name for the groundhog — 'wuchak' — transformed over time to the tongue-twister we know today. Take some time to consider the humble groundhog, beyond its wood-chucking capacity, as you enjoy the outdoors of Northeastern Pennsylvania."

Luzerne Conservation District announces

Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program

The Luzerne Conservation District (LCD) is accepting applications for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

ACAP is funded through the Clean Streams Fund which was established by the FY2022-2023 PA State Budget with federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The program is designed to help farmers with the costs of implementing best management practices (BMPs) that reduce sediment and nutrients in waterways.

The program is administered by the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and implemented locally by participating conservation districts.

The SCC has allocated $776,246 over the next 3 years to implement the program in Luzerne County. Each county's funding was determined by a formula that considered agriculturally impaired stream miles, the number of cropland acres, the number of farms, the number of livestock and poultry, and other criteria established by the SCC.

Funds are to be used to reduce non-point source pollution in streams, rivers, and waterbodies in Luzerne County, and they must be committed to projects by Dec. 31, 2024, with completion by the end of 2026.

Any person or legal entity engaging in or owning a property where agricultural operations are occurring within Luzerne County is welcome to apply for this grant reimbursement program. The amount of reimbursement is based on eligible costs submitted by an approved applicant for an approved project.

Priority will be given to applicants based on the following criteria:

—Projects with BMPs that meet the goals of the Countywide Action Plan for Clean Water (CAP) or a Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) (refer to https://luzernecd.org/programs/cleanwater/)

—BMPs that are part of a conservation plan or Ag E&S plan and manure management or nutrient management plan. Development of such plans shall be included in the application if not yet developed prior to the application.

—BMPs that control nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment.

—All Animal Concentration Areas (ACA) on the farm must be treated to abate stormwater runoff, loss of sediment, and loss of nutrients from the ACA, or the implementation of such BMPs shall be included in the application for funds.

—Proximity to surface waters, and public drinking water sources.

—The project must meet the design and construction standards established by the SCC.

—Projects with matching funds. Although this is not a requirement.

—Projects by applicants who are new or beginning farmers or military veterans.

All applicants must first submit a pre-application to schedule an on-site visit by an LCD representative to discuss the potential project before an application is submitted for funding to ensure that their application is complete and meets the ACAP objectives.

ACAP applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until all available funding has been allocated. They will be ranked quarterly.

The deadline for full applications to be considered for the first round of ranking is July 12, 2023. The ACAP application and additional information is available on LCD's website — www.luzcd.org.

The Luzerne Conservation District is a local agency with the mission of conserving land and water resources in Luzerne County by promoting public awareness, providing technical assistance, and encouraging regulatory compliance.

For more information about the District, visit — www.luzcd.org.

Doe tags available when

license sales start June 26

The check will not be in the mail, and neither will a paper application or a twice-stamped pink envelope.

Instead, hunters simply will buy their 2023-24 antlerless deer licenses wherever hunting licenses are sold.

The new process for obtaining antlerless licenses, made possible by a new law that took effect earlier this year, will get underway Monday, June 26 at 8 a.m., when antlerless deer licenses will be available alongside general hunting and furtaker licenses, and other licenses, permits and privileges.

Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits, which in previous years were available on the first day of general license sales, this year will go on sale Monday, Aug. 14, at 8 a.m.

In either case, antlerless deer licenses have been added to the list of what's available.

The first round kicks off on Monday, June 26 at 8 a.m., but only Pennsylvania residents may buy initially. Sales to nonresidents begin on Monday, July 10 at 8 a.m.

The second round, in which a resident or nonresident may pick up a second antlerless deer license, begins on Monday, July 24 at 8 a.m. The third round begins at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14, the same day DMAP permits go on sale.

Then in the fourth round, to begin Monday, Aug. 28 at 8 a.m., hunters may purchase additional antlerless deer licenses for any WMU where licenses remain until reaching their personal limit of six active antlerless deer licenses.

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Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle