Rep. Watro announces 2023 trout stocking schedule, Mentored Youth Trout Day

Mar. 4—The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PBFC) has made its 2023 trout stocking schedule available via the FishBoatPA mobile app and website — fishandboat.com — according to state Rep. Dane Watro, R- Kline Township.

"Spring trout fishing is right around the corner with trout season beginning on April 1," Watro said. "Trout stocking is a great opportunity to get outside with your family and friends while enjoying Pennsylvania's waterways."

The 2023 adult trout stocking schedule is searchable by county, lists the waterways in alphabetical order and indicates stocking dates and the species of trout that will be stocked. Hard copies of the trout stocking schedule are available at both of Watro's district offices.

To participate in trout fishing, anglers ages 16 and older are required to possess a fishing license and a trout permit. Anglers and boaters can start preparing for opening day of trout season now by purchasing their fishing licenses, launch permits, and boat registration renewals online, on the FishBoatPA mobile app or by visiting one of approximately 700 retail license issuing agents.

A single, statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will take place on Saturday, March 25.

Questions about trout stocking schedules, or any other state-related issue can be directed to Watro's offices at 570-453-1344 or 833-933-3679

Residents can stay connected to district and Harrisburg happenings by following Watro on Facebook at Facebook.com/RepWatro.

PFBC stocks thousands of trout

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and volunteers this week stocked thousands of Rainbow Trout and trophy-size golden Rainbow Trout into the lake at Frances Slocum State Park.

The PFBC will stock approximately 3.2 million trout into hundreds of waterways statewide this year, plus another one million trout raised by local sportsman's organizations.

Opening day of trout season is Saturday, April 1.

To purchase a fishing license, view the trout stocking schedule, and find places to fish near you, visit the PFBC website — fishandboat.com.

"I've seen a lot of fish stocked and I've stocked a lot of fish over the years. These were as nice as I've ever seen," said Sgt. Bryan Bendock of the PFBC. "The hatcheries did a wonderful job. They had excellent growing conditions this last year. You're probably not going to get a chance at fish any bigger than these anywhere in the area.

"The fish look excellent this year. The water temp is 43. They seem like happy fish."

Rep. Cabell: PFBC to offer basic boating

course March 4 at Nescopeck State Park

Rep. Mike Cabell, R-Butler Township, along with the PFBC, offered a basic boating safety course on regulations and requirements on Saturday at Nescopeck State Park.

"Warmer days are just around the corner, and this was a great chance to receive the necessary safety training required to enjoy the many recreational opportunities available on our region's waterways," Cabell said.

The course was free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Students who successfully complete this course on boating may apply for a Boating Safety Education Certificate. Such certificates are required for all operators of personal watercraft, regardless of age, and for boat operators born after Jan. 1, 1982, who operate motorboats of more than 25 horsepower.

Delaware Highlands Conservancy maintains

commitment to public trust, conservation

One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the natural spaces they love. Since 1994, Delaware Highlands Conservancy has been doing just that for the people of the Upper Delaware River region in PA and NY.

Now, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy announces that it has renewed its land trust accreditation — proving once again that, as part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to conservation excellence.

"Renewing our accreditation demonstrates the Delaware Highlands Conservancy's ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in the Upper Delaware River region," said Executive Director Diane Rosencrance. "We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process, now for the second time since first achieving national accreditation in 2011. This evolution of the Conservancy means the special places of our region — the forests, farms, clean waters, and wildlife habitat — will be protected forever, ensuring our wonderful quality of life is protected now and for future generations."

Accredited land trusts must renew every five years, confirming their compliance with national quality standards and providing continued assurance to donors and landowners of their commitment to forever steward their land and easements.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy provided extensive documentation and underwent a comprehensive review as part of its accreditation renewal. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded the renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that the Conservancy's lands will be protected forever.

Accredited land trusts now steward over 20 million acres — the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island combined.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has helped to protect more than 18,000 acres of working farms and forests, clean waters, and wildlife habitat to date in Pennsylvania and New York, and offers year-round educational programming to connect people to nature and cultivate stewardship of regional lands.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is one of 1,281 land trust across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance's most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy works in partnership with landowners and communities to protect the natural heritage and quality of life of the Upper Delaware River region.

For more information on the Conservancy, call 570-226-3164/845-583-1010 or visit www.DelawareHighlands.org.

Pa. Game Commission asks public

to report tame grouse sightings

Not every ruffed grouse across Pennsylvania is quite the same as the next.

Some — though wild, undomesticated birds — might even be called "tame," meaning they show little fear of or even act aggressively toward people, especially in spring and fall.

A #WildSciPA video available on the Game Commission's YouTube channel shows just what that looks like.

But does that behavior matter to grouse and grouse management?

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking the public's help in answering that question. The agency — charged with perpetuating wildlife species including grouse over the long term — is conducting a ruffed grouse genetics study in cooperation with Penn State.

The research aims to determine whether the Commonwealth's grouse population shows signs of splitting up into distinct sub-populations and if "tame" behavior is linked to genetics.

The results of this study will ensure habitat management efforts are targeted to improve and maintain grouse population connectivity.

Accordingly, the Game Commission is encouraging Pennsylvanians to report the location of any "tame" grouse they see this spring by sending an email to grousecomments@pa.gov. That email should include the person's name and phone number, date of the sighting, location of the encounter and a description of the grouse's behavior.

Ideally, those sending in a report should also include GPS coordinates for the encounter site. If that information isn't available, reporters should provide as much other detail about the location of the encounter as possible, listing things like the county and/or township, the name of the property (like a particular state game lands, for instance), the property address, the closest intersection and the like.

Game Commission staff may reach out to those who report encounters for additional information, if necessary.

Field staff will then visit those locations where "tame" grouse sightings occurred to capture birds and collect a genetic sample from each.

"You may be familiar with mail-order kits where a simple saliva sample or mouth swab can unlock all kinds of information about your own ancestry or information about the breed background of your dog," said Game Commission grouse biologist Reina Tyl. "We will be sampling these 'tame' grouse in essentially the same way, swabbing their mouth and sending the swab off for genetic analysis."

All grouse from which samples are taken will be released immediately afterward at the same sites they were captured.

The more birds the Game Commission can sample, the better. That's why public participation is so important to this project, Tyl said. It's really the key to success with this effort.

"Gaining a more complete understanding of the genetic diversity of Pennsylvania's grouse population is critical to ensure proper management of our beloved state bird," she added.

Department of Agriculture adds 6 counties

to Pa.'s spotted lanternfly quarantine

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week announced that six counties have been added to Pennsylvania's spotted lanternfly quarantine zone ahead of the 2023 spring hatch.

With this addition, the quarantine for this invasive pest now includes 51 counties.

"Spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that is disruptive and damaging to our agriculture commodities and a nuisance pest for all Pennsylvanians," said Redding. "Through collective and intentional efforts, including instituting quarantine zones, we continue to slow the spread of this insect, and I call on all Pennsylvanians to assist. This time of year, before the eggs hatch in spring, do your part to help manage the pest by scraping egg masses and reporting where they are found. Each egg mass destroyed eliminates 30-50 lanternflies before they have an opportunity to hatch and spread."

Spotted lanternflies have not been found throughout the entirety of each of the new six counties, but rather have been found only in a few municipalities.

Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Lawrence, and Somerset counties are new to the quarantine for 2023.

"The purpose of expanding the quarantine is to raise awareness and slow the spread of the spotted lanternfly," said Dr. Ruth Welliver, director of the department's Bureau of Plant Industry. "Thanks to an actively engaged community, and aggressive treatment and monitoring by the Department of Agriculture and our partners, we are limiting the spread and impact of this pest across the Commonwealth and are assisting our commodity growers in protecting their crops."

Today, the department is also announcing opportunities for funding to help counties slow the spread of spotted lanternfly. Through the PA Farm Bill's Rapid Response and Disaster Preparedness Fund, $150,000 will be available for grants for county conservation districts in Pennsylvania.

The department will award grants of up to $25,000 to assist conservation districts with activities designed to enhance spotted lanternfly quarantine compliance by businesses and residents of their county. The application period opens on March 5, and closes on Friday, April 7, at 5:00 p.m.

Businesses that operate in or travel through quarantined counties are required to obtain a spotted lanternfly permit. Homeowners with questions about treatment are encouraged to contact their local Penn State Extension office or learn about management, including approved sprays, at their website. Pennsylvanians who live inside the quarantine zone should also review and sign the Compliance Checklist for residents.

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