Team conservation effort earns Governor's Award

Jun. 25—WILKES-BARRE — Projects this big, this wide-ranging, this involved don't come around very often.

Nor do they generally get tested so severely so soon.

So when one does, and achieves its goals, people take notice.

Like in this case. The Game Commission and North-central Pennsylvania Conservancy led a two-year effort to restore Plunketts Creek on State Game Lands 134 in Lycoming County to its floodplain. The project not only succeeded, it earned a 2022 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. Those are meant to highlight "the creative and innovative ways we can improve our environment," said Gov. Tom Wolf.

This project certainly fit the bill.

It tackled a problem going back years. In the 1940s, an earthen berm — standing 10 feet tall in places — had been built along the stream to protect the former North-central Game Farm from flooding. It was further developed after Hurricane Agnes hit Pennsylvania in the early 1970s.

It worked, but too well.

"The berm did a good job of keeping the pheasant farm from flooding, but it was causing tremendous erosion on the other side of the creek," said Rodney Mee, a North-central Region Game Lands Supervisor. "In some places, though it was hard to tell because of how it sloped, it was close to 10 feet high. That was a problem."

Indeed, when major storms hit, the berm diverted the stream so that it flooded adjacent private properties, causing erosion in places, sediment build-up in others, as well as other damage.

With the Game Farm retired, the Game Commission wanted to eliminate those issues while creating wet-meadow habitat on site. Then, an opportunity to do good arose from a mistake elsewhere.

In February 2017, wastewater from a gas fracking operation leaked from a storage tank into Little Pine Creek and a tributary to Bonnell Run, killing salamanders and other amphibians. The Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Unit and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission investigated.

As a result, the two companies that owned the tank donated $40,000 each to the Conservancy, with the money slated to benefit waterways in Lycoming County.

Representatives of a number of conservation organizations and agencies got together to figure out where best to spend it. In the end, they chose the Plunketts Creek project.

Many meetings followed as the project worked its way through the permitting process. One bore some unique fruit.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee involved in those meetings also happened to be a member of the U.S. Army Reserve's 333rd Engineering Co. based in Reading. He suggested the unit might be able to do much of the actual work of removing the berm through its Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, meant to give soldiers who might someday have to build roads, runways or tank cover real-world practice.

The paperwork necessary to allow that to happen in 2020 was filed and approved.

In anticipation of their arrival, staff and students in Susquehanna University's Freshwater Research Unit surveyed the stream to see what fish lived there. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission staff followed up by installing in-stream habitat structures.

Then, COVID happened.

In July of that year, just weeks if not days from getting started, the Reservists learned their training that summer had to be virtual.

"Originally, we thought the Reservists' were going in a week later," said Renee Carey, the Conservancy's Executive Director. Instead, they didn't get to come out until 12 months later."

But when they arrived, they went to work.

The Reservists brought dump trucks, bulldozers, graders and skid steers, as well as a loader, excavator and roller. Using that with equipment provided by the Game Commission, they removed 2,200 feet of an earthen berm and stabilized 850 feet of bank over the course of three weeks.

Game Commission crews then stepped in, doing "live stake planting" of shrubs and trees like dogwood and sycamore. Mee said that involves cutting whips 4 feet long and pounding them into the bank until only a small portion remains visible above ground. Planted densely enough, and provided with enough moisture, those cuttings grow in clusters, helping to hold banks in place.

"It's kind of a new thing that's really taken off to aid with stream bank mitigation," Mee noted.

That wasn't all there was to the project, though. Removing the berm left tons upon tons of dirt, stone and other material. Some was spread across the site.

But the Reservists used 15,000 tons to rebuild a 1-mile section of Huckle Run Road, which runs atop Camp Mountain across the game lands. That work not only improved access, but better protected Huckle Run, like Plunketts Creek a high-quality cold water stream with a naturally reproducing population of native trout.

"So it was a huge operation that killed multiple birds with one stone," Mee said.

Carey agreed, saying the scale of the project was "unprecedented" for the Conservancy.

The involvement of the Reservists made that possible from a funding perspective, she added. The Game Commission, Conservancy and other partners laid out about $200,000 in cash, combined, for the project, she said. But the Reservists logged 5,680 hours of time, work valued at $536,050. That, she said, is far more than project supporters could have ever paid for.

Beyond that though, the presence of the soldiers got many other groups — not normal participants in projects like this — involved, Carey added.

That included Eugene Grafius Post 104 of the American Legion, for example. The Reservists bunked in the Game Commission's old brooder houses on site. But, Carey said, the Legion and others helped cover the cost of feeding them, so that Reservists were able to eat meals catered by local restaurants rather than just MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat.

In return, the 333rd Engineering Co. held a "community night" where local residents could come out, see their equipment, learn how they use it and more.

The work to remove the berm, repair the road, improve stream access for anglers, and protect adjacent landowners wrapped up in late August 2021. It then got an early and tough test. Three weeks later, storms connected to Hurricane Ida rolled through.

But the project allowed the creek to flow into its natural flood plain, dropping out sediment without damaging neighboring properties.

"A lot of people were relieved after that," Carey said. "The project worked exactly as we hoped it would and helped all of the partners meet their goals and missions. It was pretty cool to bring all of those goals together when getting a single project done."

It was an effort worthy of praise, too, as the Governor's Award recognized.

"It is always a privilege to spotlight people going above and beyond to improve the environment and make our great outdoor spaces more accessible," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "Each of the projects awarded this year will leave a positive lasting legacy for Pennsylvania."

Permits are on sale for Deer

Management Assistance Program

Offering white-tailed deer hunters more hunting opportunities across Pennsylvania, state forestlands and state parks are participating in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).

DMAP allows landowners to apply for permits to encourage antlerless harvests on their property, enabling the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and private landowners to more effectively manage white-tailed deer populations and curtail damage to forests and crops.

"Habitat conditions guide all of DCNR's DMAP applications," DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. "DMAP permits remain an important tool upon which state forest and park managers rely heavily for continued sustainability of state plants and forests."

DCNR is offering hunters 30,024 permits in 104 units totaling more than 1.3 million acres. DMAP tags are now on sale. Hunters obtain permits directly from license issuing agents or the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.

Requests for DMAP-targeted areas, and the number of permits sought, are science-driven. DCNR has a statistically based vegetation sampling protocol, with more than 10,000 plots across state forestland, which assists in determining where DMAP should be applied.

DCNR's goals for DMAP are to:

—Promote a diverse, healthy natural habitat that supports wildlife diversity and healthy deer populations;

—Provide additional hunting opportunities;

—Establish and maintain regeneration to support sustainable forestry practices with minimal need for deer fencing; and

—Promote a healthy, sustainable forest and native, wild plant communities.

Dunn said 26 state parks also are participating in the program this year.

Applicants for DMAP permits can find DCNR tract locations and maps, availability numbers, past hunter success rates and other information on an interactive map.

DEP aerial black fly control

spraying to begin Tuesday

The State Department of Environmental Protection will be conducting aerial black fly suppression operations beginning June 21 at 8 a.m., according to a release from the Luzerne County Manager's office.

This PA-DEP program was established because large populations of black fly interfere with tourism and outdoor recreation.

The operation will see spraying across multiple counties, including Luzerne and Lackawanna, beginning in Columbia County and working north toward Bradford. The helicopter being used is a Bell 205 with tail number N648HA, painted white with red striping, which will fly near tree-top level and release its spray at various predetermined positions along the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers as well as Fishing Creek and Tunkhannock Creek.

The aircraft will be spraying Vectobac SC. Manufactured by Valent Sciences, Vectobac SC is a non-chemical Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis) product that acts as a bacterial larvacide. The substance is described as a thick brown liquid that resembles chocolate milk.

Any questions may be directed to the Department of Environmental Protection by phone at 570-826-2394 or visit the website www.dep.pa.gov for further information.

NFPA: Know the risks of electric

shock drowning in pools, marinas

With summer here and the July 4th holiday weekend just around the corner, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) is reminding people about potential electrical hazards that exist in swimming pools and hot tubs, onboard boats, on docks and piers, and in waters surrounding boats, marinas, and launch ramps.

While most people are unaware of electrical dangers posed in water environments such as electric shock drowning (ESD), each year people are injured or killed from these hazards. ESD can occur when improperly installed or maintained electrical systems within marinas or boat electrical systems result in electrical current in the water, which can then pass through a person's body, causing a level of paralysis that can ultimately cause serious injury or drowning.

"Continued education about the presence of electrical hazards in water can help reduce the risk of electric shock drowning from happening in pools and waterways," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA's vice president of Outreach & Advocacy. "Have a qualified electrician inspect your boat, swimming pool equipment, hot tub, and spa before engaging in any water activities, and make sure they are regularly maintained to ensure all life-saving measures and protection systems are functioning properly."

VIDEO: As summer begins in North America, know the risks and signs of electric shock drowning (ESD). In this episode of Learn Something New™ by NFPA Journal®, learn what ESD is, how to detect the risks, and ways to prevent it.

Following are tips for swimmers, and pool and boat owners:

Swimmers

Never swim near a marina, dock, or boatyard.

While in a pool or hot tub look out for underwater lights that are not working properly, flicker, or work intermittently.

If you feel a tingling sensation while in a pool, immediately stop swimming in the direction you are heading. Try and swim in a direction where you had not felt the tingling. Exit the water as quickly as possible; avoid using metal ladders or rails. Touching metal may increase the risk of shock.

Pool owners

If you are putting in a new pool or hot tub, be sure the wiring is performed by an electrician experienced in the special safety requirements for these types of installations and that the completed work is inspected by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

Have a qualified electrician periodically inspect and — where necessary — replace or upgrade the electrical devices or equipment that keep your pool or hot tub electrically safe. Have the electrician show you how to turn off all power in case of an emergency.

If there are overhead electrical lines, make sure they have proper clearance over the pool and other structures, such as a diving board. If you have any doubts, contact a qualified electrician or your local utility company to make sure power lines are a safe distance away.

Boat owners

Avoid entering the water when launching or loading a boat. These areas can contain stray electrical currents in the water, possibly leading to electric shock drowning or injury from shock, including death.

Each year, have the boat's electrical system inspected by a qualified marine electrician to be sure it meets the required codes of your area, including those set by the American Boat & Yacht Council. Make the necessary repairs, if recommended. Follow the same steps after any major storm that affects the boat.

Check with the marina owner to let you know if the marina's electrical system has recently been inspected to meet the required codes of your area, including the National Electrical Code® (NEC®).

Have ground fault circuit protection (GFCI and GFPE) installed on circuits supplying the boat; use only portable GFCIs or shore power cords (including "Y" adapters) that bear the proper listing mark for marine applications when using electricity near water. Test GFCIs monthly.

NEVER modify the electrical system on a boat or shore power to make something work. The code-required safety mechanisms in place are intended to alert people if something is wrong with the boat and with shore power. Find a licensed, qualified professional to help determine the cause of the problem.

NFPA has resources for swimmers, boat and pool owners, including videos, tip sheets, and checklists, that can be downloaded and shared. Please visit www.nfpa.org/watersafety.