PA Environment Digest Blog

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Survey: Wildlife Watching Tops Fishing Or Hunting In PA Economic Contributions

The 2011 National Survey of Anglers, Hunters and Wildlife Watchers found that 4.6 million Pennsylvania residents and non-residents (16 years and older) fished, hunted or wildlife watched in Pennsylvania.

Of the total number, 1.1 million fished, 775,000 hunted and 809,000 observed, fed and/or photographed wildlife away from home. Another 3.2 million observed, fed and/or photographed wildlife around the home.

From 2001 to 2011, the number of anglers, hunters and away-from-home wildlife watchers decreased 13 percent, 23 percent and 37 percent, respectively.

In-state expenditure from 2001 to 2011 decreased among anglers and hunters by 34 percent and 19 percent, respectively, but increased among wildlife watchers by 4 percent.

In 2011, total expenditures all three activities was $2,6 bullion-- fishing $485.4 million, hunting $970.5 million and wildlife watching $1.2 billion.

In 2001, total expenditures for all three activities was $2.8 billion-- fishing $762.2 million, hunting $901.1 million and wildlife watching $1.2 billion. (Click Here for a copy of the survey.)

The Survey is conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census Bureau and was reported by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania in their July/August newsletter.

A copy of the Pennsylvania portion of the survey is available online. Detailed results from past surveys are also available online.

DEP To Hold July 15 Webinar On Proposed Permit Public Participation Policy

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a webinar on July 15 starting at 2:00 p.m. on the department’s recently published draft Policy on Public Participation in the Permit Review Process.

This important draft policy establishes a framework for the public’s ability to review and provide comments on permits or authorizations under review by DEP.

Staff from DEP’s Policy Office will review the draft policy and outline the changes proposed. The draft policy was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on June 29. The deadline to comment on the draft policy is July 22.

The webinar is free, but registration is required. To register, visit the July 15 webinar webpage.

Carl Roe, Game Commission Executive Director, To Retire

The Game Commission’s executive director has announced his plans to step down next year. Upon his retirement in January, Carl G. Roe will have spent more than eight years heading the agency.

In making his announcement today, Roe said it has been his pleasure to serve Pennsylvania’s hunters and outdoor enthusiasts while working to benefit the state’s wildlife.

“Serving with the Game Commission, particularly in the role of executive director, has been a great honor and privilege,” Roe said. “I take pride and satisfaction in the years I’ve spent here, and our many, many achievements.

“I’ll never stop caring about Pennsylvania’s wildlife, but the time is right for me to step into retirement, where I’ll have more time to spend outdoors enjoying it,” he said.

Upon his retirement January 17, Roe will leave behind a lengthy list of accomplishments, some of which predate his appointment as executive director.

Roe joined the Game Commission in 2001 as the agency’s first-ever long-range strategic planner. The Game Commission’s strategic plan, which charts a course for present and future wildlife management statewide, is a product of his efforts.

Among its many objectives, the plan contains one of Roe’s most well-known guiding philosophies – that Pennsylvanians should understand the Game Commission plays an integral role in the encounters people have with wildlife. To that end, Roe developed the “Connect with Wildlife” slogan the commission has used for several years.

Roe later was named director of the commission’s Bureau of Administrative Services, where he spearheaded a transition to electronic hunting-license sales. Today, the Pennsylvania Automated License System helps nearly 1 million hunters annually to purchase licenses.

The Board of Game Commissioners in December 2005 unanimously selected Roe as executive director.

At the agency’s helm, Roe chalked countless achievements. More than 50,000 acres were added to the state game lands system during his tenure. He oversaw the expansion of bear season to four days, including a Saturday opener. He implemented the Mentored Youth Hunting Program. He helped establish wild pheasant recovery areas and doubled to 200,000 the number of pheasants released annually. He helped to enact a permit-only fisher trapping season in select areas of the state.

He shifted the focus of the deer management program to take into account things like the herd’s health and habitat – a change that was lauded by independent outside audits.

And, of course, bald eagles continued their remarkable comeback, and biggest population gains, during Roe’s tenure.

The list goes on and on.

All the while, Roe earned a reputation for being an approachable leader.

Robert Schlemmer, president of the Board of Game Commissioners, said Roe’s charismatic personality and his willingness to openly answer questions from the state’s sportsmen are among the qualities that will make him hard to replace.

“He’s been quite an ambassador for hunters and other Pennsylvanians who enjoy wildlife, and the type of enthusiasm he brings to the job you just don’t find every day,” Schlemmer said.

Schlemmer said the board will consider both internal and external candidates in finding the most-qualified person to replace Roe as administrator. He said the decision-making process will be guided by the board’s Policy Manual, and that the commissioners are seeking a comprehensive search and a smooth transition.

“The board wishes Director Roe the very best in his retirement,” Schlemmer said. “His service to wildlife, sportsmen, sportswomen and the citizens of the Commonwealth shall remain his legacy for generations to come.”

Roe’s work with the Game Commission represents his second career.

He served with the U.S. Army from 1970 to 2000, taking part in combat tours in Vietnam and El Salvador and retiring with the rank of colonel. At his retirement, he was Director of the Americas Studies at the U.S. Army War College’s Department of National Security & Strategy, where he taught strategic planning for national security.

Roe is a lifelong scholar, earning a master’s degree in public administration from Penn State University; a master’s degree in management from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island; a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas; and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

A native of Wayne, Montgomery County, Roe grew up hunting and fishing in Pennsylvania, and continued these activities during his young adulthood on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Woodcock Limited and the National Rifle Association.

Roe currently resides in Carlisle with his wife, Ines. They have two daughters: Courtney and Ashley.

Tuesday NewsClips

House To Return July 15 To Finish Budget Work
House Dem Leader Says Republicans Left A Mess

Keystone Fund Celebrates 2 Decades Of Community Investment

PEMA Surveying Flood Damage In Dunbar

South Connellsville Residents Want Action To Stop Flooding

West Wyoming Natural Gas Plan Rattles Some Residents

Natural Gas Hub In Philly’s Future?

DEP Sacks Jefferson Twp. Sewer Plan

Hazardous Discharges Bring $2 Million Fine

Legacy Day To Greet Civilian Conservation Corps Laborers

Happy Trails For Mountain Top Bike Riders

Bald Eagle Numbers Soar In Erie Region

Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

Monday, July 8, 2013

Chesapeake Bay States Make Progress In Meeting Milestones, None Are Meeting Them All

All the jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay region are making progress meeting pollution reduction goals, but no jurisdiction is on track to implement all the pollution reduction practices they committed to achieve by 2013.

The analysis of selected interim 2012-13 milestone goals was conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC). This analysis is designed to ensure that commitments are being met, and if not, that actions will be taken to compensate for any shortfall.

“This interim analysis is important because it celebrates the areas where states are exceeding the goals, but also shines a light on areas needing improvement,” said CBF President William C. Baker. “While no state met the mark, and Pennsylvania and Delaware missed on half or more of the goals we evaluated, all jurisdictions had the opportunity to alter their plans to reach their 2013 pollution reduction goals. That information, however, is not currently available.”

Of the eight practices evaluated, Pennsylvania was on track or exceeded its goals for three practices and fell short on five. Conservation plans, barnyard runoff control, and stormwater infiltration practices all exceeded the mid-term goal.

Pennsylvania needs to accelerate issuance of permits for wastewater treatment plants. Forest buffers, conservation tillage, farm acres with nutrient management plans, and urban tree canopy goals significantly missed the mark.

“Forested buffers are one of the most cost effective ways to reduce pollution and restore the health of local rivers and streams,” said CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell. “While Pennsylvania met its 2011 goal, they are not on track to meet the goal in 2013 or their 2025 goal. Tying forest buffer implementation to other conservation programs and creative incentive efforts could significantly increase participation as well as increase water quality benefits.”

"Pennsylvania is making progress in cleaning up its local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. The rebounding of trout in once-polluted streams is a tribute to collective hard work,” said Kate Gibbons with PennFuture. “But our analysis shows continuing problems in both urban and rural areas, and we face significant challenges in meeting our timeline for reducing Pennsylvania’s pollution. We need to do more, as the health of our waterways, wildlife and communities depends on clean water."

Pennsylvania has the tools to get the job done, what is needed is for government to step up to the plate, according to Campbell.

In 2009 Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions, having missed restoration goals in the past, created two-year milestones designed to be transparent and provide accountability. This report evaluates the interim progress toward achieving the 2012-13 milestone commitments.

Together with pollution limits and state specific plans, this Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint outlines the path to the restoration of local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.

The analysis looked at practices within three pollution source categories—agricultural runoff, urban/suburban sources, and wastewater treatment—based on their potential to provide substantial nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution reductions and offer important lessons for implementation moving forward.

“We are encouraged that states are working to reach their milestones and, in some cases, significant progress has been made,” said Hilary Harp Falk, co-chair of Choose Clean Water Coalition. “However, after reviewing the data, it is clear that we need verification protocols to help local, state, and federal programs ensure that practices are properly designed, installed, and maintained over time.”

In addition, CBF and CCWC believe that the next set of milestones, from 2014-15, should be reported at the basin or county level, as opposed to only at the state level. Local jurisdictions will play an important role in the restoration of local waterways, which is critical to long-term success.

Restoring local rivers and streams, and saving the Chesapeake Bay, will provide benefits today and for future generations. If progress is not made we will continue to have polluted water, human health hazards, and lost jobs—at a huge cost to society. Reducing pollution and restoring local water quality will create jobs and enhance local economies.