The February 2020 issue of the Susquehanna Ripples is now available. You can get your copy here.

Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited will welcome PA Fish & Boat Commission Executive Director Timothy Schaeffer, Commission President Eric Hussar, and local Waterways Conservation Officers Emmett Kyler and Jacob Bennett at its February 12th public meeting. Mr. Schaeffer will lead off with a presentation on the strategic plan for the Commission. The public is encouraged to attend and take this opportunity to learn about fishing and boating programs and the important role of the Commission in conserving and protecting our environmental and recreational resources in our northcentral PA region, as well as to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas with Commission officials. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 12 at 7:00 p.m. at  Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, at the rear of 807 West Fourth Street in Williamsport (enter off of Campbell St.) For more information, please see our website at https://susquehannatu.com/.

The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited is pleased to announce that it will be offering its annual fly tying course on Tuesday evenings starting February 4, 2020 and running through March 31, 2020.  The classes are free and open to the public and will be held weekly from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church, 807 W. 4th Street, Williamsport (parking and entrance at rear off Campbell Street).  The course will include an instruction manual and tools and materials needed to tie your flies during each session.  If you have your own tools, you are encouraged to bring them with you.  Beginners and all skill levels are welcomed and instructor will include notable local fly tyers.  Class size is limited to 20 students and is a first come, first served.  Last year’s class filled up quickly and was a big success.  You can register by sending an email to susuquehannatu@gmail.com.  Please list the names of everyone you would like to register, their experience levels, and contact information (email and phone number).  You can also register by calling Walt Nicholson at 570-447-3600.

     The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host its annual watershed meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and state, county, and municipal officials. Its purpose is to share knowledge about the volunteer efforts and accomplishments of our area’s many watershed groups and the work of our conservation organizations and agencies during 2019 and their upcoming plans for 2020.    Local watershed organizations are being invited to report on their projects and activities over the past year and plans for the coming year. Additionally, we are inviting county conservation districts, academic institutions, and representatives of regional conservation organizations to discuss their programs that relate to protecting, preserving, and enhancing our local watersheds and streams.

We hope that you will plan to attend and listen to the sharing of this information to learn about the programs, successes, and challenges presented by our partnering organizations. Our past programs have been both enlightening and enjoyable. Together, we are certainly making a difference as we leverage our resources to achieve our common goals.

The meeting will be held in Fellowship Hall at the rear of Covenant Central Presbyterian Church at 807 W. Fourth Street (enter off of Campbell St.) in Williamsport. Ample parking is available in the lot behind the church. Please respond at your earliest convenience by email to walt.nicholson10@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you.

The Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment recently released a map showing unpaved roads in Pennsylvania, each of which could become  new dumpsites, if the General Assembly passes pending legislation legalizing the road dumping of conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater.

The primary areas to be affected would be unpaved dirt and gravel roads anywhere there is conventional oil and gas drilling in the state.

Click Here to zoom in on the Penn State map to find your house.

The bills– Senate Bill 790 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) and House Bill 1635 (Causer-R- Cameron) are both now in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee– and are said to be on a fast track for action.

The above was taken from the Weekly PA Environment Digest Newsletter (November 18, 2019 Issue # 803). For more information, go to the article at http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=48296&SubjectID=