PFBC looking to add to Wild Trout and Class A Streams

Pennsylvania is home to 16,000 miles of wild trout streams.

Thanks to the Fish and Boat Commission, 36 new Wild Trout waters and three Class A streams have been proposed for upgraded designation this October. With your help, we can secure protections for these additional streams from development and pollution

. The public is invited to participate by filing comment in support of these upgraded protections. Pennsylvanians have been vocal in our support over the past 12 months, with more than 1,400 comments filed in favor of new protections.

With your help, we can see PA’s total miles of protected wild trout water continue to grow in 2019. 

Click here to view a map of all streams eligible for upgrade. 

Left unprotected, these streams, which provide clean drinking water to millions of Pennsylvanians, are at risk of pollution and sedimentation from stormwater runoff, high temperatures as a result of the destruction of streamside buffers, and reduced flows because of water withdrawals

. Take action today! Click on these links to file public comment in support of Class A stream upgrades, and here for Wild Trout stream upgrades. Comments are due to the Commission no later than September 17, 2019.

In drafting your comment, tell the Fish & Boat Commission why wild trout streams are important to you and why they deserve upgraded protection. Share a story with a particular stream and its value to the local community

. Feel free to add your personal sentiments to the sample language below:

Dear Mr. Schaeffer and the Board of Commissioners, I am writing you today to encourage the Commission to approve the entirety of the list of proposed wild trout streams and Class A trout streams at its next meeting on October 21-22nd, 2019.

I am advocating on behalf of these wild trout streams as a conservation-minded individual and concerned citizen. These streams are the lifeblood of our state, and these designations ensure them the special protections they deserve. Class A streams qualify for High Quality (HQ) classification, while the wetlands contiguous to other wild trout waters are elevated to Exceptional Value (EV) status.

I appreciate the work the PFBC has done over the past decade to assess and protect our wild trout populations, which supports a robust fishing and outdoor recreation economy in Pennsylvania. I encourage the Commission to continue to support this critical work. 

The above was taken from an email sent by Rob Shane, TU Mid Atlantic Organizer