Membership Meeting on September 8 @ 7:00pm Uniontown, Pa
Membership Meeting on September 8 @ 7:00pm Uniontown, Pa
President 's Message - August 2021
CRTU hopes everyone is enjoying the summer. Our organization is keeping active with fund-raising, stream water testing and work at the nursery.
One of our directors has been extremely busy with his dedication to the fund-raising letter. The membership letter has been approved by the board members/officers and will be mailed within the week. Please consider contributing as you know we have not been able to have our popular fund-raising banquet the last two years due to the COVID situation.
On June 28, CRTU held our kids’ fishing day at South Union Hutchinson Park. We had ample help from CRTU members to make sure that the kids from the East End Community Center had a great fishing experience. It was a very successful day as the kids caught trout and sunfish. East End Community Center wishes to continue this relationship, and we have a commitment from South Union to utilize their venue whenever we wish to have an outing. A special “Thank you” to all members who participated.
Glade Run Alkaline Sand Project continues. With our Mountain Watershed Association partners, we sampled seven locations in the Glade Run basin on June 11, and we placed approximately 230 tons of alkaline sand in the watershed on June 23 and 24. Results show continued dramatic positive influence on Glade Run basin, especially the Big Piney and Little Piney tributaries, resulting in much improved water quality downstream below all our treatment sites. Deb Simko (CRTU member and Western Pa Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation) and I are working now to submit final reports to DEP for the Growing Greener grant we have been operating on.
We are happy to report to members that 44 stream-miles of Dunbar Creek and tributaries, including lower parts of Glade Run, have received preliminary approval from the State’s Environmental Quality Board for reclassification as “Exceptional Value Waters.” This designation places the most stringent environmental requirements on any development or resource extraction activity proposed for the Dunbar Creek watershed. The designation will not be formal, however, until after a period of public comment on the re-designation. We encourage all CRTU members, and the public, to comment in support of the reclassification of Dunbar Creek as Exceptional Value. Comments do not need to be elaborate or lengthy. Just tell the Environmental Quality Board, in your words, why a clean, pristine Dunbar Creek is important to you personally, or to our region’s environment and economy (clean water brings anglers and dollars). Comments can be emailed to: regcomments@pa.gov. Deadline for submitting comments is September 14.
The nursery team has been extremely busy with maintenance projects. They have lifted and cleaned the trout cages and completed routine upkeep. It was a very successful year and we have engaged with the Ohiopyle fishing guides to stream stock the trout on the Youghiogheny River for the public’s angling enjoyment. We also used many of the trout from our nursery to support youth fishing experiences around the region.
Last, I have submitted a nomination of CRTU for the 2021 PATU Edward Urbas (Best Chapter Award). I believe that our chapter’s ability to keep its primary projects going this past year, and its attempts to start new projects during a challenging time in the pandemic, warrant the recognition as Best Chapter in Pennsylvania.
Thank you, be well, and good fishing.
Ben Moyer
President
