Commission Update

Commission Adopts Special Regulations for Three Southwest Waterways

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission adopted special fishing regulations for three southwest Pennsylvania lakes expected to open for public use later this year. The special designations occurred at the agency's winter meeting January 21-22 in Camp Hill.
 
Hinckston Dam and Wilmore Dam, Cambria County, along with Quemahoning Reservoir, Somerset County, were designated as Big Bass Waters. Under Big Bass regulations, the daily creel limit for bass is four fish that are 15 inches or larger. In addition, all three waters were added to the Panfish Enhancement Special Regulation Program, designed to increase the number and size of sunfish, crappies and yellow perch. Wilmore Dam and Quemahoning Reservoir will have a nine-inch minimum size limit for crappies and yellow perch, along with a seven-inch minimum on sunfish. Hinckston Dam will have a nine-inch minimum for crappies with the seven-inch restriction for sunfish. All three lakes will allow a daily panfish limit of 20 (combined species).

In other action, the Commission:

• adopted a provision that allows unpowered boats with a state of principal operation other than the Commonwealth to meet Pennsylvania's registration requirements if they comply with the registration and display requirements of their state of principal operation. The move was approved to simplify the understanding of Pennsylvania's regulations for non-residents and encourage outdoor recreational tourism. Previously, unpowered boats from other states were required to be registered and display a validation sticker and registration number to use Fish & Boat Commission access areas, regardless of the registration rules in the craft's home state.
• passed rules regarding the display of validation decals only on boats possessing valid marine documents when used for recreational purposes when Pennsylvania is the state of principal operation.
• approved seeking public comment on proposed processes for releasing documents pursuant to the state's Right to Know Law.
• adopted special provisions for the operation of boat liveries.
• decided to seek public comment on a proposed rewriting of rules related to required sound-producing devices for boats.
• opted not to adopt a suggested ban on personal watercraft on Lake Winola, Wyoming County.
• opted not to promulgate proposed special boating regulations on a section of the Schuylkill River within the boundaries of Valley Forge National Park.
• authorized the lease of approximately 3.5 acres of Commission property along Fishing Creek, Columbia County, to PennDOT for the construction of a parking facility for use by anglers and the general public.
• authorized the acquisition of a three-acre parcel from PennDOT for a future access site along the Susquehanna River in Hallstead Borough, Susquehanna County.
• amended miscellaneous special regulations to reflect the statewide trout creel limit reduction.
• approved a grant of $6,200 to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission for a Lake Erie walleye harvest study.
• established guidelines for the designation of waters limited to specific populations.
• clarified regulatory language to make it clear that the use of crossbows for fishing other than by persons with disabilities with the appropriate permits is not allowed.
• proposed rules allowing for a boater to establish positive proof of boat registration to a law enforcement officer via mail.
• proposed regulatory amendments clarifying legal uses of motor vehicles on Commission property.
• proposed consolidating two overlapping sections of the regulations dealing with the right to limit access to Commission property.
• proposed a housekeeping regulation to affirm that the taking, catching or killing of herring in the Susquehanna River and its tributaries is unlawful.
• proposed regulations clarifying the process for acquiring title to boats that are junked, destroyed, lost, stolen or abandoned.  Dan Tredinnick.

March/April 2000 Angler & Boater

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