Utilizing funds generated from the sale of the special Lake Erie fishing permits, the Commission opted to move forward with two property rights acquisitions on popular Erie County steelhead trout fishing waters.  The first, a 1,885-linear-foot easement will provide access to Walnut Creek in Millcreek Township.  The easement covers two contiguous parcels located between 38th Street and State Highway 832 (Sterrettania Road).  One parcel will provide access to 1,000 linear feet on both sides of the creek.  Another 885 feet will be along the south side of the creek.  The easements will be for public fishing, boating, riparian buffer and fisheries management and will include the stream corridor and extend at least 25 feet back from the top of the bank.  An additional easement for parking along State Highway 832 and an existing trail are also part of the $27,000 deal.

The second easement covers more than 1,400 linear feet of Elk Creek as it flows across property in Girard Township.  The easement will be for public fishing, boating, riparian buffer and fisheries management and will include the stream corridor and extend at least 25 feet back from the top of the bank.  The easement parcel is located between Routes 5 and 20, along Elk Park Road.  This easement is being offered to the Commission for no fee by Mercyhurst College.

The Commission also took action to harmonize fishing regulations season, size and creel limits on the Delaware River and the Conowingo Pool of the Susquehanna River to make Pennsylvania regulations more consistent with other border jurisdictions.

The Delaware River is regulated jointly in various stretches by Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.  In order to make Pennsylvania regulations consistent with other jurisdictions, effective in 2008, a no-harvest season for largemouth and smallmouth bass will run from 12:01 a.m. the first Saturday after April 11 to 12:01 a.m. the first Saturday after June 11.  A 12-inch minimum size limit, five-fish-per-day creel limit will be in place the remainder of the year.  The muskellunge season will be open year round, with a daily limit of one fish at least 40 inches in length.

Beginning January 1, 2008, Pennsylvania fishing regulations will harmonize with Maryland’s for the Conowingo Pool of the Susquehanna River.  Changes include a year-round season on trout, with no minimum size limit, 2-per-day creel limit.  The taking of alewife and blueback herring will be permissible January 1 through June 15 with no size or take limits.  No clams or mussels may be taken, however.  The daily limit for baitfish will become 35 for all species.

In other action, the Commission:

• Approved leasing additional office space for the Three Rivers Ecological Research Center.
• Moved to transfer 0.5 acres of property at the Reynoldsdale State Fish Hatchery, Bedford County, to PennDOT for an intersection re-alignment project.
• Exchanged gas and oil property rights on 64 acres at the Oswayo State Fish Hatchery, Potter County.
• Created new reporting requirements for dealers of American eels.
• Banned the importation of tautog less than 24 inches in length.
• Removed miscellaneous special regulations on musky fishing from Sugar Lake, Crawford County.
• Extended by 0.34 miles the length of the existing Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section of Sandy Lick Creek, Clearfield County.
• Approved a grant of up to $100,000 to the ClearWater Conservancy for the removal of the McCoy-Linn Dam and public access development on Spring Creek, Centre County.
• Removed Big Bass special fishing regulations from Pool 3 of the Allegheny River.
• Added a section of Middle Spring Creek, Cumberland County, to the list of waters supporting a Class A Wild Trout population.
• Called a special Commission meeting at 1 p.m., July 26, in the Commission’s Harrisburg Headquarters to take action on a proposed reorganization of a portion of the agency’s staff positions.

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