A poll released this week by the Our Pocono Waters campaign finds Poconos residents value state protections for “Exceptional Value” streams and want elected officials to take further steps to protect these waterways from large-scale commercial development.
Poconos residents voiced overwhelming support for protecting the region’s pristine waters (94%), particularly the streams considered so pure that they meet Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Exceptional Value requirements.
The Poconos region is fortunate to be home to some of the Commonwealth’s most-pristine waterways. Of all streams labeled as Exceptional Value, the highest possible rating, 80% are located in the Poconos.
An overwhelming 77% of Poconos residents observed increases in commercial development in recent years, while 67% expressed concern that greater development poses negative impacts on water quality for Pocono-area streams.
Surveyed residents acknowledge the reality that economic growth, environmental sustainability, and personal well-being are all intertwined. Exceptional Value streams have an enormous impact on quality of life in the Pocono Mountains region, while providing significant economic opportunities through the thriving outdoor recreation and tourism sectors.
“The Pocono Mountains region’s unique environment depends on enforcement of smart, ecologically-conscious development practices that do not undermine the quality of our streams and rivers,” said Donna Kohut, Our Pocono Waters campaign manager. “Protecting our economy means protecting our creeks and streams. We can — and must — have strong clean streams protections that simultaneously support local economic development.”
Pocono residents largely oppose developments that risk undermining the region’s precious water resources. A large bipartisan majority of respondents (73%) said they are more likely to vote for a political candidate who shares the common goal of protecting and preserving Exceptional Value streams and waterways from added commercial development.
At a time when more than two in three respondents have observed greater commercial development in every county across the region, nearly eight in ten acknowledge that economic development should continue, so long as it is well planned and environmentally sound.
“The poll results are consistent with what I hear from residents all the time: the natural beauty of the Poconos is a major reason why they choose to live and raise their families here,” said Robert Heil, Hamilton Township (Monroe County) Supervisor. “Natural beauty, driven by clean water, green spaces, and clean air, are what makes our area such a special place to call home,”
“As a business owner, I fully support economic development across the Poconos,” said Sierra Fogal, operations manager and co-owner of Pocono Whitewater and Skirmish. “But we need development done in a way that ensures preservation of our local streams. Clean waterways are essential to creating tourism demand and employment opportunities for all ages, allowing future generations to experience outdoor recreation in the Poconos.”
Respondents drew strong connections between clean water protections and economic opportunities — with 57% saying that recreational activities related to clean streams have a positive impact on the local economy.
“Clean streams have been a major driver of the area’s economy for decades,” said Emily Baldauff, Mid Atlantic Organizer for Trout Unlimited. “The protections attached to an Exceptional Value stream status are vital to ensuring this economic driver continues to enhance the recreational access and opportunities that the Pocono Mountains provide — for decades to come.”
The survey was conducted on behalf of the Our Pocono Waters campaign by Susquehanna Polling & Research, one of the nation’s leading qualitative and quantitative research firms. The study included a total of 500 residents of Monroe, Carbon, Wayne and Pike counties who were reached by phone in late March.
PFBC names Officer of the Year;
announces other award winners
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) this week announced several awards presented to staff members in recognition of outstanding achievements.
Law Enforcement
The PFBC Bureau of Law Enforcement 2021 Officer of the Year Award was presented to Waterways Conservation Officer (WCO) Chad Doyle.
WCO Doyle, whose district includes southcentral Crawford and eastern Mercer counties in the Northwest Region, is credited with establishing an exemplary Boating Under the Influence (BUI) and summary violation detection program within his district.
In 2021, Doyle successfully apprehended four individuals for BUI, assisted with the apprehension of three BUI arrests by other officers, and successfully investigated five environmental violations.
In addition. Doyle investigated three boating accidents, including a fatal incident and an accident that caused more than $200,000 in damage to other boats and docks. PHOTO
The Top Gun Award was presented to WCO Sean Lake.
This award is presented annually to a WCO who displays outstanding effort in the detection and apprehension of impaired boaters.
Lake, whose district includes southern York County in the Southeast Region, facilitated the apprehension and prosecution of 20 individuals for BUI, and assisted in one arrest by another officer in 2021. Most of the arrests occurred while Lake was patrolling the Susquehanna River.
The Gerald L. Greiner Environmental Protection Award was presented to WCO Rachael Thurner-Diaz.
This award is presented annually to the WCO who best exemplifies the ideals of ‘Resource First’ — the protection, conservation, and enhancement of our Commonwealth’s aquatic resources.
In 2021, Thurner-Diaz, whose district includes Adams and western York Counties in the Southcentral Region, investigated 12 environmental incidents which included four pollution cases and eight disturbance of waterways violations. One high profile investigation in York County led to the offender paying over $50,000 in restitution.
A Lifesaving Award was presented to WCO Justin Boatwright.
On Feb. 9, 2022, Boatwright was attending a law enforcement meeting at Tiadaghton State Forest, Lycoming County, when screams for help were reported coming from the mountain nearby.
Boatwright, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff, and a Pennsylvania Game Commission State Game Warden responded to the area of the Waterville Rail Trail where the calls for help were pinpointed, and a victim was found to be struggling to cling onto a steep slope above them covered in ice and snow.
Boatwright sprinted up the slope to assist the victim, who indicated he had had been walking his dogs atop the mountain when he fell and slid approximately 100 feet down the slope and believed he had broken both of his legs. The victim’s hand had turned purple, as it was being squeezed tightly by a lanyard, which he had wrapped around his hand to help him hold onto a small tree. Boatwright was able to alleviate the pressure on the victims’ hand and help him hold on while he called for additional help. While waiting for other rescuers to arrive, the snow beneath Boatwright and the victim gave way, sending them sliding even further down the slope. Under treacherous conditions, Boatwright kept the victim secure for several hours while coordinating with other rescuers, who were eventually able to transport the victim to a hospital for treatment. PHOTO
Governor’s Award for
Environmental Excellence
The PFBC is honored to receive the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its online Activities and Education Portal. In 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection honored 15 projects statewide which were completed by schools, businesses, and community organizations that exhibited creativity and innovation in environmental improvement.
Initially developed as a response to the challenges that COVID-19 guidance presented for teachers, parents, and Pennsylvania’s angling and boating community in 2020, PFBC Education staff has continued to expand the Activities and Education Portal into a one-stop environmental education shop to deliver an meaningful “fishing, boating, and aquatic resource experience” to participants at home.
The Activities & Education Portal is an expansive resource for anyone interested in aquatic resources and fishing and boating opportunities throughout the Commonwealth, which includes videos, activities, printable documents, Pennsylvania League of Angling Youth (PLAY) newsletters, crafts, coloring pages, background information, and more. Topics featured on the portal include boating and water safety; fishing, fly fishing, and kayak fishing; habitat, watersheds, and pollution; indigenous fish species; amphibians and reptiles; and aquatic macroinvertebrates.
The portal also includes downloadable coloring pages and a variety of themed activities and education packages. To make content more accessible to users with vision impairment, the portal also includes Read Along with the PFBC audio versions of the most popular newsletters.
Harrisburg’s newest
peregrine falcons banded
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission banded Harrisburg’s newest peregrine falcons this week.
A recording of the banding is available on DEP’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDEP/.
“The falcons that have nested on the Rachel Carson State Office Building continue to be an environmental success story,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Without the improvements to Pennsylvania’s environment, these birds would not have the track record that they do here on the Rachel Carson Building.”
Game Commission biologist Patti Barber led a team in bringing the nestlings in from the 15th floor ledge. Barber weighed the birds, inspected their health, and banded them.
Banding the falcons allows biologists and birdwatchers from all over the continent to track the birds and help us learn more about where they travel, how long they’ve lived, and whether they’ll establish new nests in other places. Falcons born on the ledge at the Rachel Carson building have been tracked to locations from Florida all the way to Canada.
The peregrine falcon was removed from the federal Endangered Species List in 1999 and the Pennsylvania Threatened List in 2021 but remains federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the state Game and Wildlife Code.
Eighty-three falcons have now hatched since reproduction began in 2000. This makes the Rachel Carson State Office Building nest site the most prolific in the commonwealth.
Credit: Source link
