vcregular
Member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2006
- Messages
- 891
Just curious, did any of the Board members attend the meeting? Any feedback?
It looks as if two commish board members tried to be proactive...but to no avail. I used to fish this river a lot, but not lately. Talk about a great resource that needs some serious TLC.
Commissioners turn attention to river pollution
Saturday, September 15, 2007
BY MARCUS SCHNECK
For The Patriot-News
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission came within one vote Friday of launching a move to impose a catch-and-release restriction on all bass fishing in the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers.
At a special meeting of the Fisheries Committee, called to discuss the ongoing decline in fish populations in the rivers, commissioner William R. Worobec moved that the committee recommend the full Board of Commissioners at the Oct. 1-2 meeting direct commission executive director Douglas J. Austen to issue an emergency executive order imposing the tighter restrictions.
"We've got a biological issue and a visibility issue right now," he said, after listening to several staff presentations about the environmental and pollutant conditions creating the issue, as well as moves under way to gather more information about possible solutions. "We've got to get the visibility to get this done."
Explaining that he hoped the action would call widespread public and legislative attention to the issue, Worobec said, "We need to get the guys down on the Hill in tune with what we think is the problem just now. We've got to get the visibility to create the critical mass to get this addressed."
Current regulations impose catch-and-release conditions on the rivers only from mid-April through mid-June.
Through most of the year, anglers may keep two bass at least 18 inches on the Susquehanna River, from the inflatable dam at Sunbury downstream to Holtwood Dam, and on the Juniata River, from Port Royal downstream to the mouth. On the rest of the river system, the limit is four bass at least 15 inches for most of the year.
Worobec's motion failed to move forward when the members of the Fisheries Committee split their votes 2-2.
In the Board of Commissioners committee system, had the Fisheries Committee voted in favor of the motion, a recommendation would have passed to the full board of 10 commissioners to consider directing commissioner Austen to issue the emergency order.
Commissioner Robert A. Bachman, who participated in the meeting by phone and provided the second for Worobec's motion, as well as the second favorable vote, said, "We're saying there's a pollution problem that needs to be addressed."
Commissioners William J. Sabatose and Donald K. Anderson voted against the measure.
----
It looks as if two commish board members tried to be proactive...but to no avail. I used to fish this river a lot, but not lately. Talk about a great resource that needs some serious TLC.
Commissioners turn attention to river pollution
Saturday, September 15, 2007
BY MARCUS SCHNECK
For The Patriot-News
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission came within one vote Friday of launching a move to impose a catch-and-release restriction on all bass fishing in the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers.
At a special meeting of the Fisheries Committee, called to discuss the ongoing decline in fish populations in the rivers, commissioner William R. Worobec moved that the committee recommend the full Board of Commissioners at the Oct. 1-2 meeting direct commission executive director Douglas J. Austen to issue an emergency executive order imposing the tighter restrictions.
"We've got a biological issue and a visibility issue right now," he said, after listening to several staff presentations about the environmental and pollutant conditions creating the issue, as well as moves under way to gather more information about possible solutions. "We've got to get the visibility to get this done."
Explaining that he hoped the action would call widespread public and legislative attention to the issue, Worobec said, "We need to get the guys down on the Hill in tune with what we think is the problem just now. We've got to get the visibility to create the critical mass to get this addressed."
Current regulations impose catch-and-release conditions on the rivers only from mid-April through mid-June.
Through most of the year, anglers may keep two bass at least 18 inches on the Susquehanna River, from the inflatable dam at Sunbury downstream to Holtwood Dam, and on the Juniata River, from Port Royal downstream to the mouth. On the rest of the river system, the limit is four bass at least 15 inches for most of the year.
Worobec's motion failed to move forward when the members of the Fisheries Committee split their votes 2-2.
In the Board of Commissioners committee system, had the Fisheries Committee voted in favor of the motion, a recommendation would have passed to the full board of 10 commissioners to consider directing commissioner Austen to issue the emergency order.
Commissioner Robert A. Bachman, who participated in the meeting by phone and provided the second for Worobec's motion, as well as the second favorable vote, said, "We're saying there's a pollution problem that needs to be addressed."
Commissioners William J. Sabatose and Donald K. Anderson voted against the measure.
----
