Deal "Imminent" on Stony Valley

[Padraic]

The Patriot News reports that the Game Commission and Fort Indiantown Gap are close to finalizing a deal that will allow the Gap to use part of SGL211 for a buffer zone to an artillery range.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1183689624142260.xml&coll=1

This deal would close portions of the Game Land for part of the year. Currently, the gameland preserves the headwaters of Stony Creek by protecting the whole of the headwaters. This proposal would take a significant portion of the watershed for the buffer zone.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

i see this as a marginal agreement also. better than before. its a shame that for so long the citizens fought against this and lost anyway. hopefully they can appeal.

 

[MattBoyer]

They are doing this so they can have a Stryker training range. There have been Stryker's training there for well over a year. This was a done deal when it was first proposed. Sad.

Boyer :-x :-x :-x

 

[Maurice]

by salvelinusfontinalis on 2007/7/9 11:57:50

i see this as a marginal agreement also. better than before. its a shame that for so long the citizens fought against this and lost anyway. hopefully they can appeal.

The group fighting the "swap" are mixed in view of this decision. Some see it as a loss and some as no "net" loss. The GC will still own the land, only some hunting will be disrupted and the buffer to Stoney Creek is greater than in the original "swap" deal. As well, the total acreage is about a third of the original deal.

I'd say the deal has "win/win" character with a favor toward sportsmen. Lets face it. it could have been worse...in dealing with the government, with the ability to apply eminent domain rule, it could have been a LOT worse.

Unfortunately, we will have to put up with alot more of those shellings. They are enough to cause a need to change your underwear.

I presume because of the boundary being 275 ft from Stoney Creek, this will not close the fishing during the training period of 90 days per year?

Maurice

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

i agree that it could have been a lot worse, but it is still wrong. i for one am sick of public lands being taken by goverment or private parties. the sgl's have been bought and paid for by our money (hunting licenses). they wanna buffer zone........to bad :-D
i too wonder if it will be closed to fishing during the 90 day period.

 

[Padraic]

I presume because of the boundary being 275 ft from Stoney Creek, this will not close the fishing during the training period of 90 days per year?

Correct, it will not. However, I've been on the stream when the helicopters were flying at treetop level up and down the stream. It's a bit disconcerting to say the least. If shells start falling in that buffer zone, you're going to need ice in you veins to keep a nice drag free drift.

 

[MattBoyer]

As far as the "buffer zone" goes, they already skip one downrange every couple years. I remember an article in the Patriot about it and a guy who used to be a fairly high ranking official at the Gap was fly fishing and actually saw a 105 round land near him. I also have a friend who was down in Dehart one year when it was almost empty and found a pristine .50 projectile. It was laying on a sand bed. This was 100 yards from Rt325, 5 or 6 miles, at least, off range. Kinda makes me nervous sometimes, as this is one of the smallest rounds fired on this range. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti military, and I actually think it's hella cool seeing a10's and c130's and your occasional "plane that doesn't belong there", I just think they could carry on business as usual, and if someone catches a stray they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They could just as easily been hit by a bus on the way there. The only practical way to enforce a fool proof buffer zone would be to close one of the largest unbroken tracts of woodland in the state, not to mention everything on the south side of the range. The new casino at Penn National is less than 2 miles from the range, probably closer. Hell, poor Tim would have to move in that case. They have been training there for well over 50 years and haven't hit anyone yet. I could be wrong on this and probably am, but I'm more afraid of getting hit by lightning while I'm 4 miles from my car than I am about a round fired from 2 miles away at a backstop. My biggest concern is possible habitat degradation near the stream bed, but if the PGC will still own it I'd assume they would be monitoring activity there.

Boyer

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

nor am i anti military. and seeing the equipment is cool. i just worry. stony is so beautiful and untouched for the most part. hate to see another fire caused by this and burns down those woods. ruin a good stream.

p.s. hey mike stony creek could use a special reg! at least delayed harvest through the woods.