NPC and W&L Subaru work together to clean up the streambanks of Turtle Creek
In the midst of planning NPC’s recent benefit, “A Night for Nature,” we had the opportunity to collaborate with the dynamic team from W&L Subaru in Northumberland, PA. Their commitment to supporting NPC’s conservation efforts aligned perfectly with their Subaru Loves the Earth program made them enthusiastic top-tier sponsors right from the start!
However, our partnership didn’t stop there; W&L Subaru’s dedication to the environment and their communities inspired us to explore more ways that we could work together to make a difference.
On April 16, 2024, W&L Subaru joined NPC and some of our ‘Stream Team’ partners to help clean up the streambanks of Turtle Creek. It was a warm, spring day and their crew showed up ready to WORK, helping to clear debris and remove invasive plants from the riparian buffer along the stream bank.
Riparian buffers play a vital role, acting as natural sponges that filter stormwater runoff and absorb precipitation. By anchoring the soil in place, the roots of these plants minimize erosion into the stream, contributing to cleaner, healthier water for our communities.
W&L Subaru’s proactive spring maintenance not only supports the growth of new plantings but also ensures they thrive and fulfill their ecological functions. Their involvement underscores a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, promoting the well-being of both nature and local communities.
Partnerships like these exemplify the power of collective action in driving positive change. This project is just the first of a series of conservation and enhancement projects that NPC and W&L Subaru will be tackling together throughout the year! Thank you, W&L Subaru, for your dedication and support!
Did you know that your solar eclipse glasses can be sent to Latin America for children to enjoy the August 2024 eclipse?!
If you no longer wish to keep your eclipse glasses, please consider recycling your gently used solar glasses to the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy office. We’ll package them up and send as a bulk mailing for reuse!
The NPC office is the white farmhouse right next to Herman & Luthers. The address is 785 PA-87, Montoursville, PA.
If we happen to be in the field when you drop by, there is a box on the front porch to deposit your glasses….or reach out to the NPC staff to schedule a visit!
The response from both our local and national communities has been absolutely overwhelming – and in the best possible way!
To ensure that every donated pair of glasses is thoroughly inspected and redistributed to serve the needs of others during the upcoming eclipses – this year and beyond – we’re partnering with multiple organizations. Among them are Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC and Astronomers without Borders.
Thank you for helping to share the eclipse experience with others!!
Tim Plisiewicz is the Head Brewer at Turkey Hill Brewing Company (THBC). He possesses a wide array of interests and knowledge ranging from brewing and bedrocks to fishing and foraging – making him just the kind of person you’d enjoy having a long chat with over a good beer!
Originally from Trevorton, Pennsylvania, Tim graduated from Bloomsburg in 2011 with a degree in Biology Natural History and a minor in Geology. A lover of learning, the natural sciences, and new experiences, he first entered the craft-brewing realm through a gifted homebrew kit. However, it didn’t take him long to realize he had a passion and a talent for the process.
Tim began his professional journey as an Assistant Brewer at THBC, where he had the opportunity to learn under the tutelage of the former Head Brewer, Donny Abraczinskas. Tim honed his skills and knowledge under Abraczinskas’ guidance, preparing himself to take over the helm as the Head Brewer upon Abraczinskas’ retirement.
Combining a Passion for Nature and Craft Beer
Tim’s brewing philosophy is deeply intertwined with his love for nature, often incorporating elements of the natural world into his brews. For instance, the “Red Beds Rye Saison” on tap at THBC pays homage to the red bed sedimentary rock formations found in Bloomsburg.
So, when the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy and THBC came together to create ‘A Night for Nature,’ Tim was quickly inspired to craft the new ‘Helles-bender’ beer for the event. Named after the Pennsylvania state amphibian, the eastern hellbender, this brew highlights the connection between clean water, healthy streams, and quality beer. Tim emphasized the importance of water quality in brewing, stating, “If your water is flawed, your beer is flawed.”
In addition to food, live music, and a commemorative pint glass, ticketholders for ‘A Night for Nature’ will receive a free beer at the event, which Tim describes as “A very drinkable helles style lager – low hop, slightly malty, fruity and floral.”
VIP ticketholders receive additional perks such as early entry and a behind-the-scenes brewery tour led by Tim himself. Whether you’re a homebrewer, beer enthusiast, or simply curious about the brewing process, a VIP ticket offers a unique opportunity to engage with Tim and learn more about the art and science of brewing.
If you’re looking to improve your fishing skills, or even try fishing for the first time, I highly recommend checking out the programs that Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission hosts for anglers. And the best part is, these programs are all FREE!
I have been fishing since I was little, and fly fishing for about 7 years, but had never really had much guidance. Looking to improve my skill set, last summer I signed up for the Women’s Intro to Fly Fishing online program. The online learning taught me the thought process behind different leader and tippet selections, how to read the water and much more. Signing up for this course also qualified me to participate in the Women’s Intro to Steelhead Fly Fishing trips in Erie, PA.
I attended the Women’s Steelhead Fly Fishing trip last fall, where I caught my first steelhead, and I was HOOKED! I recently had the opportunity to attend this event again, where I again expanded my knowledge, improved my casting, made new friends, and danced with some chromers (steelhead) – and suckers, which fight even harder than the steelhead.
Sara and her steelhead
Not only did I catch a bunch of fish, I also landed great connections and new friendships. This program is a phenomenal opportunity for networking with like-minded people. Women from neighboring states of West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and New York were in attendance as well. The first time that I attended this event, I went completely alone, not knowing another person – each time I go, I make more friendships and connections, expanding locations for fishing opportunities via offers from other female anglers who offer open invitations to hang out and fish in their home waters.
Don’t be afraid of trying something new because you are alone, or afraid of not being good at it! As a female angler looking to get into the sport, or advance your skills, it is easy to be intimidated by a male dominated activity. I implore you to push past any thoughts of self-doubt or intimidation, and I promise you will be thrilled with what is waiting on the other side! That is what sets this women’s fly fishing program apart from others, the inclusivity and encouragement from a variety of mentors.
New experiences lead to newfound friendships
The group consisted of people ranging from those who have never touched a fly rod, to women who have been doing it for years, but never for steelhead, volunteers who are local guides, Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructors, well-known fly tiers and authors of fly fishing books. Each and every person there supported and encouraged one another, so if you arrived alone, you left with new friends and a sense of belonging.
Women’s Intro to Steelhead Fly Fishing trip in Erie, PA
We, as Pennsylvanians, are blessed to have more miles of streams than any state, other than Alaska, along with superb programming and mentorship for anglers provided by PA Fish and Boat, many active chapters of Trout Unlimited and several other groups encouraging and educating anglers. Those who actively recreate are more invested in the conservation of our natural resources.
And don’t forget, NPC is a fishing tackle loaner location. Spinning rods and fly rods are available to check-out for free so you can enjoy fishing and improving your skills without the investment.
Happy fishing,
Sara Schlesinger Land Steward Specialist Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy
Several areas of lakeshore have erosion issues. There are two main factors leading to the erosion, a steep shoreline and wave action from the motorized boats traveling the lake.
The PFBC lake crew studied F. J. Sayers Reservoir in cooperation with its partners and developed a plan to stabilize erosion in various areas and add some habitat structures for fish. They needed an additional partner, however, to help pull the funding together, manage the grants, and order some of the materials. An email and a phone call later and NPC was working to submit for grant funding. NPC gave them the ability to be more efficient and go after funding that they previously weren’t able to go after.
Recently the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) awarded NPC a grant for one of the more popular areas at Sayers Reservoir/Bald Eagle State Park, Hunters Run Access. The shoreline work will happen in late May or early June. The area first needed to be prepped for the shoreline event. Offshore submerged habitat work was also designed for when the lake was naturally drawn down for its annual water elevation operation schedule. The project prep and submerged offshore habitat work happened on a cold and blustery March day.
The PFBC lake crew worked to place reef balls on the lake bottom. These reef balls are made of concrete which are more or less a hollow gumdrop with holes in them. The holes on the sides allow fish to easily swim in and out for cover.
They were placed to improve the local habitat, providing better fishing for the shoreline anglers and boaters. The reef balls can be used as a standalone structure or become more complex with felled trees. Despite the necessity to remove shoreline trees during the area’s reshaping, plans are in place to establish a new and improved riparian buffer once the project progresses further. Those felled trees, however, did not go to waste and were used to make additional excellent fish habitat! The trees, with their roots and limbs intact, will serve as a mini food web for macroinvertebrates, which intern is food for the small and young of the year fish located in the lake. These areas then will become a perfect location for the larger sized fish that everyone enjoys catching since the area has both excellent habitat and food for them.
The next phase of the project will be in late May or early June. This project will focus on placing shoreline stone framed deflectors. These will not only improve fish habitat and water quality but will also improve angler access. Stay tuned for more updates!
Thanks to the unwavering support of its members, the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) proudly serves a 12-county region across Northcentral PA. This extensive footprint allows NPC the opportunity to champion the environmental wellbeing of the region as a whole, one community conservation project at a time! However, operating within such a widespread area presents its own set of challenges; like being in all places at once or initiating projects in towns where NPC staff or board members do not personally reside.
Yet, NPC’s roots lie in the communal power of town talks, firmly believing that building trust and transparency are essential for any conservation project to be successful!
A prime example of this is the Coal Creek property located in Blossburg. There, staff have been actively participating in Borough Council meetings for over a year and a half. These meetings enable NPC to maintain communication not only with the local community but also with project partners like the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and Kleinfelder engineering. These connections facilitate the sharing of information and ensure that the community’s needs are considered throughout the project.
Tioga River restoration plans outlined for Blossburg community
In 2022, NPC acquired the 216-acre Coal Creek property in Blossburg.
Last month, community members and landowners gathered to learn more about the plans for treating the Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) affecting the Tioga River. Organized by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) with input from all partners, including NPC, the community meeting was a significant step in fostering dialogue and transparency.
NPC was asked to moderate the presentations and facilitate the meetings, a testament to NPC’s ongoing outreach. Nearly 80 individuals, including landowners and organization members directly impacted by the project, had the opportunity to learn about the plans.
The meeting provided an overview of the three streams with AMD issues affecting the Tioga River, followed by a “tour” of the proposed treatment system. Attendees gained insights into how each stream – Morris Run, Fallbrook, and Coal Creek – would be contained and pumped to the Active Treatment Plant (ATP), along with details on funding, operations, maintenance, and paperwork requirements for impacted landowners.
Prior to the meeting, NPC addressed rumors circulating within the community, ensuring transparency and trust from the outset. During the question and answer session, concerns ranging from public safety to property usage were addressed.
A notable community need emerged regarding public safety, with the volunteer fire company advocating for the inclusion of hydrants in the system. Their input will ensure quicker response times during emergencies, minimizing potential risks to nearby homes and businesses.
After the formal presentations wrapped up, staff from the various organizations were on hand to answer questions. There was also a complete set of plans available for the engineers to show people and explain, and a series of maps were on display to help people follow the path of the water from the discharge to the ATP and back to local streams.
Jim Green with BAMR (left) listens as a landowner explains a traffic concern.NPC board member, Steve Young (left) reviews the Coal Creek map with a landowner.
Thanks to the NPC membership for their steadfast support in the Coal Creek acquisition and the broader Tioga River restoration efforts. Their membership not only contributes to restoring the Tioga River but also empowers local communities to voice their concerns and inquiries.
The design will be finalized in the next several months. Once the design is wrapped up, the engineers will prepare the bid packets. The hope is that construction will begin in 2025 and wrap-up in 2026. Stay tuned for more updates on how NPC members are helping to restore the Tioga River!
We are thrilled to share that NPC has been awarded a $450,000 Growing Greener Plus grant from the state! This funding will fuel NPC’s ongoing efforts, as part of the Northcentral Stream Partnership, to enhance our region’s local water quality.
Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address critical environmental concerns. “The Growing Greener Plus grant program empowers communities to pursue environmental progress and innovation,” said Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “This support fuels vital Pennsylvania initiatives that protect our land and restore local watersheds. As a result, our Commonwealth can look forward to a greener future.”
With this grant funding, NPC will continue work to stabilize eroded streambanks, restore floodplains impacted by agriculture, and implement essential best management practices. These include exclusionary fencing, riparian buffers, and reinforced stream crossings, all aimed at safeguarding our precious water resources and supporting our local ecosystems.
Want to dive deeper into the impactful work of NPC and the Northcentral Stream Partnership? Explore further here!
Curious to learn more about the Growing Greener funding? Click here!
Raise your hand if you’re a fan of fens?! How about a sucker for swamps?! Or go bonkers for bogs?! Marvel at marshes?! Fens, swamps, bogs, and marshes are all types of wetlands you can find here in PA…and they really are worth going wild about!
Wetlands are places where the soil holds water either permanently or seasonally. Wetland water may be visible, or it may be below the surface of the ground.
Wetlands support a wide variety of animals and insects, including migratory and resident birds, turtles, fish, snakes, frogs – making them crucial hotspots for biodiversity. In fact, 40% of all species live or breed in wetlands!
Wetlands are not only a great place to view wildlife, but they can also offer many opportunities for recreation like boating, fishing, hunting, and canoeing.
Wildlife habitat. Clean Water. Climate Control. Economic Benefits. Recreational Opportunities. Basically, wetlands are like ecological and societal powerhouses.
Dragonflies can be found patrolling above the water and broods of ducks raise their young at the PPL Wetlands.
NPC members have played an active role in helping to conserve these delicate ecosystems across the region. Here’s a look at some of those conserved land:
Pennsyl & Homer Webster These two sisters properties located just north of Wellsboro cover a large area of wetland, locally known at the “The Muck.” The area was once used to raise lettuce and celery, but today hosts as a breeding ground for a variety of birds, including Marsh Wrens, American Bitterns, Common Snipe, Virginia Rail and Sora Rail. It’s been designated as one of Pennsylvania’s Important Bird Areas and offers a boardwalk and wildlife viewing blind for the public to enjoy.
Cavanaugh Access Many people know the Cavanaugh Access Area because it provides quick access to the Pine Creek Trail. However, this 132-acre parcel of land also helps conserve important wetlands along Marsh Creek. The wetlands are extensive, fed by Canada Run, and close to wooded areas. This allows wildlife to use the wetlands and Creek by moving from the forest to the stream and wetlands and back. Marsh Creek is a major tributary to Pine Creek. Marsh Creek meanders and bends through this property for nearly one mile. This Creek and its associated wetlands are a huge sponge that provide water year round that helps keep Pine Creek’s water cooler in the summer.
Brid watching at the Pennsyl propertyKnob Mountain conservation easement
Clinton County Solid Waste Authority (CCSWA) Wetland mitigation is the restoration, creation or enhancement of wetlands for the purpose of compensating for unavoidable impacts to wetlands at another location. During the 1990’s, the CCSWA worked closely with the Army Corps of Engineers to construct a mitigation wetland to replace an area that was impacted during their expansion. Today, NPC holds a 49-acre easement on the land, protecting the wetlands’ water, soil, fish and wildlife conservation values.
PPL Wetlands This property was the first conservation easement of any type in Montour County back in 2008. The entire conserved property consists of nearly 109 acres and includes a 5-acre mitigation wetland constructed by PPL, 59 acres of wooded wetland, cropland, and creek frontage. Today, dragonflies can be found patrolling above the water and broods of ducks raise their young here.
Fossil Farm The 150-acre easement holds a variety of unique environmental values, including a beaver pond and several other large wetland areas. Catlin Hollow Creek flows through the property before entering Crooked Creek before winding its way to the Chesapeake Bay. This property helps to conserve the water quality of not only this region, but plays a vital role on a much larger scale as well!
Conservation happens at varying speeds. Some projects take years, if not decades to navigate and complete and other projects happen in weeks. Members of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) invest in both slow and fast conservation. Providing the support to build trust over time and work through questions and contemplations as well as supplying the resources to act when an opportunity presents itself.
Back in March 2023 there was a need for fast conservation. NPC was contacted about two parcels adjacent to State Game Lands 134 being sold by auction about 3 weeks later. The parcels layed side by side. One sharing its western boundary with existing State Game Lands and they both shared their northern boundary with existing State Game Lands.
NPC staff and board members and PGC staff tour the Anderson Hill property in March, deciding to bid on it at auction.
A seasonal stream on the property flowed into a tributary of Plunketts Creek, just upstream from where NPC facilitated work in 2020 and 2021 with an Army Reserve Unit to remove the earthen berm. Conserving this forested land would help to improve the water quality of Plunketts Creek, building on work NPC completed in the past. Adding this property to SGL 134 also expands the wildlife corridor, enables better forest management practices, and creates improved access to these public lands.
NPC was the high bidder on the parcels at the April auction, that would come to be known as the ‘Anderson Hill’ property. To help facilitate public use of Anderson Hill during NPC’s ownership, it was enrolled in the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Hunter Access Program.
Fast forward 10 months later, NPC is thrilled to announce that the Pennsylvania Game Commission took over ownership of Anderson Hill, officially incorporating it into SGL 134. All made possible, thanks to the support of NPC’s members!
The Anderson Hill property was officially incorporated into SGL 134 at the close of 2023.
Just a few miles outside of the northern tier town of Wellsboro, PA, sits the 138-acre homestead of Barry and Jane Brucklacher. Originally a dairy farm, the sprawling hayfields are still productive today, harvested by a local farmer to support a mushroom grower in Kennett Square, PA. A woodland of aspen, beech, maple, and oak trees provide food and shelter for white-tailed deer, bears, bobcats, and a variety of other native wildlife. A network of trails meander through the woodland by two ponds and a winding stream on its way to Elk Creek. On the outskirts of the property, a portion of the popular Mid State Trail cuts through, providing hikers with picturesque views of the Tioga County countryside. A trio of donkeys – Jesse James, Tyrone, and Adabel – graze in the pasture. The original barn stores equipment, with the top floor converted to serve as a maternity roost for little brown bats, whose population has experienced a severe decline in the past decade.
Having bought the property in 1972, the Brucklachers enjoy simple strolls around the grounds together and continue to be grateful for the opportunity to own such a special place. With thoughts of the future, they decided to seek out options to conserve the wildlife habitat, biodiversity, farmland, and natural resources on their property for generations to come.
Jane and Barry Brucklacher donate a 29-acre conservation easement to NPC.
Initially, they enrolled 103 acres of their property in the Tioga County Agricultural Farmland Preservation Program. However, they still had hopes to conserve even more of the property. Fortunately, a like-minded neighbor shared her experience with the Brucklachers of conserving her family farm with the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC).
A Conservation Easement Agreement with NPC is a voluntary, legally binding agreement between a landowner and NPC regarding the use of a property. Most often, these agreements allow for forest management, agricultural use, and some residential use; but easements can also be signed to conserve specific values – such as ecological, recreational, scenic, or historic. The landowner keeps ownership of the land while also ensuring that the land’s conservation values are sustainable.
The Brucklachers connected with NPC Land Steward, Sara Schlesinger, to discuss their values and conservation goals. After their initial meeting and walking the land together, it didn’t take Sara long to realize that the Brucklacher’s remaining 29 acres aligned with NPC’s mission to conserve and enhance the lands and waters of Northcentral PA.
“It was clear that the land was well-loved and stewarded. The forested land along the tributary that flows into Elk Creek prevents the streambank from eroding and washing away, helping to keep excess nutrients from flowing into the creek and elsewhere downstream. Conserving the water resources, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity, on the property supports the overall environmental well-being of the community.”
Sara Schlesinger, NPC Land Steward
Conserving this stream on the Brucklacher conservation easement supports the overall environmental well-being of the community.
After a year of more meetings, paperwork, surveys, walk throughs on the land, and all the other in-betweens, NPC wrapped up 2023 with the establishment of the ‘Brucklacher’ conservation easement! Thank you to the Brucklachers for their generosity and commitment, and a special thanks to the NPC membership for their continued support.
A family of bears roam the Brucklacher easement.A fox family found on the Brucklacher easement.
The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) is a land trust devoted to conserving and enhancing the lands and waters of Northcentral Pennsylvania to support the environmental well-being and recreational needs of local communities. They operate in 12 counties and take on a variety of conservation projects, including working with private landowners to establish conservation easements. Thanks to the generosity of its members and donors, NPC has conserved over 5,400 acres across 52 properties through its conservation easement program. You can help support NPC’s initiatives and make a differenceby donating today.
