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A Look Back at the Townsend Acquisition

At the end of the month, the National Park Service is turning 100 years old.  While your support of NPC hasn’t resulted in any acreage being added to National Parks it has resulted in over 6,000 acres being added to Pennsylvania’s State Forests, State Game Lands, some acreage going to a municipal park, and another conservation organization maintaining a property for public recreational use.

Townsend (2)The Townsend Acquisition was 117 acres in Lycoming County. It was the first project NPC’s members made possible. With the help of those early members NPC purchased it at a tax sale in 1991.

It is quite a property. It bordered the Tiadaghton State Forest on three sides and has three-quarters of a mile of frontage on Pine Creek on the fourth side. This made this property more or less an inholding to the State Forest. When inholdings are for sale, the Bureau of Forestry will try to acquire them if there are other conservation attributes to the property.

Townsend (4)The Townsend property did. It had an old field from the time generations ago when the bottomland was farmed; the steeper areas have always been wooded, and remain so today. The property is also within the viewshed of motorists on PA Route 44, canoeists and fishermen on Pine Creek and users of the Pine Creek Rail-trail

NPC’s members helped protect this property to help maintain the pastoral character of the Pine Creek valley. NPC transferred the property to DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry in 1992; it is now managed as part of the surrounding state forest.

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Open Space is a Sponge

storm gurgleYesterday, June 28, 2016, the Williamsport area received over two inches of rain in about an hour. That’s a lot of rain. In a short period of time.

The photo on the left is of a storm drain in Montoursville (a borough about 6 miles east of Williamsport) on one of the streets that wasn’t draining. In fact, this is a photo of water bubbling up out of the storm drain. There was so much water already in the storm sewers and it was under so much pressure, it pushed up, out of the drain while more water was waiting to use the drain.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Okay, this is interesting, but what does this have to do with NPC?”  Well, unpaved ground (think dirt, forest floor, grass, planted farm fields, etc) soaks up and absorbs ground water, like a sponge. Once you cover up the surface, with a house, larger building, paved street, brick sidewalk, etc. you remove the ability of the water to enter the ground, and the water “runs off.”

flooded streetThe theory used to be to get the run-off water out of the way as soon as possible. You wanted to move the water into the street and into the storm drain. The storm drains would then carry the water away and discharge it into, typically, a creek or river. Out of sight and out of mind.

However, as we’ve built more houses, created more parking lots, and paved more streets we’ve covered up more ground. Areas that could absorb water 5, 10, or 15 years ago are now adding water to the storm drains. More water in the storm drains, means more run-off into our creeks and rivers. More water entering the creek or river can create more flooding along the creek or river.

Typically, this run-off water picks up speed as it runs down the street, down the storm drain, and into the creek or river. Again, the thought in the past was to get it out of the way as soon as possible. The higher speed can also create habitat problems. The speed of the water can move the rocks and gravel on the stream bottom and also cause erosion, adding sediment to the stream.

So, the more open areas there are, the more water will be absorbed. Once that water is absorbed it becomes groundwater. Over time, the groundwater is slowly released into streams, creeks, and rivers. This slow release over time allows waterways to maintain water levels during summer months and also helps regulate the temperature in streams.

Thank you to all the members, donors, supporters, and partners who help conserve open space in northcentral PA. You may not have realized it, but you’re also reducing stormwater and increasing groundwater.

If you’re interested in learning more about stormwater, check out the Center for Stormwater Management.

 

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Nichols Run Conservation Easement Completed

Nichols Run_2015Northcentral Pennsylvania is characterized by its fields and, especially, by its forests. Because they are widespread features of the landscape it may sometime be difficult to see the need to protect these vital resources. But subdivision, fragmentation and conversion to other uses continue to threaten the economic and ecological viability of our forests and agriculture and the quality of all of our lives.

Recently another portion of the region’s intact woodland was forever protected from subdivision when 155 acres in western Lycoming County were conserved by the donation of a conservation easement to the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Nichols Run 2015 (13)Although portions of the property had once been farmed, most of the soils are more suitable to growing trees than crops and active farming ended many years ago. Now those old fields are reverting to woodland to join the more than 100 forested acres that were not cleared for agriculture. The wooded acres are very diverse: mixed oak and hickory forests predominate, but there are also areas dominated by hemlock, white pine, birch and maple woodland.

However, it’s not just woodland that makes this property special, there’s also over 3,600 feet of Nichols Run, designated a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery. Nichols Run is a tributary of Pine Creek and flows into the larger stream just west of Jersey Shore. Special protection has been afforded to the woodland Nichols Run 2015 (2)bordering the stream and its unnamed tributaries to protect water quality and the aquatic life in the waterway.

As it passes through the newly conserved property, Nichols Run Road is a very scenic drive and the woodland along over 4,000 of the road was also guaranteed special protection to protect its scenic qualities.

NPC and residents of northcentral Pennsylvania will forever be grateful to the landowners who had the foresight to protect this beautiful property that helps to filter our water, cleanse our air, provide wildlife habitat, yield forest products and enhance the beauty of our area.

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Proving It Works

presample 2The northcentral Pennsylvania stream restoration partnership is in its seventh year of working together, and third year of collecting fish and macroinvertebrate information at select sites before construction takes place.

On June 1, 2016 the team from Susquehanna University’s RK Mellon Freshwater Research Initiative (SUFRI) and a student from Lycoming College’s Clean Water Institute electrofished and collected macroinvertebrates from the David Jones property along Warrior Run in Northumberland County.

SusquehannaThe data on fish species found and mactoinvertebrates present will be forwarded by SUFRI to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s unassessed waters staff.  It will also be used by in comparison with data collected 1-year and 2-years post construction. This will allow the SUFRI researchers to determine if the log vanes, mudsills, and random boulders are decreasing the sedimentation and increasing fish habitat.

David Jones constructionConstruction began June 6, 2016. It is anticipated the work will take 3 to 4 days, and will result in a stable stream bank, a stabilized Ag. Crossing (the landowner’s daughters horseback ride), and a wider buffer.

After walking the site and reviewing where the fish habitat/stabilization structures will be placed, Dr. Niles had David presample 1and James collect some basic information – the water’s temperature and conductivity (this helps them understand how to set the electrofishing backpack).

After Dr. Niles provided instructions, assigned jobs, and started the electrofishing backpacks, they were underway. James tied off the tape measure so they would know when they had complete their 100 meters.

presample 6Ali and Quentin worked the backpacks. They would send an electric charge into the water to stun the fish, and James, Bennett, David, and Dr. Niles would scoop up the fish in nets.

After the entire 100 meter stretch was electrofished, the team gathered back at the sorting bin. They began taking the fish out, one by one, and identifying them.

presample 8The trout were also weighed and measured. David returned the trout to a deep pool above the sampling area as soon as possible to reduce the stress on the fish.

After the fish were tallied, the students collected macroinvertebrates using kick nets. The samples were jarred up and taken to the lab.

Construction was underway Monday morning with pre-construction sampling done!

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The Ash are Dying! The Ash are Dying!

Emerald Ash Borer_infested treeThis may sound a bit like Paul Revere warning about the British, but it’s actually about the wave of dying trees, white ash and green ash, that’s sweeping across northcentral Pennsylvania. It’s not the loggers or arborists that are killing the ash trees;they’re just salvaging or removing the dying trees before those trees are totally worthless or pose a danger to people or property.

Which brings the question“Why are the ash trees dying?”The trees are dying because they’re being attacked by the emerald ash borer, an insect less than an inch long and is well named since it is, indeed, emerald green. It was introduced in packing material in shipments from northeast Asia. First detected in Michigan in 2002, it has since spread to many other states killing an estimated 50 million ash trees as it has moved east across the range of native ashes.

Emerald Ash Borer_emergence holeSix or seven years ago ash trees began showing light patches on their bark. Those light patches are created when woodpeckers flake off the outer bark’s ridges as they search for emerald ash borer larvae. The woodpeckers’ feeding doesn’t harm the tree; it’s the beetle larvae feeding on the trees’ cambium layer and inner bark that actually kills the trees. When there are a lot of larvae the tree will die–and there are a LOT or larvae.

When the emerald ash borer attacks a tree the tree usually dies in about three years. Once the emerald ash borer moves into an area until almost all the ash trees are dead usually takes less than ten years. So, it’s not the loggers or arborists that are killing the trees, it’s that pretty little beetle.Adult emerald ash borers emerge through tree’s bark through“D”-shaped holes, usually in May or June. They then mate and females lay their eggs on the bark of ash trees in July. When the eggs hatch, the larvae bore through the bark and begin feeding, which continues through the fall.The larvae over-winter in the tree, pupate and metamorphose into adults to begin the cycle again.

Landowners are salvaging their ash trees as they die or even before, as dead ash trees deteriorate very quickly and become worthless. Since the trees deteriorate so rapidly, affected ash trees in urban and suburban settings quickly become a threat as branches and large limbs break off and fall.There is no spray that can reach larvae beneath the bark. Although there are insecticides that can be injected into valuable individual ash shade trees or applied to the soil beneath the tree, the treatments must be applied repeatedly. These are not practical and much too expensive to use in woodland. There are some promising biological controls being tested, these are primarily insect parasites of emerald ash borers eggs or larvae.

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Dogwoods for Birds

Flowering Dogwood_fallAre you familiar with the dogwood tree? Maybe you know it for its blooming flowers in the spring, or maybe you have one in your backyard.

Dogwoods are great participants in bird feeding month. Not only do they have good looks, they also host all sorts of wildlife. Mother Nature’s cycle is an everyday reminder of how everything in nature is connected. The giant silk moths, assorted species of butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects using the tree attract birds such as cardinals, titmice, and bluebirds. Not to mention that the trees’ red fruits last into winter, providing food all year long.

Puffy cardinalYou don’t need bird seed, bird feeders, or other accessories in order to help feed birds! By taking care of and nurturing trees, they, in turn, can provide food and shelter for the birds who need it.

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Oaks, Acorns, Insects and Birds

Last year during February, which is also feeding birds month, we shared some of Charlie’s photos of birds that are commonly found at backyard bird feeders. This year we’re going to look at plants and trees that feed birds.

We’ll start with oak trees (NPC’s logo tree is a rendition of an oak). Most people will jump immediately to acorns and think about the turkeys that like acorns. While that’s true, we can’t forget about the birds, that eat the insects, that eat the acorns.

Some birds will eat the adult insects, while others eat the larval stage of insects that use acorns as hosts. I know it may not sound all that appetizing to you, but grosbeaks love the weevils that use acorns as a “home.”

Then there’s the tree itself and the insects it holds. As trees age, they often become the home to a variety of insects that live in the wood or use the wood as a host for their young. Probably the most familiar bird that will eat these insects, in various stages is the woodpecker. The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker on an oak tree is fairly common in Pennsylvania.

So, while oak trees in your yard can lead to acorn missiles while you’re mowing the grass in the Fall, they also provide a variety of birds with food during different times of the year.

acorn woodpecker

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Mexico Road Property Conserved!

No, the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) is not greatly expanding its coverage area, this Mexico Road is in northcentral Pennsylvania’s Montour County.

Mexico Road_Chilisquaque CreekChillisquaque Creek originates in the Muncy Hills on the Lycoming/Columbia County line, but for most of its length passes through Montour County before it finally flows into the Susquehanna River’s West Branch south of Milton. Unfortunately, for much of its length the stream is heavily impacted by agriculture.

The Montour County Conservation District has been actively working with landowners along the Creek and its tributaries to reduce the agricultural impacts and improve water quality. Many of these projects have been done through the stream restoration partnership NPC is involved with.

Mexico Road_Wheat FieldNow, with the finalization of a conservation easement on a 46 acre property with frontage on Chillisquaque Creek in Montour County NPC has acted to protect a portion of the stream. The property contains seven acres of prime agricultural soils and 37 acres of agricultural soils of statewide importance; the fields have been leased to a neighboring farmer and will remain in agricultural production.

There are approximately five acres of woodland on an excellent growing site that comprise a riparian buffer between the cropland and Chillisquaque Creek. Riparian buffers such as this protect water quality by filtering out the silt and chemicals before they enter the stream.

The easement donor’s family has owned the property for many years, although he has lived out-of-state. But, he felt it was time to move on in life and pass the property on to someone else. At the same time, housing development has been moving into what had been an area of family farms, and the owner wanted to insure that the property would not become part of a roadside housing development.

Now there is a conservation easement on the property held by NPC and the easement donor will be selling the property to a nearby farmer who is enlarging his operations. The conservation easement’s limit on development made the property more affordable for agricultural purposes. The conservation easement requires use of best management practices on cropland and protects the existing riparian buffer.

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More About White-tailed Deer

We’re still talking about deer at NPC. The regular firearm season wraps up on Saturday, December 12, 2015. So, remember, if you’re going out in the woods on Saturday to enjoy the warm weather the weathermen are predicting, don’t forget fluorescent orange so you can be seen!

White-tailed Deer_snow_head downDeer can see quite a bit. They have a large range in their eyesight. The deer’s eyes are located on the side of their head. This placement gives them more than a 300 degree field of view without turning their heads.

Deer also are also fairly successful with their reproduction. When there are no natural predators and hunting is not permitted deer populations can double in one year. Given time, that number increases in only seven years one pair of deer can produce 35 deer. That’s a lot of deer.

To give you some perspective, estimates of deer population density before European settlement vary widely, but the best assessment is that there were 10-12 deer per square mile.

Wildlife biologists for various agencies and researchers at many universities are studying the populations of deer throughout Pennsylvania, the impacts deer have on forests and other habitat, and how deer are handling the changes to their habitat are various types of development and land use conversion take place.

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White-tailed Deer

fluorescent orange guyThis past Monday was the beginning of antlered deer hunting season in PA. Statewide the general firearms season runs until December 12, 2015. So, if you’re going to be in the woods or on the trails Saturday it’s certainly a good idea to wear the required fluorescent orange, even if you’re not hunting. Here’s a handy graphic to help you remember that hunters are required to wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on their head, chest, and back combined that is visible from 360 degrees. Even if you’re not hunting, make sure hunters can see you.

Deer_NicholasPA is home to the white-tailed deer, or Odocoileus virginianus. The name, white-tailed, reflects the underside of a deer’s tail which is covered with white hair. When a deer runs it often holds its tail erect so that the white undersurface is visible.  This photo doesn’t really give you a view of the white underside, but you can see how a deer holds its tail up (Charlie took this photo on the Nicholas Easement).

White–tailed deer are ruminants and like cattle have a four chambered stomach. Deer eat without chewing their food thoroughly. Later they lie down, regurgitate what they have eaten and chew more thoroughly.

White-tailed deer are herbivores.  In winter white-tailed deer eat between four and seven pounds of woody browse (twigs and shoots) each day as well as dried leaves, fallen acorns and fungi. That’s a lot of woody browse.

rFJ3uDdtkdRbt6DWvniWom0FUPEyYNReoLRWRAhbK0cBecause of their diet of tough fibrous twigs, leaves, acorns and other vegetation, a deer’s age can be determined by checking the wear on their teeth. Wildlife biologists will examine jaw bones of harvested deer to determine the age of harvested deer. These numbers then help them estimate age class structure.