Voting underway in Pennsylvania's 2023 River of the Year contest

Dec. 4—WILKES-BARRE — Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn this weeky announced that the public is invited to again vote online for the 2023 Pennsylvania River of the Year, choosing from among four waterways nominated throughout the state.

"Honoring the River of the Year has become one of my favorite annual traditions and I am hopeful that we receive a record number of votes for the 2023 competition," Dunn said. "Pennsylvania has thousands of miles of beautiful waterways, which provide wonderful recreational opportunities, support our local economies, and help connect the public to the history and culture of communities across the commonwealth. Thank you to the organizations that nominated the 2023 finalists and to those who support our waterways."

The Conestoga River, Perkiomen Creek, Schuylkill River, and Susquehanna River-North Branch — which won the contest in 2016 — are the nominations for the 2023 River of the Year. Nominations were based on each waterway's conservation needs and successes, as well as celebration plans if the nominee is voted 2023 River of the Year.

In cooperation with DCNR, selection of public voting choices is overseen by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR). Dunn noted that the online public selection process continues to be increasingly popular as it enters its thirteenth year.

The public can vote for a favorite state waterway beginning today, Wednesday, November 30, 2022, through 5:00 PM Friday, January 14, 2023. The POWR website enables voting and offers details on nominated waterways and the River of the Year program. Voting is managed through Woobox, an online contest application restricting voting to one email address.

POWR, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, administers the River of the Year program with funding from DCNR. Presented annually since 1983, last year's 2022 River of the Year designation was awarded to French Creek.

"We are excited to once again kick off the public online voting process for Pennsylvania River of the Year," said Janet Sweeney, Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. "As we all continue to spend more time outdoors and deepen our appreciation for the beautiful natural resources of Pennsylvania, the annual River of the Year voting process is a fun way to rally behind and support your favorite waterway."

After a waterway is chosen for the annual honor, local groups implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river, including a paddling trip, or sojourn. The organization nominating the winning river will receive a $10,000 leadership grant from DCNR to help fund River of the Year activities.

POWR and DCNR also work with local organizations to create a free, commemorative poster celebrating the River of the Year.

The River of the Year sojourn is among many paddling trips supported each year by DCNR and POWR. An independent program, the Pennsylvania Sojourn Program, is a unique series of a dozen such trips on the state's rivers. The water-based journeys for canoeists, kayakers and others raise awareness of the environmental, recreational, tourism and heritage values of rivers. Visit POWR's website more information about the sojourns.

Visit DCNR's website to learn more about the department's Rivers Program.

Laurel Run Dam removal underway;

completion expected in spring 2023

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources this week announced work is underway to remove Laurel Run Dam No. 2 along Laurel Run in Plains Township.

Removal of the high-hazard dam will address public safety and restore the Laurel Run corridor and ecosystem to a Class A wild trout stream.

DCNR's bureaus of Forestry and Facilities, Design and Construction developed the plan for removal of the 37-foot high, 298-foot-long dam, which was built in 1885 and was deemed to be a high-hazard dam by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Work will be completed by LTT Trucking. The removal project is expected to be completed by spring 2023.

The Laurel Run corridor sits within the Pinchot Forest District between the Seven Tubs Recreation Area and Deep Hollow Tract.

For more information about the project, contact the Pinchot Forest District Office at 570-945-7133.

U.S. EPA takes rare step to protect

aquatic life in the Delaware Estuary

In a rarely taken step, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week granted a legal petition filed by a coalition of leading environmental organizations regarding the health of the Delaware Estuary and its aquatic life.

In a landmark determination, the EPA exercised its Clean Water Act Section 303(c)(4)(B) authority to begin the process of promulgating new water quality standards for the Delaware River Estuary, superseding the authority of the regional Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which has thus far failed to uphold its obligation to protect the health of the Delaware River Estuary and its robust aquatic ecosystem.

This decision formally recognizes the need for greater oversight and protection of aquatic life in the Estuary, including the federally endangered and genetically unique Atlantic sturgeon population.

Originally filed in April 2022, by Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Clean Air Council, Environment New Jersey, PennFuture, and PennEnvironment, the petition urged the federal government to promptly initiate rule-making necessary to protect aquatic life in the Delaware Estuary.

The petition claims that the DRBC and the four watershed states have failed to recognize that the Delaware Estuary, from Trenton to the top of the Delaware Bay, is being used for maintenance and propagation of resident fish and other aquatic life, as well as for spawning and nursery habitat for anadromous fish, including the federally endangered Delaware River Atlantic sturgeon.

Similarly, the DRBC has failed to take action to institute water quality criteria essential for protecting existing uses by critical species such as the Atlantic sturgeon. The DRBC and the four watershed states have been repeatedly and formally urged to recognize these aquatic life uses and upgrade associated water quality protections, particularly dissolved oxygen standards. Until now, these requests have failed to spark the necessary protective actions required under the Clean Water Act to preserve the health of the Estuary.

Joseph Otis Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Clean Air Council, said "EPA's decision to protect the lower Delaware is a long-awaited victory for Philadelphians and neighboring communities. We look forward to cleaner, safer water for the many residents who enjoy this critical waterway and the wildlife the river supports."

Jessica O'Neill, Senior Attorney, PennFuture, said "The EPA made the right decision by recognizing that improvements to the lower Delaware River's water quality supports all stages of aquatic life — not only for sensitive wildlife populations like the Atlantic Sturgeon, but also for our communities that enjoy the river. By granting our petition, EPA is following both the letter and the spirit of the Clean Water Act to protect and maintain our nation's waters."

David Masur, Executive Director, PennEnvironment, said, "The Delaware River is undoubtedly one of the region's greatest outdoor resources and natural places, and Delaware Valley residents from all walks of life want it protected and restored. PennEnvironment applauds the EPA because our nation's environmental cops are doing whatever it takes to protect this beloved waterway and the wildlife that make the Delaware River their home."

Nominations for 2023 Appalachian

Trail Hall of Fame deadline Jan. 31

Nominees for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2023.

The Hall of Fame recognizes those who have made a significant contribution toward establishing and maintaining the approximately 2,190 mile footpath that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia.

"The thirteenth class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame will be inducted in 2023, and nominations are open for Hall of Fame nominees," said Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum — the organization that oversees the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. "Nominees should be people who have made a significant positive contribution to the Appalachian Trail and who have unselfishly devoted their time, energy and resources toward making the Appalachian Trail a national treasure."

There are 52 individuals who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the first 12 years. Their names and biographies can be found on the Museum's website — www.atmuseum.org.

"These pioneers played critical roles in building, maintaining, protecting and publicizing the Appalachian Trail," Luxenberg said.

Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in early April. They will be inducted at a time and place to be announced. The inductees will be enshrined on an Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Wall of Honor at the Ironmaster's Mansion, located near the Museum, located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

State discusses economic value of

Pa.'s outdoor recreation industry

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently discussed U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) statistics that found outdoor recreation added nearly $14 billion in economic value to Pennsylvania's economy at a webinar with the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), the BEA and Pennsylvania outdoor recreation business owners.

"Understanding this data on a macro level is key in helping develop synergistic strategies to foster additional growth in outdoor recreation," said Pennsylvania Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner. "With this data, we are able to see the big picture of the economic impact outdoor recreation is bringing to the commonwealth. Digging deeper, we can follow the trail of the dollars from outdoor recreation to Pennsylvania's manufacturing, retail, tourism, information, and service sectors."

Pennsylvania has the sixth largest outdoor recreation economy in the nation, supported by a combination of its exceptional recreational assets, generally diversified economy, active participation by Pennsylvania residents, and strong retail, manufacturing, and tourism sectors.

The $13.6 billion in economic value added also supports 152,000 full-time jobs in Pennsylvania. Nationally, outdoor recreation generates $862 billion in economic output, accounting for approximately 3 percent of all jobs in America.

During the webinar, speakers detailed how BEA data drills down into special topics, such as outdoor recreation, to measure the true impact of the industry from all sources outdoor recreation-based value added to Pennsylvania's GDP, employment, and compensation for different types of industry. From there the data are developed for specific outdoor activities, such as biking, RVing, or snowboarding, to measure the full cycle of the economic.

This holistic viewpoint helps build the commonwealth's understanding of how to improve outdoor recreation opportunities and is useful to the state, local chambers of commerce, municipalities and other organizations striving to understand the trends driving outdoor recreation, including user habits. Reigner noted that this data is also key for businesses seeking to develop forward-thinking strategies to market, promote, and potentially expand operations.

Though Pennsylvania's total compensation for outdoor recreation work ranks seventh among all states, its rate of compensation growth is 38th among all states. Reigner noted this as an area where Pennsylvania can make progress, pointing to outdoor recreation workers making about 57% the wages of the average Pennsylvania worker, $44,623 in 2021, compared with $77,884 for all salaried jobs in the state.