Black Forest Broadcasting

 

 

…Thieves steal $4000 worth of items from Tioga County camp….Elkland man arrested for eluding police…Head-on collision investigated in Elk County…Game Commission and Ducks Unlimited partner to improve wetlands….

Tioga County

A burglary at a camp in Sullivan Township between January 26 and 29 is being investigated by state police at Mansfield. Thieves stole about $4,000 worth of items from the camp owned by a 58 Mansfield man. The stolen items included propane tanks, ladders, storage bins, trail cameras, tools, battery charger, generator, foot cord and battery.

No details were released but state police at Mansfield arrested 54 year old Dominic Trentini of Elkland for fleeing and eluding police in his 1999 GMC Sierra just before 10:00 pm January 14 in Nelson Township.

Elk County

Neither Ridgway resident  was hurt in a head-on collision on the morning of January 31 on Ate Street in St. Marys. State police at Ridgway just released details reporting the collision happened just before 8:00 am on Route 120 when Travis Martin’s Dodge Ram crossed the center line and hit a 2016 Jeep Liberty driven by Jane Eagen. Both vehicles sustained disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene.

Cameron County

Troopers at Emporium  arrested a 58 year old Gaines man for drug possession after stopping him at the intersection of Route 155 and Cowley Hill Road Tuesday afternoon. Police did not release the suspect’s name but said they found him in possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Statewide

The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Ducks Unlimited (DU) have partnered to improve 1,600 acres of wetland habitats on 61 state game lands across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Wetland Habitat Initiative (PWHI) is a $6 million investment that aims to replace water control structures and improve existing spillways and levees over the next three years at sites in 31 counties throughout each of the Game Commission’s six regions.

Due to dilapidated infrastructure, the management of wetlands on state game lands has been an ongoing challenge. For decades, outdated pipes, boards, and damaged dikes have limited site managers’ ability to maintain wetland impoundments properly. But the PWHI – courtesy of funding from USFWS Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program and the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which uses excise taxes from gun and ammunition sales – will inject new life into Pennsylvania’s wetlands, improving wildlife habitat, water quality, and flood control.

The ability to manipulate water levels is paramount in creating healthy wetlands and duck habitat. Timely spring drawdowns allow natural vegetation to grow, so that when water is added in the fall, migrating waterfowl and other water-bird species can feast on the seeds and tubers of native plants, such as smartweed, sago pondweed, and coontail, plus the invertebrates that inhabit these food sources and associated mudflats. Plants like cattails also offer a place for birds to refuge, rest, and protect themselves from wind and rain during inclement weather.

To replenish the state’s wetlands, new water control structures will be put in place. Dikes and spillways will be repaired, as will the boards that regulate wetland water levels.  This means water can be managed more efficiently on game lands.

This infrastructure work—and ability to draw water down so vegetation can grow—will also filter the water by removing sediments, excess nutrients, and pollutants, resulting in increased quality. When wetlands are devoid of aquatic plants, the water cannot be cleaned naturally. And when a wetland is barren, sediment at the bottom will stir, keeping the water unfiltered and dirty.

Establishing healthy wetlands helps control flooding as well. Trees, roots, and vegetation slow the flow of water into the floodplain, acting as a sponge, and keeping water levels lower during flooding. Wetlands also combat erosion and sedimentation, critical to the overall health of the environment, particularly bird populations.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Wildlife Habitat Initiative, and the effort that makes it possible, visit the PWHI page at www.pgc.pa.gov.

Wednesday’s high,46;  Overnight low, 25

THU-RAIN, HIGH 51

THU NIGHT-MOSTLY CLOUDY, LOW 35

FRI-MOSTLY CLOUDY, HIGH 41

FRI NIGHT-MOSTLY CLOUDY, LOW 21

SAT-PARTLY CLOUDY, HIGH 34

SAT NIGHT-CLEARING, LOW 25