Senate Committee: Stream maintenance key to preventing devastating floods
Mar. 15—During a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee this week in Williamsport, local officials and conservation experts shared their perspectives on how maintaining and repairing streams prevents flooding from wreaking havoc on homes and employers.
The hearing was hosted by Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport, and chaired by Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville.
Much of the discussion focused on proven strategies to prevent flooding including developing and protecting wetlands, providing access to floodplains, and stabilizing stream banks, as well as strategies like dredging gravel which can do more harm than good.
Funding sources like the Growing Greener program were also reviewed in detail.
The need for more flexibility for local and county governments to address emergency situations quickly in flood-prone areas was also discussed. Permitting delays were cited as a significant roadblock to removing obstructions and other flood-related hazards, with Yaw calling the process "lengthy, tedious, and inefficient."
"Last year, nearly every county in my district was impacted by severe flooding from Tropical Storm Debby," Yaw said. "We have an opportunity to help local officials respond more quickly and efficiently to flood-related problems by allowing them to repair and remediate our streams. Proper stream maintenance protects our communities from flood damage."
Sen. Argall said any community that has experienced the devastation caused by severe floods will tell you how important it is to plan ahead before the next storm hits.
"We've seen how effective stream management can make a world of difference in communities like Pine Grove and Tremont, who experienced devastating floods from the Swatara Creek for years until a team of conservation experts, municipal officials, local employers, and state legislators and agencies created and executed a comprehensive plan to repair the local watershed," Argall said..
Yaw said he will soon reintroduce a package of bills to empower counties, local governments, and conservation districts to promptly act to ensure damaged waterways do not harm nearby communities.
Last session, these bills were introduced as Senate Bill 689 and Senate Bill 690. Both bills were approved with bipartisan support in the Senate but were not considered by the House of Representatives.
PennDOT and Anthracite Scenic Trails Assoc. to hold public meeting on March 20
The Anthracite Scenic Trails Association (ASTA) invites the public to a public meeting with plans display regarding the Oliver Mills to Mountain Top D&L Trail Segment project.
The project consists of constructing a multi-purpose trail on the alignment and grade of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. The existing surface is an unimproved rail bed with no rails and little or no ballast.
The project also includes a trailhead on Lehigh Street in the vicinity of Woodlawn Avenue. The work includes grading and placement of an aggregate trail surface.
This project is in Fairview and Hanover townships and Laurel Run Borough in Luzerne County.
The construction of this project is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DCNR) and PennDOT under the Transportation Alternative Set Aside (TASA) program. Hanover Township is the administrator of the TASA portion of the funding under an agreement with PennDOT.
Construction is anticipated to take place in late 2025.
There will be little or no impact to vehicular traffic. The trail may be closed to trail traffic during construction.
Public meeting
The in-person public display meeting for the project will take place:
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Thursday, March 20
Location: Earth Conservancy office, 101 South Main St., Ashley
The public comment period is from March 20 to April 18.
The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project, display and describe the project, and receive public input regarding questions or concerns with the project.
Presentation material is available on ASTA's website anthracitescenictrails.org/index.php.
Walnutport Post Office unveils Appalachian Trail Stamps
The Walnutport, PA Post Office dedicated the Appalachian Trail Stamps — which includes one trail in Pennsylvania — at the Walnutport Post Office, 249 Lehigh Gap St., Walnutport, PA, 18088, on March 7.
Alexis McAllister, Assistant Trail Committee Chair-East, Blue Mountain Climbing Club joined Walnutport Postmaster Kate Hutter in dedicating the stamps. Hutter's two children, Otto and Brooke, also delivered speeches regarding how young and old alike can enjoy the PA trail. Customers also were able to obtain a special cancellation to commemorate the event.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail offers 2,200 miles of unspoiled nature to the millions who hike it each year. Within easy reach of large East Coast metropolitan areas, the Appalachian Trail — often called the AT — provides peace, beauty and a break from the stresses of modern life.
Stamp Artwork
According to the U.S. Postal Service:
—The pane of 15 Forever stamps includes photographs taken by Dave Allen, Hanit Mizrachi Avondoglio, Justin Birt, Sandra Burm, Jenna Foster, Ed Heaton, Drew Housten, Angelo Marcialis, Brent McGuirt, Jessica Rodriguez, Kevin Rohn, Nico Schueler, Bart Smith, and Ryan Tasto.
—On the first row, are images from the "green tunnel" — the iconic Mount Katahdin in Maine, and a waterfall in Tennessee.
—The second row of stamps feature photos taken from Mount Washington in New Hampshire facing the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, a waterfall along the trail in Georgia, and a view of the Green Mountains in Vermont.
—The third row includes an image of a creek in Pennsylvania, a sunset highlighting the fall foliage in the Hagerstown Valley section of the trail as it runs through Maryland, and a view from Jefferson Rock in historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
—Rhododendron blooms in the Roan Mountain highlands of western North Carolina grace the first stamp of row four, followed by a waterfall in the foothills of New York's Catskill Mountains, and a scene from the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.
—The last row begins with one of the most iconic sites along the trail, McAfee Knob in Virginia. Next is an image from part of New Jersey's portion of the A.T., a boardwalk that serves to protect a fragile wetland ecosystem. The last stamp photograph shows a footbridge in Connecticut that spans the Ten Mile River at the point where it flows into the Housatonic River.
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