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Leaser lake fish habitat in place and ready for water

Leaser Lake to begin refilling

 The dam at Leaser Lake in Lynn Township has undergone major upgrading after the lake was drained for repairs. Man made fish habitats dot the interior of the lake bed. (Douglas Kilpatrick, SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL / February 12, 2012)

Lehigh Valley anglers and boaters received very welcome news late last week when the state Department of Environmental Protection gave the final approval to begin refilling Leaser Lake in northwestern Lehigh County.

According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the refilling process will begin in mid-December, and the 117-acre lake will be stocked with trout in time for the regional opening day of trout season on Saturday, March 30, 2013. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com

“This is great news for all the anglers, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts who use the lake and have been waiting patiently for the project to be completed,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Rebuilding a dam is a big project which requires cooperation between state agencies, local officials and the public.”

Leaser Lake, originally constructed with a dam in 1971, has now been rebuilt three times because of leakage issues. This latest repair had the lake drawn down in 2009 for the repair project, which included the addition of man-made and natural fish habitat structures to help the new population of fish that will be stocked in the lake.



“The long-term plan is to stock the lake with fingerlings from various warm-water species, like bass, crappie, blue gills and yellow perch, and allow those fish to grow over the next several years into a sustainable fishery,” said Dave Miko, the chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management.

“The short-term plan is to stock adult trout in the lake this spring so anglers can get back on the water and enjoy their sport. As long as the lake is about half-full, and anglers can safely access the water, we’ll stock trout for the opener

Refilling the lake, which sits on approximately 526 acres of public land owned by the state and Lehigh County, will take some time. Rainfall will help fill the lake, but levels will also be determined by PFBC engineers, who plan on raising the water level two feet per week while monitoring the dam for any problems until it is full.

The $3.5-million repair project included a $500,000 contribution from Lehigh County, while the Leaser LakeHeritage Foundation raised funds to help pay for the fish habitat structures in conjunction with PFBC work.

Also contributing to the price tag were grants for $750,000 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships, $500,000 from DEP, and $300,000 form PFBC’s Growing Greener II program.

In addition to the lake itself, local Boy Scout troops and school districts helped formalize a trail system around the lake, which is on the south side of the Blue Mountain.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe will appear on Pennsylvania Cable Network’s live “PCN Call-In” program at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15. Viewers of the hour-long program can call in questions to PCN toll-free at 1-877-726-5001.

PFBC asks for your help: The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is extremely concerned about the politics being played with the federal budget in Congress.

If a federal budget is not passed before the end of the year, money due from the Sport Fish Restoration Program and the Boating Safety Trust Fund — collectively called the Trust Funds — would be withheld and the Trust Fund would incur a 7.6 percent cut, approximately $43 million to all state fish and wildlife agencies in 2013

“The projected financial impact of losing 7.6 percent of Pennsylvania’s portion of the Trust Funds in 2013 — $859,000 — means that we will have to reduce services to Pennsylvania anglers and boaters,” said Arway, the PFBC executive director.

“However, I believe the greater violation is the breach of trust between the anglers, boaters and businesses [that] pay the tax and the federal government which plans to withhold the funds from the states.”



Congress passed the Budget Control Act in 2011 that mandated automatic spending cuts to reduce the deficit, and unless a budget agreement is reached, those cuts will go into effect Jan. 2, 2013.

The money allocated to the Trust Funds comes directly from excise tax dollars levied on fishing tackle, equipment and motorboat fuels, not funds collected from income tax.

“The Trust Funds are the lifeblood of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s day-to-day efforts to restore and manage fisheries and their habitats; open and maintain recreational access for all; and keep the public safe by providing boating safety education,” said PFBC Deputy for Administration Brian Barner.

“If budget sequestration takes effect, our agency will have to make tough decisions now and down the road. Potentially, we may have to reduce services like fish stocking, access area maintenance, boating education and safety, and other programs which Pennsylvania’s anglers and boaters care about deeply.”

The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1985 provided that excise tax revenue going to the Trust Fund would be exempt from budget sequestrations, but a loophole exists because the Act did not specific that money from the Trust Funds was exempt from sequestration withholding.

The PFBC is asking concerned anglers, boaters and outdoors lovers to ask members of the U.S House of Representatives and U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Patrick Toomey to exempt the Sport Fish Restoration Program and Boating Safety Trust Fund and keep the trust with America’s sportsmen and women. To contact your U.S. Senator or Congressman, contact the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or visithttp://www.house.gov or http://www.senate.gov.Gary BlockusGary Blockus

Wisconsin’s Vilas County “Lake Leaders” enhance lake stewardship getting attention

Photo Caption: Oneida and Vilas County graduates of Crew 9 of the Lake Leaders Institute at Aldo Leopold’s Shack.  From left to right are Quita Sheehan, Dave Blunk, Kathy Noel, Laura Herman, Dennis Burg, Carol Warden, and Steve Budnik.Photo Caption: Oneida and Vilas County graduates of Crew 9 of the Lake Leaders Institute at Aldo Leopold’s Shack. From left to right are Quita Sheehan, Dave Blunk, Kathy Noel, Laura Herman, Dennis Burg, Carol Warden, and Steve Budnik.

Oneida, Vilas County residents recognized as Lake Leaders

Seven Oneida and Vilas County residents recently graduated from the Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute.  The Lake Leaders Institute is a statewide leadership program aimed at helping lake stewards gain a better understanding of lake ecology and how to work with state and local governments to assure lakes get the attention they need.  Through a combination of reading, classroom activities, and field experiences, participants learned about lake management, local and state government, and leadership skills.
The Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute draws participants from across the state to take part in a series of three two-day seminars.   Participants demonstrate a commitment to protecting the integrity of the lakes in Wisconsin with an investment of their time and a $300 tuition fee.   Carol Warden, one of the recent graduates, reflects their passion “I’ve found nothing on earth more calming, life-giving, satisfying, and exhilarating than time spent on a lake.  And therefore, I can find nothing more on earth that I want to work harder to protect and keep than our lakes.” 
Local members participating as part of “Crew 9” Lake Leaders include Dave Blunk of Squaw Lake in Vilas and Oneida counties; Steven Budnik of the Turtle Lakes Chain in Winchester; Dennis Burg of the Eagle River Chain of Lakes; Laura Herman, Statewide Citizen Lake Monitoring network Coordinator with UWEX; Katherine Noel from Indian Lake in Oneida County; Quita Sheehan, Vilas County Conservation Specialist; and Carol Warden, Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist with the UW Center for Limnology at Trout Lake Station.  The graduation ceremony took place at the Aldo Leopold Shack near Baraboo, a fitting setting for celebrating the lake leaders accomplishments and looking ahead to their conservation journeys in the world of lakes.
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“This is the most complete lake ecology course I’ve ever been involved in,” commented Dave Blunk.  Professional lake workers agreed.  “I have worked with lake issues for years and I still learned so much from the Lake Leaders Institute.  The sessions covered topics ranging from leadership, values, and environmental ethics to lake ecology and human impacts to lake advocacy and citizen involvement.  It was an “A to Z” lake learning experience,” said Laura Herman.
All this passion and commitment benefits Wisconsin taxpayers and lake users.  “With over 15,000 lakes statewide and a modest number of state staff in service to protect them, it is clear that no one state agency or unit of government can independently provide the attention that each lake deserves” explained Patrick Goggin, UW-Extension Lake Specialist.  “This leadership program provides local lake leaders with effective tools and resources to assist them as they volunteer their skills and talents to the stewardship of our lakes”.
The Wisconsin Lakes Partnership is a team made up of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the citizen advocacy organization Wisconsin Lakes.  Together they recognized the need for new and on-going leadership in the management of our lakes and created the Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute in 1996.  The mission of the Institute is to assist citizen lake leaders or “crew members,” in developing and enhancing both their technical and people skills, ultimately enriching their communities and the waters within them.  Since its inception, 200+ participants have graduated from the Institute and have made significant contributions in addressing a host of diverse water management challenges. The program has received national attention as an effective strategy to enhance lake stewardship and protection. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
For more information about the Lakes Leadership program contact Quita Sheehan at (715) 479-3646  mashee@co.vilas.wi.us , UW-Extension Lakes staff at (715)-346-2116,  uwexlakes@uwsp.edu  or visit their website  http://www4.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/lakeleaders/ .
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