Pam Milavec of the PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Bob Hook with the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team and Somerset Conservation District, Gary Smith of the PA Fish and Boat Commission, Jeff Fliss of the DEP, and Carrie Davis Todd of the University of Pitt at Johnstown also attended the meeting.

Robb Piper/Bob Deason to approve the minutes of the January meeting. Unanimous.

Thurman Korns reported balances of $1,413.31 in checking, $3,026.29 in PA Invest and $7,000 in the CD for a total of $11,439.60. He said this amount did not include 17 membership checks delivered to him at the meeting. Rob McCombie/Larry Hutchinson to approve the report. Unanimous.

Hutchinson said the Shade Creek Watershed Association had received a $1,500 Dominion grant for signage on the interpretive trail at the Reitz project.  He said the group plans to bring in more West Virginia limestone in mid-March for stream liming projects.  He said the SCWA would continue testing sites for pH and alkalinity.

Korns said the Wells Creek Watershed Association had received a $500 Dominion grant.  He discussed a situation in which a neighbor has complained about flooding, allegedly because of one of the group’s ALD projects.

Bob Ritchey said the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy is trying to return ownership to Windber Borough of land containing the Weaver Run discharge.  He said the borough wants the property.  This prompted discussion about the status of the Paint Creek Watershed Association and the remediation project on Weaver Run, which seems to have stalled.

Special guest Pam Milavec of the PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation talked about a recent meeting about the Inclined Plane discharge.  She said various proposals were discussed, including a geothermal project that would use many of the existing pipes and conduits.  Ritchey said Pristine had given land with the two shafts on it to the City of Johnstown.

Lichvar, who is a member of the committee trying to deal with the discharge, said a meeting would be held at 1 p.m. March 26, probably at City Hall, to discuss the matter further.  He said a public meeting might be scheduled after that.

Lichvar said he had attended a meeting in Ebensburg about Lambert’s Run.  He said the Flight 93 discharge is being treated with ponds, which is working well, but the “anthill” and Hinemeyer discharges still not being treated, although a Growing Greener grant application has been submitted for that.  He said aquatic life in the Stonycreek seems unaffected by Lambert’s Run.

Lichvar also said that Quemahoning Creek is to be stocked on April 17 by volunteers who are to meet at 8 a.m. at the Jenner Community Sportsmen’s Club.

Gary Smith reported that a planned survey of potential wild brook trout in Grove Run has been delayed by the weather.  Lichvar said the survey is a necessary part of the Flight 93 permitting process.

Lichvar reported that a public meeting would be held March 31 on habitat improvement projects at the Quemahoning, Hinckston Run and Wilmore reservoirs. He said the goal is to inform the public of what has been done at the three reservoirs and what is planned for the future.  He said habitat work has been going on now for two years, but the plan for future work has been revamped and expanded.  He said more work days would be scheduled during the coming year and volunteers would be needed.

Smith said 300 vertical plank structures would be delivered to Quemahoning in the next week to be stored for later installation.

McCombie said there was not much to report on the Stonycreek-Quemahoning Initiative.  He said Walter Reed Army Hospital still plans to bring veterans to boat the upper Stonycreek as part of their rehabilitation, which may also include fly fishing.

Lichvar said SQI has an excellent Web site – created by Dave Hurst – that describes its projects and goals.  He recommended viewing it.

Ritchey said the Saltlick Project is 93 percent complete.  He said ponds are in and everything seems to be in place except one hookup. He said an elevated pipe still is blocking movement of wild brook trout on Leidy Run, and he hopes to get some official action on the problem in the coming year.

There was a lengthy discussion about obtaining and treating water used in drilling gas wells. Milavec said sulfates are a concern, and are becoming more so as we learn more about them and their effects on aquatic life.

Milavec spoke about the potential arrival of SMRACA funds since the act’s reauthorization. She said a lot of preparation work is going on in BAMR, and a lot of it will impact local watershed groups.  For the past couple of years, she said, funding for projects has been dwindling.  She said the first big increase would come next year, and, as part of the preparation to use the money, BAMR is modifying its guidelines.  She said the new guidelines are:

Make sure watershed groups have good restoration plans in place with measurable goals and include modeling.
Determine if the goals are being met.
Achieve restoration.

She used the Somerset Conservation District’s Stonycreek Reassessment Project work as an example that was used to test the guidelines:

Reach of a level of restoration that will allow a fishery to be sustained. She said this is not necessarily full restoration. She said she knows Stonycreek is not pristine, but it does indisputably support a fishery. She said BAMR is not debating what constitutes a sustainable fishery.
Pa. Fish and Boat Commission surveys determine that the goal has been met.
Tighter chemistry limits and improved macro populations will get the water delisted.

She said BAMR would like input as to whether it is headed in the right direction, and would welcome comments when the draft is released in May.

Deason asked some questions about Howard Walker’s plans to produce biodiesel from algae using local mine discharge water.  The concept was discussed, and Lichvar said he had heard about a number of very large corporations that were investing in the idea.

Kristin Sewak passed around a draft of the next newsletter.

Lichvar said SCRIP’s Dominion grant application to publish and updated fishery brochure of the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh watersheds had been approved for $1,000. He said an additional Somerset County Tourism grant application is pending for $4,000 to cover additional costs of publishing the brochure.  He said we might know by the March meeting whether it has been approved.

He said Mountain Laurel Trout Unlimited’s application for a grant to publish its new brochure about fishing the upper Stonycreek was denied, and the group would now look for other ways to fund the publication.

Lichvar said the UPJ event went well and that the annual art show at Westmont is scheduled for March 14.  SCRIP again plans to be an exhibitor.

Bob Hook presented the Stream Team report.  He said winter sampling has been completed.  He said a meeting had been held with Milavec and Rich Beam regarding sampling sites.  He said grants had been received from Dominion and the Western PA Conservancy, and applications are being prepared for grants to fund Trout in the Classroom projects. He said Conemaugh Township, Penn Cambria and the JAHA Children’s Museum hope to begin programs, and some funding is needed to keep operating those already existing at places such as North Star, Berlin and Forest Hills. He requested letters of support for those grant applications. Deason/Korns to provide the letters. Unanimous.

Hook said an Outdoor Heritage planning meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 17 at the JAHA museum. Exhibitors, sponsors and volunteers are needed for the April event.  He asked SCRIP to again sponsor, noting that we gave $1,000 last year.  Ritchey/Deason to donate at $1,000 again. Unanimous.

Hook noted that Outdoor Adventures is scheduled for April 23 and 24.  He asked permission to use SCRIP t-shirts as prizes at the MLTU banquet.  Permission was granted by general consensus.

Sewak said more than 400 students had registered for the April 23 Outdoor Adventures and a capacity group of 538 signed up for April 24.  She said event planning is going well, but there is a need for volunteers and sponsors.  She said work would begin in May on SCRIP’s Web page, and anyone with suggestions should give them to her then.

Lengthy discussion was held about a policy passed in December by the Cambria Somerset Authority regarding use of its facilities for fundraisers.  Organizations now must hold 501(c)3 status, provide insurance to cover both the organizing group and CSA, and donate half of the proceeds to the Cambria Somerset Conservancy.  Those changes would make it impractical to hold the Quemahoning Classic as we have in the past.

Piper attended a CSA meeting to ask for clarification and said the board indicated it did not intend to hamper activities such as the Classic.  Lichvar said CSA’s recreation committee would meet the week of Feb.15 to discuss the matter and might bring a recommendation for modified guidelines to the next CSA meeting for approval.

Our Classic committee will proceed with planning under the assumption that we will be able to hold the event.  A motion by Jim Eckenrode to empower the committee to make a decision on whether to proceed with the tournament died for lack of a second. The next committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 12 at Big Dogz in Geistown.

Korns submitted a bill for $29.97 to cover round-trip mileage to UPJ to man our display. Deason/McCombie to pay. Unanimous.

Lichvar said he had nominated SCRIP for a Three Rivers Environmental Award.

Next meeting: March 13 at the Gander Mountain Lodge.  It was decided not to hold an April meeting because there are too may conflicting activities that month.  SCRIP will meet May 15 at the Sewak residence in Ogletown.

Minutes by Joe Gorden.