PA Fish and Boat Commission breaks ground on project in Wayne County

DALLAS — On Tuesday, Nov. 23, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) Executive Director Tim Schaeffer was joined by PFBC District 7 Commissioner William Gibney, Sen. Lisa Baker, Rep. Jonathan Fritz, and others to mark the beginning of construction on the long-awaited dam rehabilitation project at Lower Woods Pond located in Lebanon Township, Wayne County.

The event featured a ceremonial groundbreaking. The contractor, Leeward Construction Company, will begin staging heavy equipment for construction at the work site over the next several weeks.

Once underway, the $2.6-million-dollar project will include the reconstruction of three dams and a spillway. Construction is expected to last approximately one year.

Following construction, the 91-acre lake will take approximately six months to fully refill, and will be ready to enjoy by the end of 2023.

While boaters will be able to enjoy the pond as soon as it refills, anglers will have to be more patient. Once the pond is refilled, a multi-year restocking plan will begin to reestablish a world-class fishery, which will include largemouth bass and walleye.

Lower Woods Pond was dewatered in 2012 following the discovery of a leak in the aging dam structures which presented a safety hazard.

“For about the next year, you’re going to see heavy equipment moving in and out of this construction site,” Schaefer said. “We anticipate construction to take about a year, to wrap up about this time next fall. And then we’ll begin the refill process, and that will be up to Mother Nature, typically about six month for a facility like this to refill. We got some snow today. If we were to luck out with some snow next winter, it’ll refill even quicker.

“We know how important fishing and boating are to Wayne County, and this just shows our agency’s commitment to the region to make sure that the resources are better than ever. What this really does is give hope to the residents of Wayne County, shows them that these dams are going to come back and these fisheries will be better than ever.”

Bloss Farms receives award

for environmental stewardship

Bloss Farms in Wapwallopen, Pa. received a Dairying for Tomorrow honorable mention for its care and commitment to dairy farming excellence.

Sponsored by American Dairy Association North East, the award recognizes the Luzerne county dairy farm for Environmental Stewardship.

Owner Jeff Bloss graduated from Penn State with a degree in agroecosystems science and employs practices including no-till farming, cover crop planting and strip cropping to prevent soil erosion and improve soil health. The farm’s conservation efforts help to sustainably produce high-quality milk — some of which goes into making Milkhouse Creamery ice cream.

Bloss Farms has been actively involved in the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Stewardship Program since 2015. The stewardship program allows farms to go above and beyond conservation that helps promote soil health, water quality, air, plants, animals, and wildlife.

“The staff at our local Farm Service Agency office reminds me that I’ve been talking about being a dairy farmer since I used to visit the office with my dad as a little boy,” said Jeff Bloss. “I’m proud of the work we do on our farm to ensure we take the best care of our land and water, as well as the animals in our care.”

“Our dairy farmers are committed to producing high-quality milk, being good neighbors in their communities and being good stewards of their land and animals,” said Rick Naczi, CEO of American Dairy Association North East. “The Dairying for Tomorrow Awards recognize the unique actions taken on and off the farm by local dairy farmers to help sustain and improve the dairy industry.”

As part of the award, a $500 donation was made in the farm’s name to the Crestwood School District. The funds will be used to provide equipment to help provide student access to cold, fresh milk.

About American Dairy

Association North East

American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region.

Representing nearly 10,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools.

The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®.

ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region.

For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.