Pennsylvania Code
Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

• No statutes or acts will be found at this website.

The Pennsylvania Bulletin website includes the following: Rulemakings by State agencies; Proposed Rulemakings by State agencies; State agency notices; the Governor’s Proclamations and Executive Orders; Actions by the General Assembly; and Statewide and local court rules.

PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 09-1387

NOTICES

FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION

Proposed Removal from List of Class A Wild Trout Waters Baldwin Run, Tioga County

[39 Pa.B. 4499]
[Saturday, August 1, 2009]

   The Fish and Boat Commission (Commission) is considering a change to its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams. Under 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a (relating to Class A wild trout streams), it is the Commission's policy to manage self-sustaining Class A wild trout populations as a renewable natural resource to conserve that resource and the angling it provides. Class A wild trout populations represent the best of Pennsylvania's naturally reproducing trout fisheries. The Commission manages these stream sections solely for the perpetuation of the wild trout fishery with no stocking.

   Criteria developed for Class A Wild Trout fisheries are species specific. Wild Trout Abundance Class Criteria include provisions for:

   (i)  Wild Brook Trout Fisheries

   (A)  Total brook trout biomass of at least 30 kg/ha (26.7 lbs/acre).

   (B)  Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

   (C)  Brook trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

   (ii)  Wild Brown Trout Fisheries

   (A)  Total brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

   (B)  Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

   (C)  Brown trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

   (iii)  Mixed Wild Brook and Brown Trout Fisheries

   (A)  Combined brook and brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

   (B)  Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

   (C)  Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

   (D)  Brook trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

   (E)  Brown trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

   (iv)  Wild Rainbow Trout Fisheries

   Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 2.0 kg/ha (1.78 lbs/acre).

   For a water to be removed from the Class A Wild Trout Streams designation, total trout biomass must be documented below the set criteria for two consecutive stream examinations.

   During two consecutive stream surveys on October 30, 2008, and July 14, 2009, Commission staff documented that there are no wild trout in the 1.16-mile section of Baldwin Run, Tioga County, from ''The Muck'' to the mouth of the stream. The Commission therefore intends to consider removing this stream section from its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams at a future meeting.

   Baldwin Run is a tributary to Marsh Creek and was initially surveyed by Commission staff in 1995. Survey results indicated the presence of a very good wild brook trout population with an estimated biomass of 40.5 kg/ha. Baldwin Run, from the headwaters to the mouth, was subsequently recommended for addition to the Class A Wild Trout Waters List and was approved by the Commission as a Class A Wild Trout Water in 1999. However, subsequent evaluation of Baldwin Run indicated that the stream's character significantly changes when it flows out of the narrow mountainous valley (where the initial survey was conducted in 1995) and reaches the wide valley floor. Results of the 2008 survey indicate that the lower 1.16 miles of Baldwin Run (below the large wetland complex) harbors a warm/coolwater fish community, including bluntnose minnow, brown bullhead, central stoneroller, chain pickerel, creek chub, creek chubsucker, pumpkinseed, tessellated darter, and white sucker; no trout were collected. Results of the 2009 survey were consistent with those of the 2008 survey.

   Persons with comments, objections or suggestions concerning the removal are invited to submit comments in writing to Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P. O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments also may be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.fishandboat.com/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt. Electronic comments submitted in any other manner will not be accepted.

DOUGLAS J. AUSTEN, Ph.D.,   
Executive Director

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 09-1387. Filed for public inspection July 31, 2009, 9:00 a.m.]



No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.