Life gets better for bog turtle in Octoraro
By P.j. Reilly, Intelligencer Journal Staff
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Feb 17, 2006 12:18 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - The fencing is up. The trees and shrubs have been planted. Nature will take care of the rest.
An environmental wrong in part of the Octoraro Creek watershed is being corrected, according to Scott Reinhart, a biologist with Ducks Unlimited.
Octoraro Watershed Association, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Ducks Unlimited recently completed a five-year $200,000 project in the watershed that restored 28 acres of wetlands and is keeping livestock out of the water on just over two miles of four southern Lancaster County creeks.
"Songbirds are coming back, waterfowl are using the area more and insect life in the stream is increasing, which means there's more fish, as well," Reinhart said.
But the primary beneficiary of the effort, according to Reinhart, will be Lancaster County's famous bog turtle.
Bog turtles are on the federal threatened species list and Pennsylvania's endangered species list.
One of the places where bog turtles can be found is Lancaster County.
According to Reinhart, Ducks Unlimited spearheaded the recently completed wetlands-restoration project on five Amish farms along Octoraro Creek, Nickel Mines Run, Bowery Run and Meetinghouse Creek that were identified as areas where bog turtles live.
The Octoraro Creek watershed's 34 miles of tributaries and branches drain 208 square miles in Lancaster and Chester counties and Cecil County, Maryland.
"Just about 67 percent of the land in the Octoraro watershed is used for agriculture, so there's a lot of farm runoff polluting the streams," Reinhart said.
In the Ducks Unlimited project area, fencing was erected to keep livestock out of the streams and adjacent wetlands, where the bog turtles live.
Also, native trees and shrubs were planted to stabilize streambanks, minimize erosion and act as a filter, preventing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous from polluting the water.
Reinhart said similar projects are under way by various organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, throughout the watershed.
"Work in the Octoraro watershed is far from over," he said. "We've got a long way to go, but it's encouraging to see some positive results."
Ducks Unlimited Completes work in Lancaster County
With the help of the EPA 319 NPS funding program and the assistance of DEP watershed support staff, Ducks Unlimited and its partners have achieved the restoration objectives set within the Octoraro Creek watershed riparian buffer restoration grant. Since October 1, 1999 Ducks Unlimited has been delivering the Habitat Stewardship Program within the watershed.
As of that time, there were virtually no fencing projects in the Octoraro watershed. Through the assistance of the Octoraro Watershed Association, Ducks Unlimited has made major inroads into project installations in the Amish Community. Starting with a contact from Mr. Patrick Fasano, Secretary of the Octoraro watershed Association. Scott Reinhart, Ducks Unlimited Biologist was personally introduced to many of the Amish Bishops in the watershed at a meeting for all of the Bishops to find out about the Habitat Stewardship Program and the partners involved with delivery, which was facilitated, by OWA and Mr. Fasano in February of 2001. It is important to note that the consensus within the individual church districts of the Amish communities is essential to any changes made on individual farms.
This HSP provides strong incentives for private landowners to implement forested riparian buffers and restore marginally wet pastures. With the major land use in the Octoraro watershed consisting of high production agricultural, Ducks Unlimited was aware of the need for riparian buffer and wetland restoration. This unique program has allowed DU and its partners to work with more than 35 landowners on improvements to their agricultural operations. The original work plan called for Ducks Unlimited to restore 14 miles of riparian buffer which included stream bank fencing, cattle crossings and native plantings. Through the assistance of Octoraro Watershed association, Chester County Conservation District and EPA funding; Ducks Unlimited was able to restore 17.88 miles of stream, 20 acres of riparian wetland, 9 miles of native plantings and 154.75 acres of upland riparian buffer, With the implementation of these simple yet effective practices Ducks Unlimited and its partners were able to improve water quality through the implementation of livestock exclusionary fence and alternative watering sources while restoring native vegetated buffers along pastured streams. With the restoration of these riparian buffers Ducks Unlimited assisted the landowners within the watershed to make a significant improvement to the quality of water and their life through educated farming practices. With the help of our field staff and partners we have been able to complete our restoration goals within the watershed.
This unprecedented outreach to the Amish community has received national recognition. In July of 2003, Mr. Belier, Anders Alfelt (executive Director of OWA), and Mr. Fasano presented a program about their Amish outreach at the Environmental Protection Agency National Communities Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Additionally OWA is a featured watershed association in the new EPA handbook regarding community outreach. In another unprecedented event, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has committed a new follow up grant to, OWA beginning in November of 2003 to continue, and expand their Amish outreach program.
This wetland fencing project was completed by Ducks Unlimited in Lancaster County,PA.
The wetland was set aside to act as a natural filter area for agricultural run off and habitat for several species of wildlife. |