Important! Your Action needed to protect Class A Wild Trout Streams in Pennsylvania!

State Council recently sent out an action alert asking members to comment on the Class A policy change for statement of policy 57.8a. This policy allows the PFBC Board of Commissioners and Executive Director to approve Class A trout waters for stocking.

We ask that you as an individual chapter member please comment on this policy change and let PFBC know they should look at this policy again and include the criteria that was originally proposed.  The chapter will send out their own letter as a group but your individual voice needs to be heard!

For more information on the original criteria and PATU's position, A copy of the letter that the PA Council will be sending out to the PFBC  has been pasted below.

The public comment period is open until December 15^th. We ask that you provide comments, if you cannot get chapter approval by this date, we encourage you to still submit a letter to PA Fish and Boat Commission and/or talk to your PFBC Commissioner. 

As a chapter member and member of Trout unlimited, we must stand united and let the commission know that this is detrimental to our Class A trout populations and we need to oppose this policy as written.

To provide input to statement of policy 57.8a, please submit comments in writing to Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 57000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, by December 15th. Comments may also 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. 

Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited

PO Box 5148

Bellefonte, PA 16823

December 9, 2014

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Attn: John Arway

1601 Elmerton Ave.

PO Box 67000

Harrisburg, PA 17106

Dear Mr. Arway,

The Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited (PATU) is writing to oppose the amended statement of policy for section 57.8a. Under this revised policy, the Executive Director will obtain the approval of the Commission without taking into account any factors of the coldwater resource.

After discussing this policy with PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) staff, we understand that the intention is not to allow stocking in all Class A streams, however, the current language leaves it open to any Class A streams. PATU would like to advocate that the PFBC reexamine this policy and restore the criteria that were originally proposed to PATU and the Commission that allowed the stocking of Class A streams if:

- Angler use meets or exceeds the 75th percentile (number of anglers/ mile on Opening Day)

- The water had been stocked the year preceding the Class A designation

- The stream does not contain a wild brook trout population or the trout species to be stocked are not the same species as the primary component of the wild trout population.

- The stream was not identified as Class A prior to 2013.

- After review of the above data, stocking could be approved by the Board of Commissioners and the Executive Director.

Although we are not in support of stocking over wild trout, the above conditions will provide guidance and a uniformed structure for the protection of our Class A wild trout streams into the future. We hope the Commission will reconsider this policy to include the criteria listed above.

Sincerely,

Richard Soderberg Ken Undercoffer

Brian Wagner Richard Soderberg, Ken Undercoffer

President Co-chair Co-chair

Pennsylvania Council Trout Management Committee Trout Management Committee

Of Trout Unlimited

Cc: PA Fish and Boat Commission Board of Commissioners

Leroy Young, Director of Fisheries