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2007 Beneficiary-
PA Game Commission - Pymatuning State Game Lands, Crawford County PA
By placing money into the hands of Veteran WCO and Land Manager at Pymatuning Jerry Bish, we
are able to assist the PA Game Commission in providing crucial waterfowl habitat
and nesting structures. Pymatuning, like many other areas, has had to function
on limited funding from State and Federal levels for many years and for many
reasons. This is a unique opportunity for the Pennsylvania waterfowling
community to give back directly to the area(s) in their state the sustain and
produce waterfowl.
Memorandum
From: Jerry A. Bish
Land Management Group
Supervisor
Date: 19 June 2007
To: Conservation
Partners
Subject: Pymatuning
Development Project
The Pymatuning Wildlife Management
Area (State Game Lands #214) is located in Western Crawford County and contains 8285
acres. It is contiguous with Pymatuning Lake, which is 17 miles long and
contains 17,000 acres. Conneaut Marsh
(State Game Lands #213), also in Western Crawford County, consists of 5574
acres, and together these two game lands function as one area due to their
proximity. These areas consist primarily
of emergent palustrine marshes, scrub-shrub swamps, forested wetlands, and
associated uplands. Many of the wetlands
are either man-made or enhanced. This
area provides some of the state’s largest and most beneficial wetland
habitat.
SGL 214 has served and continues to
serve wildlife, hunters, and other wildlife-related uses for nearly 50
years. Reference to it can be found in
many texts and reference books and other publications, all listing it at
continentally significant for breeding and migrating birds. It continues to be a popular destination for
birders and hunters, especially waterfowl hunters. It contains many endangered, threatened and
of-concern plant and animal species.
The Area was developed in the early 1960's, when all
of the impoundments were developed. Now,
almost 50 years later some of the habitat is degraded and most of the control
structures are in need of replacement.
In addition, several new impoundments are proposed to help attract
waterfowl to specific parts of the Area.
Also included are some hunter education and training initiatives.
The project area is located within a
focus area of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture and Bird Conservation Region 13
(Lower
Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Plain). In
addition the Pymatuning area has been designated as a priority project within
BCR 13 and has been identified as an important bird area by the Audubon Society
(Crossley 1999).
Management of these areas consists
of timber management for wildlife (uneven-age management with some short
rotation even-aged management for early succession forest associates),
agricultural rotation of six years (corn, small grain, and hay), and wetland
management. The use of an aquatic
vegetation cutting machine is employed in the larger impoundments and where
needed in smaller impoundments. Water
level manipulations are utilized as need arises in suitable areas.
A primary management goal outlined in the
Pennsylvania Waterfowl Management Plan is for providing quality duck and
waterbird breeding habitat while secondarily providing migration and wintering
habitat for waterfowl (Hartman and Dunn 1991).
Water level manipulations are scheduled based on
habitat analyses of the wetland area.
The analyses include identification of existing plant communities and
their suitability for targeted fauna, cover to open water ratio, examination of
the water regime, and endangered species concerns. Where possible, water
level manipulations have been used successfully to date, i.e., vegetation
conditions for targeted fauna have been dramatically improved. However, this ability is limited because of
failing control structures. These
management techniques have been aimed at slowing the progression of natural
succession and providing maximum diversity of natural plant species beneficial
to the widest array of waterbirds.
However, because of our inability to
reliably control some impoundments, water levels have only been minimally
manipulated, and as a result, some plant communities have become dominated by a
limited number of aggressive species, some of which are not beneficial in their
current abundance. Emergent palustrine
vegetation, which is most beneficial to wildlife, has been inhibited and a
proliferation of swamp loosetrife (Decodon
verticillatus) has occurred. Swamp
loosetrife is a somewhat aggressive species, and has even overtaken stands of
cattail (Typha sp.) to the point
where diversity has been lost. Many present wetlands consist almost exclusively
of open water with spatterdock (Nuphar
luteum) and rank stands of swamp loosetrife and cattail. Due to this fact, the habitat is characteristic of wetlands with reduced wildlife usage, especially waterbirds.
Many of the projects proposed will
aid our ability to improve habitat; others are targeted to improving hunter
success and hunting quality. The
projects cannot be accomplished within present budget constraints, although the
PGC will contribute significantly as resources permit, especially through
in-kind services.
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