Updated: 9/5/2008------Photo Gallery-------Aerial of Trail ------ SRTA Yahoo Group

Next Event: Special Joint Program Meeting for SRTA Members and Friends Thursday, Sept 18th -- Environmental Futures for the Susquehanna River and Valley: Three Personal Assessments

The program will be at the Christ Presbyterian Church, in the Allendale section of Lower Allen Township . From Exit 40B of I 83 South, cross over Carlisle Rd onto Cliff Drive . Go approximately 1,000 ft., turn left on Allendale Way and immediately left again onto Deerfield Rd. The church is on the left where the road bends. This is 1½ miles from the west shore of the river. The joint meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. with refreshments and social time followed by announcements. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Cindy Dunn , Michael Helfrich, and Gene Wingert, each well known as serious contributors to our collective environmental future, will present their thoughts in an unusual program sponsored by the Appalachian Audubon Society, the Susquehanna River Trail Association and Wildwood Lake Sanctuary.

Their challenge is to reflect on the environment of the Susquehanna River , its valley, and the people who reside here, to look into the future for 5 or 10 years, and tell us what they think is most important for us to hear. They will have an audience of sophistication, of commitment to environmental issues, and, by extension, their family friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Moderated by Professor James Terry of Harrisburg Area Community College , each of the speakers will be asked to respond to the following question: "If this were your last chance to address this group, what would you say? What do you feel we should know or do?"

Cindy Dunn has had a variety of roles in the past, but now works on conservation policy investments as Deputy Secretary for Conservation with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Michael Helfrich has volunteered on the Navajo Indian Reservation working on water and legal issues, organized the Codorus Creek Improvement Partnership for the Codorus Creek Basin , and now is Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper. Gene Wingert is a well known lecturer on environmental issues and teaches at Harrisburg Area Community College and Dickinson College .

(MAP and DIRECTIONS TO RANCH HOUSE)

USDA RESCUES BOAT Monday, July 21, 2008 BY ALLISON GARVEY For The Patriot-News -- A $90,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has brightened a grim future for the historic ferry, said Diane Hammaker, operations manager for the Millersburg Ferry Boat Association. MORE

SRTA is formally recognized by the following organizations:

SRTA Designated a National Recreation Trail

Monday evening (7/14/08), at the Fort Hunter Fish & Boat Commission boat ramp, representatives from the National Park Service, PA Fish & Boat Commission, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Susquehanna Greenways, other state and local stakeholders and founding members of the SRTA will gather with friends to honor the election of the SRTA to the ranks of the National Recreation Trail (NRT) listing, established by the United States Department of the Interior.

In addition to the honor of the designation and the privilege of displaying the NRT logo, SRTA will be able to rely on the honor in applying for additional help and funding for future development. The popularity of water trails indicates that SRTA will continue to grow and needs to take advantage of the recognition to carry out its mission.

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Get Your Copy of the Susquehanna River Water Trail (Middle Section) Map and Trail Guide Today at the Following Locations...

DCNR-PAMAP Ortho Imagery of the Water Trail

The PAMAP program at DCNR is producing dramatic new color imagery for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Areas covered by the river trail are now available to the public. The best way to view the new imagery is through the PASDA PAMAP image viewer. Using this tool, you can tour the trail using the new high-resolution, color, aerial orthophotography produced by the PAMAP program. Use the controls on the viewer's user interface to zoom, re-center, and download images >> CLICK HERE -- Broadband connections are highly recommended to use the image viewer -- in fact, you probably won't have much fun at this site with dial-up.

Susquehanna River Water Trail - North Branch trail guide now available!

2008 SRTA Officers and Contacts:

Keith Smalley 2nd Co-President ksmalley@dejazzd.com

Jim McNulty

1st Co-President

jamcnulty@state.pa.us

Cliff Dillmann

Vice-President

egretpa@comcast.net

Bruce Bishoff

Corresponding Secretary

bbishoff@paonline.com

John Meister

Recording Secretary and Treasurer (Acting)

dmdjdm@comcast.net

Brook Lenker

Technical Advisor

blenker@state.pa.us

All SRTA field volunteers must fill out and submit a medical information form before going out onto the river on a SRTA sponsored activity. A copy of the medical form can be downloaded by CLICKING HERE.

RIVER LEVELS - WEATHER - NAVIGATION

Sunbury >> Gauge and Forecast 

Harrisburg >> Gauge and Forecast

Other Gauges >> Index Map

Harrisburg  RADAR   Selinsgrove

DCNR-PAMAP Imagery of Trail on Google

Island Navigation and GPS Info

Photo Courtesy of Greg Jensen ---- (View gallery)

Environmental Futures for the Susquehanna River and Valley: Three Personal Assessments

Cindy Dunn, Michael Helfrich, and Gene Wingert, each well known as a serious contributor to our collective environmental future, will present their thoughts in an unusual program sponsored by the Appalachian Audubon Society, the Susquehanna River Trail Association and Wildwood Lake Sanctuary.

Their challenge is to reflect on the environment of the Susquehanna River , its valley, and the people who reside here, to look into the future for 5 or 10 years, and tell us what they think is most important for us to hear. They will have an audience of sophistication, of commitment to environmental issues, and, by extension, their family friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Moderated by Professor James Terry of Harrisburg Area Community College , each of the speakers will be asked to respond to the following question: "If this were your last chance to address this group, what would you say? What do you feel we should know or do?"

Cindy Dunn is DCNR's Deputy Secretary for Conservation and Technical Services, and handles land acquisitions, grants and the Topographic and Geologic Survey.  Her past roles include state director for both the National Audubon Society and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay .

Michael Helfrich has volunteered on the Navajo Indian Reservation working on water and legal issues, organized the Codorus Creek Improvement Partnership for the Codorus Creek Basin , and now is Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper.

Gene Wingert is a well known lecturer on environmental issues, teaches at Harrisburg Area Community College and now researches and teaches as Professor of Environmental Studies at Dickinson College .

The program will be at the Christ Presbyterian Church, in the Allendale development, Lower Allen Township . Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. with refreshments and social time followed by announcements, with the program starting at 7:30 p.m. The programs are free and open to the public.

Major Upgrades on SRTA Water Trail this Season

A generous contribution of funds to purchase a new maintenance boat, motor and trailer was made this spring by Sunbury Generation LLC of Shamokin Dam. Added to this is the sweat equity of SRTA and other community volunteers who are making many upgrades to the trail – with the following current results:1

  • 12 new, heavy duty Bureau of Forestry type, firmly anchored fire rings are on campsites, with more to be ordered later this season.
  • 3 new campsites have been established at mile markers 120a, 120b and 121, spread out over the length of recently acquired Byers Island , just below Sunbury.
  • Log book posts on a number of islands have been anchored in cement to fortify them against the forces of high water.
  • Additional SRTA island signs have been posted to make landings easier to spot.
  • Campsites have been expanded or slightly moved to accommodate more tents.
  • More Bureau of Forestry boundary tags have been posted to inform visitors that the campsites are public property, available for their use, on a shared basis, with other members of the public

Text Box:  Text Box: New SRTA Boat Delivers Chainsaw-Wielding Co-President Smalley to Island 83b to Carry Out Duties of His Office                                            Photo by B Bishoff

Great River Adventure a Success

A sunny Saturday, June 28, was a good day for paddlers on the Susquehanna River Water Trail, Middle Section when they participated in the Second Annual Great River Adventure (GRA). Punctuated with a short, welcome and cooling rain shower to help keep spirits and water levels up, 134 children and adults from age 3 to 84 traveled by canoe or kayak from Ft. Hunter to City Island, Harrisburg to compete for cash prizes, medals or to just have fun.

Professionally outfitted racing kayaks and canoes completed the 10 mile course in as little as one hour in competition for $1750 in cash prizes. Nonprofessional men, women and children, competing in six racing categories, completed a seven mile course to the same destination. The most popular event was an Island Hopper trip in which small guided groups of individuals and families traveled the same seven mile course, un-timed. They stopped at three islands and the Wormleysburg town dock along the way to learn about the geology, geography, ecology and history of the river and its users.

Susquehanna River Trail Designated as National Recreation Trail

In the spirit of the 40 th Anniversary of the National Trails System, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced on June 4th that he has designated 24 trails in 16 states as new National Recreation Trails, adding more than 1,100 miles of trails to the National Trails System. The Susquehanna River Water Trail – Middle Section is one of those trails.

The announcement coincides with the 16th annual celebration of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7, 2008. The theme for this year, “Join Us on the Trail,” encourages people of all ages to get outside and use trails for exercise and exploration. Thousands of trail enthusiasts participate in hikes, educational programs, bike rides, volunteer repair projects, festivals, paddle trips, and trail dedications across the country. 

National Recreation Trails (NRTs) have been a touchstone of the National Trails System since the first designations in 1971. The NRTs recognize existing trails that connect people to local resources and improve their quality of life.  Each of the new trails will receive a certificate of designation and trail markers. They join a network of more than 1,000 trails encompassing more than 12,000 miles. The Susquehanna River Water Trail – Lower Section, that extends from Harrisburg to the Southern Pennsylvania border, was similarly designated on June 7. 

The NRT Program is jointly administered by the NPS Rivers , Trails and Conservation Assistance Program and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the National Recreation Trail website at www.american trails.org/nationalrecreationtrails. 

The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) is a community resource of the National Park Service. RTCA staff provide technical assistance to community groups and local, state, and federal government agencies so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. More information is available online at http://www.nps.gov/rtca

Photo Courtesy of Greg Jensen ---- (View gallery)

 

 

 

Copyright 2008 - Susquehanna River Trail Association, Inc. - P.O. Box 62023 - Harrisburg, PA  17106  - Voice (717) 948-6780  (SRTA Bylaws)

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