Taxon Times
July 2008
Officers
Frank Felbaum, President
Greg Czarnecki, Secretary/Treasurer
Lisa Williams, Recording Secretary
Carolyn Mahan, President Elect
Jerry Hassinger, Immediate Past President
Members-at Large
David Day, Pa. Fish & Boat Commission
Laurie Goodrich, Hawk Mountain
Roger Latham, Continental Conservation
Christine Manville, Academy of Natural Sciences
Ann Rhoads, Morris Arboretum
Technical Committee Chairs
Carlos Iudica & Shahroukh Mistry, Mammals
Bob Ross, Ornithology
Tim Maret, Reptiles/Amphibians
Rob Criswell, Fishes
Tim Block, Vascular Plants
James Lendemer, Bryophytes/Lichens
John Plischke III, Protists/Fungi
John Rawlins, Collections/Systematics
Betsy Ray Leppo, Terrestrial Arthropods
Jane Earle, Aquatic Arthropods
Charles Bier, Arachnids
Tim Pearce, Mollusks
Standing Committee Chairs
Paulette Johnson, Environmental Education
Greg Podniesinski, Plant Communities
Eileen Butchkoski, Newsletter
Agency Representatives
Chris Firestone, Pa. Dept. of Conservation &
Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
Sally Just, Pa. Dept. of Conservation &
Natural Resources, Office of Conservation Science
Greg Czarnecki, Pa. Dept. of Conservation &
Natural Resources, Wild Resource Conservation
and Pa. Natural Heritage Programs
Dan Bogar, Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection
John Arway, Pa. Fish & Boat Commission
Dan Brauning,
Pa. Game Commission, Wildlife Diversity Program
Lisa Williams,
Pa. Game Commission, State Wildlife Grant Program
Vacant, Pa. Dept. of Agriculture
Kim Van Fleet, Audubon Pennsylvania
Charles Bier, Western Pa. Conservancy
Sue Thompson, Three Rivers Ecological Research Center
Duane Diefenbach,
U.S.G.S. Pa. Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Unit
Vacant, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Brad Nelson, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service,
Allegheny National Forest
John E. Rawlins,
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Jon Gelhaus,
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
Walter Meshaka Jr., State Museum of Pa.
Website
http://www.aa.psu.edu/pabs/index.html
SUMMER STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
August 5 & 6, 2008
PFBC’s H.R. Stackhouse Training Facility, Bellefonte
This newsletter contains reports from the Steering Committee meeting
held January 31, 2008 at Stackhouse
Officers’ Reports
Recording Secretary – Due to the absence of the recording secretary, President Elect Carolyn
Mahan compiled minutes for the August meeting which were distributed electronically prior
to the January meeting. No additions or corrections were proposed; the minutes were accepted.
Secretary/Treasurer – In the absence of Greg Czarnecki, whose presence was required at a
Pennsylvania Wind and Wildlife Collaborative meeting, President Frank Felbaum reviewed a
report Greg had prepared. No additions or corrections were proposed; the report was accepted.
President’s Message
Frank Felbaum
It’s really amazing how fast two years goes by when you’re having fun; now it’s time to get
ready to pass on the gavel of leadership to Carolyn in January. The last seven months have
been a very busy time for the Pennsylvania Biological Survey (PABS) and its officers.
The top priority was getting the website moved to a new host institution; if you haven’t visited the site please do so at www.aa.psu.edu/pabs. This site is very impressive, but we need to
update all the Technical Committees and the Steering Committee memberships. I would like
to thank Laurie Schoonhoven for all her help in designing the new look for PABS. I encourage the Technical Committee Chairs to go over your page and update your committee information; also the chairs need to update all the committee membership especially new email addresses. Updates on the website information need to be sent to Carolyn Mahan as soon as
possible.
For all the attendees at the August 2008 meeting, you will receive a treat — the long awaited
copy of “Pennsylvania Windows on the Wild”. WOW is in print and ready to pass out; the
238-page educational publication was really worth waiting for. I’m sure the membership of
PABS will be proud to have your organization name on this educational tool. You have to
attend the meetings to get your copy of the publication.
The auditor has the PABS account information and bank statements and is finalizing the audit. I’m hoping the audit will be completed by the August 6th meeting and approved by the
Steering Committee.
The feral swine letters were sent on February 6, 2008 to all the interested parties in state government, not one of the parties ever responded to the feral swine issue in Pennsylvania.
Discussions on wind energy still continue without any resolution to the wildlife issues. Dr.
Edward B. Arnett pointed out in a recent editorial “until we find solutions to bat kills, wind
will not be a truly green energy.”
I hope to see everyone at the August meeting for some good old time fellowship.
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CONTENTS:
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Technical Committee Reports
Vascular Plant Technical Committee —Chris Firestone for Tim Block—Hard
2
Vascular Plants
2
Bryophytes & Lichens
2
Fishes
3
Amphibians & Reptiles
4
Ornithology
5
Mammals
5
Aquatic/Terrestrial Arthropods (joint)
5
Arachnids
5
Mollusks
Agency & Organization Reports
6
Pa. Wildlife Action Plan Update
6
Update on Climate Security Act of 2008
7
Box Scores
7
DCNR Bureau of Forestry
Wild Plant Management Program
7
Dept. of Environmental Protection
7
Pa. Fish & Boat Commission
9
Pa. Game Commission
11
Western Pa. Conservancy
11
Pa. Biodiversity Partnership
11
Allegheny National Forest
Standing Committees
11
Plant Communities
11
Environmental Education
Discussions and Other Items
11
Wind Energy Update
11
Pa. Redbook
11
PABS Website
11
Feral Swine
11
New Deer Regulations
11
Frost Museum (Penn State, entomology)
11
Summer Steering Committee Meeting
dates/location
copy report distributed and reviewed; no digital format for newsletter.
Bryophytes & Lichens Technical Committee —Jerry Hassinger for James Lendemer—Since the last PABS meeting the BLTC has continued to work on several ongoing projects:
Former chairman Jack Stabley has continued to work with Heath O’Brian and
Trevor Goward to determine the taxonomic status of our local populations of
Peltigera hydrothria (Hydrothyria venosa) with respect to the populations from western North America. Results from their work should be forthcoming and will be communicated at the appropriate steering committee meeting.
James Lendemer, current chairman of the BLTC has moved to The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, NY) to pursue graduate studies in lichenology. He remains
associated with the Botany Department of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Phialdelphia as a research associate. And visits the herbarium regularly and continues the
process of revising the Pennsylvania lichen collections in that institution. And incorporating the results into a running checklist of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi of
the commonwealth (see below).
The members of the BLTC continue their efforts to survey the diversity of bryophytes and lichens in the commonwealth and plan to have several field excursions in
the coming year.
We are also pleased to announce several discoveries and projects that have arisen
since the last meeting:
Bruce Allen of the Missouri Botanical submitted a proposal to the WRCF to fund
the first stages of producing a checklist of the mosses of the commonwealth. The
proposal was funded and we look forward to seeing the results of their work. The
chairman met with Dr. Allen in Philadelphia to have informal discussions of the project and to assess the Pennsylvania bryophyte collections in the herbarium at PH.
At the last meeting we mentioned that a search to relocate a historical population of
Santessoniella crossophylla at Glen Onoko was unsuccessful. Recent field work in the
southern Appalachians and Canadian Maritimes has resulted in the discovery of extant populations of the species in habitats similar to Glen Onoko. The chairman has
prepared a publication documenting the current and historical range of S. crossophylla with Frances Anderson (Nova Scotia, Canada) which will be published later
this year. They suggest that if S. crossophylla is found to be extant in the commonwealth, it almost certainly will require protection at the state level.
Richard Harris at The New York Botanical Garden has also discovered that Bulbotichia onokoensis, an algae named by Francis Wolle from Glen Onoko, is in fact a
species of the lichen genus Chrysothrix. The species is rare and has a distribution
similar to that of Santessoniella crossophylla (southern Appalachians and Ozark Ecoregion). Chrysothrix onokoensis occurs in a habitat similar Santessoniella (massive
acidic rock faces with high humidity) and also was not relocated at Glen Onoko by
the BLTC. If the species is extant in Pennsylvania it will likely also require protection
at the state level. It is easily recognizable because of its ecology, and its conspicuous,
fluffy, bright yellow thallus.
Fishes Technical Committee—Rob Criswell—Committee members’ activities:
Continued to refine the draft listing/delisting process for species of special concern
in concert with the PA Fish & Boat Commission.
Reviewed, updated, and refined the committee's checklist of Pennsylvania's fishes, the
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PA Natural Heritage Program S-ranks for the state's fishes, and the PABS/FTC web page.
Obtained a new locality record in May for the spotted darter (n=6) in the Allegheny River, Allegheny Co., the downstream-most record to
date, and collected 153 bluebreast darters and 72 Tippecanoe darters at the same location. These new collections and genetic research
funded by WRCF lead to the belief that all three of these state threatened darters are currently dispersing throughout the Allegheny River
and are exchanging genes between populations. In addition, the threatened channel darter was the second most abundant benthic species in
trawls on this river.
Conducted research on the Ohio River and impounded tributaries to document fish species composition, detect the presence of fishes of
special concern, and refine large river sampling techniques. Work in October documented a new darter for the state – the river darter
(Percina shumardi) – in the 2 lowermost pools of the Ohio River, and confirmed the presence of 4 threatened darters all the way to the
Ohio/West Virginia border, including the bluebreast, spotted, and Tippecanoe darters mentioned above, as well as the now apparently
ubiquitous channel darter (261 in a single day).
Confirmed a second population of the endangered bridle shiner. This population is located in Wayne County. Prior to this discovery the
only known population was the one in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County.
Began a program to identify blockages to upstream passage of American eels and to evaluate trends in abundance, and have been compiling
historic data on eel abundance in streams and rivers and plan to resample sites in 2008 and 2009.
Sampled Tenmile Creek, Washington & Greene Co. Survey yielded over 10,000 individuals from fifteen 200-m long stations. Extremely
diverse icthyofauna (42 species/hybrids), but one that may be threatened by abandoned mines and/or future mining activity in the region.
Published paper documenting the contemporary ichthyofauna of the Monongahela River:
Argent, D.G., W.G. Kimmel, R. Lorson, and E. Emery. 2007. Ichthyofauna of the Monongahela River Basin in Pennsylvania: a contemporary evaluation. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 22:617-628.
Published paper summarizing recent work on paddlefish movement in Pennsylvania:
Barry, P.M., R.F. Carline, D.G. Argent, and W.G. Kimmel. 2007. Movement and Habitat Use of Stocked Juvenile Paddlefish in the Ohio
River System, Pennsylvania. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27:1316-1325.
In 2008 plan to survey 25 probabilistic sites every year for 2 years on the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. Fish, fish habitat, macroinvertebrates, mussels, water chemistry, and sediment will be sampled. Also, will sample 15 fixed sites per year for 2 years - 6 sites on the Monongahela and 9 on the Allegheny. The fixed stations will provide intra- and inter- annual variability for both rivers.
In 2008 plan to develop an integrated assessment utilizing chemical, physical and biological measures, including water quality, habitat fish,
macroinvertebrates and molluscs. This work will sample additional sites to estimate reference condition and evaluate indicators across condition gradients, and advance the state's ability to assess conditions of rivers within the Great River Ecosystem. It will also enhance the state's
capability to conduct bioassessments and track environmental conditions of the rivers.
The PFBC Natural Diversity Section hired new full-time Ichthyologist, Doug Fischer. Doug will be working on a variety of T&E fish issues, but also will be working on the EPA funded Fish IBI project.
Surveys in the Monongahela River confirm that freshwater shrimp are present from WV/PA border to Elizabeth. Sources in West Virginia
confirm their presence in the Ohio River as far north as Wheeling, WV
Anecdotal reports from reliable sources indicate that during summer 2007, Tenmile Creek also harbored a bloom of "freshwater jellyfish" perhaps the southern most extent reported in PA (refer to Terry Peard's website on that one: http://www.jellyfish.iup.edu/). Received additional reports from PA Fish & Boat Commission area WCO of "jellies" in Dunlap Lake.
Amphibian & Reptile Technical Committee—Chris Urban for Tim Maret—The Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee met on
October 22 at the Fish and Boat Commission Stackhouse facility in Bellefonte. The first item on the agenda was the updating of the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program taxa rank list for amphibian and reptile species (this is the list that is used by PNHP in determining
which taxa to track). Species whose ranks were changed include the four-toed salamander (S4 to S3S4), mudpuppy (S4 to S3S4), neorthern
leopard from (s3 to S2S3), Blanding’s turtle (SA to S1), spiny softshell turtle (S3S4 to S4), and smooth earth snake (S1 to SH). Chris Urban reported that the yellow-bellied slider is now reproducing in the state.
The committee voted to add three new members of the committee – Brandon Ruhe, a herpetologist and co-PI for the spadefoot toad inventory project, Charlie Eichelberger from PNHP, and Tina Walther from PFBC. Discussed the removal of inactive members (importance of
having a working committee of dedicated members).
The committee discussed potential effects that herbicide spraying on DCNR lands will have on native amphibian populations. A considerable body of scientific evidence indicates that amphibian species are sensitive to a number of herbicides. Of the three herbicides commonly
used by the Bureau of Forestry for broadcast spraying, (Accord, Arsenal, and Oust), only Accord has been adequately tested for its effects on
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amphibians. No studies have been completed on the effects of Arsenal on amphibians, and the single study of the effects of Oust on amphibians found that exposure resulted in a number of malformations and adverse effects on metamorphosis. In addition, surfactants often
used with herbicides have been demonstrated to be harmful to a many amphibian species. Finally, although Accord has not been shown to
have direct negative effects on amphibians, if it enters aquatic habitats it may indirectly affect them by killing algae that provide the base of
aquatic food webs. The committee voted in favor of submitting comments to DCNR as requested in the State Forest Resource Management
Plan 2007 Update. A letter was submitted to DCNR recommending that:
• Broadcast treatment of competing vegetation with herbicides should be avoided and minimized whenever possible.
• Broadcast treatment should be limited to Accord, since other herbicides have not been adequately tested and/or have been shown to
negatively impact amphibians.
• Treatment with Arsenal, Oust, or herbicides with surfactants should be restricted to basal treatment only.
• Buffers around streams, seeps, and vernal pools should extend at least 300 feet from the edge of the water in order to ensure that aquatic
larvae and habitats are not adversely affected.
We discussed windfarms on DNCR lands and our position regarding this matter.
Gian Rocco presented information to the committee on the bog turtle conservation agreement that he has been working on. Tim Maret updated the committee on the status of the PA online herp atlas (up and running and gathering data). Chris Urban updated the committee on a
number of items, including PFBC research needs and priorities, progress by PFBC in reviewing the listing criteria recommended by the committee, new regulations and new/modified herp related permit programs, Scientific Collectors' Permits and updated fee-structures, PFBC
development of criteria for listing "qualified/recognized" surveyors for candidate, threatened, and endangered species, PFBC funded/
coordinated herp studies, (timber rattlesnake assessment study, red-bellied turtle assessment, and bog turtle monitoring study), and the present status of PFBC’s proposed voluntary cooperative agreement with wind energy developers. NEPARC conference, 2007 list of native species for purposes of 58 Pa. Code Chapter 79, presented the draft of “PFBC Standard Operating Procedure for Changes in the Legal Status
of Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Aquatic Invertebrates”, discussed the blue spotted salamander (status).
Ornithology Technical Committee—Rob Criswell for Bob Ross—Fall Meeting (28 September 2007)—The OTC fall meeting was
held at Penn State University, Margaret Brittingham hosting. No proposals for change in species’status were advanced, but one for bald eagle was discussed. Other topics included status of proposed PA Academy of Science book Avian Ecology and Conservation, status of Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) project after 4 years of field work, prioritization of birds of conservation concern, specifications for conservation planning polygons (CPPs) by PNHP, preliminary findings of the Wade Is. waterbird colony research at ESU, wind energy development subcommittee formation, feral hog eradication/control status and subcommittee, and IBA nominations/program activities.
PAS Book on Avian Ecology and Conservation (Terry Master)--With five editors (Terry Master, Margaret Brittingham, Bob Ross, Bob
Mulvihill and Jane Huffman) and overall series editor (Shyamal Majumdar of Lafayette College), the book’s intended audience is primarily
academic. Some 23 chapters cover a range of topics including the behavior, ecology, and conservation of Pennsylvania birds with national
implications. Twenty-five authors agreed to complete chapters for the book with the chapter submission deadline set for February 29, 2008.
To date 4 chapters have been received with several others well on their way to completion. Publication is set for late 2008 or early 2009.
Approximately 1,000 copies will be produced.
Breeding Bird Atlas Update—With 4 of 5 field seasons completed, Bob Mulvihill (project coordinator) finds effort to be patchy (due
largely to patchiness of birding expertise/volunteers) but project goals within reach. Special surveys and point counts will continue in 2008.
A comparison with 1st Atlas shows three Tier 1 species up from 20 years ago (black tern, sedge wren, short-eared owl) but nine species down
(Am. bittern, cerulean and golden-winged warblers, king rail, loggerhead shrike, bobwhite, olive-sided flycatcher, piping plover, and upland
sandpiper). A similar pattern emerges for Tier 2 species.
Conservation Status of Avian Species—Despite windstorm-related losses, >115 active nests of bald eagle were documented in the state in
2007. In future, statistical subsampling of bald eagle and osprey productivity and adult survivorship, with power analysis, is needed, rather
than monitoring of all nests. Concern continues for long-eared owl, barn owl, kestrel, nighthawk, golden-winged warbler, and bobwhite.
Prioritization of Birds of Conservation Concern—A subcommittee with Matt Marshall (chair), Margaret Brittingham, Todd Katzner, Bob
Mulvihill, and Doug Gross will meet and develop recommendations to PGC for highest conservation priorities using existing Wildlife Action Plan as a start. CREP data show kestrel and meadowlark benefiting from CREP program, warm-season grasses including switchgrass
are too dense for many grassland species, and CREP is endangered by biofuels initiatives.
Conservation Planning Polygons (Rita Hawrot)—A 3-year project of PNHP (and partners PGC, PFC, DCNR, and WPC) funded by
SWG and covering all WAP taxa. Goal: to upgrade existing buffer polygons based on biology/literature, develop specifications with data
links, and differentiate core versus supporting polygons with occurrence data. Rita needs help drafting and reviewing the specs for E/T/C
species.
Wade Island Colonial Waterbird Update (Terry Master)— The final field research season was completed during the summer of 2007.
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Observations of great egret foraging behavior continued along with nocturnal observations of black-crowned night-heron foraging behavior,
using a night vision scope. Small fish make up the majority of the great egrets’ diet followed by crayfish (presumably most rusty crayfish)
and tadpoles (Fowler’s/American toads) when available. Black-crowned night-herons are consuming mostly crayfish and small fish. Double-crested cormorants are consuming mostly larger fish and feeding in mid-channel rather than along shorelines and in water willow beds
where egrets and night-herons are usually seen. A formal report and management plan will follow thesis completion, sometime during the
summer of 2008.
Wind Energy Development and Bird Impacts—A subcommittee (Todd Katzner, Aura Stauffer, Kim VanFleet, and Doug Gross) was
formed to stay on top of this issue and develop recommendations.
Feral Hog Eradication/Management —Charles Bier and Brad Nelson report that in 2000, 19 states had a problem, and by 2006, 39 states
had them. In PA an estimated 3,000 feral hogs are scattered in 3+ counties. Charles and/or Brad to attend Governor’s Invasive Species
Council meetings and the Feral Swine Task Force, advising them of the risk this invasive species poses to ground-nesting forest birds.
Pennsylvania Important Bird Areas (Kim Van Fleet)—The Laurels and King Ranch nomination, consisting of 9km core plus 33km buffer
acres in Chester County, was unanimously approved as PA’s next IBA. This IBA will promote valuable grassland acreage protection, the only
of its kind in the Piedmont, for grassland birds.
Mammal Technical Committee—Carolyn Mahan— Hard copy report distributed and reviewed; no digital format for newsletter.
Aquatic Arthropods Technical Committee—Betsy Ray Leppo for Jane Earle—AND—
Terrestrial Arthropods Technical Committee—Betsy Ray Leppo—Oral report; no digital format for newsletter.
Arachnid Technical Committee—Charles Bier—The following items will provide a summary of limited recent activities relative to the
study of arachnids in Pennsylvania, if not the committee itself:
Committee Development – There are 2 new members of the committee since the last report:
• James Buchkovich is a biologist with Andrew Martin Associates in Erie, PA, and received a masters degree from Indiana University of
PA. Jim is one of the most knowledgeable araneologists in Pennsylvania although less active recently. His most focused work to date
was a survey of the spiders of Presque Isle State Park, Erie County, comparing his results to that of Truman (1941).
• Amy Bianco of Pittsburgh has a background in environmental education and also carries an interest in spiders of some 15 years. Her
interest is in education and conservation and she has previously worked for the Audubon Society of Western PA. Amy is developing
outlines and lesson plans as the basis for presentations and workshops to educate the public about spiders.
Committee Goals – The initial tasks at this time are to:
(1) develop a list of arachnid workers,
(2) determine the collections documenting PA arachnids,
(3) summarize the literature describing the arachnids of PA,
(4) create a catalog of PA arachnids.
Activities at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History – Initiation of spider record entries into the Catalog of Pennsylvania Biodiversity database: The CPB, an Internet accessible database, is being utilized to build a list of the Spiders of PA. A record is created for each species,
which is largely composed of documentation for the species presence in PA per an authoritatively documented specimen. An initial batch of
12 records has been entered into the system. Several glitches were encountered and are under review.
Other News – A population of Mediterranean recluse spider (Loxosceles rufescens) has been documented in at least 5 building basements in
downtown Harrisburg and one building in Reading. This species, a congener of the more famous and brown recluse (L. reclusa), is, as its
name suggests, not native to North America. While the brown recluse is an example of intra-continental translocation, this second Loxosceles demonstrates inter-continental translocation and is not the only such spider having been moved to North America. The committee chair
visited one of the Harrisburg buildings last autumn to collect voucher specimens.
Mollusk Technical Committee—Tim Pearce— Committee continues to assemble specimen-based species list for PA mollusks: we have
recognized specimens for 168 of 291 mollusks reported in PA: 64 of 67 unionoid mussels, 5 of 13 other bivalves, 81 of 151 terrestrial
snails, and 18 of 60 aquatic snails. Unionoid records lacking museum specimens are Elliptio fisheriana, Leptodea ochracea, and Potamilis
ohiensis. Land Snail subcommittee plans to assign ranks to certain scarcer land snails (such as Hendersonia occulta, Carychium nannodes,
Anguispira kochi, Glyphyalinia raderi, Allogona profunda, and Patera pennsylvanica) by next meeting.
Bi-Valve Subcommittee report by Mary Walsh—The entire sub-committee met in April 2007. Topics discussed at the meeting were the
members’ current projects and the sub-committee agenda items:
• Sub-committee leadership – The sub-committee chairperson was selected as Nevin Welte, but the position was transferred to Mary
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Walsh, when Nevin stepped down.
Pennsylvania mussel surveyor list for environmental review surveys – A new process for certifying qualified surveyors is being developed
for Pennsylvania.
Conservation planning polygons project- A project to define habitat for mussel occurrences in the environmental review system is under-
way. Bivalve sub-committee is consulting on mussel habitat requirements.
Specimen-based mollusk list for Pennsylvania – Carnegie Museum is developing the list.
State of the Delaware Basin Report – An assessment report on the Delaware River Basin will include mussels as indicators of ecological
health.
Regulations for taking mussels as fish bait – The committee plans to make suggested revisions to Pennsylvania regulations.
Public education about mussels – The committee members are individually educating the public about mussel biodiversity and conservation.
Mussel trading – The committee will give recommendations for contributing rare mussel species from wild populations in Pennsylvania
to restoration/re-introduction projects in other states. Criteria for “trading” mussels in Pennsylvania need to be developed.
Mussel conservation listing criteria – No new listing of Endangered and Threatened species for Pennsylvania mussels can occur until
criteria for listing are established. The sub-committee commented on suggested criteria and is working on recommending new criteria.
Other sub-committee activities and projects:
• Updates to the state ranks for mussel species were recommended by members of the sub-committee.
• A database for Pennsylvania mussel occurrences is being created by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program.
• There are several projects to inventory mussels by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Surveys in the lock and dam system on
the Allegheny River are nearly complete. A yellow lampmussel project in the Susquehanna River Basin is beginning in 2008. Initial mussel inventories in Delaware, Philadelphia, Armstrong, Venango, Butler, Erie, Cameron, Indiana counties occurred in 2007 and will continue in 2008.
AGENCY & ORGANIZATION REPORTS
Pa. Wildlife Action Plan Update—Lisa Williams—The Wildlife Action Plan, a federal requirement of all state fish and wildlife agencies:
•
•
•
•
identifies conservation needs of declining species – addresses conservation needs at species, suite, and habitat level – focus statewide
can be seen on Commission website at pgc.state.pa.us
revision at 10-yr intervals max
serves as basis for receiving federal State Wildlife Grants (SWG)
Emphasis is now on implementation; state projects include the Private Landowner Assistance Program, Piney Tract acquisition, vernal pools
registry, barrens management, species-specific issues including, but not limited to, mussels, hellbender, golden eagle, golden-winged warbler.
Regional efforts across the NE states – To facilitate conservation across state boundaries and limit redundancies, states are working together
on regional conservation needs, such as a habitat classification system, monitoring protocols; these are near completion. New ones identified
include:
• Creation of regional habitat cover maps – using habitat classification results
Climate Security Act of 2008 (Lieberman-Warner)
• Northeast Regional Connectivity Assessment project – dam removal/bypass
Dead of a filibuster until 2009
• Identifying relationships between invasive species and species of greatest conIn early June 2008, in a mostly party-line split 48-36,
servation need
with most Democrats voting "yes" and most Republi• Development of avian indicators and measures for monitoring threats and efcans voting "no" the U.S. Senate failed to get the 60
fectiveness of conservation actions
votes necessary to invoke cloture and end a filibuster.
• Conservation status of key habitats and species of greatest conservation need So global warming in the Senate is dead for the year.
in the eastern region
• Regional initiative for biomass energy development for early-succession Spe- Forth-eight Senators voted to move forward on global
warming legislation, with another six Senators who
cies of Greatest Conservation Need
couldn't be at the vote today going the extra step to en• Implementing bird action plans for shrubland dependents
ter statements that they would have voted "yes." In all,
State Wildlife Grants
54 Senators spoke up for the need to advance serious
• Federal funding via annual appropriations process – i.e. must fight for fund- legislation on global warming, far surpassing the 38
votes in 2005 and 43 votes in 2003 for legislation that
ing each year
was significantly weaker than the Lieberman-Warner
• Used to fund WAP implementation
bill.
• Fly-In Washington DC – Commission personnel and conservation partners
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•
travel to DC for a day of talking to members of Congress (environmental staff) to highlight the importance of SWG funding and the
WAP’s role in preventing species from becoming endangered
If interested in supporting SWG, talk to Dave Day or Lisa Willams about participating in the Fly-In and/or contact your Senator and/
or Representative to let them know the SWG program is important to constituents in PA
Next steps for WAP – Long term: Plan revision by 2015 to identify emerging issues – with the potential for amendments between now and
then as the need arises. Short term:
• Make the WAP useful and relevant to conservation partners. If you are working on proposals to foundations, federal or state orgs, it is
very important to include references to the WAP priorities and how your project fits. More and more funding organizations are requiring that a project coordinate with the state WAP. Dave Day and Lisa Williams can help identify how your project fits and write letters
of support, etc.
• Region-specific WAP discussions – identifying conservation issues and opportunities within the different regions of PA
• Funding – While there are ongoing federal funding opportunities, one issue that many states are running into is that we’re running out
of match money for these federal funds. SWG requires 50:50 match, which is difficult for conservation organizations and state agencies
to achieve. Some type of stable, state-level funding is needed as a source of match in order to fully take advantage of federal funding for
conservation.
Contact: Lisa Williams, PGC WAP Coordinator, [email protected], 814-422-8503 or Dave Day, PFBC Conservation Coordinator,
[email protected], 717-346-8137
Box Scores—Roger Latham—Handout on box scores as of 10 October 2007 distributed and reviewed, as well as a breakdown of the bestsurveyed invertebrate groups. Box scores will appear on PABS website.
DCNR Bureau of Forestry Wild Plant Management Program—Chris Firestone—Chris reported the following program activities.
Invasive Species:
• Initiated a Japanese Knotweed removal program on Pine Creek. Designed to inventory, monitor, control and educate.
• Planning DCNR, BOF training of staff on invasive species. Two-day training to be held in June 2008
• Working with DCNR OCS to fund invasive plant control projects in two State Forest districts. Funding is with Oil and Gas fund.
Environmental Review:
• Working to provide DCNR users of the PNDI review tool with locations of listed plant species.
• Added another part-time reviewer.
• Modifying the matrix used in the PNDI on-line review tool to help reduce the number of reviews that come to the office.
• Conducted field surveys at several proposed gas well sites and projects on State Forest land.
Native Plants:
Goat Hill Public Wild Plant Sanctuary will have a draft management plan by the end of February 2008. On the ground activities for
2008 will include more clearing and endangered reptile surveys started in 2007.
• Regulation Update- Working with DCNR lawyers to try a new approach for updating the regulations. Since the list of regulated plant
species can change once or twice a year we need to be able to reflect those changes quickly without going through the regulatory process.
We are proposing that we change the regulations (Title 17, Chapter 45) to not include the species list. The species list will be published in the PA Bulletin when it changes.
• Working with USFWS and Dr. Kendra Cippollini to evaluate federally listed Scirpus ancistrochaetus, Northeastern bulrush for listing
changes.
• Initiated a planning meeting to develop a Private Wild Plant Sanctuary program.
•
Department of Environmental Protection—Dan Bogar—Handout on invasive species named “rock snot” distributed and reviewed; no
digital format for newsletter.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission—Chris Urban—New Herp Regulations - A significant overhaul of the herpetofauna regula-
tions (Chapter 79 of Title 58 Fishing and Boating Regulations) took effect on January 1, 2007. Commission staff spent significant time
developing new and modifying/updating existing permit programs. Some of the new regulations that caused a stir thus far in 2008 included: prohibition on collection of 24 species of at-risk herptiles, a grandfathering permit for captive species, prohibition of taking herptiles
with a firearm (e.g., frogs), an increased fee and new venomous species permit (that includes copperheads) (592 permits issued), a 42-inch
minimum size limit (MSL) for timber rattlesnakes that can be taken/possessed, provisional catch-and-release tags that can be used in organized snake hunts (7 organized hunt permits issued), and the new commercial snapping turtle permit (22 commercial permits issued).
New Scientific Collector Permit Online System, Fee Increases and long standing policy codified - In January of 2007, the Commission rePage 7
leased the new online Scientific Collectors Permit system which now allows scientific collectors (collecting fish, aquatic invertebrates, reptiles
and amphibians) to apply for the permit and report online. This program was developed to streamline the system by reducing data processing redundancies and paperwork, as well as standardize reporting and put it in a more usable format. 420 permit renewals, new permits, and
amendments have been issued by Commission staff. The reporting aspect of the online application is now being utilized by many permit
holders as they rush to report their 2007 collections prior to the Janaury 31 deadline. Permit fees have been the same for 29 years, and were
therefore adjusted for inflation and modern day program support. Likewise, long standing permit definitions and policy was formalized in
regulation (Chapter 51 of Fishing and Boating Regulations).
Development of Objective Threatened and Endangered Species Listing Criteria - PFBC staff have been working with Pennsylvania Biological
Survey (PABS) Technical Committees towards adopting the IUCN listing methodology with taxon specific modifications. Two Committees have submitted criteria packages for review (Amphibian and Reptile Tech. Committee, Fishes Tech. Committee) and are still undergoing internal review. The listing process and IUCN method was presented to the Executive Director. The listing process, which utilizes a
nomination and documentation system analogous to what MTC and OTC use for the Game Commission, was tentatively approved, but further work needs to be done on addressing aquatic/linear systems, which appears to absent in the IUCN method. Staff are currently exploring using GIS to look at spatial aspects of species distribution.
Grants - Five State Wildlife Grant (SWG) competitive proposals were approved by the Commission and USFWS: two fish projects in the
Ohio Basin: an extension to the community/rare fish surveys in the Ohio River (Penn State); an eastern massasauga conservation protection
plan project (WPC), spadefoot toad inventory and metapopulation analysis project (East Stroudsburg University), mussel surveys on the
Susquehanna River (WPC), genetic metapopulation analysis of the timber rattlesnake (Acadia University).
Several independent projects will be internally funded with SWG money: Habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement project – which
will fund two habitat biologist positions in PFBC (to work with DEP on stream habitat restoration), and an extension for an existing SWG
malacologist/nongame biologist position.
Five additional grants were applied for thus far in 2007: a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) cooperative venture with Penn State to
develop a bog turtle habitat management program using cattle in SE PA; a bog turtle population monitoring in close proximity to development project (a traditional Section 6 grant-year 2 approved), spadefoot toad management project (Wildlife Conservation Society), and an
aquatic invertebrate management project, and freshwater mussel management and recovery project (Wild Resource Conservation Fund).
Timber Rattlesnake Population Study - The second phase of the Commission’s SWG funded Statewide Timber Rattlesnake Site Assessment and Inventory Project was initiated in the spring of 2007, with a focus on finding new den sites (filling data gaps), but also with confirmation and habitat assessment of den/maternity sites, PIT tagging at mark-recapture study sites and organized hunts. In 2007, 233 rattlesnake sites were assessed as to their quality, threats, and disturbance level, and 350 rattlesnakes were marked with PIT-tags for population monitoring purposes.
Natural Diversity Section Staff Activities - In 2007, Natural Diversity Section staff have processed well over 3,000 rare, threatened and endangered species impact reviews. While there has been a slight drop in reviews due to the use of the new PA Natural Heritage Heritage GIS
system, as expected, the complexity of the reviews has increased significantly. This program continues to be one of the most demanding program in the Natural Diversity Section.
PFBC T&E environmental review staff have met with with DCNR, PGC, and USFWS T&E environmental review staff to critically review,
discuss, and suggest improvements to the PA Natural Heritage Program online environmental review Heritage GIS system. Many changes
have been made to improve the system. A new committee has been developed to look closely at the environmental review system in the state
agencies and develop a fee structure.
Natural Diversity Section staff conducted rare species surveys in conjunction with cooperation/assistance with ongoing grants, and several
high profile development projects: eastern massasauga surveys in Butler County, bog turtle trapping surveys in Chester County, green salamander surveys in Fayette County; red-eared slider and red-bellied turtle surveys in Berks and Buck Counties, timber rattlesnake surveys in
Centre, and Lackawanna Counties; freshwater mussel surveys in the Susquehanna River system; and eastern pearlshell population and density estimates in Schuylkill County. Staff are currently in consultation with several high profile development projects in various locations
throughout the Commonwealth.
Staff are in the process of developing conservation management/recovery plans for three Pennsylvania state endangered species – the eastern
spadefoot, eastern pearlshell, and eastern massasauga. The overall plans are in different stages of development including gathering baseline
field data, and literature review, and development of sampling protocols. Staff are also engaged in developing management plans at the site
level for endangered species.
Staff have been involved with the Governor’s Invasive Species Council and state wind power committees. In association with the Invasive
Species Council, a draft Aquatic Invasive Species Management plan has been developed. Staff met with Wind Power collaborative representative to discuss feasibility of establishing cooperative agreement (CA) with wind industry. This feasibility of this CA is still being evaluated.
Staff have been working towards purchasing property in northcentral PA (Northumberland County) for endangered species protection and
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habitat management.
Other Section highlights for 2007 include: hired new Ichthyologist/Non-game Biologist; conducted nongame and endangered species training for WCO cadets; gave specialized (venomous snake) training to WCO's; assisted with the development of a threatened and endangered
environmental review system; re-instituted North American Amphibian Monitoring Program in PA; assisted with Conservation Polygons
for rare species project, freshwater mussel community collections database development; worked on criteria for recognized/qualified endangered species surveyor lists; worked on development of a cooperative endangered reptile habitat restoration program; active with meetings of
the state Wind Power Policy and Science Committee and the Invasive Species Council’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Workgroup, Wild Resource Conservation Fund Advisory Committee, PA Natural Heritage Program, and PA Biological Survey Steering and Technical Committees. Staff also actively participated or gave presentations at meetings with the American Fisheries Society, NE Partners for Amphibian and
Reptile Conservation, Bog Turtle Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) team, Ohio River Valley Ecosystem Team, Northeast Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee; and the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Team (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service).
Allegheny and Ohio Rivers Sand and Gravel Dredging - State and Federal permits were issued, as well as ROD’s (records of decision). Both
contained provisions that required pre-dredging mussel surveys. ACOE 404 permits require the use of the most recently revised Ohio River
Protocol that has been advocated by the FWS and PFBC. The DEP permits contained a different protocol that was modeled after the revised ORP but had less strict density standards and exemptions for common species of mussels not triggering the “significant mussel resource” criterion. The federal permits didn’t contain pre-dredging fish community surveys; however, state permits contained a survey protocol and decision criterion that issued upon the presence of 19 species of threatened or endangered lithophils. Sampling methods include
benthic trawling and shoreline electrofishing. The dredgers have appealed the permits to DEP and PFBC, and are focused on the new requirement to conduct fish surveys. PFBC staff and other expert witnesses were deposed in the spring of 2007. An undesirable settlement
proposal was offered to the Commission and DEP. Both DEP and PFBC rejected the settlement offer and court dates have been set for fall
2008.
Pennsylvania Game Commission—Dan Brauning—Maintaining Wildlife Populations:: Bald Eagles – As of 11/2/07 nest monitoring
accounted for 125 nests, 107 known outcomes, 132 fledglings accounted for; some unknown outcomes are being pursued. Significant progress was made on the agency’s management plan.
Piping Plovers/Presque Isle – The first step in active recovery efforts occurred during November evaluation of habitat assessment and management recommendation developed with federal Section 6 funds.
Grassland Breeding Birds - A PSU graduate student completed fieldwork at reclaimed surface mines in Clarion and Clearfield counties.
Capture and banding included 27 Henslow’s sparrows, 39 grasshopper sparrows, and 16 savannah sparrows - all species of conservation
need. Twenty additional nests were located and monitored.
Wade Island - East Stroudsburg University graduate students, under the direction of Dr. Terry Master, conducted telemetry on adult blackcrowned night-herons (state endangered) to determine their range of travel for feeding and food habits. Preliminary results suggest that
night-herons primarily forage close to Wade Island.
Nighthawk Conservation Initiative - Twenty-three artificial nest pads and 54 roofs in Erie, Meadville, Oil City, and Warren were checked
for nighthawks (WAP priority species). Nesting was not confirmed at any of those 77 sites during either round of checks. However, road
surveys confirmed the presence of nighthawks in Erie and Meadville and there were anecdotal reports from Oil City and Warren. A nest
with young in a Franklin parking lot was predated or washed out by rain.
Barn Owl Conservation Initiative – Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologists in the PGC’s NE, SE and SC regions banded 96 barn owl nes-
tlings during July, August and September, 55 in the SE Region alone. The 1st known nest was confirmed in the SW region; 4 owlets
fledged. Data entry for all 2007 banding was completed, including data sheets for 2BBA and PNHP. A meeting with the Pittsburgh Zoo
and Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania resolved long-standing permit and project questions. The proposed project will release two
breeding pairs in 2008 at Butler County barns owned by the Audubon Society.
2nd PA Breeding Bird Atlas - WDP staff continue to contribute to and coordinate 2BBA fieldwork. Currently, 4,575 of 4,937 blocks have
data with 1,399 considered ‘complete’. One field season remains. Important findings by staff include a new Swainson’s thrush population
(species of concern) on game lands in Sullivan County, four families of yellow-bellied flycatchers (endangered) nesting on game lands in
Wyoming/Luzerne counties, and blackpoll warblers (endangered) present at regular nesting ground (but not confirmed nesting). Other
concern species found include goshawk, northern harrier, and saw-whet owl.
Wind Industry Development - A coordinating wind biologist position (Harrisburg) and 3 regional wind biologist positions have been cre-
ated in the PGC’s Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Protection. WDP contributed to classroom and field training of wind biologists and their
regional supervisors, contributed models and guidance for development of databases that will be used by the wind program, advised on
monitoring protocols for individual sites at which unusual conditions exist, examined mines near proposed sites for potential as bat hibernacula, continued to meet with wind developers and PGC region staff regarding proposed sites, and provided review and comment on new sites.
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Northern Flying Squirrels – The Board of Commissioners officially approved state endangered status at their October meeting. WDP staff
met with DCNR WRCF to have a grant modified to ensure prompt provision to PGC of the study’s latest data. PGC provided updated
maps and GIS shape files for PNHP’s database. A letter to pest control operators has been drafted providing guidance in avoiding accidental take of NFS.
Allegheny Woodrats (state threatened) – A limited number of surveys were conducted at known sites. Fresh sign was found at sites in Bedford, Dauphin and Huntingdon counties. No fresh sign was found at sites in Fayette and Somerset counties or the Lehigh River gorge.
Agency management plan draft was submitted, revised, and resubmitted. Agency database has been updated/improved to mesh with the
management plan and new field data collection forms.
Red Bat Telemetry - Assisted SWG partners with an attempt to track migrating red bats, a species with disproportionately high mortality
counts at wind farm sites. Over a month, 8 red bats and 1 silver-haired bat were captured and tagged in Indiana and Westmoreland counties. Project was hampered by lack of availability of state aircraft/pilots when captured/tagged bats were available. Ground units alone were
unable to maintain contact when telemetry subjects crossed Chestnut Ridge, where roads are scarce.
Other Mammal Surveys - Assisted WPC with small mammal trap lines along Bear Run, Fayette Co; 1 WV water shrew (species of concern)
captured. Assisted LHUP with Appalachian cottontail live-trapping in Luzerne County; none captured.
Protecting & Enhancing Habitat: Private Landowner Assistance Program - During the 2nd half of 2007, Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologists completed 79 management plans for a total of nearly 10,000 acres. RWDBs also participated in game lands planning. In the NE Region, implementation was completed for $40,000 in National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds for two watersheds. Six landowner
workshops with a total of 265 participants were conducted. Topics included managing CREP land for wildlife, early successional habitat
management, and wetlands management. Other presentations reached a total audience of 150, including 60 science teachers. Several
RWDBs wrote educational material for PA Farm Bill and PLAP participants. The long-vacant NC Region position has been filled.
Barrens Project – Meetings were held with PGC land managers and game lands planner, as well as TNC, to ensure the 2 nd phase SWG project will meet the desired outcome to better manage barrens habitats and maximize benefits to species of concern.
Landowner Incentive Program - Two easement projects are nearing completion with a third moving forward. The coordinator provided
technical assistance in response to over 60 requests, provided PA-specific information for nationwide LIP/WAP interaction study by University of Michigan, and met with Representative Peifer and the Delaware Highland Conservancy regarding the future of LIP and options
for protecting private land for wildlife.
Hibernacula Issues – There was an usually large number of mine gate breaches statewide, most notably in the NE. Also in that region, a developer closed an opening created in as part of a mitigation plan. Region staff repaired breaches in the SW. Park staff repaired a breach at
the Canoe Creek mine.
Education & Outreach: PA eBird – Meetings and consultations between PGC, PSO, Audubon PA, and Cornell Lab resulted in images and
information for development of this website for reporting of bird observations by the public.
BCI Workshop – WDP staff provided presentations on cave and mine assessment for bats and on alternative roosts, as well as hands-on instruction in bat identification and mist-netting/live-trapping techniques for the annual Bat Conservation International workshop held in
Huntingdon and Blair counties. Twenty participants represented consulting firms, state and federal agencies, and universities from Maine to
Arizona.
State Wildlife Grant Program –Thirteen project proposals were reviewed for FY2007 funds; PGC identified 4 projects of interest. Propos-
als were reviewed for selection of Wild Resource Conservation Fund projects, highlighting PGC priority species and providing state match
to SWG projects. Pre-proposals were reviewed for two USFWS Northeast Region grant requests: 1) Creation of Regional Habitat Cover
Maps and 2) Development of Regional Indicators and Measures. Plans for implementation of PA’s Wildlife Action Plan are in development. WAP success stories and photos were provided to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for a national report. Information
on the SWG program was updated for the annual state publication on grants distributed to Harrisburg legislators. For FY2008, the nationwide SWG appropriation is $73.8 million – an increase of $6.3 million over FY2007 - with designations of $4.9 million for a national
competitive grant program and $6.2 million for Tribal lands. PA will receive ~$1.9 million, similar to FY2007.
Conservation Planning Polygon Project – WDP staff who serve as mammal and bird working group chairs for this SWG project provided
presentations on the PGC’s Allegheny woodrat database and GIS model and on bald eagle buffer areas for an August meeting. Project goal
is to display sensitive species information with scientifically based habitat polygons while maintaining confidentiality for the locations. The
possibility of hiring a GIS technician to be housed at PGC headquarters beginning May 2008 was discussed.
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program - More than 50 occurrence reports for bat species of concern, drawn from the contractor mistnetting/live-trapping database, were submitted to PNHP. Also submitted were reports on bald eagle, Swainson’s thrush, and northern goshawk. Two closed bat hibernacula were removed from the PNHP database.
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Atlantic Flyway Council - The WDP supervisor chaired the Raptor Committee of the Atlantic Flyway Council’s Non-game Technical Section. Two letters regarding eagles were drafted to be sent to the USFWS – one requesting modification of the post-delisting monitoring
plan and another addressing mitigation for take of eagles under a new permit.
Bird Monitoring Framework - Technical comments were provided on A Draft Framework for Coordinated Bird Monitoring in the Northeast in preparation for public release at a workshop.
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy—Charles Bier—Oral report, no digital format for newsletter.
Pa. Biodiversity Partnership—Sue Thompson—Oral report, no digital format for newsletter.
Allegheny National Forest—Brad Nelson—Oral report, no digital format for newsletter.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Plant Communities—Greg Podniesinski—Handout distributed and reviewed; no digital format for newsletter.
Environmental Education—Paulette Johnson—The education committee has been inactive for some time. At the last meeting, it was decided to continue this standing committee. PABS members will be recruited for future participation.
There was some discussion as to the activities for the education committee. Recommendations were suggested. One of the recommendations was to provide information on the various types of research that is being conducted at academic institutions and within agencies. This
type of communication may lead to better connections between the academic community and agency/organization projects. It may also
serve as a source of student recruitment. Another suggestion was to poll the membership as to their educational needs. This winter and
spring, there will be a survey distributed among the membership looking at their educational needs.
DISCUSSIONS and OTHER ITEMS
Wind Energy Update – Frank Felbaum distributed a handout of language included in proposed Pa. legislation providing for siting of wind
energy systems. Improvements were recommended. Frank asked those offering suggestions to email them to him for forwarding to individuals developing language for the bill.
Redbook – Jerry Hassinger distributed a provisional outline; no digital format for newsletter. Following outline review, Jerry asked for an
indication of willingness to work on the project over a period of several years. Each technical committee will have its own special criteria;
the book will be a compilation of those, along with reference material. IUCN will be among appendices.
PABS Website – Carolyn Mahan said all technical committee chairs should have received email from the person tasked with preparing the
template for and launching of the site. Monthly updates are planned; after June, send updates to Carolyn.
New address: www.aa.psu.edu/pabs
Feral Swine – Carolyn Mahan said the MTC would like to issue a position statement. PABS as a whole could issue one, or MTC could do
it at their April 2008 meeting. Dan Brauning said in December 2007 the Pa. Supreme Court ruled wild boar are under PGC purview. Rob
Criswell added that the court differentiated between feral domestic swine and wild boar. Court to rule on whether PGC has authority to
regulate canned hunts for boar or just escaped boar. Charles Bier said the Wild Boar Task Force will develop a rapid response plan. After
considerable discussion, Frank Felbaum proposed preparing a request to the governor’s office that an eradication and prevention program be
funded. A motion to send a letter to the governor regarding the wild boar issue, with copies to all relative agencies, was moved, seconded
and approved. Carolyn to circulate a statement.
New Deer Regulations – Carolyn Mahan suggested inviting a PGC deer biologist to speak to PABS regarding seasons versus tags as the
best way to control deer populations.
Frost Museum – Frank Felbaum will invite K. C. Kim to speak about the future of Penn State’s entomology museum at the summer steering committee meeting.
Dates/Location for Summer Steering Committee Meeting – Two-day meeting August 5 & 6, 2008 at PFBC’s Stackhouse training fa-
cility.
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