Winner of the 2008 classic received this Cameron Rozier Memorial Award  To download the poster for Que Classic 2009 with complete information, please CLICK HERE.  Its is Adobe PDF format.

In western Pennsylvania, ready access to mineable coal seams has resulted in a long history of coal extraction, and an equally long history of acid mine drainage (AMD) production.  This has created a vast inventory of abandoned and untreated mine discharges that have severely impacted the aquatic habitat in our region.

The Stonycreek-Conemaugh River Improvement Project (SCRIP) has spent more than 15 years restoring streams in our watershed.  SCRIP and its partners have invested over $5,427,000 in federal, state and local dollars for river recovery and recreational amenities within the basin, with more slated to be invested in the next few years.  Having committed hard dollars and countless hours of sweat equity to improve our waterways, SCRIP is recognized in the state and all across Appalachia as a leader and innovator in river recovery, reclamation, and preservation.

A significant portion of the money that has been utilized to help restore watersheds has come from the Abandoned Mine Land Fund (the Fund) as provided for by Title IV of the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA).  As the name implies, the Fund is used to reclaim abandoned mine lands that were affected prior to the passage of the act in 1977.  It is funded by reclamation fees collected from every ton of coal that is currently produced, and that has been produced since the promulgation of the regulations in 1979.

  The fund was set up with a three-tiered priority system, with the understanding that all Priority 1 and Priority 2 problems would be dealt with before allocating money to Priority 3.  Unfortunately for watershed groups, the treatment of AMD was included in Priority 3.  However, in recent years, 10% of the money received from the Fund was “set aside” for the treatment of AMD, and this money has been put to use with excellent results all over the region.

  The Fund has now been reauthorized for at least an additional 15 years, and will triple the money that Pennsylvania receives from the Fund.  In addition, the re-authorization allows for a set aside of up to 30% for the treatment of AMD.  The judicious use of this money can have an enormous impact on the health of the affected streams, and on the quality of life of the people of our region.

To read more on this subject and SCRIP's position on the subject, please download in MSWord format: AML Position Statement - Revision 3.doc
 

"Through 12 years worth of countless volunteer hours, SCRIP pioneered and developed the public-private partnerships that are now producing documented positive recreational and economic benefits to local communities in the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh watersheds."  Len Lichvar, Chairman SCRIP.  We're making great progress, as SCRIP Chairman Len Lichvar demonstrates in the photo at left. We've restored fisheries in large sections of the Stonycreek River, where we see a dramatic increase in fishing, whitewater boating and efforts to develop a trail along the river linking communities to the beautiful Stonycreek Canyon. But several major challenges remain in the Stonycreek watershed. The Little Conemaugh is far more challenging than the Stony because of many very large discharges, and it threatens the progress that has been made on the Conemaugh mainstem below Johnstown. But these rivers are the route of the Mainline and Path of the Flood Trails, which are part of the Pennsylvania's Millennium Legacy Trail: The Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway.   Pennsylvania Constitution, Section 27, Article 1 "The people have a right to clean air, pure water,  and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic  and aesthetic values of the environment.  Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come.  As trustees of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people." Lichvar voted head of fish commission: July 15, 2008 Boswell native Len Lichvar was elected on Tuesday as president of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at the commissioners’ annual mid-summer meeting here. Lichvar succeeds Bill Sabatose of Brockport, Jefferson County. Tom Shetterly of Charleroi, Fayette County, was named vice president, a position previously held by Lichvar. “It’s good to have Lenny Lichvar as president of the commission,” said Commissioner-at-Large Don Anderson of Meyersdale, himself a former commission president. “I’m looking forward to Lenny’s leadership during the coming months,” Anderson said. “I think he’ll do an excellent job as president. Of course, Tom Shetterly is also from southwestern Pennsylvania. I think we’ve got two good men there to serve as our officers for the coming year.” Anderson was asked whether having the board’s top two officers would be an advantage for the region. “It doesn’t hurt any,” he said.  “But I think we try to be fair about the decisions we make and the things we do across the state for all the resources and all the resource users.” Lichvar was nominated in 2003 by Gov. Ed Rendell to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Rozelle Stidd of Huntingdon County, but the nomination was held up for years in the Senate before his confirmation on March 6, 2006. Lichvar represents District 4, which includes Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties. Lichvar, of Stoystown,is manager of the Somerset Conservation District and chairman of the Stonycreek-Conemaugh River Improvement Project. He is a board member of the Somerset County Conservancy and the Mountain Laurel Chapter, Trout Unlimited.

SCRIP Contact List: SCRIP PO Box 153 Johnstown PA 15907-0153 cccd@co.cambria.pa.us somersetcd@wpia.net scrip@pa-conservation.org

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