Home

The Watershed
Interactive Map

About TCCCA
Meetings
Projects/Activities
Meet the Stream Steward

News/Publications
News
Action Alerts
Newsletters
Brochures

Membership

Contact Us

Links

For Immediate Release
April 19, 2003

Partnership Effort to Protect Conewago Creek Underway
Tri-County Conewago Creek Association volunteers plant native species along stream banks to protect local water quality and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay

(Harrisburg, Pa.) -- Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has been working in Pennsylvania since 1986 to improve water quality of the Susquehanna River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, by making local citizens active partners in the reduction of local water pollution. CBF partnerships help to further increase capacity for restoring and protecting stream and wetland ecosystems. One such partnership effort on the Conewago Creek has begun making great strides and will provide valuable information on the effectiveness of stream restoration techniques.

This spring, CBF partners Tri-County Conewago Creek Association (TCCCA) volunteers, staff from Milton Hershey School Environmental Center, and landowners Bill and Carol Stoffel, planted 200 native trees and shrubs and cleared multiflora rose from the stream banks of the Conewago Creek.

“Not only are we creating a buffer along the stream, which improves water quality and wildlife habitat, the project serves as an experiment to determine the best maintenance techniques to ensure long-term survival and growth of the native species,” said Matt Royer, President of TCCCA. The watershed organization works to preserve, enhance, and promote the Conewago Creek Watershed through education, community involvement and watershed improvement projects.

CBF’s Stream Buffer Specialist, Frank Rohrer, designed the 1300 foot long and 35 feet wide experimental buffer sectioning off several plots that will conclude the practices that work best to establish native buffers in areas where invasive species and heavy deer browse are present. Tree survival data and growth rate will be collected by the landowners and TCCCA volunteers over a five year period in order to make this determination.

“This project is a great example of the success that can be achieved when various conservation organizations and landowners share their resources to work together to improve water quality and native wildlife habitat,” said Rohrer.

###

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is the foremost conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Chesapeake Bay. Its motto, Save the Bay, defines the organization's mission and commitment. With headquarters in Annapolis, Md., state offices in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, and a varied group of educational centers and programs, CBF works throughout the Chesapeake's 64,000-square-mile watershed. Founded in 1967, CBF is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. CBF is supported by more than 110,000 active members and has a staff of 150 full-time employees. Approximately 95 percent of CBF's $19 million annual budget is privately raised.

 

© 2003 Tri-County Conewago Creek Association