Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August - Cover2

EASTERN

HELLBENDER
Pennsylvania's
Official State Amphibian

photo-Christopher Guerrisi

by Robert B.J. Small
PFBC Commissioner

"It was no small feat to get this recognition for the hellbender,"
said Governor Tom Wolf before signing a bill that designated
the Eastern Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
alleganiensis, as Pennsylvania's official state amphibian.
"I want to thank the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and
also acknowledge the hard work of the Foundation's Student
Leadership Program," said the Governor. "The voices of
students can clearly make a difference here in Harrisburg."
Since 2016, CBF's Student Leadership Council (SLC)
members have spearheaded the campaign to recognize the
Eastern Hellbender and create greater awareness of the critical
need to reduce pollution in Pennsylvania's rivers and streams.
Hellbenders are an indicator species for clean water. They
survive where there is cold, clear, swift-running water.
Students studied hellbenders extensively, installed nesting
boxes in several Pennsylvania streams and wrote the first draft
of a bill that was sponsored by Senator Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)
and passed the Senate last year. Though the bill did not pass the
House before the session ended, the students did not give up.
When the new session began in January, the students again
found Senator Yaw to be their champion. He reintroduced the
effort as Senate Bill 9, which was signed into law by Governor
Wolf. The bill was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and
House on February 4 and April 16 respectively.
"This bill is more than just about naming a new symbol for
our state," said Senator Gene Yaw. "It is about fostering youth
involvement in the legislative process, and championing an
issue through that process. It's about advocating for clean water
in Pennsylvania and promoting conservation programs that
improve water quality for all of our species. The uniqueness
of the hellbender and its contribution to aquatic biological
diversity are adequate justifications for this remarkable
designation. I applaud Governor Wolf for recognizing the
importance of the hellbender to our state, and also for affirming
for our young citizens that they can make a difference if they get
involved in the governmental process."
"It is my hope that other student leaders across the
Commonwealth may be inspired by our work," said SLC
President Emma Stone. "That they too will take action on
behalf of the hellbender and clean water in the Commonwealth.

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2019	

Making change is possible, no matter your age. All you need
is dedication, support and, of course, a worthy cause. The
hellbender is a worthy cause."
"Today's ceremony is about more than a declaration
of an official state amphibian. It's about reaffirming our
commitment to protecting our waters in Pennsylvania,"
said Governor Tom Wolf. "Clean water is critical for the
hellbender, and we need to continue to do our part to
improve water quality in the Commonwealth so that the state
first amphibian can thrive."
Hellbenders prefer rocky streambeds. Their spongelike
bodies allow them to squeeze into crevices, which they
use for protection and for nesting. Folds of wrinkled skin
provide a large surface through which they draw most of
their oxygen.
Senator Yaw remembered days as a youngster catching
hellbenders in the local creek. "They are a natural barometer
of water quality, and they live where the water is clean," said
Senator Yaw. "If they are surviving in streams, it is a good
sign for the water quality. They are nature's own testing kit for
good water quality."
A lack of streamside trees along Commonwealth
waterways allows waters to warm, polluted runoff to enter
rivers and streams, and silt to build up in streambeds. As
a result, habitat for hellbenders has been degraded and
hellbender numbers have been decimated in streams where
they were plentiful as recently as 1990.
"I am proud to have introduced a companion bill to
Senator Yaw's and am happy that this legislation has made
its way to the governor's desk," said Representative Sheryl
Delozier (R-Cumberland).
"As much as this effort has been about the hellbender and
clean water, it's also a story about the creativity and passion of
these student leaders," said Harry Campbell, CBF's Executive
Director in Pennsylvania.
The students' hellbender campaign garnered local, state
and national attention, making it onto the front page of the
Wall Street Journal and as subject of the iconic Mark Trail
Sunday comic strip. A radio station in Canada interviewed
Emma Stone.
"CBF would like to thank Governor Wolf, Senator Yaw and
all the legislators who supported both the hellbender and our
student leaders," said SLC Coordinator Emily Thorpe.
For more information about the Eastern Hellbender
campaign, visit www.cbf.org/hellbender.
www.gonefishingpa.com
http://www.cbf.org/hellbender http://www.gonefishingpa.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August

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