Pennsylvania Game News - August 2022 - 47

ing that with equipment provided by the
Game Commission, they removed 2,200
feet of an earthen berm and stabilized
850 feet of bank over the course of three
weeks.
Game Commission crews then stepped
in, doing " live stake planting " of shrubs
and trees like dogwood and sycamore.
Mee said that involves cutting whips 4
feet long and pounding them into the bank
until only a small portion remains visible
above ground. Planted densely enough,
and provided with enough moisture, those
cuttings grow in clusters, helping to hold
banks in place.
" It's kind of a new thing that's really
taken off to aid with stream bank mitigation, "
Mee noted.
That wasn't all there was to the project,
though. Removing the berm left tons
upon tons of dirt, stone and other material.
Some was spread across the site.
But the Reservists used 15,000 tons to
rebuild a 1-mile section of Huckle Run
Road, which runs atop Camp Mountain
across the game lands. That work not
only improved access, but better protected
Huckle Run, like Plunketts Creek a highquality
coldwater stream with a naturally
reproducing population of native trout.
" So it was a huge operation that killed
multiple birds with one stone, " Mee said.
Carey agreed, saying the scale of the
project was " unprecedented " for the
Conservancy.
The involvement of the Reservists
made that possible from a funding perspective,
she added. The Game Commission,
Conservancy and other partners laid
out about $200,000 in cash, combined, for
the project, she said. But the Reservists
logged 5,680 hours of time, work valued
at $536,050. That, she said, is far more
than project supporters could have ever
paid for.
AUGUST 2022
Beyond that, the presence of the
soldiers got many other groups - not
normal participants in projects like this -
involved, Carey added.
That included Eugene Grafius Post 104
of the American Legion, for example. The
Reservists bunked in the Game Commission's
old brooder houses on site. But,
Carey said, the Legion and others helped
cover the cost of feeding them, so that
Reservists were able to eat meals catered
by local restaurants rather than just MREs,
or Meals Ready to Eat.
In return, the 333rd Engineering Co.
held a " community night " where local
residents could come out, see their equipment,
learn how they use it and more.
The work to remove the berm, repair
the road, improve stream access for anglers,
and protect adjacent landowners
wrapped up in late August 2021. It then
got an early and tough test. Three weeks
later, storms connected to Hurricane Ida
rolled through.
But the project allowed the creek to
flow into its natural flood plain, dropping
out sediment without damaging neighboring
properties.
" A lot of people were relieved after
that, " Carey said. " The project worked
exactly as we hoped it would and helped
all of the partners meet their goals and
missions. It was pretty cool to bring all of
those goals together when getting a single
project done. "
It was an effort worthy of praise, too, as
the Governor's Award recognized.
" It is always a privilege to spotlight
people going above and beyond to improve
the environment and make our
great outdoor spaces more accessible, "
said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
" Each of the projects awarded this year
will leave a positive lasting legacy for
Pennsylvania. "
47
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