The Pennsylvania Alliance for Restoration and Conservation is asking anglers and hunters to show legislators their support for the Growing Greener II bond issue, which includes $50 million for Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission infrastructure, and $800 million overall for forest and farmland preservation, acid mine remediation and other environmental initiatives.

Rallies are scheduled in Harrisburg Nov. 23 and in other places around the state, though those who can't attend are being urged to call, e-mail or send letters to their state legislators.

Details can be found at www.fish.state.pa.us. For how to contact your legislator about this or any issue, visit www.legis.state.pa.us.

Green awards

A number of area conservation groups will receive grants from the original Growing Greener initiative for watershed clean-ups and other projects.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday it will award $5.5 million to scores of watershed organizations and others selected from almost 450 applicants. Federal funding also is being made available.

Among the projects that will benefit from the grants are the restoration of Nine Mile Run, Plum Creek, Big Spring Creek and Cascade Creek; stream bank protection on Glade Run; implementation of better management practices in the Oil Creek, Yellow Breeches and Juniata River watersheds; abandoned mine discharge treatment on Morgan Run and Two Lick Creek; and stream enhancements on Baker Run.

For a complete list and more on Growing Greener, visit www.dep.state.pa.us

Clean up scheduled

Volunteers are welcome when the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association does its litter pick up on Erie streams on Saturday. Litter is a big problem in Erie and often cited as the main reason landowners post their property.

While law enforcement details work overtime to ticket litterbugs, the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association works to smooth relations with landowners and pick up the trash left by others. Volunteers are asked to gather at 9 a.m. at the Walnut Creek access area.

For details, contact Doug Kramer at doug@reelfishn.net or Michael McSkimming at mcskimming@gannon.edu.

Dredging machine

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission executive director Doug Austen said the agency can tap into U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funds to purchase a $310,000 dredging machine called a Versa-Dredge for use at the Walnut Creek channel and anywhere else sand bars hamper boaters. The purchase will have to go through the bid process, he said, but he is hoping to have the machine in operation next year.

Survey conducted

A survey of Kahle Lake in Clarion and Venango counties last month yielded 425 largemouth bass up to 22 inches in less than four hours. Clarion University students helped tag fish as part of an effort to monitor the success of the Big Bass Program, implemented on the 251-acre electric only impoundment in 1991.

Other fish noted in the survey were a 26.5-inch tiger muskellunge, two walleye, 26 and 28 inches in length and large numbers of yellow perch, blue gill and crappie.

For the birds

Bird watchers eager to view wildlife in the Susquehanna River watershed will find what they're looking for at a new Audubon Pennsylvania Web site www.pabirdingtrails.org.

Included is an interactive trail guide with searchable database for all 218 locations in 39 different counties of the watershed. For example, 17 percent of Scarlet Tangiers nest in Pennsylvania. They are one of more than 300 species of birds you'll find along the Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail.

Funded by Growing Greener with input from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and other state agencies, the Web site's companion book "The Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail" is available for $9 (including shipping and handling) or $5 for orders of 10 or more. The guide includes a removable map.

For more, visit the Web site above or pa.audubon.org or call 717-213-6880.

Humphreys to visit

Renown fly fishing guide and author Joe Humphreys of State College will speak at this month's Tri-County Trout Club meeting, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fisher Hall in Burrell Lake Community Park. Admission is $5 at the door and children 12 and under are admitted free. For details, call 724-335-2679.

Fly tying symposium

Several Pennsylvania fly tiers, including Dave Schmezer of Latrobe, will join tiers and fly fishing experts from across the country and abroad at the International Fly Tying Symposium at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset, N,J., Nov. 20-21. For details on this and other upcoming shows, visit www.flyfishingshow.com

Steelhead stats

More than 40 citations for snagging, poaching, running stop signs and littering were recently issued on or near Erie steelhead streams. They exceeded $3,000. More than 45 warnings were given. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said those ticketed included three individuals from Central Pennsylvania who were caught twice in the same night. Also an Allegheny County family was caught netting steelhead from nursery waters, saying they didn't want to go home empty-handed.