Outdoors Notebook: Lake Wilhelm marina closure upsets boaters
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Goddard State Park marina slip holders are mad. Many are so disgruntled over the closing of the marina on 1,860-acre Lake Wilhelm, 75 miles north of Pittsburgh, State Rep. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford, Lawrence, Mercer) held a forum to let them blow off steam.
The May 15 meeting, at nearby McKeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Lake, was attended by about 50 slip holders, State. Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Crawford, Mercer, Butler, Lawrence), Department of Conservation and Natural Resources officials and a representative of the governor's northwest office.
Slip holders complained, sometimes loudly, that when the marina lease agreement held for 10 years by Denny Ferguson of Greenville wasn't renewed, DCNR failed to get someone else to take it. In fact, no one bid on the contract, leaving the marina vacant for the 2009 summer season. Mooring docks for 239 slips are in the water, however, and most slip holders were hit with a mooring fee increase to $456.
DCNR representatives argued that Ferguson chose to not renew his lease, while Ferguson claimed he was forced out. Slip vacancies are predictably up this year as boaters complain of increased cost and diminished service.
The meeting ended without resolution, with politicians promising to take boaters complaints to Harrisburg.
Expect lots of changes and an early start to the 2009-2010 antlerless deer license application process. County treasurers will begin accepting mail-only applications from Pennsylvania residents July 13, three weeks earlier than in previous years, and treasurers may issue doe tags for any Wildlife Management Unit that has not sold out.
Over-the-counter sales at county treasurer offices begin Aug. 24 for unlimited doe tags in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. If antlerless deer licenses are still available, counter sales for remaining antlerless licenses will open Nov. 2 for applicants who have not exceeded their license limit, .
Find additional doe tag details at www.pgc.state.pa.us.
The Post-Gazette's Trout Photo Contest ended last Sunday with a cute but unidentified shot of a father fishing with his young daughter. Kurt Staab of Slippery Rock wrote in last week that the image, shot by his father Jim Staab, shows him and his daughter Delaney Staab at Clarion County's Mill Creek on opening day of trout season.
Our thanks to everyone who submitted photos. All the entries are posted on the Sports Hunting & Fishing page at post-gazette.com.
First Published May 31, 2009 12:00 am
