File:1946".jpg

English: Title: Combined biennial report for the period ending 1942/1946

Identifier: combinedbiennial1942penn Year: (s) Authors: Pennsylvania Fish Commission Subjects: Pennsylvania Fish Commission; Fisheries; Fish culture Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa. : The Commission Contributing Library: Penn State University Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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Text Appearing After Image: lk<Slatr ^"%*. Beaver Meadows Lake Allegheny National Forest A growinji army of Pennsylvania ninirods are flocking to llie Alle- glieny National Forest to fish. Annual forest reports place the total fisherman davs at 80,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1943, and 90,000 for fiscal year 1944. Use for the current year is expected to hreak all previous records. Management of wildlife on the National Forests is a cooperative venture. The forests have insufficient manpower or revenue for carry- ing on wildlife work as such. Hence they look to State Game Com- mi'^sions. Fish Commissions, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for assistance in stocking and planning. As land managers. National Forest administrators are in an excellent position to co- ordinate the work of various cooperators and to make availahle vast amounts of game hahitat and fishing waters for recreational use. There is a growing trend on the part of all forest land managers to consider forests as a home for wildlife as well as for producing timher. In the post-war era, there is a strong trend among the foresters and cooperating agencies toward utilizing national forests as demonstra- tion areas to point the way in multijile use forest management. By demonstrating practical techniques for producing goo<l crops of timher, game and fish on forest areas, new frontiers can he opened to Americans who are more wildlife conscious today than ever hefore. National Forest administration is primarily a joh of land manage- ment and the key offi< cr in the Forest Service organization for man- 94 agement of the Allegheny National Forest is the District Ranger. The several Rangers serve inider a Forest Supervisor, hut the Ranger is the man on the spot who administers the land. These Rangers, managing areas ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 acres, are directly responsihle for administering the various land uses so as to produce the maximum amount of public benefit. Present day population pressures are such that it is no longer feasible to isolate large areas of land for a single use. For example, the setting aside of vast areas for water production or timber pro- duction without thought to the incidental values of these lands would result in marked decrease in the production of game, fish, and other resources for the American people. Only through properly integrated land management can every acre of forest land make the maximum contribution in terms of timber, forage, watershed and game and fish. War demands on the Allegheny National Forest were heavy. A large wood distillation chemical industry in this area was fed from Allegheny National Forest raw material to provide strategic chemi- cals for war industry. Much high-grade maple, ash, cherry, and other timber were also supplied for chests, handle stock, and other war needs. Despite these demands, cutting operations were of a type de- signed to maintain the productive capacity of the forest at a high level. This was particularly true in chemical wood production. Principally defective trees and species of low value were removed, leaving a fine residual stand of higher valued trees to produce future timber crops. This type of cutting maintains the capacity of forest watersheds and will be reflected in improved w^ater conditions in many trout streams. Itt the field of natural resource management many conflicts arise, and the land manager needs to be fortified with accurate informa- tion concerning the resources under his control if these conflicts are to he adjusted to secure the best uses of the land. Information on the important fish resources has been collected by forest personnel over a long period of years and used in the maintenance of good sport fishing in the clear, clean, swift flowing streams that flow from the Allegheny plateau section of the forest. Ten years ago a complete stream survey was made on the Allegheny Forest to measure food and cover conditions for fish. This was done in the era when stocking of fingerling fish was relied upon to a large extent to sustain the fish population. The rapid growth of fishing on this area has made it clear that annual stocking of legal size trout will be required if a satisfactory level of sport is to be maintained. During the early stages of fisheries work on this area, many thou- sands of fingerlings were planted annually by the Federal Hatcheries, 95

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