Score One for the Pine Creek Watershed Association

The date of Oct. 23, 2000 witnessed the final victory for a partnership of the Pine Creek Watershed Association (PCWA), the Pike Oley District/Preservation Coalition (POD/PC), and the Oley Township municipal government (Oley) in their efforts to prevent the development of the waters and land of the Lobachsville Trout Hatchery in Pike Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania [see three previous PUs at http://www.rayproffitt.org/pu/Update091397.htm  http://www.rayproffitt.org/pu/pu112797.htm  http://www.rayproffitt.org/pu/pu012299.htm ].

Victory, in the form of the assured preservation of the site, was achieved when an easement to the property - which will prohibit the development of the land and commercial uses of its waters - was recently secured by a final settlement with the property's owners.

The settlement brought to an end a five year effort to preserve the site, which began in January of 1995 when the Wissahickon Spring Water Company of Philadelphia sought to pump over over 250,000 gallons of water a day from a well on the property. The pumping would have destroyed a nearby Exceptional Value stream and wetlands. The stream is a wild trout stream, and the wetlands are of extremely high value, and contain the bog turtle, listed as a Federal threatened species and a state endangered species.

Permits for the water withdrawal issued to Wissahickon by DEP were successfully challenged by the group and legal counsel John Wilmer, in a precedent setting case, before the state Environmental Hearing Board.

After the legal victory, the group decided it needed to close the circle by obaining an easement to the property. And, in 1998, the easement - which prohibits the cutting of live trees and disturbance of wetlands on the property in addition to prohibting construction and water withdrawals - was prepared. The following two years were dedicated to raisng the $190,000 needed to pay its cost.

POD/PC President Jeffrey Gorrin said the $190,00 figure at first seemed daunting, after the groups' having already raised and spent over $150,000 in the legal battle. But everyone pulled together to finally preserve the site.

Hats off to the activists that made this happen!