The Game Commission has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service for upgrades to public access at a site along the Susquehanna River in New Buffalo, Dauphin County.

The area, which is on State Game Lands 290, is used by anglers and waterfowl hunters.

Among other things, the project will improve the boating-access ramp to the Susquehanna River Water Trail at New Buffalo, and the agreement calls for cooperation in the planning, design engineering, permitting and construction phases.

Facilities will be upgraded to include a wheelchair-accessible observation/fishing area, a parking area that provides access to people with disabilities, and a hard-surface launch ramp that would allow boaters with disabilities to more easily board their watercraft.

The NPS will contribute up to $62,500 to this effort, with the Game Commission contributing a matching amount or greater. The project has an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2015.

These improvements aim to bring visitors and boaters to this section of the Susquehanna and, once there, provide them with information on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The proposed development will incorporate wayfinding and an “Explore the Chesapeake” interpretive panel at the site.

The Susquehanna River Water Trail is a designated gateway site for the larger Chesapeake Bay initiative, which recognizes its ability to provide access for people to experience, enjoy, learn about and contribute to a Chesapeake Bay-related natural, cultural, historical and recreational resource, and understand the river’s role regarding the bay.

For more information on this and other water trails in Pennsylvania, visit the Fish and Boat Commission’s Water Trail Guides webpage.

NewsClip: Game Commission Boating Access Project At New Buffalo

9/30/2013