The Fish and Boat Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources took several actions this week that will result in improved public fishing and boating access to Lake Erie and its tributary streams.

The Commission purchased nineteen acres adjacent to Walnut Creek in Fairview Township, Erie County, totaling 19.3 acres. The properties are located south of Route 5 and north of Route 20, between Dutch and Manchester Roads.

The parcels provide more than 900 feet of frontage along Walnut Creek. Approximately 1.5 miles upstream from the mouth of the creek in an area that is already heavily used by steelhead anglers just south of the Commission’s existing Walnut Creek Property.

The $36,000 purchase will be funded from the Lake Erie Access Improvement Program with monies generated by the sale of special Lake Erie Fishing Permits.

This is the sixth acquisition funded through the Lake Erie Access Improvement Program in recent months, securing some 10,000 feet of stream and shoreline for angling purposes. Four of the projects involved pooling funds with other public entities (thereby leveraging PFBC monies) with the other two involving purchases by the agency.

In a separate announcement, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded Girard Township a $73,000 grant and the Fish and Boat Commission awarded a $73,000 grant from the Lake Erie Access Improvement Program to purchase the George Miller property at 3320 Elk Park Road.

The low-lying land is mostly in the floodplain and contains 350-feet of stream frontage on Elk Creek, one of the largest and most popular Lake Erie tributaries for steelhead trout fishing.

“Recreational fishing gives a $36 million boost annually to the Erie economy. So while these purchases represent a significant investment, they will also provide an equally significant return,” said PFBC Executive Director Doug Austen. “Ensuring public access for recreational fishing and boating is a major focal point for the Commission both in Erie and elsewhere in the Commonwealth.”

1/26/2007