In January 1999, the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) began meeting with individuals and groups to determine if there was enough interest in a Lower West Branch Susquehanna River Conservation Plan. The groups continued to meet and work on developing a grant application to fund the project.

In-kind matching services from the GIS Departments of Clinton, Lycoming, Northumberland and Union Counties, the U.S. National Park Service and the River Conservation Plan Steering Committee further assisted in bringing this RCP to fruition.

In Spring 2000, NPC was awarded a Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund grant. The program is administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and includes the river conservation program.

What is the River Conservation Plan?

Funded through the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Program, A River Conservation Plan (RCP) works to restore, maintain, or enhance river resources. This is accomplished through documentation of the river's current and historic environmental condition, uses, and problems. Public input is incorporated into this process during the research phase, to help define a vision for the river's future. Research conducted on the river and the public opinion are combined into a document that provides background information, suggestions to restore, maintain, or enhance the river, and a schedule to show the order various projects should take.

Local citizen participation in the planning effort is key to ensuring that the River Conservation Plan responds to their community's needs and concerns. Local projects included in the plan will become eligible for future state and federal funding. For more information on the River Conservation Plan program visit: www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on “RIVERS”.

Why Complete a River Conservation Plan?

When DCNR approves the final draft of the RCP, the 77-mile corridor of the Lower West Branch Susquehanna River is eligible to be listed on the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry. This registry allows municipalities and other non-profit groups eligible for matching grants to implement projects identified in the plan. These municipalities and sponsored groups are eligible to apply for the grant funds up to $50,000 per year to implement the recommended River Conservation Plan projects.

Goals and Vision

The goal of the River Conservation Plan for the Lower West Branch Susquehanna River is to promote river conservation through citizen participation in the areas of local concern and need.

The Steering Committee for the plan worked to develop a vision for the effort. In 2012 the lower West Branch Susquehanna River will be a healthy river corridor that enhances everyone's quality of life. The river's health will be demonstrated through improved water quality, increased wetlands and riparian buffers, and improved habitat. The river valley's health will be demonstrated by communities that are aware of and respect their heritage, are linked to each other by a continuous greenway, have protected their viewsheds, and have reduced the flood hazards in their community. This will be accomplished by educating the residents in the river corridor; advocating for the river; fostering quality economic development that supports livable communities.

Location

The Lower West Branch Susquehanna River study corridor begins at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna with the main stem Susquehanna in Northumberland, Northumberland County and extends upriver to Lick Run in Farrandsville, Clinton County. The river travels through Clinton, Lycoming, Northumberland and Union Counties in this study area. The study area is not only the river, but also the land area for 1-mile off each bank of the river.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT/CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

Public Meetings

Public meetings are being held throughout the planning process as a way to educate the public (the people most affected by the river) on the RCP, issues concerning the River, and projects planned. The aim is to find out from local residents, what opportunities surrounding the river are most important to them. You can find a summary of the public meetings already conducted and information on where the next public meeting is in your area.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires allow for specific questions to be asked. The questions can be targeted to specific groups, such as the municipal questionnaire NPC used in the summer of 2001, or they can be more generalized like the management options questionnaire used in the spring 2002.

Interviews

Interviews allow for one on one dialog. An interview allows for the interviewer to ask follow-up questions when ideas and suggestions are discussed. Interviews were conducted during the summer and fall of 2001 with a variety of legislators, chambers of commerce, businesses, and landowners in the corridor.

Meeting(s) already conducted:

Round 1 Public Meetings

The purpose of the Round 1 Public Meetings was to establish initial educational background to the public on the River Conservation Planning and to gather information on public interests and concerns.