Feb 2, 2013 3 min read

Now that a mediator has met with the public regarding Ryerson Station State Park, expect a decision soon.

And it will probably be something that will make both Consol Energy, which has been blamed for the cracks in the dam at Duke Lake that forced it to be drained some seven years ago, and Greene County residents happy – or unhappy, depending on your view.

Look for the mediator to rule Consol must pay the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources, which runs the state parks system, a fine/fee of about $25 million.

That money would likely go into the DCNR’s general fund, but the total needed to rebuild Duke Lake would be earmarked from that sum.

In return, Consol will probably ask for and receive gas drilling rights under the lake – though there will not be any rigs on 560-acre Ryerson property. The company already owns the gas rights to several properties surrounding the park.

Those who are adamantly against allowing any drilling near the lake likely won’t be happy, but since Consol already owns the rights around the park, it’s more or less a moot point.

The bottom line is that Duke Lake will eventually be fixed – once the dam finally settles.

• The Pennsylvania Game Commission board of commissioners set its preliminary seasons and bag limits for 2013-14, and with Thanksgiving falling later in November than usual, several will open or run a week later than usual.

For example, the statewide bear season will open Saturday, Nov. 23, and then continue Monday, Nov. 25, through Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The statewide rifle season for deer will run Dec. 2-14.

The buck and doe seasons will again be concurrent in WMU 2-B, which includes the northeastern corner of Washington County. In WMU 2-A, which includes all of Green and most of Washington counties, only antlered deer can be legally harvested from Dec. 2-6, with a combined buck and doe season running from Dec. 7-14.

The board also retained the antler restriction rules for adult and senior license holders, though you can expect the state Legislature to push the commission in that direction in the near future.

The board will next meet in April to give final approval to the new seasons and bag limits, as well as set the antlerless deer license allocations for all 22 Wildlife Management Units.

• In an effort to trim budget costs, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will close its Bellefonte and Oswayo trout hatcheries by the end of 2014.

The move is expected to save some $2 million per year, but is not expected to greatly affect the production or stocking of trout.

Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.