Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Fall Technical Meeting Minutes

October 19, 2002

Hosted by: California University of Pennsylvania, Biological and Environmental

Sciences Department

Attendance: 19

Impacted Ecosystems of Southwestern Pennsylvania

Welcome and introduction by Dave Argent

Business meeting

Dick Soderberg

������� *������� Introduced the members of the executive committee.�

������� *������� Reminded everyone of the Joint Spring meeting in April at Toftrees and to look

for registration information on the chapter website.� They are looking for more

fishery papers to be submitted only one has been received to date.�

������� *������� The Environmental Concerns Committee is concerned about dams being constructed on

the Susquehanna that would prohibit fish migration.� He asked any person that would

like to get involved to contact J. R. Holtsmaster at the Pleasant Gap office of the

Fish and Boat Commission.

������� *������� Another fish id course will be coming, possibly this summer, it may be on west

slope cyprinids and possibly catastomids.

Bob Ross/J.R. Holtsmaster

������� *������� Two courses about electrofishing one from Smith Root Company (3-day= one

classroom, two in field) or one from USFWS in WV (4-day= three classroom,1 field),

both cost $4,000-5,000 but the USFWS is more flexible with price.� No decision/vote

was made due to lack of a quorum.� Dick Soderberg has notes from the USFWS course

he previously completed if anyone would like to see them.

������� *������� Decisions need to be made on the T-shirt fundraiser.� We need to decide on the

logo, silkscreen/embroidered, and color.

Mike Hendricks

������� *������� Treasury has $8,615.39 and after today about $8,200.� This is up from 1,500 four

years ago due to the increase in membership and fish id courses.

������� *������� The chapter is giving each student presenting a poster today an AFS national

membership along with a membership to the student subsection of education Section,

which gives insights into fisheries education, jobs, and training.

������� *������� There will be hats for sale and dues can be paid during the break.

Invited Presentations

William Kimmel - California Univ. of PA, California PA

The impacts of acid deposition on Pennsylvania headwater streams

Robert Ventorini - CEC Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

An IBI for the assessment of warmwater streams in the bituminous coal region of

southwestern Pennsylvania

Michael Koryak - US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, PA

Aspects of small urban stream fisheries

Poster Session

������� *������� Seven posters were presented by students from California University (4),

Mansfield University (2), and Pennsylvania State University (1).

������� *������� Three posters were presented by researchers from California University, the

Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, USGS Northern Appalachian

Research Unit and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

������� *������� Student Poster Judges were Bob Ross, Leslie Leckvarcik, and Mike Koryak

Closing Remarks

������� *������� Dick Soderberg announced Josh Rasmussen from California University won the $300

for best poster: J. Rasmussen, D. Argent, and T. Scanlon.� California University of

Pennsylvania, California, PA.� "Macroinvertebrate response to riparian restoration

in selected agricultural streams of southwestern Pennsylvania." All students were

awarded national AFS memberships for their participation.

������� *������� Dave Argent thanked everyone for coming the to AFS fall Technical meeting

������� *������� Bill Kimmel informed us of several coal companies that are on the verge of going

out of business and that more Acid Mine Drainage is on its way to western PA

streams and rivers.

������� Submitted by Leslie Leckvarcik, acting Recording Secretary