A desire to increase fishing license sales and boat registrations may lead to allowing bigger boats to use more lakes across the state. A majority of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission-owned lakes are so-called “restrictive” lakes because they are open only to boats with electric motors or gas motors of 10 horsepower or less. Several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-owned lakes are under a 10 horsepower restriction, too. State park-owned lakes, meanwhile, are managed differently. As a general rule, those 1,000 acres or larger are open to unlimited horsepower, those 200 to 999 acres are under a 20 horsepower limit and those under 200 acres are limited to 10 horsepower or less. John Simmons, director of the Commission’s bureau of boating and education, told members of the agency’s Boating Advisory Board they might want to consider recommending that all Commission-owned lakes go to a 20 horsepower limit to make them more like their state park counterparts. Army Corps officials would likely agree to raise the horsepower limits on their waters — like Mahoning Creek Lake, which straddles Indiana and Armstrong counties — to the same standard, Simmons said. Board members Thad Piotrowski and Ed Matheny, though, suggested the Commission go one step further and investigate the possibility of removing horsepower restrictions from Commission-owned lakes altogether. The imposition of slow, no-wake rules on those lakes would keep boaters from abusing the waterways, but still allow more people to use the lakes than can now, Piotrowski said. Not every “restrictive” lake might handle bigger boats equally well, Matheny admitted. Existing launch ramps at some might be insufficient and need upgraded. That could cost as little as $25,000 per ramp, however, said Dick Mulfinger, director of the Commission’s bureau of engineering. Going to some uniform horsepower restriction on all lakes statewide would make enforcement easier and, more importantly, simplify regulations for anglers and boaters, added Tom Kamerzel, director of the Commission’s law enforcement bureau. To see just how people might respond, Simmons said he would convene a group of waterways owners to see what horsepower limits might be acceptable, then report back to the advisory board. A state park official said that agency is happy with its 20 horsepower limits and is not necessarily eager to change them. Matheny, though, said he hopes something can be worked out, at least on Commission lakes. “You’re going to increase fishing license sales and boat registrations and the use of these lakes,” he said. Abele award The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is seeking nominations for the 2004 Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award. The award is the highest recognition the Commission can confer. It is meant to recognize those who have “made outstanding contributions to the protection, conservation and enhancement of the aquatic resources of the Commonwealth.” Nominations should be submitted to RWA Conservation Heritage Award, Executive Office, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, PO Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000. They must be postmarked no later than Oct. 1. Manager appointed Robert Nestor has been appointed manager of the Fish and Boat Commission’s northwest region law enforcement office. Nestor, takes the place of the recently-retired Gary Deiger. An Erie native, Nestor began his career with the Commission as a conservation officer in Montgomery County in 1990. He transferred to Erie County in 1992 and was named assistant regional manager in 1998. He was the Commission’s officer of the year in 2003. TU meeting Mike Makufka, youth education chairman for the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, will be the speaker at Thursday’s meeting of the Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Makufka will discuss ways of getting youth members involved in TU chapters and their activities. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association office in Ligonier.

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