North Branch Land Trust announces Maakestad as new board chair

Dec. 16—DALLAS — Regional conservation non-profit North Branch Land Trust recently welcomed Stephen Maakestad as the newest Chair of the organization's Board of Directors.

North Branch also bids farewell to two of its stalwart directors: outgoing Chair Christina Dilks Taylor and Director Guthrie Mitchell.

NBLT North Branch Land Trust is a conservation nonprofit that works with landowners and their communities to conserve the natural, working, and scenic landscapes in Northeastern Pennsylvania that enrich our lives.

"When I moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania seven years ago, one of the biggest draws was the access to scenic landscapes and the natural beauty of this area," Maakestad said. "I've always had a strong appreciation for the outdoors and belief in protecting our natural environments and diverse habitats. It is an honor to serve as chair with a team of truly talented staff and board members. I look forward to working with Ellen (Ferretti) to carry out the land trust's vision for a sustainable future."

Maakestad joined the Land Trust's Board of Directors in 2021. He is Vice President and Director of Civil Engineering for Mericle Construction, Inc. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University.

Maakestad resides in Dallas with his wife, Tiffany, and their three daughters. Maakestad enjoys playing golf, baseball, and skiing in his spare time. With his combined passion and skills, Maakestad brings a robust perspective to the Chair position.

"It has been a tremendous honor to serve as NBLT's Board Chair for the last five years," said outgoing Chair Dilks Taylor. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work with so many people committed to protecting the unique lands and water of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Land Trust is a phenomenal organization, armed with an expert staff, dedicated board of directors and loyal membership base. I leave knowing the Organization is positioned for continued success and look forward to celebrating the completion of some of the exciting conservation projects now underway."

Dilks Taylor has served on the North Branch Land Trust Board of Directors since 2013. She is an active community member serving on multiple nonprofit boards and associations including CASA of Luzerne County and Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School.

She and her family have deep connections to the land, and Taylor utilizes her professional skills to help regional organizations advance their missions.

Taylor is a graduate of Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Art History and Cornell University's Johnson School of Management with a Master's in Business Administration.

"The board members of North Branch Land Trust bring excitement, engagement, support, and a collective wisdom to our land and water conservation mission, as well as a passion for Northeastern Pennsylvania," said Executive Director Ellen Ferretti. "Under Christina's leadership as Board Chair, the Land Trust has seen great conservation successes, changes, and growth. We will miss Christina very much for her leadership, enthusiasm, perception, and ability to see and implement the path forward. Moving ahead, we are thrilled that Stephen will be serving as the new Board Chair. Stephen has been a very active member of our Land Committee and Board, always there to lend a hand. We look forward with great enthusiasm to the next few years under his leadership."

The Land Trust also bids a fond farewell to director Guthrie Mitchell who has served on North Branch Land Trust's Board of Directors since 2014. Mitchell has been the owner of the Guthrie Mitchell Insurance Agency in Wilkes Barre and other regional satellite offices, with 40 years of experience.

He has been active in the community for many years, serving on the board at the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, PA Independent Agents Association, and Irem Temple. He was a trustee of Shavertown Methodist Church, past president of the Wyoming Valley Independent Agents, and a member of the Lions Club.

Mitchell spent his summers in Glen Summit and Cape May, New Jersey, where he learned to fish and love the outdoors of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He believes that the northern waters of the Susquehanna and surrounding land encompass some of the most beautiful scenery found in Pennsylvania.

"Over the remarkable span of nine years with NBLT, I have witnessed an awesome and awe-inspiring journey," Mitchell said. "The tireless efforts of the organization's staff and volunteers, who serve to care for our breathtaking landscapes, have been nothing short of extraordinary. Surrounded by the beauty of these conserved lands, I could not be prouder to support such an impactful organization. NBLT's legacy of preserving our natural heritage is a testament to the power of collective commitment and passion for our resources."

North Branch Land Trust conserves lands, waters, and vistas in an eight-county region of Pennsylvania (Bradford, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Columbia) in the Upper Lehigh and Susquehanna North Branch Watersheds.

To learn more about supporting their conservation work in Northeastern Pennsylvania, visit — nblt.org.

Pa. Game Commission: Permits

remain for new CWD DMAP unit

Deer hunting isn't over yet; the after-Christmas seasons await.

And in the newly created Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) unit spanning more than 140,000 acres in Dauphin, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties, hunters have even more time and additional opportunities.

You could be one of them.

Each hunter can purchase up to two permits to hunt in DMAP Unit 6396, and more than 3,500 permits remained available this week.

Within this unit, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has extended the late archery and flintlock muzzleloader deer seasons and will hold an extended firearms season for antlerless deer, as well.

These after-Christmas seasons all will run from Dec. 26, 2023 to Jan. 27, 2024 within DMAP Unit 6396, as well as in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D. In the rest of the state — including the areas of Wildlife Management Units 4C and 4E outside of DMAP Unit 6396 — there is no extended firearms deer season, and the late archery and flintlock deer seasons run from Dec. 26, 2023 to Jan. 15, 2024.

The extended firearms deer season is for antlerless deer only. Hunters participating in this season, where open, must have either a valid DMAP permit for the DMAP Unit they're hunting or a valid antlerless license for the WMU where they're hunting. Extended firearms season hunters must wear, at all times, 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined, with orange visible from 360 degrees, and they may use the same sporting arms that are lawful in the regular firearms deer season.

The late archery and flintlock deer seasons are open for antlered and antlerless deer hunting. A hunter must be properly licensed to hunt in those seasons and must have a valid antlered deer harvest tag to qualify to take a buck. Antlerless deer may be taken in these seasons by hunters with a valid DMAP Unit 6396 permit or a valid antlerless license for the WMU where they're hunting.

Additionally, flintlock hunters may harvest an antlerless deer and tag it with their unused antlered deer tag. This is the only circumstance in which an antlerless deer harvest tag is not needed in the harvest of an antlerless deer.

There is no orange requirement for archery or flintlock deer hunters, though the use of fluorescent orange in these seasons is strongly encouraged.

DMAP Unit 6396 is within CWD Disease Management Area 8 (DMA 8), which the Game Commission established earlier this year in response to two CWD detections in Dauphin County — the first CWD detections in free-ranging deer east of the Susquehanna River. The additional hunting opportunities within DMAP Unit 6396 serve to help limit the establishment and spread of CWD in this area.

"Because these detections are the first in free-ranging deer on the east side of the Susquehanna River a quick response is important to prevent the establishment of the disease in this new area," said Game Commission CWD Biologist Andrea Korman. "Additionally, the detection in WMU 4C was confirmed after the antlerless allocation was set, so the standard response of increasing harvest through the allocation at the WMU level did not occur. Given these high priority detections, it was determined that increasing harvest through additional DMAP permits and extended seasons was the best course of action to address CWD in a timely manner."

By increasing the harvest and lowering the population, the risk of healthy deer being infected by CWD-positive deer decreases significantly.

DMAP Unit 6396 includes portions of State Game Lands 210 and 211, and all of State Game Lands 264. A map of DMAP Unit 6396 is available at the DMAP participating properties page at www.pgc.pa.gov.

Hunters harvesting deer here, or within any DMA or the CWD Established Area (EA), can have them tested for CWD free of charge by placing the heads from harvested deer in any CWD collection bin provided by the Game Commission within that area.

Each DMAP permit costs $10.97 and can be used to harvest one antlerless deer. Permits for other DMAP units might be available, as well. And for some DMAP units, hunters can buy up to four permits each.

Also, about 700 antlerless deer licenses for WMU 4A remained available at the time of this release.

So there's an opportunity for hunters who presently don't have tags to secure them and hunt deer.

Hunters harvesting deer within any DMA or EA generally may not remove high-risk deer parts — the head and backbone among them — from any DMA or EA. Whole carcasses from deer harvested within a DMA or EA generally may not be transported out, even from one DMA to another.

The one exception to this rule allows hunters who harvest a deer within a DMA or EA to take it directly to any deer processor or taxidermist approved by Game Commission. The list of CWD Cooperating Processors can be found on the CWD page at www.pgc.pa.gov.

For any questions, call the CWD Hotline at 1-833-INFOCWD (1-833-463-6293) or to learn more about CWD, visit — www.pgc.pa.gov/cwd.

Dec. 28 marks 50th anniversary

of the Endangered Species Act

From the Endangered Species Coalition:

Dec. 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Over the course of its existence, the ESA has proven effective time and again. This bedrock environmental law has saved 99% of listed species from extinction including the bald eagle, Florida manatee, and the gray wolf.

Without the ESA, at least 227 additional species would have gone extinct between 1973 and 2005.

Today, the ESA remains wildly popular: more than four out of five Americans agree with it.

In celebration of the ESA's 50th anniversary, artists from around the country created murals in cities including New York, Washington, Portland, OR, Arivaca, AZ, and St. Petersburg, FL.

The ESA was signed into law by President Nixon in December 1973 after being passed by Congress with broad bipartisan support, including a unanimous vote in the Senate that was one of President Biden's first votes as a U.S. Senator.

Many species protected under the law are on the pathway to recovery, thanks to the three key elements of the ESA: preventing listed species from being harmed or killed, protecting species' habitats, and creating plans to restore healthy populations.

The ESA remains the safety net for all creatures that will vanish unless the habitat they need for survival remains intact. Protecting them also means healthier forests, beaches, wetlands, rivers, and open lands for everyone.

The ESA's effectiveness has provoked relentless attempts to weaken or gut the law by industries that would rather not comply, including fossil fuels and other polluters. Powerful special interest groups routinely attempt to block or strip protections for species.

Efforts to weaken the ESA should be a cause of concern for everyone, given the worsening biodiversity crisis. We've already witnessed staggering declines of more than two-thirds of all plant and animal life on Earth. The ESA is our best tool for addressing this crisis.

President Richard Nixon's statement upon signing the Endangered Species Act into law, Dec. 28, 1973:

"Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans [and] which we hold in trust to countless future generations of our fellow citizens. Their lives will be richer, and America will be more beautiful in the years ahead, thanks to the measure that I have the pleasure of signing into law today."

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle