Acting Locally

Acting Locally

        Milton State park is an 82-acre island situated in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, located in the northern part of Northumberland County in the state of Pennsylvania.  Both the island, in which Milton State Park is situated, and the Susquehanna River bolster their own unique ecosystems and histories.  

        In the past, the island went by the name of Montgomery Island and was used as an apple orchard in the late 1700’s.  IN the early 1800’s the land changed ownership and a lumber mill and gristmill were build for the lumber and grain industries.  These operations were well suited for this island on the river.  The river would produce the water that powered both mills through the use of water wheels, and lumber could be moved down river directly to the island via the river passages. (Milton, 2016)

        With climate change impacting our water resources, mainly through temperature increases and precipitation changes, we now have to worry about our water availability at any given time, as well as its temperature and its quality.  Pennsylvania has seen an increase in winter precipitation, but at the same time a decrease during summer.

        Much of our agriculture in Central Pennsylvania is dependent on the Susquehanna River when we do not receive enough rain in the summer.  Farmers, at times, are given permission to pump water from the river to keep their crops from dying off.  The Susquehanna River and its tributaries also face much exploitation due to recreation.  Fishermen, in particular, are major proponents for the implementation of non-native species to improve their recreational opportunities on our waterways.  One example of this is the yearly stocking of Rainbow and Brown trout for our fisherman.  Neither Rainbow nor Brown trout are native to Pennsylvania.  The only native trout to our state is the Brook trout, which suffers due to the presence of these other two trout.  Another way that fisherman have caused harm to our waterways is through improper hull cleanings of their watercraft before launching here after having been somewhere else with their vehicles. When proper care isn’t taken with hull cleanings between different waterways, these crafts can bring invasive species into our rivers, streams, and lakes (Pennsylvania Aquatic, n.d.). One example of this is the Zebra Mussel. Mussels breed through a process called “broadcast spawning”, in which the male and female release their sperm and eggs into the water when they come in contact and create larva. These larvae can then attach to hulls of boats and other watercrafts and spread to new ecosystems (Mussel: Reproduction).

        On the island State park itself, there are currently several forms of exploitation.  One way the park is exploited is through the overuse and abuse of its resources by individuals and groups.  One of the local soccer organizations has been given permission to use the facilities for their soccer games and practices.  Many of this organization’s members actively leave large amounts of destruction in our forested and grassy areas with their vehicles when they decide to park in them as opposed to using the plentiful parking spaces that has been provided for them to avoid such cases.  On occasion, these people will also take it upon themselves to paint targets on the larger trees and use them for target practice with soccer balls and kick or tear out saplings from the ground, which have been planted for flood mitigation.  A proposed exploitation that is constantly being pushed upon our park is the elimination of more natural areas for more parking spaces for their soccer organization.  The parking lots are never filled to capacity and I hope my organization never caves in to these people.

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