On June 2, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced that it has launched an “S.O.S. – Save Our Susquehanna!” campaign to fund water and soil conservation projects along the Susquehanna River. The group hopes to bolster the river’s young smallmouth bass population. Smallmouth bass have been plagued over the last decade by illness and elevated mortality rates.

After the PFBC meets $3 million in revenue from fishing licenses sales, all additional sales will be dedicated solely to funding Susquehanna River projects. Funds may go toward identifying sites and working with willing farmers and universities to test soils and reduce nutrient and sediment runoff. Another potential project includes working with physicians and hospitals throughout the basin to keep pharmaceutical drugs and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals out of the river. Read more.

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Maryland and Pennsylvania Senators sent a letter May 19 to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack encouraging more federal support for farmers’ efforts to prevent pollution into the Susquehanna River Basin and Chesapeake Bay Watershed. They raised concerns over nitrogen levels in the Susquehanna River, the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.