Spillway bread ban postponed for review

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September 18, 2008

By Penni Schaefer The Meadville Tribune Thu Sep 18, 2008, 03:20 PM EDT

The squeaky wheel may get the grease, but the thanks to people of Linesville the fish will continue getting the bread.

Nine days after nearly 400 area residents met with Crawford County’s state legislators and representatives of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission and the Boat and Fish Commission, a ban on feeding carp bread at Pymatuning Spillway and state park has been postponed for a year as the DCNR reviews the plan. The bread had been set to go in place Jan. 1, 2009, and would have left visitors with just one choice for feeding the fish — state-approved meal pellets.

The Sept. 8 meeting at Linesville High School came after DCNR announced the ban, which inspired an anti-ban petition movement. In response, the county’s state legislators set up the meeting. Many of those attending were local retailers who said the ritual of feeding bread to the fish was not just a tradition, it is a tourist attraction that is at the heart of their livelihood.

After hearing the news that DCNR was rethinking its decision, Juanita Hampton, executive director of the Crawford County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, was ecstatic.

“I am really, really pleased to hear that it (DCNR) is going to research this more,” Hampton said. “They made a wise decision to look this issue over more closely before making a determination that will have such a significant affect our area.”

Hampton said tourism is an “essential economic tool” in the county and that the bread ban would lead to millions of tourism dollars leaving our area. While people go to Pymatuning for other reasons, many come specifically to witness the novelty of watching the ducks walk on the backs of fish as they scramble after bread at the spillway, she explained.

During the Sept. 8 meeting, DCNR spokesperson Bob Barth revealed that the real problem wasn’t so much the health of the fish, but the nuisance caused by the Canada geese that seem to have overtaken some of the park’s visitor areas. Specifically the marina, campgrounds and other day-use areas were littered with goose droppings.

“Visitors complained and said they wouldn’t come back until we had the goose problem solved,” Barth said.

Those at the meeting failed to immediately see any connection between feeding the fish and geese. DCNR was unable to successfully convince many of the people in attendance that feeding the fish specially formulated dry meal pellets instead of bread would solve anything.

With the 12-month postponement, Crawford County’s state legislators will work with DCNR and other state agencies to come up with alternative ways to manage the park’s goose population, said Republican state Rep. Michele Brooks, who was joined by her fellow legislators in applauding Wednesday’s decision.

“The local economy would suffer if this top tourism attraction was taken away or altered in any way,” said Republican state Rep. John Evans. “With unemployment on the rise, along with gas, food and energy prices, we cannot afford to sacrifice a major tourist draw to the region.”

“The people of Crawford County and surrounding areas have spoken and given us a clear mandate to maintain the tradition of feeding bread to the fish at the spillway in Linesville,” said Republican state Sen. Bob Robbins.

“They should have brought in the public at square one instead of at the tail end,” said Republican state Rep. Brad Roae. “Everyone I have talked with has thought that it was absolutely ridiculous that after 70 years of coming to Crawford County and spending money in feeding the fish that starting on Jan. 1 they wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Penni Schaefer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at pschaefer@meadvilletribune.com.

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