Waterway preservation, which beaches are top rated in Pa., and a massive brown bear hunt

Summer is a great time to hike along a waterway or spend some time fishing. We can do that because behind the scenes there are countless organizations, agencies and volunteers who strive to keep the streams clean from pollution and sediment.

I was reminded of their efforts this week when the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds (FPW) in State College awarded more than $650,000 in grants to advance the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania’s waterways.

The two dozen awards reach various parts of the state to do things like improving fish passages, reducing sediment, creating more shade trees and monitoring water quality on abandoned mine lands

The grants are designed to protect healthy streams, clean up pollution, and restore degraded wildlife habitat.

In addition to these grants with watersheds and nonprofits, the FPW awarded more than $150,000 to colleges, universities, and nonprofits involved in the Unassessed Waters Program to document the presence or absence of wild trout populations in previously unassessed waterways of Pennsylvania. Since its inception with the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, the FPW reports nearly 40,000 stream miles have been assessed, with 17,529 miles of stream upgraded to wild trout waters.

This one round of grant announcements should serve as a reminder that we can’t take our natural resources for granted. With Pennsylvania having about 86,000 miles of streams and about 4,000 inland lakes, we owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who works and volunteers to keep our waterways clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.

I also have several stories for you linked below:

• If you have some free time this summer, there are several state parks that have beaches and unique attractions that are waiting for you to visit. The story highlights the top ones to explore this year.
• The Pennsylvania Game Commission is trying to calculate how many wild turkeys are living in the Keystone State. The story explains why and how you can participate in this fun research effort.
• While hunting in Pennsylvania is exciting, it’s not the same as the tundra in Alaska. I interviewed two Pennsylvania men who shared their experiences with several brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula.
• As the sun starts to set each night, it’s fun to watch fireflies on our lawns and in nearby fields. However, Kiley Bense of Inside Climate News shares her concerns about serious threats to the population of these small illuminating creatures.

Next week, I’ll share a story about where in Pennsylvania anglers are hoping they will be able catch 50-60 pound catfish. Have a good weekend.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him with questions about the outdoors or story ideas atbwhipkey@gannett.com or 814-444-5928. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors.