Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : June 25, 2007

Hoy Murphy , Public Information Officer (304) 558-3381 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov
Contact: Gary Foster, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 825-6787 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

Gov. Manchin Dedicates Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area And New Facilities at Pedlar Wildlife Management Area In Monongalia County

Gov. Joe Manchin today joined West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Frank Jezioro, Ron Fretts of the National Wild Turkey Federation and a number of local officials in dedicating the new Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area and new fishing and shooting range facilities at Pedlar WMA, both in Monongalia County .

“These new facilities will provide many new and much-needed opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts in Monongalia and surrounding counties,” said Gov. Manchin. “Hunters, anglers, and wildlife watchers from the Morgantown , Fairmont and Clarksburg areas will now have better access to the recreation they enjoy. Increased activity in these areas also will provide a boost to local businesses.”

Little Indian Creek WMA is located in southern Monongalia County and encompasses 1,036 acres. It will serve a significant number of hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts from the area, and is within easy access of Morgantown , Clarksburg and Fairmont . The land was purchased in late 2006 for a price of $388,500. DNR’s Conservation Fund and a generous donation by the West Virginia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation in the amount of $194,250 helped to purchase the land. The NWTF has made significant contributions to DNR’s Wildlife and Law Enforcement sections over the past several years, supporting wild turkey research projects, habitat enhancement work, the purchase of law enforcement equipment and many more worthwhile projects. This is the second piece of property NWTF has helped purchase, the other being Wallback WMA in Braxton County . Little Indian Creek WMA exhibits diverse habitats, including reclaimed mine areas, oak-hickory ridge tops, ponds and wetlands. These support many types of wildlife associated with recreational opportunities such as wildlife watching, hunting, fishing and trapping. Future management activities will include tree and shrub plantings, wetland developments, installation of informational signs, marking and painting boundaries, management of wildlife openings, road closure and parking lot development.

Access to Little Indian Creek WMA is by way of State Route 19 north of Fairmont approximately nine miles (past Arnettsville) to Little Indian Creek Road (CR 34). From Morgantown , take State Route 19 South approximately 5 miles from the I-79 interchange – exit 152, to Little Indian Creek Road (CR 34).

Pedlar WMA was opened to the public in 2004, and includes 766 acres in north central Monongalia County . This year, construction has been completed on two family fishing lakes and the first public shooting range in Monongalia County , including eight sheltered shooting benches. The property for the WMA was a gift deeded to DNR by Consol Energy, Inc. Like nearby Little Indian Creek WMA, Pedlar has diverse habitats and provides excellent wildlife-associated recreational opportunities.

Two new family fishing lakes are now open at Pedlar WMA. Mason Lake provides 16 acres of fishable water with a maximum depth of 35 feet and includes a boat ramp, courtesy dock, and shoreline trail to more than 50 percent of the lake. The boat ramp allows for the use of trailered boats with electric motors only. The lake will be stocked with bluegills, channel catfish and largemouth bass to provide a warmwater fishery with fish large enough to catch by 2008. Trout will be stocked beginning in the spring of 2008, and, because of the cold deep water discharge, they are expected to survive the warm summer months.

Dixon Lake at Pedlar WMA has seven acres of water with a maximum depth of 10 feet, and includes an angler shoreline access to 100 percent of the lake. It will be stocked with hybrid bluegills, channel catfish and hybrid striped bass to provide a warmwater fishery specifically for family fishing opportunities, with fish reaching catchable size by 2008. Hybrid bluegills will be stocked every year or two so as to maintain adequate numbers for anglers. Catch and release regulations will be in effect for one to three years while growth rates, mortality and catch rates are monitored, and then a limited harvest will be allowed. Other restrictions will be a prohibition on the use of minnows as live bait to prevent the introduction of unwanted species, and barbless hooks will be required to reduce handling mortality of caught fish. Boating will be prohibited on Dixon Lake .

Another exciting addition to Pedlar WMA is a new public shooting range, the first in Monongalia County . The range has backstops at 25, 50 and 100 yards and includes eight sheltered shooting benches which also accommodate physically challenged shooters. The range will be open to the public beginning June 26, 2007 .

“This shooting range will provide shooting sports enthusiasts in this part of the state a much-needed place to enjoy sighting in their deer rifles and other aspects associated with shooting sports,” said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. “Little Indian Creek and Pedlar wildlife management areas are prime examples of how a state agency like DNR, a conservation organization like NWTF, and private industries like Consol Energy Inc. can work together to provide public lands and facilities for the enjoyment of hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists for generations to come.”

Access to Pedlar WMA is by way of State Route 7 and County Route 41, approximately seven miles west of Morgantown .

For information about Little Indian Creek and Pedlar wildlife management areas and other public land available in the state, please visit the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Web site at www.wvdnr.gov , or call the DNR District 1 office in Farmington at (304) 825-6787.

**DNR**