White-tailed deer are one of the most popular game species in PA. Management of the deer herd is critical because they have a direct impact on quality habitat due to browsing activity. Raystown actively monitors and manages its deer population to ensure the deer population aligns with the carrying capacity of the land base on which they exist.

• Browse Survey  

  • Raystown staff completes annual deer browse surveys to determine deer browse impacts on regeneration. Results from these surveys assist Project staff in setting and achieving land management goals.

  • The 2023 survey showed dominant desirable tree species exhibited an average light to moderate browse level. Oak and hickory species were the hardest browsed species. Despite these findings, certain locations showed signs of moderate to high browse pressure. Most of these peak browse areas coincided with recent timber sales and/or smaller federal land parcels adjacent to private lands.  

• Infrared/Thermal Survey 

  • The Raystown Project conducted deer population surveys in 2009-2010, 2016-2017, and 2020-2021. The most recent survey consisted of a pre-season, during season, and post season survey (season refers to the regular firearms season in WMU 4A). All three surveys were completed by a certified pilot using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a thermal imager.  

  • These surveys show a general upward trend in deer population over the past twelve years. From 2009 to 2020 there was an increase in pre-season population of 8.46 deer/square mile. From 2010 to 2021 there was an increase in post-season population of 5.36 deer/square mile. This population increase is concerning since the PA Game Commission’s antlerless license allocation for WMU 4A has increased by 12,000 tags and antlerless harvests have decreased by 2,164 deer from 2009-2019. 

  • These surveys also demonstrate that deer are very responsive to hunting pressure. Deer will leave areas where hunting pressure is high and move to areas where hunting pressure is low. This may sound like common sense, but also explains why hunters may indicate they see no deer during hunting seasons.

• Deer Management Assistance Program

  • The Project has utilized the PAGC’s Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) as a tool to decrease deer populations on Project lands at Raystown.  

    Raystown has two DMAP units: DMAP Unit 2831 includes all USACE-owned land to the west of the lake, covering a total of 14,496 acres. DMAP Unit 2832 includes all USACE-owned land to the east of the lake, covering a total of 5,144 acres.  

    Raystown did not enroll in the DMAP for Units 2831 or 2832 for the 2024-2025 hunting seasons.

Raystown staff are active partners in support of the Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honeybees and Other Pollinators. An inter-agency Pollinator Health Task Force developed a national strategy to promote the health of bees, butterflies, other pollinating insects, birds, and bats. Since 2015 the Raystown staff has created and maintained pollinator plots to support this initiative along with celebrating National Pollinator Week with activities and interpretive programs. In 2023, a wetland pollinator seed mix was planted around four vernal pools that were constructed in late summer of that year. Raystown also continued to manage previous planted pollinator habitats and incorporate pollinator management strategies into its field management program. 

Raystown supports wildlife enhancement by installing various artificial nesting structures. Throughout the Raystown Project, staff manages approximately 120 bluebird boxes, 12 wood duck boxes, 5 screech owl boxes, 1 chimney swift tower, 3 American kestrel boxes, 1 purple martin house, 6 flying squirrel boxes, 4 barred owl boxes, 5 bee blocks, 3 butterfly houses, 1 great blue heron pole, 6 flicker boxes, 12 turtle basking platforms, and 64 bat roosting structures.

Wetlands play an important role in reducing flood impacts, improving water quality, and providing vital habitat for various wildlife species. Although these ecosystems are extremely important, over half of the original wetlands in the U.S.  have been drained and the land converted to other uses. When this occurs, species that call this area home are at risk of being listed as threatened or endangered. The EPA states that “more than one-third of the United States threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives”, which makes protecting these areas essential to ensuring their survival.

Raystown’s ES staff are actively working to protect existing and create new wetlands. Over the past few years Raystown has created numerous vernal pools throughout the Project. In addition, Raystown staff and multiple partners worked to restore the failing Corbin’s Island Wetland (7.4 acres) and created a new wetland (23.5 acres) along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Work included creation of vernal pools, full pools, turtle nesting mounds, native wildflower meadows, planting of native trees/shrubs, and invasive species treatments.

Raystown manages approximately 200 acres of fields and herbaceous openings throughout the project.  Of that, 120 acres are managed under agricultural lease, with the remainder being managed by Raystown staff. The fields managed by Raystown staff are planted solely for wildlife benefit. A myriad of crops (e.g. clover, alfalfa, corn, oats, wheat, sorghum, sunflower, turnip, soybean, and brassica) are planted. An average of 30 acres of spring plantings, 10 acres of fall plantings, and 40 acres of mowing are conducted annually. 

Raystown is within the home range of the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and tricolored bat; all three are federally listed as endangered. Several other State listed species such as the timber rattlesnake and Allegheny woodrat also inhabit the Raystown Project. In addition, several other species are petitioned to be federally listed within the near future (e.g. tri-colored bat, little brown bat, spotted turtle, northern map turtle, and monarch butterfly).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) leases approximately 3,018 acres of land to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PAGC) to manage for wildlife conservation and hunting, furtaking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. The PAGC manages these lands for mixed successional habitat conditions.  

Western portions of this leased area known as State Game Land (SGL) 420 have abundant and diverse field habitats that are favorable for American woodcock, cottontail rabbits, white-tailed deer, and other early-successional species.  This area includes an emphasis on managing breeding habitat for American woodcock, a high conservation priority breeding bird, and associated wildlife. Agricultural and herbaceous areas are managed to provide farm-game and grassland habitat that benefit cottontail rabbits, mourning doves, fox squirrels, and other game and non-game wildlife species, and to maintain a put-and-take ring-necked pheasant program. Wetlands are managed to accommodate a diversity of waterfowl, furbearers like mink, muskrat, and beaver, herons, and other wetland wildlife species.  

Eastern portions of SGL 420 contain contiguous forest cover. Management is directed at maintaining and enhancing mixed successional conditions for forest generalists including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrels as well as ruffed grouse, neotropical migrants (e.g. worm-eating warblers, scarlet tanagers), and other game and non-game wildlife species. 

Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in August 2007 because their populations had recovered sufficiently, and their population has continued to grow in the years since. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act continue to provide protections for the species.  

The growth of the bald eagle population at Raystown, has resulted in sightseers and birdwatchers trekking to Raystown in search of the majestic bird.  From 1999-2024 a total of 118 bald eagles have fledged at Raystown. In 2024 alone eight eaglets fledged from six nests.

The Project’s pest suppression program is funded by the U. S. Forest Service (USFS) and Raystown funds. Since 1983, approximately 31,140 acres have been sprayed for spongy moth (SM) and 11,283 trees have been treated for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) at a cost of $1.2M. 

Project staff conduct annual surveys for SM and HWA to determine if treatments are needed. Staff also coordinate with adjacent landowners to confirm findings and associated populations within the region. 

The emerald ash borer (EAB) almost entirely wiped out Raystown’s ash tree population. Since 2015, significant efforts have been made to remove declining and dead ash via the hazard tree removal program to ensure safety of recreational users. 

The newest invasive insect found at Raystown is the spotted lanternfly. This species has continued to spread since it’s discovery in Berks County in 2014. The PA quarantine area now covers nearly 2/3 of the state.   

Occasionally, species from all around the world find a new home in the Raystown Region. These species are known as nonnative species because they occur outside of their native range. Nonnative species sometimes cause no harm to the native flora and fauna, but other times can wreak havoc on ecosystems. When nonnative species hinder the survival of native species, they are called invasive species. 

Invasive species typically grow fast, reproduce exponentially, and lack natural predators from their native range. These qualities allow invasive species to outcompete native species. By displacing native plants and animals, invasive species decrease the biodiversity of an area which often affects the ecological function of that area.  

Raystown acknowledges that eradication of invasive species is nearly impossible but is committed to controlling these species through a continued obligation of resources. Control of invasive species will assist it providing quality native habitat for future generations. Species treated include, but are not limited to, ailanthus, striped maple, barberry, honeysuckle, autumn-olive, mile-a-minute, Japanese stiltgrass, and hay scented fern. Since 2006, Raystown has treated 3.6K acres at a total cost of $1.1M. 

Until 2013, Raystown’s prescribed fire program was implemented through an agreement with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The primary intent of the agreement was directed at control of wildfires therefore prescribed fire activities were minimal. In 2013, Raystown hired a contractor to develop a Site Fire Management Plan (SFMP) for the Project. The SFMP served as the foundation upon which Raystown built its prescribed fire program. In 2015 Raystown awarded its first prescribed fire contract.  

In 2019, Raystown entered the PAGC’s Hunter Access Program Cooperative Agreement. This agreement allows the PAGC to conduct environmental stewardship activities on Federal lands outside of the Mitigation Area. With assistance from the PAGC, Raystown developed its first large-scale burn plan early in 2020. A new burn plan was established in 2023 which contains ten units totaling 1,938.89 acres. Since 2015, Raystown has implemented 896 acres of prescribed fire.

Raystown utilizes reforestation plantings to augment natural regeneration to ensure timber stands regenerate with desirable native species. Since 1998, 366K seedlings, shrubs, and trees have been planted at the project.   

As of 2024, the Raystown staff has completed over four thousand acres of active timber management, harvesting an estimated 7.7M board feet of sawtimber, 126K tons of pulpwood, and generating $2.5M in revenue. Timber sale revenue is returned to the Project and used to further enhance the environmental stewardship program.

Since 2017, Raystown staff, in collaboration with USACE, Buffalo District and the Juniata College Field Station, have conducted annual aquatic plant surveys. The data collected from these surveys determine locations and priority of aquatic herbicide treatments. The primary invasive target species are hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). From 2020-2023, Raystown has treated a total of 373 acres for these species. Treatments focus on boat launches, high density recreation areas, and coves near the dam. Raystown’s goal is not to eradicate hydrilla, but rather to minimize the spread to other waterbodies.

Zebra Mussels have recently been found in multiple locations throughout the Lake. These invasive species, first discovered at Raystown in 2021, pose significant ecological and recreational challenges in the years ahead.

While visiting Raystown, it is important to follow some simple recommendations to prevent and slow the spread of invasive species. Remember Clean, Drain, Dry. Clean off all plants, critters, and mud from your gear immediately after leaving the water. Drain all water from your motor, bilge, live well, and other equipment before you hit the road. Dry everything for at least five days or give it a good wipe-down before using again. Also, dispose of any unwanted bait, worms, or fish parts in the trash, not in the water. Make sure to drain and clean your bait containers as well! 

The lake is a highland reservoir that contains a two-story fishery providing both cold-water and warm-water game species.  The stocking of fish species and the management of those quantities are conducted by the PAFBC. The PAFBC began stocking the Lake in 1973. Generally, a stocking management plan is developed every four to five years based on the PAFBC census of fish populations. To support their effort, Raystown staff aids through personnel availability and coordinating additional volunteer assistance for stocking efforts.

Currently, populations of lake trout, striped bass, walleye, muskellunge, and tiger muskellunge are maintained and supplemented through routine stockings of juvenile fish by the PAFBC. In addition, the Pennsylvania Striped Bass Association (PSBA) also stocks juvenile striped bass. From 2013-2023, over 6M fish have been stocked in Raystown.

The Raystown Lake Cooperative Striped Bass Nursery was created in 2015 in cooperation between the PAFBC, PSBA, and USACE. The nursery’s purpose is to spawn and raise striped bass to be released into the Lake.  The goal of this project is to aid the striped bass stocking efforts of the PAFBC to ensure a sustainable population of the species within the Lake’s fishery.  

The PAFBC, Juniata College, and other partners, have combined efforts which have led to a very successful artificial fish habitat program at the lake. According to the PAFBC, artificial habitats (refuge, spawning, nesting, and nursery) are designed to be effective, long-lasting structures that allow fish to accomplish their daily and seasonal tasks with greater efficiency. Some artificial habitats have dual purposes and may also provide increased opportunities for anglers to catch and harvest fish. They also provide increased surface areas for algae attachment, aquatic insect colonization, and other food organisms which may increase fishery production. From 1995-2023, a total of 2,834 structures have been placed in the lake.

From 1999-2023, an average of 120 fishing tournaments are scheduled annually at the project. Fishing clubs host both small (less than 50 boats) and large (more than 50 boats) tournaments, with James Creek, Aitch and Snyder’s Run boat launches being the most popular hosting locations. Fishing clubs interested in hosting a fishing tournament are to contact PAFBC for more information. A permit is required by PAFBC and USACE to host a tournament at Raystown Lake.