DEWA Reels In New Volunteers for Fishing Line Recycling Program

A woman disposes of fishing line.

NPS Photo

Recently, members of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) organization reached out to the volunteer program at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area looking for a way to get involved. Around the same time, the park’s Chief of Resource Management and Science found herself engaged in a real life wild goose chase at one of the park’s busy visitor use sites along the Delaware River. She and other staff members were successful in capturing a Canada Goose and freeing it of the monofilament line and driftwood that was wrapped around its leg, limiting its ability to walk or fly. The park decided to enlist BHA to help build monofilament fishing line recycling bins and install them in high use fishing areas in the park. Plans and signage from BoatUS Foundation’s Reel In and Recycle program were used for the project.

Thanks to the NPS Volunteer-in-Parks program, the park purchased materials for 5 fishing line bins and installed them at 4 sites last weekend: Smithfield Boat Launch, Hidden Lake Dam and Picnic Area, Loch Lomond Fishing Pier, and Milford Boat Launch (with hopefully more in the future). BHA members will empty the bins each month during the busy season, and the line will be collected and sent in to Berkley Conservation Institute for recycling as part of their program.

As the team was preparing to install a bin at Hidden Lake Dam, a few anglers were there and one exclaimed, "Is that one of those fishing line bins?!?" He and another angler told the volunteers how great it will be to have it at that location since they always find monofilament line on the ground there. The second angler pitched into help retrieve some and used the bin to properly dispose of it. And this interaction happened while mature and immature bald eagles soared over the lake.

As a result of this "kickoff" project with BHA, other collaborative efforts to improve habitats for hunting and fishing were discussed, including invasive plant reduction and stream buffer restoration. There will be more great things to come with this new volunteer group now that we got them hooked!