Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioners today approved a grant that will help the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy acquire public access to Elk Creek, the leading steelhead stream in Erie County.

Commissioners authorized a grant of $209,300 toward the purchase of 84 acres of Fairview Evergreen Nursery property mainly along Creek Road in Girard Township, including 3,600 linear feet of access on Elk Creek. The access is adjacent to existing public fishing easements and, on completion of the project and with the inclusion of other pending easements, will provide a public access corridor of some 2.7 miles — from the Conrail Railroad tracks near Route 5 upstream to Route 20 in Girard.

The project also will include a parking area and a footpath to Elk Creek. The Conservancy will own and control the property and grant an easement to the Fish and Boat Commission for fishing, boating and riparian and fishery management

The Conservancy also is receiving a $137,000 grant from the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and $112,400 from a private foundation.

The Commission also is working with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation on a new lease agreement for the Linesville State Fish Hatchery in Crawford County. The new lease is expected to last at least 25 years.

More from today’s meeting here.