For Immediate Release
June 9, 2010
Contact: Nathan Flood
717-787-4420
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A Conversation with Senator Brubaker

Middle Creek WMA Offers Recreational Opportunities for Local Residents

Many families are planning vacations and recreational activities to take advantage of the warm weather this summer. The Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area offers a number of affordable educational and recreational opportunities for families who are interested in staying close to home. Middle Creek provides opportunities for picnics, hiking, photography, observing wildlife and enjoying our area’s abundant wildlife and aquatic resources. Hunting, fishing and boating are also available for local sportsmen who follow the guidelines and seasons set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Middle Creek is a 5,000-acre habitat for wildlife located in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. The WMA includes a 400-acre shallow lake and is home to a broad range of wildlife, including ducks, deer, geese, pheasants, quail, swans, squirrels and other forest and farmland wildlife. Observing wildlife is one of the most popular activities in Middle Creek while visitors are hiking on approximately nine miles of trails within the WMA.

Free wildlife lecture programs are available Wednesday and Thursday evenings during the spring and early fall months. A self-guided vehicle tour is also available. Groups are welcome to enjoy the WMA and use its facilities without reservations. Special programs for groups can also be arranged by calling (717) 733-1512 at least four weeks in advance of the event.

Middle Creek also features a Visitors Center that includes a please-touch area with antlers, animal skins, turtle shells and other objects. The Visitors Center includes a display of preserved birds and animals that serve as valuable educational tools for young people. The Visitors Center is open from March 1 through November 30 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The operation and management of the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is funded entirely by hunting license revenues with no taxpayer support. Middle Creek offers abundant opportunities for individuals and families to learn more about and enjoy our area’s natural resources, and I would encourage all district residents to consider this valuable educational and recreational opportunity this summer.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Applications Available Now

The state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program provides rebates on property taxes or rent paid in the previous year for seniors and disabled Pennsylvanians who are living on a fixed income. To be eligible for a rebate, applicants must be Pennsylvania residents age 65 or older, widows and widowers age 50 or older and individuals with disabilities 18 years or older and meet income eligibility guidelines.

Seniors can receive a rebate of up to $650 on property taxes paid in 2009 if household income does not exceed $35,000, not including 50 percent of Social Security payments, Supplemental Security income and Railroad Retirement benefits. Renters can earn up to $15,000 and still be eligible for the program. The amount of the rebate is determined by household income, with lower-income households receiving larger rebates.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications are available at my district offices. District residents can also apply by calling toll-free 1-888-222-9190 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. or by visiting www.revenue.state.pa.us. Applicants who have already signed up for the program and would like to check on the receipt and status of their claim can call toll-free 1-888-PATAXES.