Birder part of mission to save local fowl sanctuary
SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) — Bird-watching is a hobby for some, an obsession for others.
Dr. Jeff Payne likely falls somewhere in the middle. He doesn’t neglect major responsibilities in his life to search for rare and exotic fowl like the birding enthusiasts in the 2011 movie “The Big Year.” He does, however, keep track of how many birds he sees in Somerset County, specifically at Somerset Lake.
“There are very few places in the state you can find that many birds,” said the 56-year-old veterinarian from Allegheny Township. He counted 232 species in Somerset County during a 2012 tally, many of them at the lake. His friend Mike Lanzone counted 264 that year. Many on his list were spotted at the lake as well.
The lake — or rather saving it — has become a passion for Payne. It was one of the reasons he moved to the area in 1985. He believes the lake can be part of the outdoor assets that draw people to the region. He is part of a group of people and organizations that has started a fundraising campaign to save the lake. The lake is considered by the state to be a high-hazard dam. Without help the 250-acre recreational source risks being drained. Payne’s love for the lake is easily apparent. He was watching a group of ducks there recently and within a few minutes he identified about 10 species. Eagle-watching will soon be good because they will be eating small fish that got caught in the ice.
“We can’t let this go away,” Payne said about the refuge.
Officials found problems with the lake’s dam around 2009. The water level has been drawn down 6 feet for safety. It will cost millions of dollars to fix the earthen barrier. Payne is hopeful about the local effort to meet the challenge. He works with the nonprofit Somerset County Conservancy and its offshoot, the Somerset Lake Action Committee. The latter was formed in 2013 as a citizens committee to promote the lake. So far more than $100,000 has been raised. Payne and others are waiting on word from the state about the status of anticipated millions to rebuild the structure. He said state Sen. Pat Stefano and state Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar have been supporters of the work.
“Very simply we are advocating for the governor to release the money,” said Ben Wren, Stefano’s chief of staff.
Funding for the lake would come from a capital source of funds that is separate from the state’s general budget, he said. The capital fund receives money from natural gas impact fees and boat and water craft registration fees, among other sources. About $2 million must have Gov. Tom Wolf’s approval to be released for the project, according to Wren. Officials are hoping to have funds from the Fish & Boat Commission as well.
In the meantime Payne and others are working on small steps to realize their vision, which includes a better walking trail, boat rentals and pavilions. A lease agreement between Somerset County and the state Fish & Boat Commission is being finalized. The deal leaves the commission in charge of the water, boats and dam. The county would be responsible for a planned park around the lake.
An aluminum boat dock donated by the Riggs Family Foundation could be one of the first improvements. It is slated to be installed in the next few months.
“It’s going to take a few years,” Payne said of the project’s overall time frame. “If we can’t get money, it will keep dragging on longer and longer.”
Payne has been a part of other success stories. He is particularly proud of the Kimberly Run Natural Area just outside Somerset. The conservancy acquired former state and county land and created a place where people can hike, cross-country ski, fish and hunt.
“We took an area that hadn’t been messed with in a while and kept it in a public use domain,” he said.
He also lists about a half-dozen acid mine reclamation sites around the county as conservancy success stories. The projects have either improved water quality or public recreation.
A chief concern among those involved with the lake work is not to overdevelop the area around the water. They don’t want to chase away the wildlife, including the birds. Payne recently returned from a nine-day trip to Costa Rica where he saw 320 species. He said he noticed a few birds that migrate to northeast America. He can’t help but wonder if some of those birds he saw will travel to Somerset County.
“He really is a first-class birder; he knows what he is doing out there,” said Dr. Scott Bastian, a fellow veterinarian who practices nears Stoystown and tallied 222 birds during the 2012 count. “We have a friendly rivalry.”
Bastian agreed that the lake is a sanctuary for birders.
“There is a wide cross section of birds that can be seen there,” he said.
Payne was watching ducks at the lake Thursday with his German shorthaired pointer, Sora. She is named after a type of bird. As he described plans for the walking trail around the water Sora was tugging on the leash, as eager to track the birds as Payne was to spot another type of one. But the veterinarian’s love of animals goes beyond ducks, eagles and geese. He grew up in northern Ohio where he was surrounded by animals.
“We always had plenty of critters, horse, dogs, cats, ducks,” he said.
Payne and his first wife, Lauretta, started the Somerset Veterinary Hospital in 1990. Lauretta died of cancer in 2009. They have two children, Matthew and Christopher, both in their 20s and in college. Payne married Carolyn LaBute in 2014.
During the years he has enjoyed his practice, both the people and the animals.
“All the diseases we get as people animals get in some shape or form, too,” he said. “Working with animals and their owners over the years has been fun — a lot of challenges.”
His biggest challenge, however, might deal with counting.
“He (Lanzone) set a number no one will ever beat,” Payne said of his friend’s 2012 bird count. Somerset Lake seems to be the best place for him to start a new tally, should he choose to attempt to beat his friend’s mark. He said more than 250 species of birds have been found there.
“We have this great thing,” Payne said of the lake. “We’d like to keep it.”