Master Watershed Steward Dean Neely takes a hands-on approach to conservation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For Master Watershed Steward volunteer Dean Neely, preserving Pennsylvania waters, forests and lands for future generations is a priority. He is happy to roll up his sleeves to take on conservation projects throughout Monroe County.

Neely said he always has loved the outdoors and was involved with the Pocono Heritage Land Trust and the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center before becoming a Master Watershed Steward. He explained that Penn State Extension and its Master Watershed Steward program provided him with a source for continued learning and more opportunities for participating in environmental preservation.

After retiring, Neely became one of the first certified Master Watershed Stewards in Monroe County after the program began there in 2018. He has completed more than 1,000 volunteer hours as a steward, working on projects such as removing invasive plants, planting riparian buffers, maintaining trails and monitoring streams.

“Dean is an incredible person and a huge part of our program,” said Jim Vogt, Monroe County Master Watershed Steward coordinator. “He volunteers for lots of hands-on work, public education and outreach.”

A primary initiative Neely helped lead as a Master Watershed Steward was the construction and revitalization of a 1,100-foot boardwalk located in the wetlands next to the Pocono Mountain West High School. The boardwalk is used as an educational tool for students and the public.

According to Neely, the Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association originally designed the low-impact boardwalk using natural cedar to “float” on the soft bog surface. A permit was secured in 2004 to utilize half-logs of northern white-cedar, a wood that resists rotting in wet environments, but the logs could not be sourced at that time. Red cedar boards were substituted, but they did not last in the bog environment and degraded over the past 20 years.

To start the repairs, the watershed association worked closely with the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley to obtain a grant to rebuild the boardwalk. This time, northern white-cedar logs were sourced from Maine for the project. The association and Master Watershed Stewards provided the necessary labor for the project beginning in spring 2023.

“We removed the old boards and began the reconstruction process,” Neely said. “More than 400 hours of labor were provided by Master Watershed Stewards to rebuild the boardwalk through this fascinating boreal environment.”

Another project that stands out during Neely’s tenure as a Master Watershed Steward was planting a live stake nursery at Middle Smithfield Park in Monroe County. The cuttings from this nursery will be used to repair and plant riparian buffers, which are areas adjacent to bodies of water that are planted with native trees and shrubs. These buffers are beneficial for filtering runoff, reducing erosion, and providing shelter and food for animals.

“Forests are necessary as our primary natural resource to maintain clean waters in our streams and lakes,” Neely explained.

Beginning in 2021, Neely and other volunteers planted approximately 75 trees in the buffer. The saplings were placed in wire cages to protect their early stages of growth, and with continued maintenance from Master Watershed Stewards, the trees have a 90 percent survival rate.

Neely said he is looking forward to more projects that focus on the preservation of Pennsylvania lands and waters. He noted that a big emphasis for him is working to decrease the rapid pace of deforestation for warehouses and solar farms.

“The Master Watershed Steward program’s personnel are fantastic individuals who enjoy working together and maintaining our natural resources,” Neely said. “We need all the friends of nature and the outdoors to come onboard. Penn State Extension’s guidance and support of our educational needs is also a major benefit.”

The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program provides extensive training in watershed management to volunteers who, in return, educate the community about watershed stewardship based on university research and recommendations. The program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across the commonwealth.

Anyone interested in becoming a Master Watershed Steward can learn more on the program’s website.