More than seven square miles were added to the State Game Lands system by the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of game commissioners at its recent quarterly meeting. Included was the agency's largest land acquisition in Luzerne County in more than 50 years and the addition of a 384-acre tract to SGLs 217 on the northern slope of the Blue Mountain in Schuylkill County's West Penn Township.

Through an agreement with PPL Electric Utilities Corporation to provide right-of-way licenses to construct electric transmission facilities across SGLs 38, 91, 135, 183, 300 and 312 in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties, the PGC will receive 3,393 acres from Blue Ridge Real Estate Company, Blakeslee. An additional 291 acres is being acquired from Blue Ridge with funds from third-party commitments for habitat and recreational loss compensation.Land added to SGLs 217 was made possible by the Wildlands Conservancy, Emmaus, which was working on behalf of the Palmerton Natural Resources Trustee Council. Both the Schuylkill County Sportsmen's Advisory Board and Schuylkill County Sportsmen's Association made donations of $1,000 each toward the purchase.**********First Frontier Militia, the muzzleloader branch of Bowmanstown Rod and Gun Club, is holding a muzzleloader shoot Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. For information, call Roger Fisher at 610-377-2812.**********Sunday's edition of "Experience The Outdoors," hosted by award-winning Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association member Doyle Dietz, at 7 a.m. on 1410-AM WLSH, at 9:30 a.m. on Magic 105.5-FM and on the Web at

http://www.wmgh.com/ by clicking the link to the program, features Schuylkill County Youth Field Day chairman Dennis Scharadin.**********Free registration is underway for Schuylkill County Youth Field Day, Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Friedensburg Fish and Game, 169 Stone Mountain Road, Pine Grove. This hands-on, outdoors educational event includes lunch and is for youth between the ages of 10-15, who must be accompanied by an adult chaperones. For information and registration, contact "Porcupine Pat" McKinney at the Schuylkill County Conservation District at (570) 622-4124, Ext.113, or email

porcupinepat@yahoo.com.**********A Keystone Wounded Warriors Fishing Day will be held Saturday, May 18, beginning at 10 a.m., at South End Field and Stream, Whippoorwill Dam, Morea Road, Frackville. For information contact Tom Frendak at 410-688-0318 or

tomfrendak@hotmail.com.**********Free outdoors-related activities geared for all ages will highlight the 12th annual Bear Creek Festival, Sunday, May 19, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Route 895 West, Summit Station. This family oriented event is sponsored by the Schuylkill County Conservation District and offers visitors numerous educational activities related to our environment. Activities include building bluebird houses, painting flower pots, a fishing derby, a demonstration by DEKKA-HAUS German shepherds, live animal presentations by the Red Creek Wildlife Center and loading and firing demonstrations of flintlock muzzleloader rifles.**********Every Sunday during May and June, a free introductory course to fly fishing is being sponsored by the Federation of Fly Fishers at Cabela's Hamburg location. There are two sessions to the course, beginning at 12:30 p.m. with "Introduction to Fly Fishing" and concluding at 2:30 p.m. with "Introduction to Fly Casting," and participants must pre-register by calling the Cabela's Fly Shop at 610-929-7000.**********A simulated hunting 3D course is open daily through October 12 from dawn to dusk at Bears Head Archery, Delano, off I-81 exit 134. Sundays, the course is closed from 1-4 p.m. for trap. For information, email

docblazer@verizon.net.**********Registration for individual days of the 112-mile, guided kayak and canoe Schuylkill River Sojourn, from Saturday, June 1, departing from Schuylkill Haven, to Friday, June 7, ending in Philadelphia, is underway by accessing the Schuylkill River Heritage Area website at

www.schuylkillriver.org/Sojourn.aspx

http://www.schuylkillriver.org/Sojourn.aspx or call (484) 945-0200.