“It’s definitely a work in progress,” said board President John Tallarico Jan. 14, speaking briefly about ongoing meetings with representatives of the PennEast Pipeline. As the proposed natural gas pipeline will cross a number of watershed properties owned by the authority, the issue is of intense importance and scrutiny where Bethlehem’s drinking water is involved.

Tallarico said the authority and PennEast Company have maintained an open dialog and the group has been very responsive and cooperative.

Maser Engineering consultant Ron Madison is monitoring PennEast’s current work drilling holes and testing for the placement of the pipe around or under existing obstacles. One obstacle is existing water transmission lines; another is Beltzville Lake.

Madison said two of three holes have been dug, south of the lake and north of Wire Ridge Tunnel, thus far without any damage to the environment.

Authority Executive Director Steve Repasch said seismic testing indicates the rock substrata may be well-suited for placing the pipe underground – or in this case under lake.

The board was also given an update on 2015’s numerous woodland management programs by Forrester Robin Wildermuth. While successful, safe and on-track in thinnings, controlled burns and other maintenance efforts, he said the surge of gypsy moths last spring will likely have an even greater impact this year.

Last year 245 acres were doused with an organic spray to combat a rising moth larvae population which posed a threat of massive defoliation in the Wild Creek area. While it was helpful, Wildermuth said, it suffered because the warm, dry weather was a perfect incubator for the young moths.

This year, he said, though it’s hard to predict outcomes based on weather, he’s chosen 650 acres most likely to suffer the most from the bugs if not sprayed again. Wildermuth said leaving the affected areas to their fate could result in tremendous loss of trees and even have more serious ecological ramifications to the water supply itself, as has happened elsewhere in the past. “We’re in a game of taking chances here,” he said.

Respasch said $32,500 has been budgeted for a spraying this spring, probably in the third week of May, which is when the moth larvae are most vulnerable to attack.

The next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Feb. 11 at city hall.