Preserving
Pennsylvania Landscapes

Hikers need trails, and trails need land to cross.
To hike, the land must be saved...

U.S. Representative Timothy Holden, leading SATC hikers during Pennsylvania Hiking Week 2005

Sometimes, ya just gotta come out of the woods and pay attention!

A Preservation Success Story...

. .

Rob Danner photos

The Thousand Steps

on Huntingdon County's Standing Stone Trail

SATC has been proud to have been among the coalition of organizations financially supporting the acquisition of The Thousand Steps from an out-of-state conglomerate and ensuring the area remains accessible to the public in perpetuity through its incorporation in State Game Lands #112.

Former SATC President and Central Pennsylvania Conservancy chair Carol Witzeman tells the story:

CPC’s second land acquisition project started at a Keystone Trails Association meeting that CPC Budget and Finance Chair and former SATC Trailmaster, Craig Dunn and I attended. Mike Sausser, Link Trail (now called Standing Stone Trail -ed.) Maintainer, announced that the land surrounding the Thousand Steps was being sold, potentially severing the Link Trail which is a hiking trail connecting the Mid State Trail and the Tuscarora Trail. The 1000 Steps lie almost in the middle of the Trail. This was truly a unique project involving many diverse groups. In addition to CPC, KTA, and SATC, the local tourism bureau, local historical societies, local scout troops, service clubs, garden clubs, local legislators, local businesses, hunting clubs, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Game Commission and many individuals worked together to protect not only the Trail, but also a piece of local history. The landowner, Harbison-Walker Refractories, even held the mortgage until the fund raising was complete, after having sold the property at a“ bargain sale price.” Although Mount Union and Huntingdon are no longer a booming industrial area, the local support for the project was overwhelming. When the property was turned over to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for permanent protection, there was a huge crowd; and after the ceremony everyone joined in a traditional Huntingdon “rite of passage,” by climbing the“ 1000 Steps” and enjoying the breathtaking view from the top of Jack’s Mountain. Next time you’re driving along Route 22 towards Altoona, stop just 1.9 miles west of Mount Union and climb the Steps or at least climb from the road a couple of hundred yards up to the CPC sign recognizing all the folks who 'bought' Steps (including SATC)—they are all listed on the back of a very historical sign.

Download the maps created by volunteer members of SATC and enjoy the MUST hike of south-central PA.

Pennsylvania's Green Menace:

Invasive Species
Prevention and Removal

Information supplied by
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Does it seem like there's more thorny stickers in the woods,
and fewer wildflowers?

Free trade every day brings plants to our shores that don't belong here and crowd out the ones that do. Mile-a-minute, multiflora (or "M.F.") rose, Japanese stiltgrass, and garlic mustard are just a few of the plants that choke off the native species of our woods and starve our wildlife.

In 2007, SATC volunteers have begun to take a stand and do our small part to combat the insidious green menace. Springtime volunteers are especially needed to hit invasive plants before they set seed and make millions more. If you can't recognize them, click Here.

All Hikers... Click HERE to learn the small steps ALL of us MUST do.

Contact SATC and ask to become a "Weed Warrior" ... before it's too late!

The Plague on Streams, Farms and Forests: ATVs

Information supplied by PA Forest Coalition and cooperating outdoors lovers

They run up and down stocked Trout streams, damage crops on farmland, rip out fencing and gates on public lands, intimidate landowners who try to stop them, ride on our public roadways. These trespassers have had virtually free-rein, despite Act 68 of 2001(the ATV law).

ATV's did THIS to Allegheny County's Rachel Carson Trail:

Claim: If you give us more (legal) trails, the trespass will stop.
Fact: Legal trails have engendered more trespass. A DCNR study of 7-11-2000 stated that there was no correlation that legal trails diminished illegal riding. In fact, the seven State Forests with ATV trails had an average of 50 more miles of illegal motorized trails.

Neither snow nor ice stops illegal ATV's on their self-appointed rounds,
on a State Forest Hiking Trail to silt up a Wilderness Trout Stream,
in an Exceptional Value watershed - Nickel Run in Tioga County.

Claim: ATVs will be the economic salvation of rural Pennsylvania.
Fact: The economic benefit of hunters, hikers, anglers and wildlife-watchers is far greater than the economic impact of ATV riders. Our forests can’t be all things to all people. The vast majority of people who visit our state lands go there for the beauty and tranquility, not as a playground where they can rip up the land. Economic salvation? Only if you’re talking about after they drive out the hunters, hikers, anglers and wildlife-watchers – the very folks who are the big money-makers for Pennsylvania’s tourism industry.

Claim: We need town-to-town ATV access.
Fact: The 2004 PSU study ATV Riders and Their Needs found “There was little desire for multiple day trips involving a variety of overnight spots.” Allowing ATVs on public roadways gives them corridors for trespass – easier access to the private lands they covet. In addition, PennDOT studies (2000-2006) show that 10% of all on-road ATV accidents involve drugs/alcohol. Encouraging these unlicensed, uninspected (uninsured?) motor vehicles on public roads if a dangerous and foolhardy move. They don't want RECREATION, they want TRANSPORTATION. An ATV is not a second car.

Claim: We wish to “encourage the better use of existing ATV trails and promote legal, safe ATV operation” (DCNR press release July 2007).
Fact: Building “Strategic ATV Corridors” to township roads might be legal, but in 28 % of ATV crashes on Pennsylvania roads, the drivers were under 16 years old. The youngest “driver” was nine years old. The largest single age group of ATV drivers involved in accidents on public roads was the 15-year olds. ATVs do not handle well on hard roads; why encourage more accidents?

This ATV went out of its way to run through the one puddle
to illegally trash the Armstrong Trail.

Claim: It’s only a few bad apples.
Fact: Illegal ATV riding in some state lands is out of control. It is the Game Commission’s most common citation. DCNR Rangers set up nets and catch illegal ATV riders only to have them return, again and again. Present laws are obviously ineffective; impoundment and forfeiture of the machines might get their attention.

DCNR has provided 227 miles of well-designed, relatively safe ATV trails in sacrificial areas of seven state forests. The Strategic Corridor plan would “expand riding terrain” by over 300 miles by providing a little over 8 miles of connectors. That “expanded terrain” would be on public roadways.

In January 2008, the PA Forest Coalition requests your support by asking State Legislators to support HB 2043 and SB 1096. Present laws are obviously ineffective. Instead of rewarding bad behavior by building over $ 2 million of new trails and access corridors to public roadways, DCNR should demand a quid pro quo: “Clean up your act, then we will reward you with more trails.”That group suggests asking for amendments to include impoundment and forfeiture of the vehicles. In their view, DCNR’s plan to allow exits from three state forests to public roads is ill-conceived and a threat to public safety. You could call the connectors “Corridors to Trespass.” You could call the machines ETVs – EcoTerrorism Vehicles.

Susquehanna Water Gap

The National Natural Landmark in our back yard... soon to become 2,000 front yards?

SATC is a participating member in the Susquehanna Water Gap Coalition of groups concerned with the pending sprawl of the Harrisburg metropolitan area through Blue Mountain.

Click here to learn more...

The latest issue of the local Sierra Club (Gov Pinchot Group) newsletter mentioned their efforts.
Check it out: http://home.comcast.net/~swgcpa/Susq_Water_Gap.pdf
It might be a slow download if you're on dial-up.

SATC Part of Opposition to
"Land Swap" in Stony Valley

Stony Valley (Saint Anthony's Wilderness) is a unique area. Our state government recognized that fact twenty-five years ago, when Governor Thornburgh signed The Stony Creek Wild and Scenic River Act (Act 18 of 1980).

The Act protects the 16-mile main stem of Stony Creek, three tributary streams and related adjacent land areas (from the headwaters in Lebanon County to the Pennsylvania Game Commission gate at Ellendale Forge).

The National Guard (Fort Indiantown Gap) now wants 2100 acres of that land, claiming that Second Mountain is not sufficient as a backstop for their firing range. Their problem of "escaped ordnance" is a result of poor performance of Range Safety Officers, not to any new technology.

This unique area must be protected. Once the land is transferred, there would be no state control over what happens to it in the future. In addition, recent Federal Administration policy has been to exempt military facilities from most environmental rules.

SATC joins the many other organizations which have organized to fight this threat to this unique local historical and natural treasure. We feel that the National Guard would not be responsible environmental stewards.

Stony Creek Valley should be protected under the stewardship of the Pennsylvania Game Commission as long as streams flow and trees grow. For the latest information, check out http://www.savestonyvalley.com.

ATV trails in State Forests . . Member clubs of KTA dedicate more than 35,000 hours every year, maintaining footpaths. Many trails are being ruined by ATV trespass. Despite this (2,535 miles of illegal ATV trails documented by DCNR), some ignorant politicians think that our forests should be open to ATVs and motorcycles. They simply don't understand the damage to habitat and disturbance to all the other less-invasive forest users such as hunters, fishermen,hikers and wildlife watchers.

Write to your District Forester. Clearly state your opposition to ATV trails in our State Forests. Your letters do carry weight.

There is much illegal ATV activity on public land. You can help end it by reporting evidence of illegal ATV use in the State Forests (tracks or actual sightings). Let them know of the problems, so the Rangers can put a stop to the illegal activity.

It's odd, but your words carry more weight than the professional Foresters' words. ..

If you remain silent on this,

the forests will not..remain silent..

We have over 3,000 MILES of hiking trails in Pennsylvania.

An excellent source of information on them are the books by..Tom Thwaites,
Published by Backcountry Publications

Look for the titles

"50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania"

"50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania"

Also, get a copy of the Keystone Trails Association (K.T.A.) book

"Pennsylvania Hiking Trails (12th Ed. 1998)

For each trail, the books list the trail's location and how to get there ....They contain many maps as well as good information.

Don't forget your map & compass . . . please stay found !

HIKING TRAILS IN STATE FORESTS

Results of a Meeting with Assistant State Forester David Gregg:

A meeting was held at the Forestry District Office in Huntingdon, PA.

Assistant State Forester David Gregg Chaired the meeting which was attended by Forestry personnel, plus two representatives from the Mountain Bike Community ,two from the Equine Community and two from the Hiking Community. Subsequent to the meeting, the DCNR Bureau of Forestry designated Eighteen State Forest Trails and three National trails as "Hiking Only" . These trails have always been a part of the State Forest Hiking Trail System and will remain as footpaths.

THE 18 TRAILS:

1. Baker Trail
2. Black Forest Trail
3. Bucktail Path
4. Chuck Keiper Trail
5. Donut Hole Trail
6. Golden Eagle Trail
7. John P. Saylor Trail
8. Lost Turkey Trail
9. Loyalsock Trail
10. Mid State Trail
11. Old Loggers Path
12. Pinchot Trail System
13. Quehanna Trail
14. Rocky Knob Trail
15. Susquehannock Trail System
16. Thunder Swamp Trail System
17. Tuscarora Trail
18. West Rim Trail

There are many recreational demands for our State Forests.

There will be a combination of Positive and Negative signing on these trails in order to apprise users of the legal use of each trail and prevent the destruction of the trail by a non- approved use.

Hikers have a long record of building and maintaining footpaths in Pennsylvania. Keystone Trails Association in 1998 was awarded the Conservation Volunteer Group of the Year by Governor Ridge and the Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources. Last year they put in over 35,000 documented hours of work on Pennsylvania trails (and many more hours that we never reported).

We have learned how to build and maintain footpaths so that they have the least possible impact on the land. As the leader in trail-building in Pennsylvania, we can share our expertise with Mountain Bikers and Equestrian Groups to help them in their trail-building goals.

NPF 2.17.2008

Preserving Pennsylvania Landscapes