Construction Advances At Bald Eagle State Park Nature Inn

The closure of at least one road and restroom facilities at Bald EagleState Park, Centre County, is likely later this month as workprogresses on the Pennsylvania state park system’s first nature inn,DCNR officials announced this week.

 

“Though dependent on the weather, construction work for thisinnovative and exciting project remains on track, but park visitors arereminded the work will require some changes,” said Bureau of State Parks Director John W. Norbeck. “As most construction activity will beconfined to Skyline Drive, that roadway and the restrooms along it arelikely to be closed to the public later this month.”

 

When weather permits, clearing and other site work has beenundertaken at the park by the Leonard S. Fiore Inc. contracting firm ofAltoona. Nature inn construction is expected to be completed byspring 2010.

 

The facility will provide a unique, modern inn setting with an outdoorrecreation and stewardship focus; make maximum use of greenbuilding technologies; and serve as a premier interpretive facility forbird watching.

 

“Temporary inconvenience will yield to permanent improvement atBald Eagle as the nature inn is expected to draw an even larger legionof birders and nature enthusiasts to this state park serving as a‘welcome mat’ to the Pennsylvania Wilds to its north,” said Norbeck.

 

Located near Howard, Bald Eagle State Park is known across thestate for it woodcock mating displays. Also, every spring warblers,flycatchers and swallows, display courtship rituals while searching fornesting spots in the park. Boaters and beach goers commonly seeherons, gulls, geese and osprey around the lake. In the fall, migratingmergansers, cormorants, and buffleheads frequent the park’s1,730-acre Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir.

 

Partnerships with conservation and artisan groups are being pursuedto maximize the inn’s educational and community benefits. Incooperation with Audubon Pennsylvania, guest rooms will featurelimited edition prints of John James Audubon’s paintings of birdsfound in Pennsylvania.

 

Green features of the 18,500-square-foot, 16-room building willinclude: a high efficiency geothermal heating and cooling system;solar collectors to heat water for showers and laundry; rainwater will be collected and used for flushing toilets; low-water-use plumbing fixturesand high efficiency lighting throughout; Pennsylvania hardwoods fromforests certified as using sustainable forestry for structure, finishes and furnishings; and direct access to hiking and biking trails to enableand encourage healthy interaction with park resources.

 

The inn will feature works by artisans participating in the PennsylvaniaWilds Artisans Workgroupthat was created in the north central regionof the state.

 

For more information, visit the Bald Eagle State Park webpage. (Reprinted from DCNR Resources online newsletter.)