The Friends of Allegheny Wilderness are asking the public to submit comments urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect wilderness areas around the Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir as part of the Corps' 25-year Master Plan for the area in Warren County.

Comments are due June 14.

Suggested Comments

The FAW is encouraging comments that say--

In order to maximize the water quality of the Allegheny Reservoir, and the Allegheny River downstream of the Kinzua Dam, I would like to see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formally and strongly advocate the maximum amount of area permanently protected from all forms of development as wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964 on the federal Allegheny National Forest lands  immediately surrounding the Allegheny Reservoir.

Specifically, as part and parcel of the new Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir Master Plan, the USACOE should advocate wilderness protection for the following areas from the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal for Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest, published by the ubiquitously-supported Warren-based non-profit organization Friends of Allegheny Wilderness in 2003:

-- Morrison Run (6,887 acres)

-- Tracy Ridge (9,705 acres)

-- Scandia (4,752 acres)

-- Chestnut Ridge (5,191 acres)

-- Cornplanter (3,022 acres)

Together, if these eminently qualifying areas were all added by law to America’s National Wilderness Preservation System, it would total nearly 30,000 acres of Pennsylvania wildlands immediately surrounding the Allegheny Reservoir.

In addition to permanently protecting much of the watershed of the Allegheny Reservoir, such designations would also provide high-quality wildlife habitat, and high-quality non-motorized and non-mechanized recreation opportunities for human beings for generations to come.

To Submit Comments

1. Go to the Master Plan website

2. Click on the “Tell Us What You Think” tab all the way on the right-hand side toward the top of the page.

3. X out of (close) the “Welcome to the Master Plan” box that appears.

4. Click on #2, “Environmental Comment” with the green box and evergreen tree icons.

5. Click on the red banner that says “+ Click to Start a Comment.”

6. Enter your personal contact information in the top boxes where asked.

7. In the box labeled “Comment: (required),” please copy and paste the suggest comments above. You may of course personalize it as you see fit. In fact, it would probably be best if you did add your own personal touch or flair to it concerning why it is important to you to permanently protect from all forms of development the lands around the Allegheny Reservoir:

8. To pick a location, just use the map to the left to zoom in on the Allegheny Reservoir, and pick any random spot in the middle of the Reservoir on the Pennsylvania side to click on to add your location.

9. Finally, simply click on the blue “Report It” button at the bottom.

10. That’s it, you’re done!

Click Here for a copy of the FAW’s email on this issue.

The Friends of Allegheny Wilderness thank you very much for helping to protect wilderness in the Allegheny National Forest for all future generations to use and enjoy!

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[Posted: June 8, 2019]

6/10/2019