On July 20, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the department has opened up a public survey for input on plans at Big Elk Creek State Park in Chester County.

“We are eager to hear from the public about its needs and amenities desired at Big Elk Creek, as we develop plans for the park,” Dunn said. “We welcome feedback from locals who will be directly impacted by the park, as well as those who plan to visit the park as its operations expand.”

The 10-question survey can be accessed here or through Big Elk Creek State Park’s website. The survey will close Sunday, August 13.

Feedback from the survey will be considered as a part of a master plan DCNR’s Bureau of State Parks is preparing to conserve and restore the land, while also providing recreation opportunities for all at Big Elk Creek State Park.

Big Elk Creek is one of three new parks DCNR announced in 2022.

Trails are open to the public, but the park currently does not have infrastructure traditionally associated with state parks, such as restrooms and a park office.

The park conserves 1,700 acres in southern Chester County, extending an important wildlife corridor and providing refuge for a wide array of rare and threatened species.

The property contains 3.5 miles of Big Elk Creek, a tributary of the Elk River and the Chesapeake Bay, and more than 690 different plant species.

The park also contains 2.1 miles of the Mason-Dixon line along the Pennsylvania/Maryland state border, Elk Township's Spring Lawn Trail, and adjoins the 5,300-acre Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area in Maryland.

DCNR is planning a similar survey for Susquehanna Riverlands State Park to be announced at a later date.

There is no plan for a public survey for Vosburg Neck State Park because of development restrictions and existing infrastructure for recreation.

Visit DCNR’s website for more information Big Elk Creek State Park, and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for events on public lands.

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

NewsClips:

-- NextPittsburgh: Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group Finds Camaraderie On The Trails

-- Observer-Reporter: Beaver County Boy Scouts Make 100-Mile Trek To Fayette County Camp

-- TribLive: Hays Woods Officially Designated A Pittsburgh Park

-- LancasterOnline: Completed Long’s Park Wetlands Project Will Improve Water Quality, Expand Nature Areas

-- Beaver County Times: Summer Views In Buttermilk Falls Natural Area

-- Keep PA BeautifuL July Newsletter: Seeking High School Young Ambassadors; Land & Water Stewards; Community Pride Award Winner; Healing The Planet Grant Awards; More!

-- NextPittsburgh: Ohiopyle Offers Every Level Of Laurel Highlands Adventure

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Related Articles:

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets July 26 On State Forest Strategic Plan; Update From Fish & Boat Commission; Seeking New Council Members  [PaEN]

-- DCNR: PA First Lady Lori Shapiro Joins DCNR Secretary For PA Outdoor Corps Visit At French Creek State Park [Berks, Chester Counties]

-- US Dept. Of Interior Announces $8.8 Million Grant To PA For Land & Water Conservation Fund Recreation Projects

-- DCNR Blog: Creating A New Toolkit To Create Outdoor Connections For Older Adults

-- DCNR Opens Survey For Public Input On Plans For New Big Elk Creek State Park In Chester County  [PaEN]

-- Charity Checkout For Conservation Raises Funds For PA Wilds State Parks, Forests From PA Wilds Conservation Shop, Online Sales  [PaEN]

-- Fish & Boat Commission Awards $187,625 Grants To Support Education Program To Retain, Recruit, Reactivate Interest In Fishing & Boating

-- Stroud Water Research Center: Family Day Engages Latino Community; Denlinger Farm Tour Focuses On Stewardship; Profiles Of Delaware Watershed Community Scientists; Laura Turner Seidel Freshwater Excellence Award Winner [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Federal, State, And Local Officials, Land Conservancy Of Adams County Celebrate Preservation Of Over 1,700 Acres  [PaEN]

-- Manada Conservancy Recognizes Laudenslager Family With Conservation Award In Dauphin County  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Two Susquehanna River Islands Preserved Off Harrisburg Shoreline

-- Winners Named In Susquehanna Greenway Partnership 12th Annual Photo Contest; Vote For People's Choice  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 21, 2023]

7/24/2023