The deed for 176 acres of prime land along Pine Creek and forestland in Lycoming County is being transferred from the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The land will be added to the Tiadaghton State Forest.

Also this week, state and local officials celebrated the completion of the fourth phase on the northern end of Pine Creek Rail-Trail, one of the state's longest and most popular rail-trails.

“By conserving this land, we are protecting much more than trees and open space,” DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis said at a special ceremony along Pine Creek. “With 2,300 feet of frontage on Pine Creek and 3,000 feet of the Pine Creek Rail-Trail crossing it, this property has significant recreational value and will be open to fishing, boating and hiking with its addition to the Tiadaghton State Forest.”

DCNR invested approximately $595,000 of Growing Greener II funding, a voter-approved $625 million bond issue, to acquire the land through the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy.

“A steep hillside on the property with a footpath also provides access to an impressive stand of red pine and a nice view from the mountaintop,” Secretary DiBerardinis said.

The land, known as the Yoder property, was the former home of the Pine Creek Camper Court. Several times, high water from Pine Creek has flooded the campground, strewing debris along the banks of the creek.

“Pine Creek and the Pine Creek Rail-Trail are tremendous assets, not only for recreation but also to the economies of our communities,” said Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy Executive Director Renee Carey. “The protection of this land offers a great opportunity to replant the streamside and to view the creek and hillside without distraction.”

“The Yoder property brings the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy close to reaching a milestone of protecting 10,000 acres,” Secretary DiBerardinis said. “We congratulate the conservancy on their success and thank them for their hard work facilitating the Yoder property acquisition.”

With this recent addition, Tiadaghton State Forest now encompasses about 147,000 acres, most of which are in Lycoming County.

Tiadaghton was the name the Iroquois gave to Pine Creek, the largest tributary of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Tiadaghton State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid to late 1800s.

Secretary Michael DiBerardinis also cut the ribbon to mark the occasion with a host of local officials and trail enthusiasts at the trailhead outside of Wellsboro Junction, Tioga County. The trail runs through Pine Creek Gorge in Tioga and Lycoming counties. The northern trailhead and a connection into Wellsboro are future plans.

"Trails are all about connections, and in the case of the Pine Creek Rail-Trail, the vision is to connect one of the best hiking and biking trails in the country to a host of facilities and local businesses in Wellsboro," Secretary DiBerardinis said. "A DCNR Growing Greener grant recently funded a survey by the Rails-Trails Conservancy showing that more than half of the people who visit the trail stay overnight, and that the trail generates about $5.5 million annually for the local economy."

DCNR has invested about $7.5 million in the Pine Creek Rail-Trail, including $1.4 million in Phase IV. Most of the funding came through federal transportation enhancements administered by PennDOT.

"The next phase of our work on the Pine Creek Trail will be a connector that will help us focus the development of accommodations and services in the nearby trail town of Wellsboro, rather than in the Pine Creek Valley where they would have a greater impact on the natural resource," Secretary DiBerardinis said. "It's a continuation of our efforts in the Pennsylvania Wilds to work with local communities to make sure this area can be enjoyed by all, but also retains its charm and remains protected for future generations."

The first phase of the Pine Creek Rail-Trail opened in 1996 through the bottom of the Pine Creek Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, along an abandoned railroad bed. An additional eight miles of trail is now being added at its northern terminus, from Ansonia to Wellsboro Junction to complete the 62-mile, multi-use trail for hiking, bicycling and cross country skiing.

Trail users can see wildlife like eagles, ospreys, coyotes, deer, wild turkeys, herons, river otters and black bears. Diverse plant life, scattered old-growth timber, historic pine and spruce plantations and several foundations from the Civilian Conservation Corps era can also be found along the trail.

The trail work is part of ongoing efforts to improve recreational opportunities and increase nature tourism in the 12-county area known as the Pennsylvania Wilds, which covers Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Warren counties. It includes 27 state parks, 1.5 million acres of state forest and game lands, the largest elk herd in the northeast U.S., and the darkest nighttime skies.

Visit the Pennsylvania Wilds webpage for more information.

9/14/2007