DCNR Sproul State Forest Management Meeting

Snow Shoe Rails to Trails & Central Mountain ATVA attended the DCNR State Forest Management Plan meeting last evening at Lock Haven University. After their presentation about Sproul State Forest, we were able to talk with various people at work stations pertaining to each field. Of course we were interested in the Bloody Skillet to Renovo and Renovo to Whiskey Springs areas. We did get a chance to voice our opinions. The next step on the process is to wait for Larson Design Group to complete the feasibility study. They are going to do some field work to address water area concerns and some areas where the trail would be going near camps. Jeff Snyder, Clinton County Commissioner was in attendance  to support the efforts along with Mike Hanna Jr. Both of these gentlemen realize the importance of this trail connection for economic benefits-a must need for our areas. Rodney Preslovich, Snow Shoe Township Supervisor attended to voice his support for the project too.

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Dust Protector

Gary Halsnik applying dust protector to trail May 30,2018 between Number 10 and Clarence. Members, please go slow in this "Slow Down Area"  Thank you!

​DCNR Announces Series of Meetings Seeking Public Input On State Forest Districts Across Pennsylvania

Members,

Please try to attend the following meetings, especially the one at Lock Haven University this Thursday, May 31, 6:30pm, Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center. This is the same place the last meetings were held. Need your help again. Hope to see you there.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2018
 
​DCNR Announces Series of Meetings Seeking Public Input

On State Forest Districts Across Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA - Today, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced new public involvement in charting the future course of Pennsylvania’s state forests begins later this month when Sproul State Forest District hosts the first of 20 public meetings across the state.

 

“In creating its comprehensive management plan for more than 2.2 million acres of state forestland, the Bureau of Forestry changed management techniques, updated forest inventories and, most importantly, listened to the public,” said Dunn. “This accent on public involvement continues as the bureau kicks off a series of public meetings tailored to address district topics of local interest and significance.”

 

The first public meeting begins at 6:30 PM Thursday, May 31, when Sproul State Forest District, based in Renovo, Clinton County, will host its meeting in the Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center, Main Ballroom, of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, 10 Susquehanna Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745.  Dates and locations of other district public meetings will be announced locally in the future.

 

“Paramount in these sessions is an effort to address the uniqueness of each of our 20 forest districts across Pennsylvania,” Dunn said. “Development encroaches on Pocono state forest tracts, for instance, while in the southcentral counties, state forests are feeling the pinch of mushrooming public usage. In northcentral counties, we address the vital economic worth of the timber industry; in the southwest, there is the value of increased tourism.”

 

The public meetings will focus on district specifics of the plan and aid the bureau in revising its District State Forest Resource Management Plans (DSFRMP).  A DSFRMP is written for each of the Bureau’s twenty forest districts across the state.

 

“This district planning revision process provides a great opportunity for the public to learn more about their local state forest and to get involved in district state forest management priorities,” Dunn said. “I invite our state forest visitors to take advantage of this opportunity, and make their feelings known.”

 

Both the district-level and statewide plans are designed to provide bureau staff a framework for work and management decisions; and to communicate to stakeholders how their forest is being managed. District plans build upon the foundation of the state-wide plan, while providing a greater level of detail and more focus on district-level priorities.

 

In 2016, the bureau revised its State Forest Resource Management Plan, the primary instrument used to plan, coordinate and communicate management of the state forest system. It provides management principles, goals, and objectives that apply at a state-wide level, regarding various uses and values of state forestland.

The bureau will be collecting public comment on draft versions of district plans at upcoming meetings. Also, it invites input by way of mail, email or an online survey. Questions or comments about upcoming public meetings can be directed to district offices hosting them.

 

A complete schedule of district public meetings can be found on the State Forest Resource Management Plan website at:

http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/StateForestManagement/ResourceManagementPlan/Pages/default.aspx.

 

Not all meetings are scheduled now; dates and meeting details will be posted on the page above, as well as on the individual district websites. Individual DSFRMPs can be found on district websites: http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/FindAForest/Pages/default.aspx.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Terry Brady, 717-705-2225; tbrady@pa.gov.

 

 

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Work Details on the Bloody Skillet Trail May 15th-16th

Snow Shoe Rails to Trails volunteers showed up in bunches again this year to performed work details on the Bloody Skillet Trail. The rain may have slowed us down on a few things but did not stop us from getting the trail ready for opening day. We worked on top the 2nd day and then worked on the connector trail the 3rd day. There was a large tree that needed to be cut from the switchback. Brad Holdren cut the tree from above and Kraig Haines cut the limbs into smaller pieces from below. Everyone else was carrying and removing the tree limbs. Gary Halsnik and Barry Armstong worked to brush the part of the connector trail from Kato Road to the railroad bed. We also collected some trash from along the Kato Road. Bob Fitterling provided the group some guidance along the way to where we needed to looked for fallen trees. He was going to work with a dozer operator to grade the connector trail down to the Orviston Parking Lot. They were also going to work on one of the other black areas too. Hopefully, they will have time to bring the dozer down over the switchback from DeHaas to the railroad as it is washing out and could use some attention too. We would also like to see some dirt left behind on all the turns as bumping blocks to prevent people from going over on the turns. Thank you again to all the volunteers for a job well done. Thank you to all the atv/utv users for taking out what you bring in as this was definitely the least amount of trash removed from the trail since we have been working here.

Bloody Skillet Work Detail May 14th

The SSRTA had an excellent crew working on Bloody Skillet today Monday, May 14, 2018 getting it ready for Opening Day " Friday of Memorial Day Weekend" This has been the least amount of trash collected of any year since we have been doing the work details here. This a is tribute to the atv users - Thank you all! We cut large and small trees from trail and also pruned back some smaller limbs too. Boyd Musser found one really nice super deep -no bottom hole. Thank you to all the volunteers for helping. We will continue Tuesday morning where we left off today. Wednesday, we will be riding our atvs/utvs from Gillentown Trailhead to the connector trail and work from there to DeHaas Road. Got to see Jim Smith from Penn State utilities-haven't seen him since we both retired.

Best Line Powersports & SSRT Held DCNR Youth ATV Training May 12

Best Line Powersports & Snow Shoe Rails to Trails held DCNR Youth Certification Training on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at their Centre Hall location. Best Line also held customer appreciation day. Trainers were George Holt, Bob Biggans, Marty Wagner and field operations was demonstrated by Julia Lihs and Bryson Wagner. Ed Kitchen, Forest Ranger from Rothrock State Forest also presented do's & don't of atv riding. He also displayed a poster board for all to view of the do's and don'ts. A great presentation. Dave Walker also was busy selling a number of units this day as he did not even get time to eat some of his favorite potatoes & sloppy joes. Thank you to Best Line for their great partnership with the SSRTA. The SSRTA marketing committee is always about recognizing partnerships.

Repairs On Peale/Gorton Road By SSRT - Friday, May 11

Snow Shoe Rails to Trails intended to replace a plugged drainage pipe on Peale/Gorton Road. However, after Fred Lingle uncovered it, he, Gary Halsnik & Andy Basalla unplugged the pipe and the water flowed freely. They built a head way and filled in the roadway where it was half washed out. It was hard to believe how wide the road extended past the plugged end of the pipe after the other half of the roadway washed out. We figured the existing pipe is about approximately 16 ft. Thanks to all the volunteers for helping to make this a safer place on this road.

May Meeting

 

May SSRTA Meeting held at Key Largo Restaurant last night. A lot of issues discussed and resolved. Thank you to all the volunteers that attended.