A Chance forrenewal. In Bill Bryson s famous book, A Walk in the

Transcription

1 By Da n R. Ku n k le A Chance forrenewal In Bill Bryson s famous book, A Walk in the Woods, the author devotes some attention to the Palmerton, Pennsylvania area along the Appalachian Trail. And the attention is not flattering. He writes of a mountain devastated by industrial pollution in the pre-clean Air Act era. He writes of a guard threatening to have him arrested for taking photos from the parking lot of the zinc smelter, which is responsible for the damage. He leaves a lasting impression in the reader s mind of a hopeless mountain, denuded by air pollution. Bryson wrote his book in 1998, 15 years after the Palmerton area was declared a Superfund site because of contamination of the soil by high concentrations of zinc, cadmium, and lead. When he visited Palmerton, the zinc company had implemented a remediation attempt on about 700 acres of the mountainside, just below the A.T. next to Palmerton. That effort has resulted in vegetation growing on the slopes of the Kittatinny Ridge, but it failed to meet all the goals set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, further at- tempts at restoration reverted to small test plots. In 2002, a non-profit group got involved and established the Lehigh Gap Nature Center (LGNC) on more than 750 acres on the Kittatinny Ridge west of the Lehigh River. The success in creating LGNC is directly related to the extensive partnerships the group s leaders have formed along the way with government agencies, businesses, foundations, and other conservation and recreation groups. Two of those groups are Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) hiking clubs. Above: Kittatinny Ridge in 2002 (inset) and 2007; prairie grasses held the key to restoring vegetation to both the property and the entire Superfund site; five years later a grassland ecosystem is developing around the Palmerton area. 20 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

2 w i l d l i f e a n d e ducat i o n The property serves as a wildlife refuge; Wildlife Information Center staff is head-quartered at the property s Osprey House (above) and works in conjunction with local universities and schools. The LGNC staff, with the help of some expert advisors, decided that prairie grasses held the key to restoring vegetation to the nature center property as well as the entire Superfund site. With EPA s blessing and a collaborative relationship with CBS Operations, the responsible party for the Superfund site, they developed a remediation plan. Tractors with spreaders trailing behind crawled across the lower slopes in 2003 leaving test plots with a thin layer of compost, lime, fertilizer, and prairie grass seed. A test planting using crop-duster aircraft followed in Both were successful, and plans were developed for full-scale planting in In 2008, another large tract of land owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission was planted aerially. And negotiations are under way for plantings on the National Park Service lands along the A.T. east of Lehigh Gap. The plantings have been very successful and a grassland ecosystem is developing on the slopes of the Kittatinny and elsewhere around the Palmerton area. The mountain is green for the first time in more than 50 years, and wildlife has returned. Tree swallows, eastern bluebirds, and American kestrels nest in the boxes placed in the grassland area, while bald eagles are frequently seen perched on a snag or flying over Lehigh in search of dinner. The grasses are being enhanced with plantings of native wildflowers, and wild turkeys, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, foxes, deer and an occasional black bear are seen on the refuge. A thriving ecosystem is developing on the mountainside. The Allentown Hiking Club (AHC) has partnered from the beginning with LGNC in designing and building the trail system at Lehigh Gap. With the Appalachian Trail, the North (Blue) Trail on top of the ridge, and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Trail (D&L Trail), at the base of the ridge, there is a great opportunity to create loop hikes on the mountainside. With AHC s trail experience and muscle, a network of trails is developing. The trails traverse a variety of habitats, from ponds, wetlands, and the Lehigh River to forests, grasslands and steep cliffs. The trail system offers outstanding views and the opportunity to hike without backtracking or doing car shuttles. A partnership has also developed with the Philadelphia Trail Club, which maintains the A.T. adjacent to LGNC. For the past four years, LGNC has hosted a spring meeting for the Philadelphia Trail Club and ATC. The meetings began as sessions to recruit volunteers, but have evolved into a regional conservation partnership gathering. The Lehigh Gap Nature Center has received three statewide conservation awards and the prestigious Community Conservation Partnership Award from the U.S. Department of Interior, given to LGNC and the D&L National Heritage Corridor for their partnership to restore vegetation and develop the Nature Center. A lot has changed since Bryson took his walk in the woods. Perhaps it is time for him to return to Palmerton; the area deserves a second look. For more information visit: photos courtesy of lehigh gap nature center 22 a.t. journeys September October 2008

3 Vistas In 1915, George Masa (born in Japan in the 1880s as Masahara Izuka) moved to Asheville, North Carolina where he developed a fervent interest in the southern Appalachian Mountains as well as large format photography. During the 18 years he lived there, the images he meticulously and lovingly shot played a key role, not only in documenting the rugged beauty of the Smokies, but in the persuasion to U.S. Congress to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). During his time in those mountains he also assisted in scouting and marking the entire North Carolina section of the Appalachian Trail. Clockwise from top: Masa with his camera in the Shining Rock Wilderness, southwest of Asheville; A roomy tent pitched in the woods at Indian Gap with a campfire burning nearby; View from Big Bald including Mt. Pisgah, Little Pisgah, Little Bald Mountain and the Pisgah Forest Inn (Masa s hand-writing notes the elevation of each peak). All photos courtesy of the pack memorial library, asheville, North Carolina 34 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

4 From left: Horace Kephart, (who Masa called Kep ) a writer, naturalist, and close friend of Masa s, sits on top of Mt. Kephart just south of Icewater spring shelter on the A.T.; the peak was officially named after him in 1928, an honor rarely given to living individuals. Masa s photographs of the Smokies often illustrated the articles Kephart wrote in support of the park movement. After seeing some of Masa s images, John D. Rockefeller donated $5 million toward the procurement of land for the park.; A Postcard using Masa s image of Nantahala Gorge at sunrise; The original photo of the gorge, which the A.T. passes through. 36 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

5 This page: Masa with his fellow Carolina Mountain Club members; he was a charter member of the club and used his extensive records and maps of the territory in yet another passionate effort, which paralleled that of his work toward the creation of the GSMNP, to help establish the A.T. In 1961, through the clubs lobbying, Masa Knob, which quite appropriately sits adjacent to Mt. Kephart, was named in his honor. Opposite page: Views from Charlie s Bunion (formerly called Fodderstack) on the Appalachian Trail. It was renamed after Charlie Conner, a native to the Smokies, who hiked there with Masa and Kephart. While cataloging peaks, and the distance between them, Masa (along with Kephart) was careful to use the names given to them by the local settlers and the local Cherokee Tribes. 38 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

6 P e n n sy lva n i a Pav e s th e Way Engaging Communities in Protecting the Trail Experience B y K a r e n L u t z The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), in close cooperation with its member clubs, has done a remarkable job building our beloved footpath across the Appalachian mountain chain from Maine to Georgia. The success of ATC s efforts supported by the clubs and our agency partners in gaining public protection for the corridor has been unprecedented. These extraordinary accomplishments have the partners well poised to enter into the next era of A.T. management engaging the communities through which the Trail passes and through the efforts of Pennsylvania State Representative Robert Freeman, the Keystone State is leading the way. photo by timothy cummings 10 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

7 When the forward thinking Benton MacKaye first conceived of an Appalachian Trailway in the early 1920s, he envisioned a place where people could seek refuge from an increasingly industrialized world. He was not a backpacker, and the idea of thru-hiking never entered his brilliant mind. An intense advocacy effort to ensure the acquisition of a publicly owned corridor to protect the footpath would have been as foreign to MacKaye as PCs, Smart Cars, or Happy Meals. MacKaye was a regional planner who looked at large scale landscapes and their restorative affect on the human soul and psyche. And as a regional planner, Benton MacKaye would be very interested in recent events in Pennsylvania. Following a protracted, expensive, and failed legal battle to prevent construction of a proposed Country Club for Sports Car Enthusiasts (otherwise known as a racetrack) on a tract of land adjacent to the Trail in Eldred Township, the partners re-evaluated their strategy to protect the Appalachian Trail experience through northeastern Pennsylvania. Charles Chot Elliott, Esq. represented ATC and the Blue Mountain Preservation Association (BMPA) in the lawsuit but was stymied in the case due to the fact that Eldred Township had no zoning. BMPA was concerned that the racetrack would irreparably degrade the serene, bucolic nature of their valley and seriously impact the pristine, quiet A.T. experience that they viewed as an significant part of their township. They invited ATC to bring its iconic status and resources to aid in the opposition of the proposed race track. After considerable deliberation, ATC recognized the opportunity to support the local grass roots organization that dearly valued the importance of the A.T. in connection with the quality of their lives. Since the time the court case was decided, Eldred Township has adopted zoning including an A.T. overlay zone to protect the Trail experience in the surrounding area. After ATC failed to prevail in the Commonwealth Court of Appeals case, Attorney Elliott began to review the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail Act of 1978, signed by then Governor Shapp. The timing coincided with the same year that the federal government passed amendments to the National Trail System Act, which authorized federal funds to be allocated to purchase the Trail corridor in areas where the Trail was not already located on publicly owned land. Act 24 of 2008 strengthens the 1978 Pennsylvania A.T. Act. It requires each municipality through which the A.T. passes to enact zoning to protect the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the Trail, and to conserve and maintain the Trail as a public resource. It is important to note that the Trail values are ultimately decided by the elected township supervisors or borough councils. Proposed zoning will be enacted as those officials deem necessary. ATC s Following a failed legal battle to prevent construction of a proposed country club for sports car enthusiasts on a tract of land adjacent to the Trail, partners re-evaluated their strategy to protect the A.T. experience through northeastern Pennsylvania. photo by timothy cummings 12 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October

8 Mid-Atlantic staff and GIS department continue to work with the eleven A.T. maintaining clubs in Pennsylvania to begin to map and articulate what makes the Trail special in their club s section in the hope of sharing that information with town and borough officials to assist them in making informed decisions for their municipality. It is a challenging assignment, as is the beginning of any worthwhile long journey. Representative Freeman, who chairs the state House of Representatives Local Government committee, introduced the bill to that chamber. It became apparent that there were some concerns over what might be perceived as an unfunded mandate and Freeman engaged the opposition early in the process by inviting the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors to share their concerns. That resulted in some tweaking of the original language which ultimately garnered significant bi-partisan support for the bill. The bill was then sent to the state Senate, where again it won significant bipartisan support in that chamber. Governor Edward Rendell signed Act 24 of 2008 into law in June. Throughout the process, numerous supportive editorials appeared in newspapers across the state. The Act became effective in early August and municipalities have one year to enact zoning to protect the Appalachian Trail in their township or borough. In an effort to provide support to what, in some cases, are already under-resourced municipalities, an A.T. Zoning Implementation Interagency Task Force has been convened. Ed LeClear with Pennsylvania s Department of Community and Economic Development, Diane Kripas representing the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Paul Zeph with the Department of Environmental Protection and ATC s mid-atlantic regional director meet regularly, and have already met with all of the county planning directors from each of the eleven counties through which the A.T. passes. Although zoning is enacted at the town level, the county planning offices serve in an advisory capacity and will be an important asset for the municipalities. The Boiling Springs grist mill retains its historic character and adds to the town s charm. Similar historically significant structures that contribute to the Trail experience throughout Pennsylvania and along the Trail corridor can now be protected with the help of local communities decisions to do so. The Department of Community and Economic Development has informed each of the municipalities that the act has been passed and that there are certain requirements which will warrant their action in the coming year. Township officials have also been notified that the act provides technical and financial support from the state. Meanwhile, the task force will be retaining services from a consultant to help with what is shaping up to be a monumental effort to ensure that the Appalachian National Scenic Trail experience in Pennsylvania lives up to its reputation. photo by linda norman 14 a.t. journeys September October 2008 a.t. journeys September October