COUDERSPORT – The 12 northern counties have some of the most
beautiful country in the state and the nation, Mike Krampaskey told
about 75 people who attended an informational session at the
Coudersport American Legion Wednesday evening.

The “Pennsylvania Wilds” title and concept are designed to take
advantage of that and boost the area’s economy by promoting outdoor
and heritage tourism, Krampaskey, deputy director of policy for the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resource, was one of several
DCNR and other state officials who explained the concept and the
impact it is hoped to have on the area at the two and a half hour
session.

Krampaskey told the group that the idea was born when Gov. Ed
Rendell came through the area campaigning for election, and talked
with such people as Terri Dennison, former Potter County Tourism
chief.

Central to the idea is that the 12 northern counties have more
than 1.6 million acres of state forest and game lands and 27 state
parks among them, and are within six hours driving time of 50
million people.

The 500,000 acre Allegheny National Forest is also part of the
Wilds.

The “Pennsylvania Wilds” name was chosen because it is catchy
and because it seems like somewhere residents would be glad to tell
people they are from.

“People are comfortable saying they’re from the Wilds,” Mickey
Rowley, deputy secretary for Tourism in the state Department of
Community and Economic Development Tourism, Film and Marketing
office, noted.

Rendell established a task force to coordinate state agency
involvement in the program, with DCNR taking the lead.

The task force is also working to encourage cooperation among
the various local tourist promotion agencies in the counties.

Krampaskey and other officials talked about the amount of money
that the state has committed to planning and development, and Tony
Lupino, regional manager for state parks listed off improvement to
a number of parks, improvement that were long overdue, but made
possible because of funding for the Wilds program

The state realized that to if the program is successful in
drawing large numbers of tourist, the park facilities would have to
be upgraded to take care of them, he pointed out.

Sewage facilities have been modernized at Ole Bull, Denton Hill
and Kettle Creek State Parks, and a visitor center built at
Sizerville.

In addition, Sinnemahoning State Park, which is being touted as
the “Portal to the Pennsylvania Wilds,” will get an interpretive
and incubator center, with the center aimed at helping outdoor
tourism oriented private businesses get started.

A significant part of the program is aimed at assisting private
businesses and to developing enterprises having to do with the
areas lumber heritage and obvious outdoor attractions.

Officials also noted that there should be good opportunity for
hotel and motel growth, as the area lags behind similar area in
room availability.

Cheery Springs Sate Park, noted for its “Dark Skies”, is also
being upgraded with new restrooms and planting of trees to shield
light from the road and building of earth mounds to block off more
light.

Still to come is a $2.1 million visitor center and construction
of observation “domes” that can will be available for rental. In
the works also are remote control domes that will allow star
watcher to access telescopes from their home computers,

There was some talk of the Cherry Springs air strip, which DCNR
intends to close, but that seems to be a dead issue.

Potter County Commissioner Ken Wingo pointed out that the former
Potato City Airport is a better location, but that when the county
had a chance to buy it some years ago, public opposition, “some of
which came from people in this room” killed it.

At Lyman Run Sate Park, an $18 million project is replacing the
old dam with “perhaps the last earthen dam you’ll see in
Pennsylvania,” Lupino said.

The dam is now about 67 percent complete, but will not finally
be done until next year.

In answer to a question, Rowley said that the Wilds promotion is
being advertised through all of the states neighboring
Pennsylvania.

Several persons questioned officials sharply about the
management of the deer herd, claiming that the Game Commission’s
policies had destroyed the lucrative deer hunting in the area.

Others challenged the Wilds concept, claiming that the
commonwealth government intends to return the area to a primitive
state – “What kind of animals are you bringing in?” one asked, and
when an official said he didn’t understand, the man asked if
mountain lions were in the plan.

Officials talked also about programs aimed at revitalizing
communities and improving infrastructure as long range goals of the
concept.