The Allegheny National Forest has proposed relocating a portion
of the Timberline all-terrain vehicle trail to avoid timber
rattlesnakes and their associated habitat, according to an outline
of the plan released by forest officials.
The relocation plans come about four months after the Mead
Township supervisors in Warren County filed a federal complaint in
Erie against the forest for allegedly failing to disclose documents
regarding the Timberline trail.
Among the supervisors’ concerns were that forest officials
reduced the operating hours of the trail and closed it in June
citing concerns about timber rattlesnakes – considered a Regional
Forester’s Sensitive Species – which den near the trail. It wasn’t
immediately clear Monday if the matter had been officially
resolved.
If approved – the public will now have time to comment on the
proposed relocation – 1.1 miles of existing trail, including about
a .5-mile of existing oil, gas and mineral lease road, will be
decommissioned and replaced with about 1.8 miles of new trail,
according to the plan.
Officials said the new trail – in Highland Township, Elk County
– would be relocated west and northwest of the existing trail
corridor, using about 1.3 miles of existing oil, gas and mineral
lease roads and building about a .5-mile of new corridor. As a
result of clearing the new corridor and expanding a pit to provide
pit run stone for the project, a small quantity of timber will be
harvested.
The plan indicates the existing trail includes a hill climb
section and bridge; the new trail will also include a bridge.
Meanwhile, officials said the play pit adjacent to Forest Road 339
won’t be affected by the proposal.
According to the forest’s Land and Resource Management Plan, the
timber rattlesnake is a species with viability concerns. The plan
indicates that existing motorized trails and Forest Service roads
should be managed to mitigate the impact on species with viability
concerns.
In September, the Mead Township supervisors expressed concern
that forest officials may be planning to spend money on moving the
ATV trail away from the den area, noting ATV riding is a
multi-million dollar a year sport across the region. They said
closing a trail for even one day financially hurts those associated
with the sport.
Supervisor James Hovey, who filed the federal complaint on
behalf of his fellow supervisors, could not immediately be reached
for comment Monday afternoon at the township building. Hovey is a
member of the Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association and a
light maintenance contractor for the forest’s ATV trail system.
Forest officials said plans to move the trail need to go through
the public participation process, as outlined under the National
Environmental Protection Act.
Kathe Frank, information officer for the Allegheny National
Forest, said Hovey has received the documents he was seeking from
the national forest under the Freedom of Information Act.
“But, we have not heard about the status of his complaint,”
Frank said, adding local forest officials would hear about a ruling
from the Forest Service’s Milwaukee office. “When we interact with
Milwaukee, sometimes it gets challenging. We didn’t intentionally
withhold any documents from him.”
Frank said local forest officials haven’t received official word
on whether the matter has been resolved or is pending.
Anybody looking to comment on the proposed relocation of the
trail can do so in writing to Robert T. Fallon, District Ranger,
Marienville Ranger District, Allegheny National Forest, HC 2, Box
130, Marienville, Pa. 16239 or by fax at 1-814-927-2285. Office
hours for hand-delivered comments are between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Electronic comments can be submitted to comments-eastern-allegheny-marienville@fs.fed.us.
Comments must have an identifiable name attached or verification of
identity will be required.
