WARREN — When visitors go to Rimrock Overlook hoping to enjoy
the view of the Allegheny Reservoir, they might notice an
improvement to the vista.
In recent years, the view had been shrinking, so the U.S. Forest
Service decided to do something about it.
On Wednesday and Thursday, a group of Allegheny National Forest
personnel, with the help of a team of workers from the Federal
Correctional Institution-McKean, cut down dozens of trees to
improve the vista.
Julie Moyer and Tonika Goins oversaw the cutting efforts from
atop the overlook and pointed out trees to be cut by sawyers Jerry
Dixon, Sheldon Winters and Fred Robson, the Allegheny National
Forest prison crew leader.
“This is a destination spot,” Moyer said. “The last major cut
was over 20 years ago.”
There were some efforts more recently, including tree topping
and limited thinning, according to Dixon.
The cut was necessary for the attraction, Dixon said, adding,
“If you want a vista, you have to do it.”
The tops of the tallest trees, most in the 80- to 90-foot tall
range, were easily high enough to cut into the view of the
reservoir from the overlook.
“We’re going to cut some red maple, beech, and chestnut oak,”
Moyer said. Most of the trees had diameters of 8 to 12 inches,
though some were up to two feet across.
The sawyers used an open face cut method and dropped the trees
away from the enormous rocks below the overlook.
Dozens of trees were cut down, but some were left.
“We’re not looking to clearcut,” Moyer said. “We’re looking to
get the tops out of the way.”
In addition to leaving shorter trees, a few tall trees were left
alone. Some “to frame the view,” Moyer said, and others because
their roots were supporting the developed paths at the base of the
overlook rocks.
The trees will be left where they fall with the exceptions of
those that represent a safety hazard, Goins said.
The cut trees will create additional habitat for grouse and
deer, Dixon said.
Before the project began, personnel made sure there were no
nests in the affected trees, Moyer said.
Dixon is the Allegheny National Forest’s chief sawyer and sawyer
trainer. He, Winters and Robson have attained the highest sawyer
certification offered by the Allegheny National Forest.
Winters said he and Dixon were enjoying the chance to practice
the craft. They don’t get to cut very often, he said, having to
instruct and observe most of the time.
During the thinning at Rimrock, Robson acted as the trainer. He
spent some of his time cutting and some instructing the prison
crew.
The cut represents coursework for the prisoners.
All five are on their way to becoming certified sawyers, with
the cut being part of the practical portion of the program,
according to Moyer.
The Allegheny National Forest officials praised the prisoners
for their efforts during the cut and for their work to better
themselves.
The results of the cut will not be immediately evident to the
public because the gate to Rimrock is closed through winter.
“Usually we close this place after big-game hunting season,”
Moyer said, and reopen in mid-April.
That means most visitors won’t get a chance to see how the
effort went until next month.
“I think we did good for the few trees that we dropped,” Moyer
said. “We won’t really know until the leaves come out.”
