The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing five project proposals, including the demolition of various buildings within the Allegheny National Forest, and is accepting public comment.
An initial screening of these projects did not identify any significant individual or cumulative environmental impact, ANF officials indicate. Therefore, project impacts will likely be documented through a categorical exclusion.
One of the projects is the proposed decommissioning of buildings in the Bradford Ranger District. There are four sites that have buildings identified for demolition/decommissioning: the Hall estate, McLaughlin estate, Birdsall Edey and Kiasutha Recreation Area.
The Hall estate is located on Route 62, approximately 3 miles south of Tidioute. The site consists of vacant buildings, including a residence, garage and other outbuildings.
The McLaughlin Estate is located on Route 666 south of the Henry’s Mills Bridge. The site includes a vacant residence and an outbuilding. The former Birdsall Edey Girl Scout Camp includes abandoned pit toilets and a water building that will be decommissioned.
Also included in this batch are two restrooms located in the Kiasutha Day Use Area — the restrooms have been closed for a number of years.
Other projects are:
• Morrison Trail Improvements: This project would build two new trail links on the Morrison Trail. Link “A” is a 1.8-mile loop on the existing Rimrock Trail portion of the system. Link “B” is a 1.6-mile trail connecting Kinzua Beach to the Morrison Trail System.
• North Country Trail Shelter at Chappel Bay: The Allegheny Chapter of the North Country National Scenic Trail Association has proposed an Adirondack-style shelter approximately 1 mile north/west of the Chappel Bay Trailhead on Route 321.
• Route 666 Dispersed Camping Management: This project will limit vehicle access to dispersed campsites along 666 near Henry’s Mill. The sites will remain open; vehicle access will be limited.
• Temporary road for oil and gas well plugging: Aiello Brothers Oil and Gas, Inc. has requested a special-use permit for a temporary road to access some of their oil wells. The temporary road will utilize an existing corridor off of Forest Road 310.
The road will be approximately 520 feet long with an average width of 16 feet. No merchantable timber will be cut for the temporary road’s construction.
ANF officials indicate that for projects one through four, comments are most helpful if received by June 30. For project five, comments are most helpful if received by May 24.
For more information on the projects or to submit a comment, contact Bradford District Ranger Richard Hatfield at Richard.Hatfield@usda.gov or 363-6098.
