TIMBER!
Get out
of Southeast Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia suburbs and very quickly the
landscape changes. Farms begin to stretch out from the road to the far hills
and little gritty towns that once provided labor to a thriving coal industry
pop up here and there moldering in the rust belt, their ever-present soot still
caking the shingles of modest rowhomes.
Go
further out and you are blessed with true woodlands. Most of the Commonwealth
is gloriously rural. State and National forests, state parks and state game
lands set aside for hunting are everywhere. Even near us in Collegeville there
is Evansburg State Park, a long swatch of preserved lands just a mile or so
away from my middle class garret. Everywhere too are signs that proclaim local
farms are preserved so no development can be begun. Pennsylvania does it right.
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| Pennsylvania Grand Canyon |
For years
Janet has regaled me with tales of the seemingly unending mountains and the old
growth woods of northern Pennsylvania. She has told me often of the Grand
Canyon of Pennsylvania, a 47-mile gorge cut through the Allegheny Plateau by
the Pine Creek, a tributary of the mighty Susquehanna, in the North Central
section of the state and wanted to take me to see these beautiful vistas.
Coupled with our intended trip to Cherry Springs State Park, a designated Dark
Sky Park preserved for star gazing Team VFH recently decided to visit this “neck
of the woods.”
Coming
from New Jersey, where while there are some swatches of wilderness and beautiful
areas, there is always a finite feel to them, as if the bend in the pastoral
fields will soon reveal a shopping mall. The inherent beauty of the northern
area of Pennsylvania is unending.
The past is
different though. Because of the abundant resources of coal, oil (drilling
began in 1859) and timber in the commonwealth, much was taken from the land without
considering the future. When Pennsylvania was first settled it was estimated
that 90% of the land was forested, but by the 1920’s the area of the Grand Canyon
was so denuded of trees that the area was considered a desert. Instead of
selective harvesting of trees, clearcutting went on and reduced the area to a
barren gorge, prone to wild fires, landslides and flooding.
In the
1920s the Commonwealth began purchasing thousands of acres back from the lumber
companies and reforesting the land and a massive conservation movement began.
Along with the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, a state-wide system of
parks was created. Today, the old growth trees are back. Harvesting of trees still
goes on; evidently Pennsylvania is the nation’s largest producer of hardwood
lumber; but timber management and a more conservative approach are now the
norm.
WOOD HICKS AND LOGJAMS
Sounds
like I’ve been schooled in the woodshed about this stuff doesn’t it. Well, a
chance stop mid-way between Coudersport and Wellsboro, was the Lumber Museum on
Route 6. This informative and entertaining museum was worth the $8.00
admission. At first, we thought it would be a hokey stop, but we came away from
the visit with a greater appreciation of the history of the timber industry and
the extensive conservative measures taken by Pennsylvania to replenish the
woodlands. We had no idea of the enormity of the lumber industry in Pennsylvania
and how much manpower it took to harvest the highly prized timber. The beautiful
wooden, of course, museum offers an array of artifacts and hands on displays
and historical notes of the industry and the people who led the conservative
movement. Outside around back is a working wood mill and a reconstruction of a
lumber village that you can explore at your leisure.
If you’re
in the area … go. Thanks for reading.
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