VOLUME LXIV • WINTER 2018Celebrating Pennsylvania's State Parks and Forests11Thomas D. Saunders PRESIDENT AND CEOMessage from the President One of the primary achievements of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy over the years, and still currently, is to add protected lands to Pennsylvania’s magnificent state parks, state forests, and other state and federal lands.Of the more than a quarter million acres protected by the Conservancy, approximately 200,000 acres have been conveyed to either the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Allegheny National Forest or other public entities as public lands – to be enjoyed by millions of Pennsylvanians and visitors each year.In this issue of Conserve, we highlight and celebrate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Pennsylvania’s state parks and state forests. It’s an important legacy and one that will endure. We congratulate the exemplary leadership and staff of DCNR for their exceptional ongoing work to make our state parks and forests into invaluable regional assets.Our state parks and forests are recreation destinations and support local economies – in big cities and rural communities – in so many ways, and improve Pennsylvanians’ connection to the natural world. Not only are our state public lands economic generators and recreational treasures, they are rich with important conservation features such as native and rare plants and animals, bogs, marshes, streams and special forest types. And our state parks and forests preserve interesting features of our commonwealth’s history.The Conservancy is honored to be a partner in this work and to be able to add lands to these special places for current and future generations to enjoy. We hope that you will enjoy this issue of Conserve, which is dedicated to our remarkable state parks and forests. On behalf of the Conservancy board and staff, I thank our many partners who have helped us to protect them and continue with their management. And we’re so appreciative of our members and supporters who make this work possible.Cover: Marshallia grandiflora, a rare plant species, photographed on the shoreline of the Youghiogheny River at Ohioplye State Park. This aster-family member is only found along the edges of the upper half of the river in Fayette and Somerset counties.CONTENTS125 Years of State Parks and Forests in Pennsylvania: Invaluable Assets, Indispensable Legacy Explore the State Parks and Forests WPC Helped Establish or ExpandPartners Work to Improve Wild Trout Populations in Laurel Ridge State Park Trail Recommendations for Your Next State Park or Forest AdventurePittsburgh's Iconic Point State ParkExplore Pennsylvania’s Countless Acres of Lush Forestland A Family’s Close Connection to Nature Blossoms Into Lifelong Dedication to ConservationLaurel Highlands’ State Parks Offer Year-Round RecreationKaufmann Family Helps Turn Ferncliff Peninsula into National Natural LandmarkField Notes Close and Personal: State Park TreasuresFor information on WPC and membership: 412-288-2777 Toll Free: 1-866-564-6972 info@paconserve.org WaterLandLife.org Visit WaterLandLife.org/Get-Involved Find more information about WPC and Fallingwater by visiting us on: 36810121314161819CONSERVE23INVALUABLE ASSETS, INDISPENSABLE LEGACYIn Pennsylvania, the manufacturing of iron and steel products for the country’s railroads and bridges was the largest single industry. While other industries such as coal and oil evolved, so did Pennsylvania’s population and the rapid consumption of the state’s natural resources.On May 30, 1893, Governor Robert Pattison took action to save the state’s resources and public land by signing Act 130, and with the stroke of his pen, established the first state park near Philadelphia. The law also formed a 10-person commission to acquire more land across the state to be set aside for public parks.This action 125 years ago set into motion the protection of 300,000 acres that today provide millions of people with a myriad of recreational opportunities at 121 state parks – 11 of which, including Ohiopyle, Erie Bluffs and Laurel Ridge, were established with the help of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.Pennsylvania’s first state park, Valley Forge, is now a National Historic Park that protects the site George Washington used as a winter encampment in 1777 during the Revolutionary War.Pennsylvanians realized the effects of industrialization on the state’s forests and began advocating for forest restoration and the protection of the species that depend on them. Another bill signed in 1893 formed the PA Forestry Commission, tasked with the control of forest fires and establishing a forest reserve system. The system began with the purchase of 7,500 acres in Clinton County, and according to the bill, the forestland would be used to “furnish timber, protect the water supply of Young Woman’s Creek, and provide recreation for citizens.”The year was 1893. Grover Cleveland was inaugurated as the 24th U.S. president, Mahatma Gandhi performed his first act of civil disobedience and Thomas Edison, best known by then for his invention of the light bulb, completed the world’s first movie studio in New Jersey.Today, there are more than 40 million annual visitors to Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, generating more than $1 billion a year in economic impact through visitor purchases of hotel rooms, meals, souvenirs and other amenities. For residents and visitors, the recreational opportunities at state parks and forests are extensive, with 280 cabins, 180 boat ramps, 56 swimming beaches, 50 fishing piers, 18 swimming pools, four ski areas, two golf courses and two model airplane airports.For hikers, runners and bikers, 1,470 miles of trails in state parks and 4,088 miles of non-motorized trails in state forests await. There are more than 7,100 miles of streams within Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, with 724 miles designated as Class A wild trout streams and 316 miles classified as wilderness trout streams on state forestland. In 2009, the National Recreation and Park Association named Pennsylvania’s state park system as the best in the nation.Cindy Adams Dunn is the secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the agency tasked with managing state parks and forests as public lands.“Over the decades our state public lands continue to be an important amenity and long-term investment in so many ways,” she said. “Not only do they provide important protection for our waterways, forestland and the beauty of the state, they are places that are uniquely different, biodiverse and hold Pennsylvanian’s cherished memories with their families. It’s an important state legacy worthy of our time, continued care and protection.”In fact, a 2012 study by Penn State University showed that the return on taxpayer investment in our state parks alone was estimated at nearly $12.40 for every dollar invested. 125 Years ofin PennsylvaniaSTATE PARKS and FORESTSContinued on page 4.A view from the observation tower on Mount Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania, located in the nearly 59,000-acre Forbes State Forest. 3History of Establishing State Parks“It’s a regular part of our routine,” says Cassandra Brown, a mother and nurse practitioner with Pittsburgh Public Schools, regarding riding bikes, hiking and sightseeing with her family at Ohiopyle State Park. “We absolutely love traveling from Pittsburgh to Fayette County to enjoy this amazing park. Our outings provide great family-bonding time, physical activity, enjoyment and a peaceful escape from the city.”Cassandra is among the one million people who enjoy the serenity and beauty of Ohiopyle each year. A regular visitor for years, she was surprised to learn the Conservancy played a major role in establishing the park in 1951. All told, over the years WPC has purchased more than half the acreage that now makes up Ohiopyle. “That’s important and impressive,” she noted. “I honestly never thought about how it was started and who’s maintaining it today. But, I’m happy it’s here for all Pennsylvanians to enjoy. I want my kids to someday bring their kids here, too.”Since the mid-1940s, the Conservancy has protected and conveyed more than 34,000 acres to the state for the park system. The first project more than 70 years ago protected 1,000 acres of the Slippery Rock gorge that included a historic gristmill, in Lawrence County. Today, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts enjoy this area, now known as McConnells Mill State Park, which is designated as a National Natural Landmark. McConnells Mill and Ohioplye are among two of the 11 state parks the Conservancy helped establish. The others include: Clear Creek in Jefferson County; Cook Forest in Jefferson, Forest and Clarion counties; Erie Bluffs in Erie County; Laurel Ridge and Laurel Hill in Somerset County; Moraine in Butler County; Oil Creek in Venango County; and Raccoon Creek in Beaver County. Equally as important as helping to establish these parks is the Conservancy’s ongoing work to protect additional land for these and other state parks and to restore natural areas within them with tree plantings and other efforts. In the last 10 years alone, the Conservancy has protected 2,200 acres that have been added to state parks across the region. Through our Canoe Access Development Fund, we’ve also improved access to waterways within Clear Creek, McConnells Mill, Cook Forest and Laurel Hill through the installation of canoe access points. Through our conservation science work and the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program partnership, we continue efforts to document and assess the condition of natural communities and rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species across the state. With the help of our state partners, ecological assessments and monitoring are ongoing efforts we advance on several state parks and forests to support the management and conservation of plants and animals. Continued from page 3.The Conservancy protected 540 acres, including the 90-foot bluffs overlooking Lake Erie and one mile of Lake Erie frontage, to help establish Erie Bluffs State Park. The Conservancy protected hundreds of acres beginning in 1945 to help establish McConnells Mill State Park in Lawrence County.CONSERVE45Increasing Forestland in the RegionPennsylvania’s nationally recognized state forest system encompasses 2.2 million acres and crosses into 49 of the state’s 67 counties. Over its history, the Conservancy has conveyed more than 98,000 of those acres to become part of a state forest.Many state forests, including Buchanan and Forbes, have benefited from our protection work. In 2015, WPC conserved more than 17,000 acres of forestland and waterways in McKean County, which is now permanently protected as intact working forest. This acquisition, which remains the single largest land protection project in the Conservancy’s history, became an addition to Elk State Forest and was the largest addition to the state forest system in 65 years.These ongoing efforts build on the Conservancy’s legacy of protecting the region’s most special places to help restore natural areas, waterways and wildlife habitats for native, threatened and endangered species, and provide opportunities for fishing, hiking, birding, hunting and other recreational activities. Secretary Dunn says because state public lands are so intrinsically linked to our economy, way of life and livelihoods, all Pennsylvanians have a responsibility to pass on to our children and grandchildren a rich legacy of which we can all be proud.“The state’s conservation landscape and story could not be written without the ongoing support of many Pennsylvanians, organizations and nonprofit groups, such as the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy,” she added. “Our public parks and forests are investments paved by past leaders and citizens. And it’s inspiring to continue partnerships that advance a rich tradition of public lands and a deep stewardship ethic that are so important to our Pennsylvania heritage.” “Over the decades our state public lands continue to be an important amenity and long-term investment in so many ways.”- CINDY ADAMS DUNN, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesNow part of Elk State Forest, the Conservancy protected 17,488 acres of scenic hardwood forests in 2015. It remains the single largest land acquisition in the Conservancy’s 86-year history.From whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River to hiking through the forest, Ohiopyle State Park’s 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty provides myriad recreation opportunities.5PotterCameronMcKeanElkCentreClearfieldJeersonIndianaArmstrongButlerBeaverLawrenceMercerVenangoClarionForestWarrenCrawfordErieCambriaBlairHuntingdonMiiPerrFranklinFultonBedfordSomersetFayetteWashingtonWestmorelandAlleghenyGreeneClintonWest Branch Susquehanna River PineJuniata RiverKiskiminetas RiverCassleman RiverYoughioghenyRiverBennett BranchSinnemahonPenns CBald EagleOhio RiverAllegheny RiverRedbank CreekTionesta CreekShanangoRiverClarion RiverFrench CreekCreekMonogahela RiverBUCHANANSTATE FORESTFORBESSTATEFORESTGALLITZINSTATE FORESTELK STATEFORESTMOSHANNONSTATE FORESSPROULSTATE FORESSUSQUEHANNOCKSTACLEAR CREEKSTATE FORESTCORNPLANTERSTATE FORESTERIE BLUFFSSTATE PARKOIL CREEKSTATE PARKCLEAR CREEKSTATE PARKCOOK FORESTSTATE PARKBLUE KNOBSTATE PARKSHAWNEESTATE PARKCANOE CREEKSTATE PARKALLEGHENY ISLANDSSTATE PARKMORAINESTATE PARKMcCONNELLS MILLSTATE PARKRACCOONCREEK STATEPARKLAUREL HILLSTATE PARKLAUREL RIDGESTATE PARKOHIOPYLESTATE PARKEXPLORE THE STATE PARKS AND FORESTSCONSERVE6As part of the Colcom Foundation-funded Pittsburgh Redbud Project, WPC has planted 129 trees in Point State Park since the project’s 2016 inception. Pittsburgh's IconicPOINT STATE PARKBy the 1940s, Pittsburgh’s Point was polluted with the remnants of industrial development, lined with old rail yards and warehouses and was the home to a small neglected park. Funding was acquired in 1945 for its revitalization, including plans for a museum, fountain and improved green space. A twenty-eight-member Point Park committee was created to direct the redevelopment of the Point.A partner with close ties to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy was the chair of this committee. Edgar Kaufmann Sr. – the Pittsburgh business magnate and owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store – had already partnered with the Conservancy on the conservation of Ferncliff Peninsula at Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County (read more about this project on page 14). Kaufmann was also known, perhaps more so, as the owner of Fallingwater, the 1937 Frank Lloyd Wright house built for his family in Mill Run, Pa.The convergence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers – the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio – creates the perfect scene for outdoor recreation and dramatic views along Pittsburgh’s “Point.” This triangular parcel of land has been the setting for much of Pittsburgh’s history and development since the 18th century, through the French and Indian War, the Industrial Revolution and subsequent city redevelopment. Kaufmann’s dedication to improving and enriching the quality of life in Pittsburgh was steadfast, and he saw it as an opportunity to bring Wright to Pittsburgh. Kaufmann’s vision was the impetus for a 1999 exhibition, "Merchant Prince and Master Builder," at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, and an accompanying catalogue by its curator, Richard Cleary.Cleary penned an essay in 1993 in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians entitled “Edgar J. Kaufmann, Frank Lloyd Wright and the ‘Pittsburgh Point Park Coney Island in Automobile Scale’” that recalled the project development with Wright.“Notwithstanding his [Wright's] enthusiasm, the presentation to the...officials was not a success. The scheme far exceeded the scope they had envisioned, and…it conflicted with the intentions of the Pennsylvania state legislature to create a historical park on the site.”While Wright’s designs for the Point were never realized, CONSERVE89the committee eventually selected a design for the Point’s revitalization. And by 1974, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania officially dedicated Point State Park. Today, the park welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors annually and features 36 acres of outdoor space, bike trails, the Fort Pitt Museum and the iconic Point State Park fountain.Supporting Pennsylvania’s state park system continues to be a part of Conservancy’s work. In 2015, WPC constructed and planted a bioswale and rain garden in partnership with and celebration of the Garden Club of Allegheny County’s centennial. The club raised $100,000 to fund the special bioswale demonstration project at Point State Park to educate the public on the importance of green solutions to stormwater management, including bioswales.Bioswales are designed to store and slow the release of stormwater runoff using underground weirs in conjunction with natural methods like native plants, rocks and boulders. Bioswales often have wide shallow depressions and slopes that are steep enough to prevent ponding but also encourage water filtering through plants and ground cover. The bioswale’s design is inspired by the pointed shape of the park’s historic Fort Pitt, where bastions were built into the fort to allow cannon fire to be aimed in multiple directions. The bioswale is estimated to capture approximately 220,000 gallons annually.“Even though the bioswale is meant to serve as an educational tool, I’ve noticed a real difference in the water runoff,” said Jacob Weiland, park ranger at Point State Park. “For example, the water runoff from the highway has been collecting and is no longer running onto the walkway.”PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff have taken on the maintenance of the bioswale in Point State Park, and use it as an educational resource in its outdoor programming.“The Penn State Master Gardeners have been wonderful with assisting with weeding, mulching and continuing to plant native species in the bioswale,” Weiland added.The Conservancy continues to work within Point State Park to provide additional greenery. From 2013 to 2016, WPC planted 100 landscape trees and 58 smaller containerized trees as part of the Pittsburgh Redbud Project and TreeVitalize Pittsburgh. We also have two beautiful gardens at and near the entrance to the Point State Park. Fallingwater owner Edgar J. Kaufmann, pictured here in his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed office at Kaufmann’s Department Store, played a key role in the revitalization of Pittsburgh’s iconic Point. Thanks to funding from the Garden Club of Allegheny County, the Conservancy created a bioswale in Point State Park in 2015. The bioswale helps control storm water and serves as an educational tool thanks to interpretive signage.9Next >