The natural beauty of the Burns Valley Overlook atop Conococheague Mountain on State Route 274 in Perry County can now be enjoyed, without illegally dumped trash ruining the view.
Twenty volunteers tackled the site April 6, 2002, donating 90 hours, to pull tires and trash from the mountain. Contractors Gary Fronk Excavating of Thompsontown and Kramer's Recycling of McAlisterville used equipment to bring trash from the steep terrain on the opposite side of the road to the mountaintop for proper disposal and recycling. The joint efforts of the volunteers and contractors netted seven tons of trash, 1.7 tons of scrap metal for recycling, and 402 tires.
Local residents and Tuscarora State Forest employees and their families joined with members of the Shermans Creek Conservation Association to beautify the Toboyne Township site, which rises 1900 feet above sea level, 7.5 miles west of Blain. Users of the Big Spring Trail and O'Donnel Trail can now hike in the area without looking at trash.
"The cleanup of this ugly illegal dump at a beautiful summit of the Conococheague Mountain is a great day in the history of the Tuscarora State Forest," stated District Forester Jim Foose. "This effort exemplifies the power of partnerships and dedicated volunteers."
Business partners in the cleanup effort included Mahantango Tire Recycling of Liverpool and Waste Systems International, Harrisburg Hauling, of Newburg, providing containers and hauling to the Cumberland County Landfill in Newburg at a special price for the program.
Books Market of Blain donated lunch for the volunteers. Agencies participating included the Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Region Office, Perry County Conservation District, New Bloomfield Office of PennDOT, and the Perry County Solid Waste Authority.
Local cabin owners have agreed to help monitor the site for any future dumping.
Tuscarora State Forest is comprised of 91,165 acres, located in Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry counties. Many of the forest's bridges and trails were constructed by men who worked in six Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in the forest, starting in 1933.
The vast acreage offers numerous recreational opportunities. There are four state parks in the forest, Big Spring State Park, Colonel Denning State Park, Fowlers Hollow State Park, and Little Buffalo State Park.
