Hiking the Appalachian Trail will be more pleasant since volunteers joined with DCNR to rid Rattlesnake Run Road of 4.5 tons of trash, a ton of yard waste, and 40 tires on April 20, 2002. The road intersects the popular cross-country hiking trail in Quincy and Washington townships, Franklin County, and is located just off of Mentzer Gap Road.
Contributing 152 volunteer hours were 38 people, including those representing the Mason-Dixon Boy Scout Troop 88, Mountain Bikers of Michaux, PA Jeeps, Jeeps R Us, and Tacoma Territory. Volunteers spread out along the length of the road, and worked hard to remove a ton of brush and Christmas trees hauled to the Washington Township Transfer Station to be composted. Trash collected included bedsprings, construction debris, beer bottles, and deer carcasses.
Waste Management, Mountain View Reclamation, donated a roll-off container and all disposal. The company also provided employees to work during the cleanup. Freddie's Sub Shop of Waynesboro provided lunch for the hungry volunteers.
The area will be monitored by several local residents and forestry personnel for any subsequent dumping.
"Michaux as a whole is as clean as I have ever seen it since the
PA Cleanways program. I'm talking about a 30 year perspective. It is
actually becoming a challenge to find trashed areas that need cleaned for
local groups that call me," commented Gary Zimmerman, Assistant District Forester.
Franklin County residents with disposal or recycling questions are encouraged by DCNR to contact Sherri Clayton, county recycling coordinator, at 717-261-3857 or by e-mail.
Michaux State Forest is located in Cumberland, Franklin, and Adams counties and is comprised of 82,261 acres. Named in honor of Andre Michaux and his son, Francois Andre Michaux, the well-known French botanist, the woodlands and natural areas are used by hunters, anglers, hikers, bikers, and picnickers.
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail traverse about 40 miles through the forest. The trail, extending from Maine to Georgia for more than 2,100 miles, is contained within a buffer zone in Michaux, where timber harvesting is restricted to the removal of hazardous trees posing a risk to public safety. The hiker who ventures off the main trail may have the opportunity to see various states of forest progression and encounter a wider diversity of both plants and animals.
Learn more about other illegal dump sites in PA state forests and parks.
