In a cleanup coordinated by the Bedford County Chapter of PA CleanWays, volunteers returned a pulloff area along Ryot Road in West St. Clair Township to its natural state by removing 100 tires and two tons of trash on September 14, 2002.
Volunteers met at the Alum Bank Fire Hall and then proceeded to the site. They worked throughout the day to drag appliances, deer carcasses, shingles, household trash, and a large amount of construction debris from the site. Fourteen volunteers and participants in the Bedford County Probation Department Community Service Program contributed a total of 49 hours to the project.
The trash degraded Gordon Creek, a tributary of Dunnings Creek in the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River watershed. Tires and other trash contained water that provided breeding sites for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
S&S Recycling hauled and recycled the tires. Roll-Off Container Service Inc. was contracted to provide a roll-off container to haul the trash to Shade Landfill Inc. in Cairnbrook.
To ensure proper disposal of waste, DCNR encourages Bedford County residents to contact Bedford County Recycling Coordinator Regina Miller with disposal and recycling questions at 814-623-8099 or by e-mail.
The Gallitzin State Forest consists of two separate areas in Northern Bedford, Cambria, Indiana, and Northern Somerset counties, comprising 15,336 acres.
The Babcock Division in Northern Somerset County is the largest tract and includes the scenic Babcock State Forest Picnic Area along Route 56, four miles east of Windber. The Clear Shade Wild Area and the John P. Saylor Trail also provide recreational opportunities.
The Charles F. Lewis Natural Area is located at the western end of the Rager Mountain Division near Cramer in Indiana County. This 384-acre unique scenic area includes the two-mile Clark Run Trail, which winds through the Clark Run Gorge with its numerous small waterfalls and interesting geologic features.
The lands are open to hunting, fishing, and general recreation.
