On Saturday, October
25, 2003, fourteen volunteers met at a nearby rest area and, after a
safety talk, walked to a littered area along Route 322 bordering Bald
Eagle State Forest, just above the Seven Mountains 
Reservoir.
The group, including members of the Penn State Envir-
onmental Club and PA CleanWays of Mifflin County, removed approximately
a ton of trash. PennDOT properly disposed of the gathered trash, consisting
mostly of food and beverage containers, an old mattress, about 10 tires,
and other materials. Volunteers donated a total of 30 hours to the project.
U.S.
322 is a major highway between
Harrisburg and State College. Truck drivers have historically pulled
their big rigs over to rest along the Bald Eagle State Forest border,
since they are prohibited from entering the nearby rest stop. No disposal
facilities for large trucks exist there and trash is often dumped and
litter scattered along the forest boundary. Proper disposal options
and rest areas for large trucks are offered at numerous other locations
along this route.
Bald Eagle State Forest Cleanup Team
Penn State Environmental Club
PA CleanWays of Mifflin County
PennDOT
|
Volunteer
monitors are being sought to periodically check the site and clean up
any trash found, before it can accumulate.
DCNR encourages residents
of Centre County with questions about how to recycle or properly dispose
of an item to call the Centre County Recycling Coordinator at (814)
238-6649.
Bald
Eagle State Forest acreage is located in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin,
Snyder and Union counties.
It includes seven natural areas and four state parks. It was named for
the famous Indian Chief Bald Eagle and comprises 195,624 acres in the
ridge and valley section of the state, with sandstone ridges rising
up to 2,300 feet above sea level. The many streams in the area have
their origin in the forest and flow in several directions, eventually
emptying into the Susquehanna River, with one-third of the acreage serving
as public watershed.
Learn
about other
illegal dump sites in state forests and parks.
This
page last updated January 6, 2004.
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