Munson Dump, in
Moshannon State Forest, had been the site of active dumping
by local residents and contractors for many years. Near Philipsburg,
Centre County, the resulting dumpsite contained a large accumulation
of daily trash and contractor debris. Countless piles of trash
were scattered over several miles of township road as well as
on forest and private land.
On
Saturday, April 23rd, 2005, 14 volunteers joined PA CleanWays
and Moshannon State Forest personnel to completely clean the
area. Trash was bagged by hand and then loaded by backhoes into
dumpsters.
The heavy morning
rain
didn't dampen the volunteers' enthusiasm and energy to remove
the unsightly blight on the land. Everyone broke for a lunch
of submarine sandwiches, provided by Subway of Philipsburg,
and then continued cleaning through mid-afternoon to finish
the job.
Almost
28 tons of trash were removed from the area, plus approximately
400 tires and 3.93 tons of recycled scrap metal, which all went
to the Centre County Solid Waste Authority in Bellefonte.
Now that the site has been cleaned, the Centre County SWA Enforcement
officer and local state forest rangers will be actively patrolling
the site and prosecuting offenders.
DCNR encourages
residents with questions about recycling and proper disposal
to contact the Centre County Recycling Coordinator, Joanne Schafer,
at 814-238-6649.
Moshannon State Forest Cleanup Team
Centre County Solid Waste Authority
Local Volunteers
Moshannon State Forest Personnel
PA CleanWays, Inc.
Subway of Philipsburg
|
Moshannon
State Forest's approximately 184,000 acres stretch across
Clearfield and Centre counties. While traveling through the
forest, one can still see remnants of virgin pine and hemlock
stumps, splash dams on the tributary streams, and the abandoned
logging railroad grades of the bustling logging industry that
blanketed the area in the late 1800's. White pine was harvested
for the building industry and bark from the hemlock was harvested
for the tannin it contained, used to process leather.
The
second growth hardwoods that now cover the Moshannon provide
a natural environment for wildlife and for hunting and fishing,
hiking, biking, skiing and other recreational activities.
Learn
about other
illegal dump sites in state forests and parks.
This page last updated May 26, 2005.
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