So What's Left to Protect?

[dperry]

Apropos of the thread below, now that the Rocky Fork Tract has been preserved, where exactly are the last few miles of the trail that need to be protected?

[Newb]

All of it. The corridor should be expanded aggressively in threatened areas.

[BR360]

The ATC will have some opinions about it.

So will the Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/

I Googled this site for you: http://conserveland.org/ that is Pennsylvania-specific. Looks like there are a lot of good projects up your way.

Also, you may take a look at http://www.pa-conservation.org/ . Seems like it may be a useful portal site for hiker-types in PA.

[Cabin Fever]

All of it. The corridor should be expanded aggressively in threatened areas.

Exactly. There is very little of the actual Trail left that is private property. However, there is still lots of work to be done to protect the corridor and viewsheds. Viewsheds are especially important with cell towers and now wind farms becoming popular. Wind farms are by nature on ridgetops and would be a threat to the Trail's viewshed. Things like quarries and housing developments are also threats to viewsheds.

[TrippinBTM]

I agree, viewsheds are big, for the tourist industry. But watersheds are more important from an ecological standpoint. Keep our waters clean for everyone (human and otherwise).

And this is only related because it's going on in the Appalachains, but there needs to be an end to mountaintop-removal mining.