Road decommissioning in the Allegheny N.F., Pennsylvania

[PAwildernessadvocate]

Here's a video showing work the U.S. Forest Service did to decomission a segment of Forest Road 139 in Warren County in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania. Culverts and bridges were removed, the road was backfilled, native trees and grasses were planted, and there was placement of coarse woody debris and boulders as well in order to further naturalize it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWG7Sr4M8s[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWG7Sr4M8s

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[Chris]

Cool, although I don't know if hemlock is the best long term species to be planting.....

[jamesrobertsmith]

WONDERFUL!!! I love to see old roads decommissioned! I wish they'd do the same thing with the auto roads that lead up to Clingman's Dome, Brasstown Bald, and Mount Mitchell! Another one that would be good to see gone forever is the Cherohala Skyway.

[PAwildernessadvocate]

Chris you might be right about the hemlock. On the other hand, thankfully the HWA has still not arrived in the Allegheny National Forest. There is some hope that the colder winters here may be a limiting factor. I sure hope that's true. We'll see. (This winter certainly hasn't been very cold though.)

On this road they did plant some deciduous trees along with the hemlocks. Looked like yellow birch.

In terms of other conifer species, it was probably a touch on the shady side along this road for white pine. Me personally, I wouldn't have a problem using Norway spruce even though it's not native. It doesn't act like an invasive, and planting Norway spruce would be a way of hedging our bets against possible future loss of all our hemlocks around here.