Allegheny River Headwaters Watershed Conservation Plan

Allegheny River Headwaters Conservation Plan
Chapter 6.Issues and Concerns
There are also issues over snowmobiling, and the respondents agree that they want to see steps taken to
ensure that it is done safely and in proper locations – not on private property. Many of the respondents
brought up the issue of healthcare and its impact on the local economy. Healthcare is a nationwide issue,
as one respondent states, but it is something that is definitely taking its toll on the local economy. The last
miscellaneous issue is poaching. A few of the respondents claim that they hear gunshots late at night, and
feel that certain animal populations are decreasing. They want to see something done to protect the
wildlife population and protect them from poachers.
6. Do you have any specific projects or type of projects you would like to see identified
in the plan?
The major project that respondents want to see as part of the conservation plan for this area is the
preservation and reorganization of the trails in the area. They want to see the trails connect the small
communities of the region in order to make travel more efficient. The respondents also want to see hiking
promoted more effectively, as there are hundreds of miles of trails available in the area – and this can be a
good tourist draw to help the regional economy. Along with this, they want to have more maps and
markings available to help tourists find their way through the trails. Most of the respondents agree that for
the most part, only the local residents know their way through the trails, so some navigation tools would
be a nice upgrade.
7. What must the watershed conservation plan include to be successful?
Many of the respondents agree that any conservation work be done in collaboration with the PA
Route 6 Heritage Communities Program, whose goal is to promote community development as well as
tourism development for a large section of the watershed area. The respondents suggest that
environmental work can be done in line with the PA Route 6 Heritage Communities Program in order to
effectively address all of the issues in the area. The respondents feel that by getting a local group
involved, all of the environmental issues can be addressed – from the most significant issues to small
issues that may have otherwise been missed.
Gathering input and information from local stakeholders is a necessary and crucial step in the
conservation plan development. Gaining local knowledge is important in order to understand the strengths
and weaknesses of the watershed values. The best sources of information come from those who live in the
area and understand the issues firsthand. The information gathered here determines what
recommendations will be made to preserve the strengths and remediate the weaknesses affecting the
Headwaters of the Allegheny River watershed.
6-24