Annual Conservation Tour Highlights Projects
Allegheny Valley Land Trust Executive Director Ron Steffy guides conservation leaders and dignitaries along the Armstrong Trail Friday.
by Jonathan Weaver
Conservation grants across Armstrong County have made an impact on several recreational, business and community needs.
Last week, Conservation District staff officials showcased just a few of those project areas for local leaders to revel in the possibilities.
Agricultural Technician/Nutrient Management Specialist Jessica Schaub said the tour usually includes projects involving stream stabilization, farms and dirt and gravel roads.
“Each year, we have a Fall Conservation Tour usually in October – this is where we showcase a lot of our projects,” Schaub said. “It’s focused on inviting the legislators so they can continue to support the conservation district and the types of conservation programs and practices we solve.”
However, this year’s tour included a walking tour of development sites along the Armstrong Rails-to-Trails in Madison Township, a view of the Hay’s Run Road Low Volume Road Project in Rayburn Township and a visit to the Megnin Stave Mill in Kittanning Township.
Allegheny Valley Land Trust Executive Director Ron Steffey gave the more-than-dozen conservation and community leaders – including County Commissioner Bob Bower, Farm Service Agency Executive Director Ed Huston and State Senator Don White’s Field Representative Jeremy Dias – the nearly 30-minute tour that crossed into Clarion County.
As leaders walked a portion of the trail toward a tall coaling tower, Steffey showed where officials and community volunteers are forming parking spaces, picnic areas and “windows” so bicyclists and walkers can look upon the Allegheny River as they enjoy the trail.
“We’ll keep working until the snow flies,” Steffey said.
The Redbank Valley Trail should be mostly completed this Spring, except for the $2 million Climax Trail redevelopment project.
Trail officials also hope to purchase more land to further establish the trails and help create small connections along the trail in Kittanning and Ford City areas.
“One time when the railroad was bustling, this was a very bustling point also,” Steffey said. “Even before the railroad, there would be drafts of logs coming down toward Pittsburgh, so for the past 200 years, this was a pretty busy area.”
Steffey said more volunteers are always welcome. He said most work this Summer was performed in the middle of the week, and location information for each site can be found via the association website.
District Low Volume Roads Coordinator Gregg Smith also took the bus-load off Route 28 to the two-lane Hays Run Road – where new underdrains and pipes helped eliminate “alligator skin” (or surface cracking) from degrading the road surface.
Last year, the program began to perform road maintenance to paved or tar and chipped roads traveled by less than 500 vehicles per day. The Hays Run Road project added nearly 30 cross pipes and 1,000 feet of underdrain to the 2.2-mile project.
“We’re trying to fix the road properly,” Smith said. “This reclamation lets you grind stuff that’s there – which is environmentally-friendly because you’re recycling it , you have to add less new material (since) less new material has to be drawn out of the stone quarries.”
Smith also showed off the conservation district’s new buffalo turbine that he hopes municipalities will borrow this Fall to clean debris from ditches rather than a road grader.
Municipal leaders are expected at the Armsdale Administration Building this week to observe the machine in action
In the past, municipalities have seen the benefits of district plate tampers to compact materials around pipes and purchased their own equipment.
Local News | jweaver October 27, 2015
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