Tuscarora State Forest
Tuscarora State Forest | |
---|---|
Location | Pennsylvania, United States |
Coordinates | 40°20′14″N 77°30′38″W / 40.33722°N 77.51056°W |
Area | 91,165 acres (368.93 km2) |
Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
Website | Tuscarora State Forest |
Tuscarora State Forest is a
.Tuscarora State Forest contains 91,165 acres (36,893 ha) in several tracts and is located in Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry counties.
History
Tuscarora State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr.
The forest is named for Tuscarora Mountain, which is within the state forest boundaries. The mountain was named for the
Tuscarora State Forest was originally part of the Rothrock Forest Reserve. It was merged with the Pennypacker and McClure reserves to form what is now Tuscarora State Forest. Much of the land was acquired from lumber and iron companies who had used the old-growth forest of hemlock, chestnut and oak to produce lumber and charcoal to fire the many iron furnaces that dotted the Pennsylvania landscape. Dr. Joseph Rothrock was an early pioneer in Pennsylvania forestry. In his position as commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, he led the statewide effort to acquire lands that had been clear cut and left barren. Land was purchased from the lumber companies at minimal cost to the state, just a few dollars per acre.[2]
The newly purchased land was largely barren. This was due to the widespread
Natural areas
- Hemlocks Natural Area: 120 acres (49 ha) of Eastern Hemlockforest in a narrow ravine.
- Box Huckleberryover 1,300 years old.
- Frank E. Masland Jr. Natural Area: 1,270 acres (510 ha) of old secondary forest.
- Tuscarora Wild Area: 5,382 acres (2,178 ha) of old secondary forest.
Nearby state parks
Four Pennsylvania State Parks are contained within Tuscarora State Forest:
- Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area
- Colonel Denning State Park
- Fowlers Hollow State Park
- Little Buffalo State Park
Neighboring state forest districts
- Bald Eagle State Forest (north)
- Weiser State Forest (east)
- Michaux State Forest (southeast)
- Buchanan State Forest (southwest)
- Rothrock State Forest (west)
References
- ^ a b "History of the William Penn State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
- ^ a b "History of the Tuscarora State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- "Tuscarora State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on February 26, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-14. Note: As of July 2006, this web page has not been updated to reflect the Pennsylvania State Forest Districts realignment.
- "State Forest Districts". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2006-07-14. Note: Map showing districts after the July 1, 2005 realignment
- "Natural and Wild Area of the Tuscarora State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on February 26, 2004. Retrieved 2009-01-21.