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Additional 132 acres purchased for Pine Creek Rail Trail upgrades

PHOTO PROVIDED Shown above is a view of the wetlands that are part of a newly purchased lot that will serve as an access area for the northern part of the Pine Creek Rail Trail in Tioga County.

PHOTO PROVIDED Shown above is a view of the wetlands that are part of a newly purchased lot that will serve as an access area for the northern part of the Pine Creek Rail Trail in Tioga County.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail added 132 acres earlier this month when the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy and the state Bureau of Forestry quickly worked to secure the land that will become the new Cavanaugh Access fitted with new improvements.

The new land will serve as a needed access to the northern part of the trail in Tioga County, Renee Carey, executive director of the conservancy, said.

“We are really excited about the project and the opportunity for us and the bureau to work together,” Carey said. “This is going to get a lot of people out into the area to see some wildlife and what’s going on out there.”

The Pine Creek Rail Trail stretches 62 miles from Wellsboro Junction to Jersey Shore using the stone rail bed that once transported goods, the conservancy said when it announced the purchase.

The trail now is popular with tourists, Boy Scout troops earning bicycling badges and local residents.

It’s been a longtime need at the northern end of the trail for access point and more rest areas, Carey said. “A lot of people were asking about it.”

The newly purchased land contains a stretch of the trail without rest and parking areas for about 9 miles, Carey said.

“This will give people a little more flexibility in the length of their trips and we will eventually develop a walking trail for wildlife observation.”

The 132 acres along the Trail became available in October and was being sold at a court ordered auction, Carey said.

When the Tioga State Forest staff saw the auction sign, they called the central office in Harrisburg to see if purchasing the land would be possible.

Staff from the state bureau’s office called the conservancy to explain why they couldn’t purchase the land.

“There isn’t a way for the state to attend an auction and buy properties. The rules, systems and laws in place require various state offices and departments to review sales contracts for real estate,” Carey said.

Because of the support the conservancy receives from its members and doners, the group’s staff were able to research the conservation values, visit the property to document its conditions, gain board approval, get an authorization to bid, attend the auction and come out as the highest bidder all in under 60 days and only a quick 72 hours to figure out whether the property could be purchased at all, Carey said.

A short 57 days after the initial converstaion with the bureau’s staff in Harrisburg, the conservancy took titles to all 132 acres for $300,000.

Other bidders included investors who were interested in the land’s oil and gas potential.

The entire length of the trail is bordered on both sides by private land, with the bureau in charge of maintaining it — so although the conservancy currently has the title of the property, a contract with the bureau will be drawn up after the hunting and holiday seasons.

It will take the title sometime in the summer of 2017.

Until then, there is much planning and work to be done, Carey said.

The bureau plans to create a parking area and access to the trail, with a few benches for rest and enjoyment.

It eventually will create a walking trail to allow people to see more of the wetlands and more wildlife, Carey said.

According to the conservancy, the land’s ecological features include extensive wetlands along Marsh Creek, which are fed by Canada Run.

It allows wildlife to use the wetlands and the creek by moving from the forest close by to the stream and wetlands and back to where they bed.

Marsh Creek is a major tributary to Pine Creek. Marsh Creek meanders and bends through the property for nearly a mile.

The creek and its associated wetlands are a huge sponge that provide water year round and help keep Pine Creek’s water cooler in the summer.

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