The Warrior Run Pathways Partnership
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The Warrior Run Pathways Partnership A Program for Land Conservation and Recreational Development in the Warrior Run Community A project of the Warrior Run Community Corporation July 2006 The Warrior Run Pathways Partnership A Program for Land Conservation and Recreational Development in the Warrior Run Community A project of the Warrior Run Community Corporation Prepared by SEDA Council of Governments Community Resource Center Lewisburg, PA July 2006 Credits and Acknowledgements Thanks to the Warrior Run residents who contributed their time Prepared by: and input toward the development of the Pathways concept through SEDA Council of Governments participation in task force meetings, concept outreach meetings, Community Resource Center focus groups and key person interviews. A special thanks to the 201 Furnace Road Warrior Run Community Corporation whose leadership in the Lewisburg, PA 17837 community was invaluable in advancing the discussion of Pathways (570) 524-4491 and the development of the concepts presented in this report. www.seda-cog.org The Warrior Run Pathways project was made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation Prepared for: and through the generous financial support of the following local The Warrior Run Community Corporation partners: 4800 Susquehanna Trail Turbotville, PA 17772 PPL Corporation Turbotville Lions Warrior Run Community Corporation This project was financed in part by a grant from the Warrior Run Women’s Club Growing Greener Fund, Community Conservation Watsontown Area Business Association Partnerships Program, under the administration of the Watsontown Guild Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Watsontown Lions Club Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. Watsontown Lioness Club Delaware Township Gregg Township Lewis Township Turbotville McEwensville Warrior Run School District Warrior Run Residents Contents Welcome 1 Introduction 2 Community Profile 3 Conserving the Natural, Scenic & Historic Assets of Warrior Run 4 Pathways Concepts 5 A Framework for Action - From Partnerships to Pathways Appendix Focus Group Findings Concept Meeting Notes Trail Summary Information Impacted Landowners - West Branch Trail & Warrior Run Trail Cost Estimates- West Branch Trail & Warrior Run Trail Implementation Checklist PNDI Inquiries Summary Phone Call with Centre County Historical Society Pennsylvania Recreational Use Statute & the Private Landowner Sample Liability Disclaimers List of References Project CD Pathways - Welcome Dear Warrior Run Residents, We are pleased to release this report on our Warrior Run Pathways project. It is the culmination of a year of work by many residents from all parts of the school district and the professionals of SEDA-COG. We could not have done this without your support and participation and the financial support of our civic groups, municipalities and school district. We feel the Pathways project has produced exciting results and ideas that raise great expectations for the future of our community. The Warrior Run Community Corporation (WRCC) began the Pathways Project following a survey of Warrior Run residents finding that more than 90 percent of our neighbors wanted both a safe place to walk and to preserve the rural character of our area. The WRCC is dedicated to providing community service for residents across all municipalities in the Warrior Run School District. Our region comprises 3 boroughs, 5 townships, 3 villages and 3 counties, covering an area of 113 square miles. The Pathways Project will help us to fulfill our goal for the entire region to work together. Our area is ripe for future growth. The completion of the Susquehanna Thruway will ensure that growth. We all want growth to be a good thing. The Pathways Project will be one tool that can help direct positive growth by providing a good, healthy recreational resource that links our communities to each other, to the river and to our beautiful natural areas, farmland and historic sites. A Pathways system will help to make our region an even more desirable place to live and work. Pathways will also serve to remind us of the many treasures that surround us and motivate us to adopt sound development policies that preserve those treasures. This report is about more than just Pathways. It includes a great deal of information about our natural and community resources, the character of the landscape, our farms and water supplies that will be very useful for our Boroughs and Townships as they strive to direct future growth in ways that preserve our lifestyle and the rural character of the region. We hope that you find this report useful, interesting and exciting. We want and need your help to make the Pathways system a reality. We must all work together for the future of our community and our children and grandchildren. We hope that you will choose to get personally involved. Al Reeves, President Warrior Run Community Corporation Executive Summary The Warrior Run Pathways feasibility study began with an Run Trail, the Muncy Hills Trail and the Warrior Run Touring exploration of the idea of a network of trails and open spaces that Routes map. Each focused on a different opportunity to engage a would capitalize upon the uniquely diverse landscape of the Warrior variety of community resources and recreational user groups found Run school district. The study involved an assessment of the throughout the school district. The design and programming for opportunities and challenges associated with the establishment of each concept was crafted to respond to the needs and opportunities a regional trail network and concluded with a funding and phasing expressed by hundreds of residents, landowners, recreation strategy to begin implementing a Pathways system. users and municipal officials in task force meetings, focus group discussions, key person interviews and public meetings. The study was guided by a resident-driven planning process that examined opportunities to create connections between key The task force ultimately prioritized two trail concepts - the community resources while exploring local land conservation Warrior Run Trail and the West Branch River Trail - which it felt priorities. After completing an inventory and analysis of existing the community should undertake as Pathways demonstration environmental, recreational and heritage resources, a district-wide projects. A phasing and funding approach was developed for each Pathways concept diagram was developed, illustrating the potential of the four projects and generalized cost estimates were prepared for of a future trail system to service the area’s towns, villages and the two prioritized trail concepts. The Warrior Run Community rural areas. The concept diagram depicted a large scale and long Corporation (WRCC) plans to use this phasing strategy to create a range vision for Pathways, utilizing the region’s river and stream nucleus for the Pathways network and then expand on that network corridors, ridges, railroad and utility corridors to interconnect local in the future integrating complementary conservation, education, community resources with natural and recreational assets. and fitness-oriented programming. The WRCC is committed to seeing the Pathways vision turned into reality and is actively The scale of the Pathways vision necessitated the identification of prepared to lead the way in continued community education, key projects that could provide a foundation for the development outreach to local landowners and fundraising. The WRCC’s of a pathways network and broaden the base of active pathways commitment to carrying the project to implementation is a key users in the community. To this end, the Pathways task force component of the project’s overall feasibility. selected four concepts – the West Branch River Trail, the Warrior As with any trail project, the support of local landowners is critical The level of community participation in the development of a to the feasibility of implementation. This project report outlines district-wide Pathways vision for Warrior Run is a testament to the key landowners who will need to be approached by the WRCC’s broad base of community support for undertaking the Pathways Pathways committees to discuss options and opportunities for project. Dozens of local individuals, businesses and organizations Pathways development on their land. The trail concepts purposely have made financial contributions or publicly endorsed the project. allow flexibility to provide landowners with a number of alignment Pathways supporters hail from all parts of the school district and options to encourage participation. Other incentives may include reflect the diversity of age, tenure and socioeconomic backgrounds landscape enhancements, aquistion of development rights or that comprise the diversity of Warrior Run. The school district the outright purchase of land for a trail easement. In addition, itself has been an engaged player in the discussion of the potential those approaching landowners will be prepared to discuss liability for pathways at the school and in the larger community since the concerns using the Pennsylvania Land Use and Recreational project’s inception. The Warrior Run community understands Statute. that it is poised to be a leader as a rural Pennsylvania community working across municipal boundaries to create a recreational benefit Also integral to the success of Pathways is the support of local that will last for generations. Creating the vision is taking the first