Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Partnership and CycleForward September 29, 2014 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan Prepared by with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Partnership and CycleForward September 29, 2014 PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 “The oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.” Aldo Leopold PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 Acknowledgments Special thanks to the residents of Lincoln and Liberty Boroughs, and Elizabeth Township for their enthusiastic participation and exceptional support throughout the development of this plan. Further, the contribution and input of the following individuals were important to the successful development of this plan: Allegheny Land Trust Mr. Chris Beichner, President & CEO Ms. Emilie Rzotkiewicz, Stewardship Director Ms. Caitlin Seiler, Stewardship Coordinator Mr. Mike Good, Stewardship Coordinator (former) Project Steering Committee Mayor Jim Beisler, Borough of Lincoln Mr. Ryan Korbar Chief Richard Bosco, Borough of Lincoln Ms. Heather McCall Mr. Steve Bosnyak Mr. Mike McCall Ms. Nina Cindrich Mr. Richard Petyk Mr. John Cindrich Mr. Dan Piesik Mr. Michael Di Anni Ms. Emma Piplica Ms. Tammy Firda, Borough of Lincoln Mr. Al Piplica Mr. Chris Gretz, Liberty Borough Mr. Nick Piplica Mr. Bill Hall, Mon Yough Trail Council Ms. Julie Piplica‐Schampel Ms. Debbie Helderlein, Liberty Borough Ms. Laura Thompson Consulting Team Mr. John Buerkle, Pashek Associates Mr. Mike Kotyk, Pashek Associates Mr. Christopher Tracey, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Ms. Amy Camp, Cycle Forward This Plan was prepared by a Landscape Architect licensed to practice in the State of Pennsylvania. PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” Aldo Leopold PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... i Chapter 1: Where are We Now? .................................................................................................................. 1 Allegheny Land Trust History ................................................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Site Inventory & Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 13 History .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Acquisition and Ownership ................................................................................................................... 26 Wildlife and Habitats .............................................................................................................................. 29 Inventory of Existing Trails .................................................................................................................... 48 Analysis of Existing Trails ....................................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 2: Where do We Want to Be? ...................................................................................................... 61 Master Plan ................................................................................................................................................ 61 Trail Sustainability Management Plan................................................................................................... 61 Trail Inspection and Maintenance ........................................................................................................ 117 Conservation Planning .............................................................................................................................. 127 Land Preservation ................................................................................................................................. 127 Safety, Protection of Life & Property and Search & Rescue .............................................................. 129 Guidelines for Conservation Easements and Fee Lands of the Allegheny Land Trust ..................... 150 Chapter 3: How Do We Get There? ......................................................................................................... 151 Implementation Workbook .................................................................................................................. 151 Sustainable Trails Implementation Strategies..................................................................................... 157 Conservation Management & Forest and Ecosystem Monitoring Strategies .................................. 160 Cultural Resources Implementation Strategies .................................................................................. 174 Environmental Interpretation & Education Strategies ....................................................................... 177 Land Protection Implementation Strategies ...................................................................................... 184 Marketing, Promotion and Public Outreach Implementation Strategies ......................................... 186 Funding Opportunities ......................................................................................................................... 193 PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 Appendices Appendix 1: Species Observed at Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area During Study Appendix 2: Soils of the Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Appendix 3: Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Proposed Trail Standards Appendix 4: Public Bid Opinions of Probable Construction Costs Appendix 5: PA DCNR Incident Reports Appendix 6: Guidelines for Conservation Easements and Fee Lands of the Allegheny Land Trust Appendix 7: Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Stakeholder & Partner List PASHEK ASSOCIATES, 619 EAST OHIO STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 412.321.6362 Executive Summary Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area Management Plan ‐ 2014 The Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area consists of 434 acres of property owned by Allegheny Land Trust whose mission is to serve as the lead land trust conserving and stewarding lands that support the scenic, recreational and environmental well‐being of communities in Allegheny County and its environs. ALT’s vision for the Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area is: The Allegheny Land Trust desires to enhance the recreational and educational opportunities at Dead Man’s Hollow and to identify public opportunities that will promote the use of the property without impairing the Hollow’s unique spaces and habitats. To achieve this vision ALT commissioned the preparation of this management plan to promote and manage the use of the property in a sustainable manner and to guide ALT in making decisions in achieving its goals for the property, now and into the future. Chapter 1: Where Are We Now inventories and analyzes the existing resources of the site; identifies opportunities and constraints related to those resources; and, sets the stage for making decisions regarding the future of the property. Highlights of Chapter 1 include the following facts related to the Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area: . The Hollow contains a significant interior forest for Allegheny County, of which much of the County is urbanized and therefore, interior forests are severely fragmented or non‐existent; . 232 acres of interior forest in the hollow provides healthy interior forest habitat conditions for neotropical migrants and forest breeding birds and forest interior‐dwelling birds; . Calcareous soils support an abundant wildflower population and a regenerating native sugar maple basswood forest, the abundance of spring wildflowers in the Hollow makes it one of Allegheny County’s best‐kept secrets for spring wildflower viewing; . The factory ruins located within the Hollow are classified as industrial archeology sites and a Phase I Archeology evaluation of the ruins indicates they are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to the potential for recovery of new information related to the once prominent clay industry of western Pennsylvania. The evaluation indicated the sites have a high potential to yield important new information to the archeological record of this industry from the early 1880s to 1924; . Myths, lores, and legends of the property, as documented in Karen Frank’s book “Dead Man’s Hollow: An Oral History and More…” have established the Hollow as destination for those interested in