Worksite Tioga State Forest Francis Leetonia in Focus 2/2006

Project Overview: Project Facts Francis Leetonia Road is located in the southwestern corner Project: Francis Leetonia Road of Tioga County in the Tioga State Forest. The land has been Project Owner: Tioga State Forest used for sustainable timber harvesting and recreation since Watershed: Francis Branch of Slate Run (EV) 1955. This forestry road was located directly adjacent to Project Length: 800 ft (~ 3,600 ft of road retired) Kramer Run, a tributary to Francis Branch of Slate Run. Both Date Completed: June 2005 streams are classified as “Exceptional Value (EV)” streams. Cost Summary Due to its proximity to the road, the stream would spill onto the Site Preparation $11,000 during medium and high flow events. As a New Road Placement $33,000 result, this road required constant maintenance and created a Old Road Retirement $15,000 chronic pollution impact on the stream. The road also Total Project Cost: $59,000 contained a hairpin turn (see Fig. 1) that was difficult for larger For More Information: vehicles (log trucks, emergency vehicles, etc) to maneuver. The Center for Dirt and Studies (814) 865-5355 www.dirtandgravelroads.org Project Considerations: Tioga State Forest: District 16 (570)-724-2868 Stabilizing the existing roadway (shown in Photo 1) would have been costly and difficult to maintain due to frequent Tioga County flooding. Working with the Bureau of Forestry, the Center decided to retire a 3,600 foot section of the existing road and replace it with an 800 foot section of new road located away Tioga State Forest from the stream corridor. This approach eliminates a dangerous hairpin turn, separates the road and the stream, Elk and greatly reduces future maintenance costs. Township

Before: Existing Road After: Retired Road Photo 1: Note close proximity of the road to Kramer Run. This created recurring problems with road flooding and stream pollution.

Photo 2: The now-retired road has been seeded and mulched. Photo was taken just 2 months after site completion. Photo 1 Photo 2

The publishers of this publication gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. For additional information or assistance, contact: Center for Dirt & Gravel Studies, Penn State University, 207 Research Unit D, University Park, PA 16802 (Toll-Free Phone: 1-866-668-6683, Fax: 814-863-6787, Email: [email protected]). Additional copies available on our website at: www.dirtandgravelroads.org Creating new roadbed: Approximately 800 ft.of new roadbed was laid out away from Kramer Run. The new road segment was located in such a way as to bypass the hairpin turn and connect with the original road (see Fig. 1 below). Tree and vegetation removal was performed by the Bureau of Forestry (photo 3). Stumps were removed and placed on the new road bank for additional soil stabilization. The new roadbed was created utilizing a cut and fill technique (photo 4). The roadbed had traditional crown built into it before the driving surface material was placed (photo 5). Five cross-pipes and two grade breaks were added to Photo 3 control drainage.

Retiring old roadbed: Approximately 3,600 ft. of the old roadbed was retired (Photo 1). All pipes were removed and gradebreaks were added to the roadbed to control runoff. Natural drainage conditions were restored where possible. The former roadway was chisel plowed with the toothed bucket of the excavator to encourage re-vegetation. Pipe trenches were left open and trees were felled across the former roadway to make it unattractive as a , except for foot travel Photo 4 (Photo 2).

Re-vegetation: All disturbed areas, including the retired roadway, were seeded, limed and mulched. Mulch rates were kept as low as possible to encourage native vegetation to reseed.

Project Results: Before the project, Francis Leetonia Road contributed significent sediment to Kramer Run due to its extremely close proximity to the stream. Through relocation of the new roadway and retirement of the old roadway, these negative impacts have been Photo 5 eliminated. In addition, the total road length was reduced by 2,400 feet and the hairpin turn was Photo 3-5: This sequence of photos shows the placement of 800’ of new road that replaced the 3,600’ of old road in photos removed; thereby reducing maintenance and allowing 1 & 2. These pictures were taken while standing on Francis easier access to the area by larger vehicles. road and looking at the new section of Francis-Leetonia road. Hairpin PROJECT LAYOUT 14 Turn00’ 6 Site Map & Galeton

14 Directions: SR Retired roadway 00’ Potter 3001 (3,600’) From Route 44 north Tioga K entering Potter 144 ra m County, turn right onto state forest er 14 R 00’ un Francis Rd. Continue Francis Rd. approx. 6 miles. Francis Leetonia Rd. 14 44 00’ Project begins at New roadway of Francis Rd. and Francis- state forest Lycoming (800’) 414 Fig. 1 Leetonia Rd. Clinton

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