Written By Silas Chamberlin
November 9th, 2009
The protection of the Appalachian Trail (AT) led to the passage of the National Trails System Act of 1968 and the designation of the AT as our nation’s first National Scenic Trail. In Pennsylvania, the AT follows the ridgeline between Pen Mar in the south and the Delaware Water Gap in the north, intersecting the D&L Trail at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center trailhead.
America’s Wild Spaces: Appalachian Trail
Tuesday, November 10th
8 pm EST
National Geographic cable channel
Don’t miss this exciting new full length documentary America’s Wild Spaces: Appalachian Trail capturing the Appalachian Trail as only National Geographic can. In addition to breathtaking scenery along the entire Trail, you will get a chance to meet hikers, volunteers, angels, agency staff, and scientists. Celebrate with Appalachian Trail Conservancy members Frank Wright volunteering on Springer, Laurie Potteiger greeting visitors in Harpers Ferry, and Gary Hill completing his 2008 thru-hike atop Katahdin.
Join National Geographic on a rollercoaster ride of agonizing ascents and rewarding vistas — all courtesy of mountains roughly 480 million years in the making. Explore this 5 million step journey through the five distinct regions of the AT landscape, and learn what it takes to keep this ribbon of green safe, healthy, and totally wild.
The film airs this Tuesday, November 10th, at 8 PM EST on National Geographic’s cable station, with reruns at 11 PM as well as the following Tuesday (Nov. 17th) at 4 PM EST.
Posted in Appalachian Trail, Events, In the News
No Comments »
Written By Silas Chamberlin
August 17th, 2009
The most recent issue of the American Hiking Society’s Paperless Trail newsletter features the D&L Trail. A brief article describes a loop hike that starts and ends at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, while taking in the D&L, the AT, and a number of side trails. Visit the AHS website to subscribe to their newsletter, read more about the featured D&L hike, and follow hiking advocacy issues.
Posted in Appalachian Trail, In the News
No Comments »
Written By Silas Chamberlin
March 3rd, 2009
When the US Congress passed the Appalachian Trail Act of 1978, advocates hoped it would permanently protect the connectivity and character of the AT for all time. Yet, as with much legislation, opponents were able to find loopholes in the 1978 act allowing them to develop land directly adjacent to the trail. Because some municipalities did not have zoning regulations to limit such development, even sympathetic governments could do little to protect the trail.
A “Country Club for Sports Car Enthusiasts”
In Pennsylvania, this situation came to a head in 2007, when a Monroe county land developer and property owner announced plans to open a “Country Club for Sports Car Enthusiasts,” a euphemism for “race track.” Many local residents opposed the developed, arguing that the loud noise, dust, and minimal but intrusive crowds would impinge on the rustic character of their community and an adjacent section of the Appalachian Trail. The Blue Mountain Preservation Association (BMPA), with assistance from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, led the community’s opposition but, since the township lacked zoning ordinances, there was no basis for restricting development.
PA House Bill 1281
After that judicial setback, Charles “Chot” Elliott, an Easton lawyer and member of the BMPA, approached State Representative Robert Freeman about the issue. Freeman, a long-time advocate of land use, zoning, and planning reform, adopted the cause. He drafted a bill that would require all municipalities through which the Appalachian Trail passes to enact zoning in keeping with the spirit of the Appalachian Trail Act of 1978. He adroitly addressed the concerns of both parties (including mandated provision of technical support for zoning plan development), and PA House Bill 1281 received bipartisan support in both chambers. On June 11, 2008 Governor Ed Rendell signed the bill into law, giving municipalities one year to comply with the zoning requirements.
Freeman’s bill is a precedent that other states will surely follow, ultimately leading to the permanent protection of the AT. Support for the bill suggests that local politicians are willing to support trail conservation, if assured of proper assistance. According to a historian of federal AT corridor acquisition, the remarkable thing about the new zoning legislation is its grassroots support from private land rights advocates. After initial opposition to the AT, these community members have embraced the new legislation, as a restoration of measured local autonomy. Additionally, as small Pennsylvania communities continue to deindustrialize and the resource extraction industry continues to decline, the presence of the AT provides a much needed economic and social resource. In short, the trail has become a valuable community resource worth protecting.
A Step in the Right Direction
What does this mean for the D&L Trail and other regional trails? The impact will be hard to quantify, given the unique status of the AT in America’s outdoor recreation infrastructure. Still, any government support for trails is a step in the right direction. Strong legislative action, like Freeman’s bill, sends a message that trails are a sound investment and deserve to be made permanent. In such an environment, the future of the D&L Trail looks a little brighter.
Posted in Appalachian Trail, History, Know Your Legislation
1 Comment »
Written By Silas Chamberlin
September 25th, 2008
The latest issue of A.T. Journeys, the official magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), features an article on the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, written by the Center’s director and friend of the D&L Trail, Dan Kunkle. The article highlights efforts to reseed the defoliated Lehigh Gap and the work of the ATC, D&L, Allentown Hiking Club, and Philadelphia Trail Club to build a trail network along the Lehigh River and Kittatinny Ridge.
Also included in this issue is a brief article on Pennsylvania’s recent zoning legislation, intended to ensure the natural character of the Appalachian Trail and its buffer.
Both of these articles are available free from ATC’s member center.
Posted in Appalachian Trail, In the News
No Comments »
Written By Silas Chamberlin
June 19th, 2008
The famous Appalachian Trail intersects the D&L Trail at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, in northern Lehigh County. AT thru-hikers can use the D&L Trail to access stores and accommodations in Slatington and Walnutport to the south or Lehighton, Jim Thorpe, and other towns to the north. Day hikers can use the D&L to access the AT and the ridge of the mountains, for a different perspective on the Gap.
This is a historically important section of the Appalachian Trail. The 102-mile section between the Lehigh River and the Susquehanna River was completed by the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club of Reading in 1931. During the late-1920s, the 35-mile section of trail between the Lehigh River and the Delaware River was completed by the Blue Mountain Club of Easton, under the direction of early-AT proponent and Lafayette College chemistry professor, Eugene Bingham. This section was called the Skyline Trail until its incorporation into the AT. Currently, the Philadelphia Trail Club maintains the Trail between Smith Gap and Lehigh Furnace Gap. More recently, the historically beloved section earned the scorn of comedic travel writer Bill Bryson, who lamented the defoliation caused by Palmerton’s zinc plant and described his run-in with one of the plant’s guards.
The connection between the D&L and the Appalachian Trails creates truly impressive hiking opportunities reaching across a third of the state. The work of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and various hiking clubs (under the direction of the Keystone Trails Association) to preserve open spaces and historical sites along their respective trails has also ensured that the scenic and cultural beauty of this region will be preserved.
Posted in Appalachian Trail, On the Trail
No Comments »
