Greetings all!

As most of you know, I am currently hiking the Appalachian Trail in this year of two thousand and wet. Getting to internet access and keeping up with things is getting tougher, and will continue in that vein as I draw nearer to that state which has only one syllable. For this month, I figured I would take a few excerpts from the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Companion that I thought were apropos to this column. I wish all of you the best and hope that the weather wherever you have been is much better than the conditions that I have been experiencing. With less than 500 miles to go (even if it is the hardest past physically) I look forward to a possible completion while still holding out optimism that Mother Nature will allow me to enjoy more of what I came out to find.

AT History:

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy was formed in 1925 by private citizens to make the dream of an Appalachian Trail a reality. After the initial trail route was pieced together in 1937 (much of it on roads and across private land), the ATC continued to work to identify better routes for the trail and worked with Congress, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, states, and others to ensure a continuously protected corridor. Today, the ATC is the primary organization responsible for the stewardship of the footpath and the 250,000 acres of public land surrounding it. Working with more than 6,000 volunteers (mostly in 30 affiliated local clubs) and multiple public agencies, the ATC leads the effort to improve the footpath, protect the plants and animals along the trail (and the experience of hiking it!), engage communities along the AT to support it, and guard against encroachments. Much of the behind-the scenes work that continues to make the AT experience possible takes place out of site in offices. The single largest source of ATC funding is individual membership dues and small contributions.

Palmerton EPA Superfund Site:

The devastation along Blue Mountain near Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania (loved the giant toxic blueberries) is the result of nearly a century of zinc smelting in Palmerton. In 1980, the EPA shut down the furnaces and, in 1982, put the affected area on the Superfund clean-up list. Revegetation efforts are underway, and the mountain is slowly coming back to life. A product called Ecoloam – municipal waste sludge, fly ash, lime, fertilizer, and seeds – has been spread on the slopes. Before you curse the zinc manufactures, consider that zinc is likely one of the metals in the grommets and eyelets of our backpacks. It is used in everything from face powder to zippers. The scramble up the denuded rocks is among the most challenging on the AT south of New Hampshire. 

Sterling Forest:

Between Greenwood Lake and Arden in New York, 6 miles of the AT pass through the northern portion of a 20,000 acre tract called Sterling Forest. It was the center of a decade-long struggle between a corporate private landowner and a coalition of conservation groups, state agencies in New York and New Jersey, and such organizations as the NY-NJ TC and ATC. All told, more than 30 environmental groups, along with foundations, individuals, states, and Congress, combined to contribute $55 million toward the 1998 purchase and protection of 14,500 acres. The last unprotected parcel was acquired in late 2006.

Nuclear Lake:

This is the site of a nuclear-fuels processing research facility until 1972. After the Park Service acquired the lands for the AT, the buildings were razed, and the area was tested extensively and given a clean bill of health, dispelling fears that the lakes was contaminated and allowing the trail to be rerouted along the shore. 

September’s Conservation Meeting will be held at Jo Ann Zurek’s on Tuesday September 15.

Remember: read, keep informed, speak up, and encourage

Others to do likewise