Tuscarora State Forest
Encyclopedia
Tuscarora State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania
Bureau of Forestry District #3. The main office is located in Blain in Perry County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States
.
Tuscarora State Forest contains 91165 acres (36,893.2 ha) in several tracts and is located in Cumberland
, Franklin
, Huntingdon
, Juniata
, Mifflin
, and Perry
counties.
became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut
the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfire
s that prevented the formation of second growth forest
s. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since that had depleted the natural resources of the forests. The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system.
The forest is named for Tuscarora Mountain, which is within the state forest boundaries. The mountain was named for the Tuscarora
, a tribe that joined by the Iroquois
Nation around 1714 following the Tuscarora War
in North Carolina
.
Tuscarora State Forest was originally part of the Rothrock Forest Reserve. It was merged with the Pennypacker and McClure reserves to form what is now Tuscarora State Forest. Much of the land was acquired from lumber and iron companies who had used the old-growth forest of hemlock, chestnut
and oak
to produce lumber and charcoal
to fire the many iron furnaces that dotted the Pennsylvania landscape. Dr. Joseph Rothrock
was an early pioneer in Pennsylvania forestry
. In his position as commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, he led the statewide effort to acquire lands that had been clear cut
and left barren. Land was purchased from the lumber companies at minimal cost to the state, just a few dollars per acre.
The newly purchased land was largely barren. This was due to the widespread wildfire
s that swept over the hills and through the valleys when the sparks cast off by passing steam trains would ignite fires in the dried tree tops that were left behind by the lumbermen. The founding of the Civilian Conservation Corps
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
during the Great Depression
was vital in creating the thriving second growth forest
s that make up Tuscarora State Forest today. The young men of the CCC cleared the forests and streams of dried brush. They lived in one of six camps spread throughout Tuscarora State Forest. In addition to clearing brush they also built roads, bridges and trails in the forests and constructed many of the recreational facilities still in use today at several state parks in the Tuscarora State Forest area.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Bureau of Forestry District #3. The main office is located in Blain in Perry County
Perry County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Tuscarora State Forest contains 91165 acres (36,893.2 ha) in several tracts and is located in Cumberland
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, Franklin
Franklin County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile . There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
, Huntingdon
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Juniata
Juniata County, Pennsylvania
Juniata County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 24,636. Juniata County was created on March 2, 1831, from part of Mifflin County and named for the Juniata River. Its county seat is Mifflintown....
, Mifflin
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, and Perry
Perry County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
counties.
History
Tuscarora State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph RothrockJoseph Rothrock
Joseph Trimbel Rothrock was an American environmentalist, recognized as the "Father of Forestry" in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture...
became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s that prevented the formation of second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since that had depleted the natural resources of the forests. The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system.
The forest is named for Tuscarora Mountain, which is within the state forest boundaries. The mountain was named for the Tuscarora
Tuscarora (tribe)
The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian-language family, with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina...
, a tribe that joined by the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Nation around 1714 following the Tuscarora War
Tuscarora War
The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina during the autumn of 1711 until 11 February 1715 between the British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora Native Americans. A treaty was signed in 1715....
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Tuscarora State Forest was originally part of the Rothrock Forest Reserve. It was merged with the Pennypacker and McClure reserves to form what is now Tuscarora State Forest. Much of the land was acquired from lumber and iron companies who had used the old-growth forest of hemlock, chestnut
American Chestnut
The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
to produce lumber and charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
to fire the many iron furnaces that dotted the Pennsylvania landscape. Dr. Joseph Rothrock
Joseph Rothrock
Joseph Trimbel Rothrock was an American environmentalist, recognized as the "Father of Forestry" in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture...
was an early pioneer in Pennsylvania forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. In his position as commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, he led the statewide effort to acquire lands that had been clear cut
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
and left barren. Land was purchased from the lumber companies at minimal cost to the state, just a few dollars per acre.
The newly purchased land was largely barren. This was due to the widespread wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s that swept over the hills and through the valleys when the sparks cast off by passing steam trains would ignite fires in the dried tree tops that were left behind by the lumbermen. The founding of the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
was vital in creating the thriving second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s that make up Tuscarora State Forest today. The young men of the CCC cleared the forests and streams of dried brush. They lived in one of six camps spread throughout Tuscarora State Forest. In addition to clearing brush they also built roads, bridges and trails in the forests and constructed many of the recreational facilities still in use today at several state parks in the Tuscarora State Forest area.
Natural areas
- Hemlocks Natural Area: 120 acres (48.6 ha) of old-growth Eastern HemlockEastern HemlockTsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
forest in a narrow ravine. - Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural AreaHoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural AreaHoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area is a natural area in Perry County, Pennsylvania, near New Bloomfield, which protects a colony of box huckleberry over 1,000 years old. The smallest Natural Area in Pennsylvania, it is administered as part of Tuscarora State Forest...
: 10 acres (4 ha); contains a Box Huckleberry over 1,300 years old. - Frank E. Masland, Jr. Natural Area: 1270 acres (514 ha) of old secondary forestSecondary forestA secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
. - Tuscarora Wild Area: 5382 acres (2,178 ha) of old secondary forest.
Nearby state parks
Four Pennsylvania State Parks are contained within Tuscarora State Forest:- Big Spring State ParkBig Spring State Park (Pennsylvania)Big Spring State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 274, southwest of New Germantown. Big Spring State Park is a hiking and picnic area...
- Colonel Denning State ParkColonel Denning State ParkColonel Denning State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Lower Mifflin Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in the Doubling Gap of Blue Mountain on Pennsylvania Route 233 between Newville and Landisburg. Doubling Gap Lake is a man-made lake covering...
- Fowlers Hollow State ParkFowlers Hollow State ParkFowlers Hollow State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is from Blain just off Pennsylvania Route 274...
- Little Buffalo State ParkLittle Buffalo State ParkLittle Buffalo State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Centre and Juniata Townships, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is a historical destination as well as a recreational destination. Visitors to the park can cross a covered bridge and observe a restored and...
Neighboring state forest districts
- Bald Eagle State ForestBald Eagle State ForestBald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
(north) - Weiser State ForestWeiser State ForestWeiser State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #18. The main offices are located in Cressona in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(east) - Michaux State ForestMichaux State ForestMichaux State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #1. The main offices are located in Fayetteville in Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(southeast) - Buchanan State ForestBuchanan State ForestBuchanan State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #2. The main office is located in McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
(southwest) - Rothrock State ForestRothrock State ForestRothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(west)