Forestry Road Closures and what else?

**Tiadaghton44** · September 24th, 2010, 12:57 PM

Has anybody else been experiencing this in their area? You'll be out driving on roads you've always used, but now come across a bright yellow gate that has the road blocked off. A popular road near my town, that is the only way to the top of the mountain, has recently been closed. The DCNR website says it was due the heavy rains in January, but I remember it being fairly darn cold in January. I called them and they said it is really because it has been classified as a "wild area". I did some research on these natural and wild areas and it appears they want to expand them and moreless link them together. I also found a document stated they plan to make these into "Biospheres" at some point. Do some research on Biospheres and let me know what you all think about them. The zones, most notably the "core area" have heavy restrictions, one of which could be no access by people.

**Swarner793** · September 24th, 2010, 01:57 PM

That, or the area is soon to be developed for gas drilling. They want to keep the Serfs away. It is all the rage in our region

Be safe (and Beano don't work for this).

Scott

**Tiadaghton44** · September 24th, 2010, 05:33 PM

I think a better term to use would be "Bioreserves" instead of Biosphere. The one document that I read is here:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry...er_Revised.pdf (sorry you'll have to copy in your browser)
The line that caught my attention was under 1.1 near the top.

The whole gas industry explosion (for lack of a better term) in the area seems to be going against DCNR's "protect our lands at all costs agenda". Oh wait...that's right, there is money involved. Where it's going, I do not know. Maybe Rendell's home town? A bunch of roads around here have been closed due to the drilling. I'm fairly sure a guy from DEP told me they aren't supposed to close roads to vistas, but they have closed vista roads up Pine Creek anyways. In the name of safety, they get to close another road. DCNR discusses that in their management plan. Hey afterall they get free gates provided by the gas companies! Hopefully once more hunters find out they don't have access, they will act and make a couple calls. I'm finding that most the pressure to close roads is from Harrisburg.