6-B. Litter and Graffiti

PATC Policy

The Tuscarora Trail corridor lands should remain free of litter, refuse, and graffiti. The Club expressly denies any responsibility to provide trash removal services for the hiking public. The Club generally does not provide trash receptacles at shelters, campgrounds, or trailhead parking areas. The Club seeks to educate the members of the hiking public to their own responsibility to carry out and properly dispose of all trash and litter found along the Tuscarora Trail. This education campaign takes the form of instructional signs placed at trail facilities, reiteration of proper hiking and camping procedures published within the guidebooks issued by this Club, and by the active, positive reinforcement of the principles of minimum impact camping provided by volunteer maintainers and managers who work on the Trail. Overseers, managers, and work crews are expected to carry out litter found along the Trail during the course of their work. PATC will work closely with local partners to remove graffiti found along the Tuscarora Trail.

Partners’ Policies

National Park Service

Chesapeake & Ohio National Historical Park

The National Park Service can cite violators for litter and graffiti under the Code of Federal Regulations. Enforcement of regulations is difficult unless offenders are “caught in the act” by Park Rangers or observed violating the Regulations by hikers or club members. In the latter case, the offense(s) and offender(s) must be identified to the National Park Service in a detailed report.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Bureau of Forestry and State Parks and Forest officers can cite violators pursuant to §51.66 (destruction of property) and §51.68 (littering) of its regulations on forest lands.

State officers can cite violators pursuant to Section 31.5(a) (crimes and offenses) of its regulations on park lands. Violators also may be cited by park officers under the state’s crimes code or vehicle code.