PATC Policy
The safety of hikers is of paramount interest to the PATC and the relocation of the Tuscarora Trail from public roads will receive the highest priority during the process of securing land easements or deeds.
PATC opposes the construction of any new roads or highways that directly impact the Tuscarora Trail or trail corridor lands under control of PATC. Such roads directly conflict with the very nature of a backcountry trail. Should the construction of a new road or highway be necessary, PATC will take all steps necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of such construction to ensure that the Tuscarora Trail and the Trail corridor lands remain as primitive as possible, and to confirm that the authorities responsible for the construction have taken measures to preserve the safety of hikers, environmental integrity of the corridor, and regulation of vehicular traffic. Where private landowners retain a deeded right-of-way access across Trail corridor lands, the Club will work with the landowners and local agency partners to ensure that the affected roads are properly and securely gated and that the proper individuals receive keys for the gate locks.
Partners’ Policies
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Bureaus of Forestry and State Parks manage and maintain roads on state lands.
The Bureau of Forestry constructs primitive roads for timber sales if access cannot be gained by existing logging roads. After the sale is complete, the road cut is graded and seeded, and the road is gated. Gates are an ongoing problem for the agency since they are often vandalized or removed.
Roads on lands managed by the Bureau of State Parks that are not available and designated for public vehicular traffic are gated with heavy materials for security purposes.
County governments in Pennsylvania usually do not own or administer road systems. Road closures fall under the jurisdiction of either the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the local township, depending on who owns and maintains the road. A petition for road closure or abandonment must be made to the appropriate state or local township authority, by one or more of the landowners who own property adjoining the road.
