“We Americans are the people we are largely because we have had the influence of the wilderness on our lives.” - Pennsylvania Representative John P. Saylor, on sponsoring the Wilderness Act in Congress, 1956.
While less than 2 percent of the Allegheny National Forest is congressionally designated wilderness, it does contain Pennsylvania’s largest designated wilderness area, Hickory Creek. At 8,663 acres, Hickory Creek is dominated by 120-foot tall trees that shelter a number of endangered species.
A group of dedicated conservationists in Pennsylvania is working to ensure that an even more remarkable area on the Allegheny National Forest wins wilderness protection, Tionesta.
The 4,100-acre Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Areas contain old-growth forest remnants that have never been logged, unique wildlife habitats, and fine opportunities for primitive recreation. Large eastern hemlock and beech trees, some 500 years old and nearly four feet in diameter, dominate the area.
The Tionesta's ancient forests are thought to be the most extensive old growth forests remaining between the Adirondacks and the Great Smoky Mountains. In spite of its uniqueness, the Tionesta continues to be threatened by logging and oil and gas drilling.
