Department of Conservation and Natural Resources


Recreation &
Conservation
Heritage Areas
Program Manual Application Forms
and  Instructions Project Management
Contract Heritage Areas
Managers Heritage  Areas
Other Links
Publications
Contact a
Regional Adviser

Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania

Lumber Heritage One of two most recently designated Heritage Parks is the Lumber Heritage Region. Journeying through this region, the ever-present forest stands out as one of the most striking features of the landscape. Woven into every trunk and limb are stories of lumber heritage, a culture defined by its forests. From the inception of the industrialized timber industry through the emergence of the current forest products industry, an indelible mark has been imprinted upon the culture of every community and every generation of the region.

Stand of PinesThe development of the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program has provided the region with a mechanism to link the pieces of its rich heritage and culture. The combination of resources throughout the region provides a foundation on which the story of industrial lumber history is reconstructed. Through current and proposed interpretation, recreation, and economic development projects, these seemingly unrelated pieces of history are woven into a mosaic that fosters a greater understanding of, and create new opportunities within, this forest region.

The Lumber Heritage Region is broken-down into five eras of lumber history. They include “Pioneers of Logging,” “Spars and Sticks,” “Bark Peelers and Lumber Barons,” “Forest Conservation and the Recovery of a Resource,” and “A Second Forest and a Sustainable Approach.” These five eras form the framework for the historic sites and structures throughout the region.

The Lumber Heritage Region also boasts a number of outdoor recreational resources, adding to the visitor experience. Designated natural areas, landmarks, and sanctuaries, high quality angling streams, plentiful multi-use trails and rail-trails, state parks, and state game lands blanket the region. State Forests and the Allegheny National Forest supply a more rugged outdoor experience for the adventurous Lumber Heritage Region visitor.

Heritage Park Description

The Lumber Region Heritage Park Management Action Plan Study area includes all or part of 15 counties located in North Central Pennsylvania. The region will highlight the natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources that best exemplify the industrial traditions of the lumber industry which played an important role in the development of this region.

Project Characteristics

Size: 12,500 sq. miles

Counties: Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren

Population: 700,000

Municipalities:

  • Boroughs - 89
  • Townships - 251
  • Third-Class Cities - 6

Major Highways:

  • Pa. - 44, 66, 120, 144, 287, 948
  • U.S. - 6, 15, 62, 119, 219, 220, 322
  • Interstate - 80, 180

Key Communities:

  • Bradford
  • Brookville
  • Bellefonte
  • Clearfield
  • Dubois
  • Ebensburg
  • Port Allegheny
  • Ridgway
  • St. Mary's
  • State College
  • Warren
  • Wellsboro
  • Williamsport

Major Attractions:

  • Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
  • Allegheny National Forest
  • Kinzua Bridge
  • Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
  • Tioga State Forest
  • Sproul State Forest
  • Susquehanna State Forest
  • Moshannon State Forest
  • Elk State Forest
  • Tiadaghton State Forest
  • Cook Forest State Park
  • Allegheny River
  • Clarion River
  • SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (WEST BRANCH)
  • Kinzua Dam Complex

Welcome Centers:

Through intergovernmental and interagency cooperation, with public participation and citizen involvement, the region will be developed, managed and marketed to attract visitors, create new jobs and offer an understanding of the dynamics of the early lumbering industry and its relationship to the development of the region’s economic base. The Lumber Heritage Region will complement other Pennsylvania Heritage Parks that focus on various industrial applications including steel, coal, river transportation, oil production and agriculture.

The time schedule calls for the completion of the RFP by August 31, 1996, hiring of the consultant by November, and the commencement of the study on January 1, 1997, to determine the scope and manageability of the proposed project. Local funds, like those donated by National Fuel Gas, are required to match state dollars to complete the study. The petition designation as a heritage planning area was presented and approved on February 26, 1998.

Milestones

  • Feb. 1998 – Feasibility Study completed
  • May 2001 - Management Action Plan completed
  • Sept. 2001 - Designated as State Heritage Region

Heritage Park Organization

Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania, Inc.
Cameron Co. Court House
20 East Fifth St.
Emporium, PA 15834
(814) 486-0213
Fax: (814) 486-0215
Web site: www.lumberheritage.org
E-mail: mwennin@lumberheritage.org

Contact: Michael S. Wennin
Title: Project Coordinator

Organization Type: Pennsylvania Local Development District

Mission/Purpose:

Staff and Volunteers:

Involved Organizations

Additional Project Supporters

  • DCNR,NPS, ANF, PGC, HLMA, HDC

Tourist Promotion Agencies (TPAs) within the Region

 

Pennsylvania's Heritage Regions

Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
Endless Mountains Heritage Region
Lackawanna Heritage Valley
Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
Lumber Heritage Region

National Road Heritage Corridor
Oil Region National Heritage Area
PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area
Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area
Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area



DCNR Home | Contact DCNR | Privacy Policy | Security Policy | PA Home