north branch canal trail corridor conceptual design — panel 7 · 2017-10-25 · and assume...

Trail Concepts 4.23

Historic Bridge Abutment Overlook

Boat Club PartnershipBoat Club Partnership:Encourage land partnership & stewardship.Encourage land partnership & stewardship.2 possible trail alignments: along railroad or 2 possible trail alignments: along railroad or

along towpath.along towpath.

Community CommunityPlaying FieldsPlaying Fields

Downtown Catawissa Downtown CatawissaConnectionsConnections

Community RevitalizationCommunity Revitalization

The Narrows:Narrow corridor can be

interpreted to teach about the history of transportation in the area. Special waivers needed to

comply with railway safety standards

Catawissa Rail Bridge Loop

ViewsViews

ViewsViews

Breaks in tow path: Bridge or culvert & fill

North Branch Canal Trail Concept Plan: Legend

Community Hub

Cultural Cluster

Natural Area

Viewshed

Community Connection

Gap in Tow Path

Heavy-Use Trail Buffer Area

Light-Use Trail Buffer Area

On-Road Trail

Tow-Path Trail

Off-Road Trail

Landowner Partnership Area

River

TrailheadFuture expansion options or existing trail connections

Cycling Trail

Hiking/Walking/Jogging Trail

Boat Access

Bird-Watching Area

Water Trail Area of Interest

Equestrian Access to be considered

Sports Field / Playground

Views

Wildlife Viewing Area

Facilities

North Branch Canal Trail Corridor Conceptual Design — Panel 7

Phase IV: County Line to Rupert

Trail Concepts 4.24

Catawissa Rail Bridge Loop:

Route to be determined

RupertFishing Creek Cultural Cluster :

Covered bridge and historic canal aqueduct. Multiple trail route options

north of Fishing Creek

Bloomsburg Bike Route

Wetlands: Wetlands:outdoor classroom outdoor classroom

opportunitiesopportunities

Narrows:Outdoor classroom

opportunities & scenic views. Exemptions will be needed to

meet railroad safety requirements

Landowner Partnership

Area

Wetlands: Canal rewatering and

restoration opportunity

Rupert Locks and Catawissa Railroad Bridge

Cultural Cluster: Lock restoration, heritage

interpretation

360º views

Break in tow path: bridge or culvert & fill

Break in tow path:bridge or culvert & fill


Community Hub

Cultural Cluster

Natural Area

Viewshed


Gap in Tow Path



On-Road Trail

Tow-Path Trail

Off-Road Trail


River


Cycling Trail


Boat Access

Bird-Watching Area




Views


Facilities


Phase IV:

County Line to Rupert

Trail Concepts 4.25

Rail-co

rridor tra

il Bloomsburg Town Park

Trailhead:Recreation, parking and

amenities

Market Street Connections:Downtown revitalization

Bloomsburg High School:

Safe Route to School

Surface-Road Bike Path

Canaltr

ail

Future expansion to other neighborhoods or towns


Community Hub

Cultural Cluster

Natural Area

Viewshed


Gap in Tow Path



On-Road Trail

Tow-Path Trail

Off-Road Trail


River


Cycling Trail


Boat Access

Bird-Watching Area




Views


Facilities


Phase VI: Bloomsburg Town Connections

Trail Concepts 4.26

Trail Concepts 4.27

5 Implementation Strategies

Trail Concepts 4.28

Implementation Strategies 5.1

Implementation StrategiesOverarching Themes

The Importance of Organization

The future and success of the North Branch Canal Trail depends on the ability to organize and plan for its design, construction, ongoing development, maintenance and use. The organization of project partners and committed groups of citizens is critical to channel energy and resources in order to achieve project goals effi ciently and eff ectively. The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) and SEDA-Council of Governments is dedicated to advancing the Danville to Bloomsburg trail as a means to promote healthy living while protecting and celebrating the natural and cultural resources of the Susquehanna River and its canal-era heritage. SGP and SEDA-COG’s joint collaboration with partners who share similar interests in the region will set the stage for future success.

An organization like SEDA-COG can help to bridge relationships between these partners while striving to bring in new perspectives from the community. Dedicated project partners, including SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority, Montour Area Recreation Commission, Montour County, Columbia County, and the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, can carry the vision for the project through each successive phase of accomplishment. At the same time, an involved, focused group of volunteers can be a catalyst for turning the trail vision into a reality. For example, the Montour Area Recreation Commission can broaden the base of community support for the North Branch Canal Trail by creating programs, projects, and social activities that are tailored to the community’s interest in safe and healthy fi tness and recreation. SEDA-COG can also help guide the trail project to achieve regional goals laid out by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership.

Through the phased implementation of the North Branch Canal Trail, the project can spark even greater community support and participation for the development of an inter-connected regional trail system that promotes healthy living and healthy environments for the future while reconnecting people to the resources of the Susquehanna River.

Trails - Not Just for Walking

In a project with an extensive scope and time frame, it is easy to lose track of the bigger picture. The North Branch project can quickly become an initiative focused on community trail building and nothing more. Increasing the availability of facilities to engage in active and healthy living is a clear priority for the residents of Danville, Catawissa and Bloomsburg. However, to lose sight of the role that trails can play in leveraging protections for historic elements and natural areas would be a missed opportunity. A well planned trail corridor can set the stage for sound development practices that safeguard the community’s natural and cultural resources for years to come. Every eff ort should be made to include the conservation element as an integral component of the North Branch Canal Trail mission and message.

The full range of benefi ts that trails can provide needs to be addressed throughout the design and construction phases of the project.


General Considerations Relevant to Trails

Pathways Ownership and Governance

As trails begin to be constructed in the Middle Susquehanna Region it may be necessary to create a Regional Trail Authority specifi cally tasked with land ownership, trail development, operations and maintenance. Public authorities can be a cost eff ective way to manage, maintain, and regulate public infrastructure, property and resources, such as public transportation systems. The comprehensive oversight of regional trails by a single organization has precedent within Pennsylvania. Three counties near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have turned over their trail systems to the Regional Trail Corporation (RTC), which was created for that purpose. The RTC acquires, develops and manages trails throughout Westmoreland, Allegheny and Fayette counties. A regional trail authority’s sole focus would be on the expansion and management of recreation and trails throughout the region.

There are several benefi ts to consolidating trail ownership and operations under the management of a single authority. One would be its expanded fund-raising abilities. The trail authority would have the capacity to charge fees and also issue revenue bonds as well as levy taxes specifi cally designed to pay for the ongoing maintenance and management of a regional trail system. Another benefi t is that, with a regional trail authority, there would be an economy of scale for the purchasing of specialized equipment and services for use throughout the region. The regional trail authority would also own and assume liability over the trail system. Freed of the burden of liability, municipalities could support and encourage the development of local trails without reservation. Currently, individual municipalities are often reluctant or unwilling to take control of high-liability or maintenance-heavy lands and structures, such as abandoned railroad

bridges. Although these concerns are valid, these same structures could be made into great public assets and amenities if converted to pedestrian and bicycle use. The larger trail authority would be in a position to assume liability and, therefore, could take control and put these under utilized resources into public service. Charged with the singular mission to oversee and promote a regional trail system, the trail authority would be able to focus its attention on the expansion of a valuable recreation and environment-centered resource for the region.

Until a trail authority is established, an organization needs to be identifi ed that will hold the corridor and assume liability and maintenance for the trail. The Montour Area Recreation Commission wouldbe one eligible organization to hold the trail corridor and oversee initial trail construction. A “Friends of the North Branch Canal Trail” group could also be created. Memberships could help pay for trail development and operations, while volunteers could spend time building and maintaining the trail itself.

As an addendum to this report, SEDA-COG commissioned the “Alternative Organizational Models for Multi-County Trails” study, found in Appendix A. The study further explores the opportunities, merits and demerits of multi-county pathways ownership and governance in the region.


Funding

The combination of recreation, conservation, historic interpretation and environmental education-related trail elements opens the door to diverse funding opportunities. Funding strategies tailored around specifi c programs may be packaged for private, state and federal funding sources. A recreation program could emphasize a trail’s proximity to a school, which provides a model for active, healthy living and safe route to school opportunities. A conservation program could emphasize stream and watershed restoration opportunities along the river, its tributary creeks and nearby wetland areas. Historic resources can also become the basis for the development of historic interpretation components of a trail. Areas of trail associated with particular natural or cultural features could be developed into outdoor classrooms where groups would learn the historic and environmental lessons of the greenway corridor.

The phasing of trail construction and development will allow a long-term undertaking to be broken down into a series of attainable goals. Early eff orts will focus on developing a usable trail system in and around the communities of Danville, Bloomsburg, Catawissa and Rupert. These early-stage trails would be designed to highlight the range of benefi t areas that the full trail corridor would provide. Early attention to heritage, education, community connections, economic revitalization and healthy living will also open up a wider range of possible funding sources. These include government programs, foundation grant programs, environmental conservation and historic interpretation initiatives, and local organizations and community groups, whose “funding” might be delivered in the form of volunteer work and the active construction of the trail. The “Danville Digs” work project is an excellent example of how the time and energy of volunteers can quickly result in a section of trail that the community can immediately use and appreciate. In turn, in-town trail infrastructure and trail-support businesses will be able to benefi t from economic loans and grants.

Danville Digs: Creating a Demonstration Project for the North Branch Canal Trail

On July 14 2007, 100 volunteers came together to construct a mile-long section of trail a short distance east of Danville along the Susquehanna River. The event was organized and sponsored by the Montour Area Recreation Commission in conjunction with the Danville Iron Heritage festival. The workday event met with great success and left volunteers eager to expand the trail further. Members of the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps helped prepare for the Danville Digs event by doing initial clearing and grubbing, and by building interpretive sign cases, a bench and fences to protect historic structures in the area. At Danville Digs, volunteers helped to level the soil, dig out stumps, fell some trees and move some stones along the corridor, resulting in a usable, level, and enjoyable section of trail at the site of the historic Danville lock. There is a great deal of time and eff ort needed to organize an event such as this, but making use of volunteer time and energy can clearly be a successful way to build trails while also building a great deal of enthusiasm within the community for the project.

Dedicated volunteers can make trails become a reality.


There are benefi ts and drawbacks associated with the many types of funds available for trail projects and funding will need to be carefully planned, because its sources may aff ect the trail’s character, uses, and the timing or extent of its construction. In particular, participation in federal programs carries a variety of regulatory requirements and stipulations. As an example, the Transportation Enhancements Program can be used to illustrate those requirements. The North Branch Canal Trail is eligible to apply for funding through this program as a provider of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles, and also for the rehabilitation and operation of the historic canal remnants and towpath.

If selected for funding, the Transportation Enhancement Program would require that the project meet a variety of State and Federal regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to, competitive bidding, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In addition, Federal and State design guidelines would need to be followed that might not otherwise apply. These might include guidelines prepared by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offi cials (AASHTO), and the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Although standards are developed to protect the health and safety of the public or to protect cultural and environmental resources, the application of those standards may not always be applicable within the given context to the project being considered. In these instances, meeting the requirements of state and federal guidelines could mean making design decisions that confl ict with community goals and desires.

Expanding upon the need to carefully choose funding sources, money from the Transportation Enhancement Program could only be used for actual construction phase work and could not be put towards anything associated with the planning and design phases of the trail project. The Transportation Enhancement Program is also a reimbursement program, rather than a grant program. Moreover, the program is highly competitive, and funding is currently backlogged and may not be made available for several years to come. As an example of regulatory requirements that can be associated with Federal funding, the Transportation Enhancements Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to School General Information and Program Guidance packet is included in the appendix. The ramifi cations on the trail development and resulting form and character of all regulations and stipulations need to be carefully considered before each type of funding is sought and accepted.

Risk Management and Liability

Liability is a primary concern of groups undertaking a trail project. Municipalities, trail organizations, private landowners, railroads and utility companies all share a concern about the potential legal ramifi cations of trail ownership. There is no guarantee that the owner of a trail will not be sued. The case law precedents, however, are fi rmly on the side of the trail owner. State law typically removes liability from landowners who open their property to public recreation, except in cases of gross negligence. This State law is known as the Land for Recreation – Limiting Liability of Owners

Another law in Pennsylvania that limits the legal liability of landowners who make their land available for free recreation is the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act (RULWA). According to a fact sheet on the RULWA, the purpose of the law is to supplement Structures like historic rail bridges are both

liabilities and valuable resources.


the availability of publicly owned parks and forests by encouraging landowners to allow hikers, fi shermen and other recreational users onto their properties.

Incentive for landowners to allow for public use of their land is created by limiting the traditional duty of care that landowners owe to entrants upon their land. So long as no entrance or use fee is charged, the Act provides that landowners owe no duty of care to keep their land safe for recreational users and have no duty to warn of dangerous conditions. More information on RULWA and the extent to which landowners are protected may be found in the appendix.

Operations and Maintenance

Safety, aesthetics and convenience are the top three factors that infl uence fi rst time and repeated use of trails. Proper trail maintenance is critical to address issues of safety and aesthetics. A well maintained trail improves perceptions of trail safety and enhances the overall experience of the trail user. Conversely, deteriorating trail conditions, overgrown vegetation, unchecked vandalism and poor trail surfaces will reduce the number of users and encourage further abuse. Designing trails for easy maintenance by standard equipment is a simple early step that can save money down the road.

One of the most common techniques to defray maintenance cost is the “Adopt-A-Trail” concept, in which residents, businesses, school and organizations are encouraged to participate in maintaining the trail. Local municipalities could play a role in the operation of the trail in areas of intensive public use. An up-front investment in sound trail design and construction can reduce maintenance costs over the life of the trail. These measures include creating a solid and stable trail surface, maintaining clear trail shoulders for easy mowing,

placing trash receptacles only at trail heads and employing native, low-maintenance landscaping wherever possible. Trails will essentially require maintenance and upkeep duties similar to those needed for a park. The trail organization may need to budget for additional staff and equipment costs associated with the trail. It is recommended that the organization factor in a maintenance schedule for the trail corridor in their overall maintenance. Eventually, the interim organization will turn over operations and maintenance to a regional trail authority when it is established.

Adopt-A-Trail Programs:

Going to the community can be a good way to maintain interest and the upkeep of trails in perpetuity. Communities often rally a great deal of enthusiasm during the construction phase of project, but once the project is fi nished, have no place to channel that collective energy. An “adopt-a-trail” program can be the perfect way for community groups to transfer their excitement for a trail from its construction to its ongoing maintenance. The “adopt-a-trail” program should be established as soon as trails are completed in order to capitalize on community excitement and motivation.

Through the program, local businesses, neighborhood organizations, schools, churches, and other organizations or even families can “adopt” sections of the trail and thereafter will support the upkeep of that length of trail. The program helps maintain trails in several ways. Local involvement through the program helps keep the trail functional, safe and enjoyable, but also helps keeps it in the mind of the public as a place to go and use and as a source of pride for the community.

Maintenance of the trail corridor is necessary to make it a place that people want to visit again and again.


A maintenance program will also need to be developed for remote, light-use sections of trails. Although the general wear and tear from use will not be as great in remote areas, these sections will present unique maintenance challenges. In particular, there will need to be special considerations regarding the accessibility of maintenance equipment to these sections. Maintaining minimum trail widths may be necessary if larger equipment will be used in the upkeep of remote trail sections. Flooding will also be a signifi cant concern for the North Branch Canal Trail and a system of immediate response to fl ood damage will keep trails open and safe to the public. The protection of historic canal resources is of importance for the North Branch Canal Trail. The Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission will need to be consulted in the development of a maintenance plan for historic structures and elements throughout the corridor. In particular, a vegetation maintenance program will be needed to stabilize and protect the historic dry-laid stone walls found along the Susquehanna River.

The Pennsylvania Conservation Corps

The Pennsylvania Conservation Corps (PCC) is a statewide program that off ers work experience, job training and educational opportunities to young people who complete conservation, recreation and historical preservation projects on the State’s public lands.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps is to develop the workplace skills, life skills and self-confi dence of Corps members; instill an ethic of citizenship; accomplish signifi cant conservation and historical work; and carry out other projects of public benefi t. The Corps is committed to a comprehensive approach that fosters a spirit of teamwork and advances the concept of individual empowerment through community service.

The PCC has already and could continue to play an active role in the construction and ongoing maintenance of the North Branch Canal Trail. This dedicated workforce could take part in the clearing and grubbing of vegetation, trail building and upkeep over time. For Corps members, working on the North Branch Canal Trail could become an opportunity to learn about native plant species and about integrated pest management for the control of invasive species along the corridor. Members could learn how to protect and maintain the historic lock and dry-laid stone wall structures from the canal-era and could also help with the maintenance of the historic earthen towpath. An ongoing partnership with the PCC should be explored because it has the potential to be a mutually benefi cial relationship.

PCC Fact Sheet available at: www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=145&q=213664

The PCC has already worked on the corridor by clearing vegetation and constructing benches, fences, and sign-holders.


Community Outreach and Organization

Leadership

The SEDA-Council of Governments will play an important organizing role in the planning, design and construction phases of the North Branch Canal Trail. SEDA-COG will continue to work with local public and private organizations as well as community members to plan for and design the trail, helping it to become a valuable local resource. SEDA-COG will keep the public apprised of project development, building local enthusiasm for the trail through regular updates and community participation events. As a project leader, SEDA-COG will ensure that, as it develops, the trail continues to address the range of over arching goals to benefi t recreation, education, the economy, environmental and cultural resources that were originally agreed upon by the community.

Community Involvement

Local residents are not all alike; diff erent people will have unique ideas about what they want to see from a trail. They will also have diff erent ideas about how they can help with the trail project. The natural range

of individual skills and preferences regarding public participation means that it is always a good idea to off er several ways for people to participate. Some residents will enjoy sharing ideas at meetings where they can help shape the vision for the trail. Others will prefer to volunteer their labor and will help clear and construct the trail at work party events. Still others might simply prefer to donate money to advance the project. Residents will continue to be able to participate and share their excitement for the North Branch Canal Trail in a variety of ways that draw upon their skills and interests. There will continue to be meetings, fund-raising activities, design-build work parties, and subsequent trail upkeep, all of which rely upon the interest and participation of the community for success. Already, community members have shown a great deal of interest in trail building events and hope that these will be organized in the near future.

Maintaining a level of enthusiasm within the community will be crucial for the ongoing development and overall success of the trail. In order to maintain momentum for such a large project, its actual construction will be phased into small, easily attainable sections. Each construction eff ort will be manageable and will result in a complete and immediately usable section of trail that extends previously built sections. Ideally, each design-build project will reach a new landmark or help celebrate and protect a unique cultural or environmental resource. In this way, the trail will continue to have multiple benefi ts beyond simple recreation.

As the trail is gradually completed, citizen groups can remain involved by adopting and maintaining specifi c sections of trail. They can also participate through active use of the trail and by supporting, organizing and attending trail-related events.Providing a variety of events will allow

community members to participate with and become excited about the trail in many ways.


Community Partnership Building

Community partnership building occurs through the interaction and participation of both public and private organizations. Project advancement needs to be based out of the local community in order to maintain focus on the goals and needs of the area. Community partners can serve a variety of functions, aiding with event organization, providing capital for each stage of planning and construction as well as helping shape and design the trail and what it can achieve.

The following organizations have expressed interest in participating with the ongoing development of the North Branch Canal Trail. Outreach to these and other key stakeholders needs to be ongoing:

Danville Business Alliance

Columbia County

Montour County

Geisinger Health System

Central Susquehanna Community Foundation

Berwick Health and Wellness

Merck and Co.

Bloomsburg Main Street Program

Bloomsburg University

The Degenstein Foundation

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Susquehanna Studio

The Susquehanna Studio is an opportunity to develop the North Branch Canal Trail and benefi t the local community through collaboration with local universities. Through the studio, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, and trade school students will work together to design and construct key trail elements such as bridges, fences, and interpretive elements. The institutions of Penn State, Bucknell University, Penn College, and Sun Tech have all expressed interest in this collaborative eff ort. It will benefi t students by allowing them to work and learn beyond their own disciplines through partnerships with other university departments. The studio would provide a rare educational opportunity to see a project through from conceptual and schematic design to design documents and actual construction.

Landowner Agreements

The success of creating a trail is dependent on the willing participation of landowners. Most funding sources require either ownership or long-term or permanent easements on the property before agreeing to support the project. The North Branch Canal Trail project is unique in that most of the trail corridor is owned by the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority. SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (SCJRA) is currently willing to sell the trail corridor to an eligible agency/organization to develop the North Branch Canal Trail. However there are areas that will require collaboration with private landowners to develop the trail. When approaching landowners, it is important to represent the immediate

The Susquehanna Studio will give students a unique opportunity to design and build trail elements in a collaborative setting.


need within the larger context of the trail concept and to be receptive to any concerns the landowners may have about the public use of their land. Common landowner concerns regarding public use of private lands includes liability, maintenance, ATV access, vandalism, littering, and security. The development and refi nement of the North Branch Canal Trail should be an interactive process with the involved landowners, fully addressing their concerns while exploring potential enhancements to the property such as historic designations, farmland preservation, landscape plantings, wildlife habitat enhancement, fencing and fencerow and stream buff er restoration.

Early Implementation Projects

Early implementation projects will be ones that are highly visible within local communities and demonstrate the full potential of a completed trail along the length of the North Branch Canal between Danville and Bloomsburg. These fi rst trail sections will quickly be made accessible and usable by communities to build excitement and show the full range of benefi ts provided by trails. They will incorporate elements that celebrate culture and heritage, and will also show the potential to enjoy the local landscape and improve the environment. Some early eff orts, in addition to providing multiple recreational opportunities, may include outdoor classrooms, trail head development, demonstration segment of trail, historic site interpretation or restoration, selective pruning to open up scenic vistas and the protection of sensitive natural areas.

Trails to Healthy Living Program

Integral to the realization of any trail concept is the development of a complementary healthy or active living program that would promote the benefi ts of walking, biking and other forms of exercise and identify the close-to-home facilities for engaging in these fi tness activities. Mounting concerns surrounding the national obesity epidemic have given rise to numerous programs that attempt to address the problems of physical inactivity at the local level. Many of these programs, including Safe Routes to School and the Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) Keystone Active Zones program, tend to focus on school-aged children with benefi ts that extend to the rest of the community. Other programs, like the Blue Cross Blue Shield Silver Sneakers program, focuses on increasing physical activity in seniors and older adults.The following is a suggested list of actions to be used in the development of a healthy living program that would complement the Pathways initiative:

Develop a Healthy Living Partnership: Assemble a diverse working group of school, regional health system, parent/student organization, community service organization, and Scout representatives to actively promote healthy living habits in Columbia and Montour counties.

Pilot a Healthy Living Program: Invite several local schools to host a summer program challenging students to track their level of participation in some form of physical activity (i.e. miles walked or biked). Friendly “competitions” between diff erent grades with a healthy catered lunch reward the following fall could help encourage participation. Family miles could be counted to encourage parents to become involved. Trail access to existing parks and public spaces in the community could be highlighted in conjunction with the program.

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Creating a regionally connected trail system will promote healthy activities and support other healthy living initiatives at work in the state.


Establish Community Events: The launch of periodic and annual community events can help to broaden community awareness of and regular participation in active and healthy lifestyle habits. Events are also an opportunity to bring media attention to important community issues in a positive light. Some suggested events to advance the development of the trail include:

Family Fun Bike Ride / Unveiling the North Branch Canal Trail

Bird Watching Events

Seasonal Guided Naturalist Walks or Workshops

Native Plant Walks and Talks

Invasive Plant Identifi cation and Removal Workdays

Fall Foliage Celebrations

North Branch Canal Heritage Program

Half-Marathon

Fundraising Walks or Jogs for Various Causes

Train Shuttle for Bikes and Boats (such as Kayaks and Canoes)

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4. Post Event Evaluation: Targeted evaluation of community events can help to determine interest in the continuation or expansion of the healthy living program. Event surveys or follow-up focus groups with targeted audiences can help determine how well these have served and/or furthered the interests of the community. Engaging the support of diverse local partners will help to ensure that events cater to the broadest possible audience.

Prioritized Trail Concept

Concept Refi nement

There are many steps necessary to take a trail project from concept to reality. The feasibility study is an essential fi rst step for greenway and trail development, laying the groundwork vision and framework for action. The concepts presented in this report are meant to identify the feasibility of particular localized trail sections that achieve multiple conservation, recreation and educational objectives in the community. The alignments depicted in these concepts have been suggested on the basis of logical natural or man-made corridors that also link desired destinations to one another. Concept refi nement for the North Branch Canal Trail will involve canal-era research and the identifi cation of historic precedents for trail design elements and accessories. The next phase of planning- a Trail Site Master Plan- will require a survey to determine land ownership.

Trail Design Guidelines

Design standards will need to be developed for the North Branch Canal Trail prior to construction. Tying the trail and associated design elements to local canal-era heritage will create a cohesive, unifi ed experience throughout the corridor. At the same time, trail design will transition from heavy to light-use areas and also have specifi c sections

Community events like bird watching trips can engage local residents with the North Branch Canal Trail.


with stronger environmental or historic interpretation goals. The design guidelines will refl ect diff erent trail types since certain areas will require wider formal trail sections, while narrow and more natural trail sections will be better suited for other areas. The fi nal design will remain harmonious due to repeated design elements, but core community areas will accommodate greater numbers of users and a greater number of activity types. The design of remote areas will respond more to the local landscape and will also celebrate the history of the North Branch Canal and use of the historic towpath.

As a whole, the design guidelines will promote trail design and accessories that can be built by volunteers and work parties in a design-build situation. The use of locally available resources will be encourages, such as using felled trees from the towpath on site for slope stabilization. Guidelines will promote environmentally sound practices, such as the management and removal of invasive species and restricting lighting to trailheads in order to minimize light pollution in natural areas. The completed trail should be a model project that is responsive to and appropriate for the local environment, culture, locally-available resources, and the area’s professional and volunteer workforce.

Design inspiration for the many trail elements, from trailhead parking to benches, viewing platforms, informational kiosks, footbridges and so on, can all come from historic precedents out of the canal-era. Infl uences might be found in old photographs, descriptions and drawings. For example, the many breaks in the towpath could be spanned using a replicable bridge design that references back to canal-era structures. Used correctly, the resulting design guidelines and trail experience will reinforce more traditional interpretive signage and celebrate the area’s rich canal-era heritage. A unifi ed trail design and integrated interpretive signage would also create a memorable trail experience and attract more tourism to the area.

Using the cultural heritage of the area as a starting point for design inspiration, the following areas and features should be considered in developing design guidelines:

Trail Bridge Design

Trailhead Parking

Trailhead Amenities

Informational Kiosk

Interpretive Elements

Trail Surfaces

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Trail Bridge Design

There are 25 breaks in the North Branch Towpath between Danville and Bloomsburg. A cost eff ective way to construct the bridges is needed, while respecting the desire to produce unique, high-quality structures that fi t with the canal-era heritage theme of the project. The Susquehanna Studio, in partnership with Bucknell Engineering, Penn State Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Penn College of Technology, could be one method to create quality design and aff ordability in the construction of these bridges.

What follows are historic drawings and photos of canal-era bridges and aqueducts that could be used to inform and inspire the design of the towpath bridges.

Break in Towpath

Small Stream

Towpath

Various widths

North Branch Canal Trail:Typical cross-section of Bridge over Breaks in Towpath

Bridge design shall be influenced by historic, canal-era structures

Stream Bank Stabilization:Use riprap or vegetation to stabilize the banks.

Bridge Abutment

North Branch Canal Trail: Typical Elevation of Culvert over Breaks in Tow Path

Break in Tow PathVarious widths

Tow PathTow Path

Fill shall include a mixture of soil, gravel, and other approved fill materials

Drain Pipe: Fit to size of culvert. Pipe will be

surrounded by rock cobble to dissipate and spread flow

Breaks in the towpath like those shown above can be spanned with bridges or fi lled and cultverted.


From top left: Histoirc Bridge Structures along the West Branch Canal. Source: DeVoss, Robert N., and David A. Hainley. West Branch Canal ; Lock Haven, Pennsylvania to Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania

Bottom left (From top left to bottom): The development of bridge design in Columbia County. More sophisticated designs allowed bridges to span greater distances and carry greater weight. A bridge using the Burr Arch truss (bottom right) was built at Berwick in 1814. Source: Edwin M. Barton. History of Columbia County Pennsylvania, Volume One, 1958; Chapter V, page 6.


Trailhead Parking

Although the hope is that residents will reach the trail corridor by foot or bike via multiple community access points, parking for trail users will still be needed in the vicinity of each trailhead. Some parking will be accommodated by existing lots at public parks and sports fi elds where trailheads are located. Additional parking locations should be identifi ed according to anticipated demand for use and proximity to other parking facilities. Schemes for shared parking with destinations of limited daily use should also be explored.

Trailhead Amenities

Typical amenities found at a trailhead include an informational kiosk, trash receptacles, picnic tables and benches, a bathroom facility, a potable water source and a telephone. Core community trailheads, including termini in Danville and Bloomsburg, could provide for many of these facilities. Smaller trail access points between community hubs may not warrant all of these facilities, but should, at a minimum, provide parking and a trail identifi cation sign.

Historic canal bridges from the region will be precedents used to design trail bridges over gaps in the towpath. Source of pages 5.12- 5.14 measured drawings: Robert N. DeVoss & David A. Hainley. West Branch Canal, 1975, pages 38-40. Source of photographs: Petrillow, F. Charles. Anthracite and Slackwater: the North Branch Canal, 1882-1901. 1986, Page. 122 and 188.

Trailheads will create connections between the canal corridor and neighborhoods, parks and downtown areas.


Like trail design and accessories, interpretive elements can reference and take inspiration from the canal-era. However, in order to provide a clear idea of what is historic and what is contemporary, new construction should complement historic structures without fooling visitors into believing that the new is actually historic.

To Pave or Not to Pave

The fi nal selection of a trail surface should be based on the trail’s location, suitability to trail users, construction costs, replacement costs and frequency of use. In predominately rural areas, paving is likely to be costly and would detract from the experience of traversing a natural or agricultural landscape. In areas of more frequent use, particularly around historic core communities, asphalt paving may be better suited for the number and types of trail users due to its durability and better accommodation of strollers, bikes and wheelchairs. However, non-paved, compacted gravel surfaces can also be constructed so as to allow universal accessibility, which is a goal for the North Branch Canal Trail. The choice between paving and not paving is complicated by the issue of replacement frequency. Studies have shown that a typical asphalt trail has a 17-year longevity and requires a trail sealing about nine years after paving. The typical frequency for re-surfacing or

Informational Kiosk

The main trailhead kiosks should contain the following: a map, a list of rules and regulations, interpretive information and sponsoring organization(s), Adopt-A-Trail and emergency information. Logical locations for information kiosks include FQ Hartman Field, Danville Soccer Park, and Bloomsburg Town Park.

Interpretive Elements

Interpretive elements can come in a wide variety of forms. From simple signs to fully interactive features, interpretive elements can be anywhere from subtle and discreet to prominent and unavoidable. Interpretation along the North Branch Canal Trail might reveal information about the canal-era, teaching about how the canal was built and why, or telling stories about life in those times. A replica of the gates used in the locks could teach visitors about mechanics of operating a canal and discuss the history of transportation through time. Environmentally-oriented interpretation might teach about native plants or animals and could point out special ecosystems or talk about the role of the Susquehanna in shaping the natural and cultural landscape.

Paving is a formal and accessible, but more expensive approach to trail surfacing.

North Branch Canal Trail signage will be contextually apppropriate and will also follow guidelines outlined for the larger Susquehanna Greenway.

Sketch image of KIOSKS.


re-grading non-asphalt trails is about nine years. Generally speaking, the most cost eff ective trail surface would be one in which the asphalt is less than twice the cost of a gravel trail, due to the surfacing needs.

Trail surfaces can have a direct aff ect on the experience of a greenway corridor. The surface type chosen will aff ect types and quantities of user groups and how those people will perceive the landscape around them. In general, paved trails have a more formal appearance than unpaved ones, so they can seem more visually appropriate within communities and other formally designed areas. Unpaved trails, however, can also be designed to achieve a wide range of character, from quite formal to highly rustic. Broad and level trails of a uniform width and composed of a packed surface material will be perceived as more formal and accessible; narrow, uneven trails with indistinct edges and varying surface material, such as dirt, rocks and tree roots are highly rustic

and less accessible, but they may also be more scenic and contextually fi tting in remote areas.

A middle ground, where the trail is neither too rugged, nor too formal and overbuilt, is often a good choice for rural, moderate-use trails designed to be accessible to families and other visitors pursuing a range of recreational goals. Along the North Branch Canal Trail, there will probably need to be at least two diff erent treatments of trails. One treatment will be used in and around communities and heavy use areas, while the other will carry through light-use, remote areas. In general, community members believe that unpaved trails of compacted gravel will meet initial needs and effi ciently use resources throughout the corridor. It is anticipated that core community trails will be wider and more formal than more remote trail extensions. Over time, however, as trail usage increases, there may be a need to develop particular sections of the trail. More informal trails, for example, may eventually need to be widened. Also some segments of trail may be ‘restored’ to create an accurate depiction of the canal-era towpath, complete with a re-watered section of canal. The North Branch Canal Trail will evolve over time to meet the needs of the users, both residents and visitors.

Land Acquisition

Assumptions of project feasibility are built on several assumptions. First and foremost of these assumptions is the bargain sale of the trail corridor owned by the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (SCJRA). The SCJRA has been a supporting partner throughout the feasibility study process but has been clear that the land must be sold to an eligible entity that will oversee the construction, operations and management of the recreational trail. The current SCJRA board of directors is willing to sell the land for a dollar. Timing is essential to take

Unpaved trails can be either formal or rustic depending on surface material, width, consistency of form, and the treatment of trail edges.


advantage of this generous off er of the SCJRA and to keep towpath clearing activities moving forward. A land survey of the railroad property is an essential fi rst step towards the transfer of the property to a trail management entity. The completion of a survey is the North Branch Canal Trails highest priority.

Rail-With-Trail Compatibility

The typical cross-section of the rail-with-trail corridor provides for a comfortable separation of the active railroad and the proposed trail corridor – with the remnants of the historic canal serving as a physical barrier. There are, however, situations where there is insuffi cient area to accommodate the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority’s (SCJRA) setback requirements. An example of this condition exists in the narrows between Catawissa and the village of Rupert. The cliff , state route 42, the railroad and the river all pass through a very narrow corridor. The proposed trail location is between the railroad and the river – yet the proximity of the river is less than the 25’ setback required by the SCJRA. The design of the trail in these segments will seek a waiver from the SCJRA by providing suffi cient physical barriers between trains and trail users.

The other option for the trail in the narrows would be for it to be an on-road trail between the state route 42 highway bridge and Rupert. This is not the preferred option of residents who participated in the community involvement process - due to the volume and speed of traffi c.

Private LandownersThe survey of the railroad property is critical to identify areas of potential confl ict with adjacent land owners in constructing the North Branch Canal Trail. The trail design and construction process will

seek to work in cooperation with private landowners – seeking trail easements when agreements can be reached – and seek safe and creative trail work-arounds when agreements cannot be reached.

Operations & Maintenance

One of the greatest assets of the proposed corridor – is that a vast majority of the trail corridor is in the ownership of one entity, and that this entity, the SCJRA, is willing to bargain sale the land. It is imperative to make wise decisions on the sale and transfer of the land – keeping in mind the big picture of trail development, operations and management. While the Montour Area Recreation Commission is the logical choice to hold the land in the short term, it may not be wise to fragment ownership between organizations and municipalities as the trail evolves into a multi-county trail. Assessing the feasibility of forming a regional trail authority to oversee trail ownership, operations and management, should be undertaken immediately. Such an authority could be pivotal in the development of the North Branch Canal Trail, the Susquehanna Greenway and other trail projects throughout the region.

The yearly operations and maintenance costs associated with the North Branch Canal Trail will depend on a lot of factors including the management organization and its overhead costs and miles of trail and number of facilities to maintain. The Montour Area Recreation Commission (MARC) has access to the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps labor and would off er a cost eff ective method of trail construction, operations and maintenance. Initial costs will be minimal for organizational overhead – with a majority of O&M costs to be used directly for insurance and trail maintenance. While the trail is contained within Montour County – an estimate of $50,000 a year is estimated for operations and maintenance.


As the trail grows to a larger, multi-county trail system – the needs of the trail may outgrow the MARC organization. The development of a regional trail organization may begin to make sense from an economy of scale – and the need for an organization to focus solely on trail development operations and maintenance. A minimal staff and the development of service contract partnerships will be necessary for proper trail maintenance. It is anticipated that a trail organization would require approximately $125,000 / year to own, maintain and operate a trail connecting Danville and Bloomsburg. The regional trail organization may keep costs by undertaking other park and open space maintenance functions for area municipalities, private owners and storm water management facilities. Developing unique capabilities and expertise may make the regional trail organization eligible for an ever expanding market for natural resource and natural land management.

Financial Feasibility

Estimated costs to construct the North Branch Canal Trail are shown below. These fi gures refl ect costs for a contractor led eff ort on trail construction – with phase I – IV expected to cost between 3 and 3.5 million dollars. As outlined previously in this chapter – there are other partnerships and programs that could signifi cantly reduce the costs of trail construction. These cost saving options include trail construction by the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps and the Montour Area Recreation Commission; student service learning projects dedicated to trail design and construction by the Susquehanna Studio; adopt a trail programs for trail construction and maintenance. While the cost of constructing the North Branch Canal Trail is signifi cant the combination of federal, state and local resources make the realization of the trail fi nancial feasible.

Cost Estimates

The Following are cost estimates for the diff erent phases of North Branch Canal Trail implementation. In addition to the cost of construction – the costs below also include design and engineering, legal fees, purchase of equipment, trail maintenance and liability insurance.

Cost Estimates*:

Phase I Survey and Trail Master Plan – $ 170,000Survey and Acquire the North Branch Canal Trail Corridor from the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority and Produce a Trail Master Plan and Trial Design Guidelines (2008 - 2009).

Phase II Trail Construction – $ 770,500Danville Soccer Fields to the Star Barn (2009 – 2010)Cost adjusted by 8% = $920,000

Phase III Trail Construction – $ 735,000Star Barn to County Line (2010-2011)Cost adjusted 15% = $850,000

Phase IV Trail Construction – $ 1,330,000County Line to Rupert (2012- 2014)Cost adjusted 20% = $1,600,000

Phase V Danville Riverfront Trail Development

Phase VI Bloomsburg Town Park and Downtown Connection

* Line item details of the cost estimates can be found in the report’s appendix.


Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendices

Contents

A - Alternative Organizational Models for Multi-County Trails

B - Task Force Meetings

18 January 2007 - Agenda and Minutes20 March 2007 - Agenda 19 June 2007 - Agenda18 September 2007 - Agenda

C - Key Person Interview Notes

14 March 2007 - SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Property Committee16 May 2007 - PA DEP and Montour County Conservation Districts10 July 2007 - Catawissa Boat Club1 August 2007 - SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority8 August 2007 - PA Historical and Museum Commission Field View22 August 2007 - Geisinger Medical Center11 September 2007 - Chris Young- Columbia County Commissioner19 September 2007 - Walt Gosciminski, Catawissa Rail Bridge Owner

D- Cost Estimates

E - North Branch Towpath Field Survey Report

F - North Branch Canal Trail Corridor- Inventory & Analysis Maps

G- Historic Canal Overlay Maps

H - North Branch Canal Trail Press & Marketing Materials

Excursion Train Handout & Postcard

I - Regional Case Studies: Mid-Atlantic Canal Descriptions

J - Reference Materials

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Rail-with-Trail Design Standards

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Keystone Principles for Growth, Investment and Resource Conservation Principles

Pennsylvania Recreational Use Statute and the Private Landowners Sample Liability Disclaimers

Pennsylvania Recreational Use of Land and Water Act Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania Conservation Corps Fact Sheet

Listing of Federal, State and Local Funding Sources

Identifi ed Resource Websites from Report Insets

Project CD

The North Branch Canal Trail Feasibility Study

North Branch Canal Trail -Inventory and Analysis Mapping

North Branch Canal Trail - Towpath Field Survey Report

North Branch Canal Trail - Concept Design

Excursion Train Postcard & Handout

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Rail-with-Trail Design Standards

Transportation Enhancements Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to School General Information and Program Guidance

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Appendix 2

Alternative Organizational Models for Multi-County Trails - Appendix A1

Alternative Organizational Models for Multi-County Trails

Prepared for

SEDA-Council of Governments

ByJerry S. Walls, AICP

Professional Planner

Revised - May 2009

Funded by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservationand SEDA-Council of Governments

Appendix A

Appendix A2 - Alternative Organizational Models for Multi-County Trails

Study Purpose

This study provides planning-stage services for evaluation of alternative regional organizational options to acquire and hold land, own, develop and maintain or arrange to be maintained a network of multi-county bicycling and walking trails.

Summary Findings

The terms “municipality” or “municipal” as used herein also refer to and include counties.

The PA Intergovernmental Cooperation Law (Act 177 of 1972, as amended in 1996) is one relevant enabling statute which pertains if a governmental-type multi-county trails organization is selected. If a multi-county trails organization is created under provisions of this Act, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement must be formally approved by enactment of an ordinance by each participating governing body. The County Code, Third Class Cities Code or Borough Code or Second Class Township Code, etc. also pertain as to the specifi c procedures and public notice requirements entailed in the enactment process. The general powers and duties of such an organization must be listed in the ordinance to defi ne the commitments as mutually agreed by the participating entities. The ordinance must specify:

1. Conditions of the agreement

2. Duration

3. Purposes and objectives and scope of authority delegated

4. Manner and extent of fi nancing the agreement

5. Organizational structure necessary to implement the agreement

6. Manner in which property, real or personal, shall be acquired, licensed, or disposed of

7. That the entity created by this ordinance shall be empowered to enter into contracts for policies of group insurance if applicable.

There is no legal requirement in Pennsylvania for cooperating counties or municipalities to be geographically contiguous or share common boundaries, and there is no size limitation.

The PA Municipal Authorities Act of 1945, as revised, pertains if a multi-county trails authority model is chosen. It specifi es certain procedures relating to authority formation and also to ownership of facilities and fi nancial structure. An authority must be formally authorized by ordinance enacted by the governing body of all participating counties or municipalities. As new counties desire to join a multi-county joint authority, a majority of existing counties must consent. The general or specifi c powers and duties of such an authority must be listed in the ordinance.

Organizational Type

Initially, the task for this study was defi ned as the identifi cation and evaluation of alternative organizational models which might be pertinent to achieve the Vision for a multi-county trail development and ownership entity. Toward that end some 20 alternative organizational types were identifi ed. They are:

1. Multi-county Authority - as owner/operator

2. Multi-county Authority - as owner/ with contract operator(s)

3. Regional Trail Corporation – 501c3 formed as per


Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between corporation and original trail owners or sponsors or municipalities or counties

4. Multi-municipality Authority – as owner/operator

5. Private Community Board of Grassroots Volunteers – with no government involvement

6. Private Non-Profi t Supporting Charity – 509(a)(1, 2 or 3)

7. Utility-Type Entity – Fee Based

8. Greenway Partnership (Susquehanna) - as owner/with contract operators

9. Greenway Partnership (Susquehanna) – as owner/with contract local trail chapters as operators

10. Greenway Partnership (Susquehanna) – as supporting organization (509(a)(1, 2 or 3) with local trail chapters as operators

11. Greenway Partnership (Susquehanna) – as contract operator w/ counties as owners of segments within their jurisdiction

12. County Recreation Authorities – each owns and operates/maintains their segment

13. Private Company – with contracts with each county to design, develop, maintain and operate the trail

14. Long-Term Lease for Trail(s) – might work with Options 1,3,5,8,10

15. Municipal Authority

16. Municipality Owned/Operated

17. Regional Trail Commission – formed as per Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between commission and original trail owners or sponsors or municipalities or counties

18. Regional Trail Land Trust

19. Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) – as owner with local trail sponsors as contract operators

20. County – as owner of trail easements or right-of-way and DCNR will maintain trail (unique to northern portion of Pine Creek Rail Trail)

As the study progressed, the list was narrowed to some six organizational options deemed most appropriate for consideration in the SEDA-COG counties/Pennsylvania context or an expanded region within the Susquehanna River Basin. Evaluation of each option and then elimination of some options was based partially upon professional judgement tempered with the experience of this consultant while working as the Executive Director/CEO of the Lycoming County Planning Commission that included direct involvement in the formation and planning of the Pine Creek Rail Trail (64 miles through 2 counties) plus service on the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Board of Directors which entailed response to various trail proposals along active freight railroads. Direct involvement in the formation and development of the 22-county Susquehanna Greenway Partnership and in the formation and leadership of the 12-county Pennsylvania WILDS Planning Team also provided helpful background.

However, the selection of candidate organizational options was also based upon functional criteria necessary for the eff ective functioning of any multi-county entity charged with a variety of trail development scenarios and local community acceptance factors.


Criteria - Defi ning Capabilities Needed

1. Project Planning and Design2. Project Support Mobilization / Building Partnerships3. Land Acquisition or Access Easement or Right-of-Way

Negotiation / Equitable Ownership 4. Construction Funding 5. Other Resources Receipt and Management (e.g. donated

materials or equipment w/ operator)6. Maintenance or Arrangements for Maintenance7. Insurance or Insurability / Risk Management8. Organizational and Financial Administration / Sustainability9. Operations / Maintenance Funding10. Accountability to Public Interest / Fiduciary Responsibility to

Public Trust11. Public Relations Skill12. Geographic Jurisdiction or Potential Area of Jurisdiction

Capture of Lessons Learned from Existing Pennsylvania Long-Distance Trail Owners/Managers

A logical starting point was the State agency which funds and promotes trail projects. Interviews were conducted with DCNR staff to secure reaction to the preliminary list of organizational alternatives and to secure a list of potential contacts with long-distance trail experience. Other sessions, including one with SEDA-COG staff , yielded a list of 52 potential interviewees spread over much of Pennsylvania – a list beyond the scope of this study time frame. In addition, DCNR staff arranged a session for trail advocates and stakeholders conducted immediately following the State Greenways and Trails Summit. That session provided the opportunity to secure contacts and perspectives from a wide array of key players. Materials

on this study were handed to a number of such key players and questions were directed at their experience with a specifi c focus on lessons learned and whether they would change the type of organization for trails if the opportunity arose.

Out of these contacts, important organizational materials were secured and examined. Of special signifi cance were a Study Report prepared by the National Park Service for Montgomery County, PA. and the Regional Trail Corporation organizational materials from Westmoreland County, PA. Since the key players list grew to such a large number, some of those identifi ed appeared to be similar in categorical type. Deadlines to complete the study compelled a targeted selection of certain contacts to gain a representative view.

Acceptability to Local Trail Groups and Counties

As preliminary discussions ensued, it became apparent that one critical factor would be whether such a multi-county entity would be well accepted by existing local trail sponsors, owners, advocates and county governing bodies. Accordingly, several groups of local trail players were selected for interview. A focus group interview with the Montour County Commissioners and the Montour Area Recreation Commission was also completed, since the North Branch Canal Trail Feasibility Study encompasses this trail ownership analysis.

Staff from the Union County and Lycoming County Planning Departments were interviewed and provieded preliminary input. Interviews with the Union County Commissioners and Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority leadership plus Lycoming County Commissioners and Columbia County Commissioners are also planned as part of the fi rst stage of implementation. In addition, because trails are an important component of greenways, input has been secured from


Susquehanna Greenway Partnership leaders and the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Feedback secured thus far indicates that some form of multi-county trail entity would be welcome so long as local identity can be respected. It has also been noted that some existing trail groups, consisting mainly of volunteers, need a “take-out partner” or would welcome a larger entity as pressure grows to extend their trails longer distances or group volunteers age or can no longer commit enough time to trail work.

From these discussions it is evident that for whatever regional-type entity may emerge, an important capability needed is to be able to incorporate trails as part of a bigger-picture strategy, which might include greenways and even a multi-county park system and the funding mechanisms to sustain them. This entity, if appropriately structured, can provide an important and eff ective vehicle to facilitate or to directly implement county greenways and open space/recreation plans that are now required by PA DCNR in order to compete for state grants. An additional value could be the sale of technical, grant writing and trail management services to non-SEDA-COG counties which could develop an ongoing revenue stream to augment or partially off set costs to SEDA-COG member counties.

Vision

An organization to acquire, hold, develop, operate, and maintain a multi-county network of interconnected open spaces, conservation lands, pathways and trails; to foster active living, community health, community and economic development; and to encourage related volunteerism, stewardship and community service in collaboration with the fullest range of public-private partners, while respecting local trail or special place identity.


Analysis of Alternative Trail Organizational Models

Note: This Analysis should be used in conjunction with VISION and the attached Comparison Matrix which applies capability criteria to each organizational model and scores them in comparison.

Multi County Trail Authority

• Can be created with a few counties initially and grow as more counties wish to join; consent of all existing members is required for new members to join

• Governing board can be structured to give appropriate representation from all participating counties

• No arbitrary maximum number of counties size limit

• Authority can be focused to foster and support local trail organizations

• Eligible to receive State and Federal grants

• Dependent upon external revenue source such as grants or appropriations from member counties

• Authorities may levy and enforce special assessments against properties served.

• Can not levy taxes

• Can levy fees for services and user fees for trails and facilities owned by the Authority

• Can develop construction management / funding capability to apply to multiple projects

• Spreads overhead costs over multiple projects

• Can develop trail maintenance management capability to apply to multiple projects

• Has limited Tort Immunity as a governmental entity

• Authorities possess the power of eminent domain to acquire real estate.

• Can purchase insurance on a blanket coverage basis to cover multiple trails and multiple events

• Multi-county Trail Authority can concentrate on advocacy of trail needs without dilution across many demands

AS OWNER/OPERATOR

• Staff of Authority can be effi ciently utilized to cover large area

• Competing needs of multiple facilities geographically dispersed may become a challenge

AS OWNER W/CONTRACT OPERATOR

• Can provide overall management effi ciencies with dedicated operational and maintenance support for specifi c trails and facilities

• Contracts can be adjusted as needs and funding vary

• Contractors can be used to focus on specifi c trails and avoid spreading forces too thin on geographically dispersed trails


County Recreation Autorities

• Organized by individual counties – poses challenges for multi-county trails

• Jurisdiction defi ned as individual county unless extraordinary provisions made

• May or may not be capable of planning and design for big picture initiatives

• Typically focused on limited missions (e.g. golf course, parks)

• Dependent upon external funding from county commissioners

• Can levy fees for services and user fees for trails and facilities owned by the Authority


County Governing Bodies

• County-specifi c limited jurisdiction

• Ability to provide funding as needed subject to other competing needs

• Can levy taxes to support trails but new tax is hard to support politically


• Planning and design capability can be provided or arranged as needed

• Construction and operational capability typically limited

• Maintenance of trails and basic facilities can be done with community service or pre-release workers

• Administrative and fi nancial management capability exists but varies from county to county

• Commitment to trails subject to potential fl uctuation as public support rises or wanes

• Do have authority to enter into formal Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between counties

• Has Tort Immunity as a governmental entity

Regional Trail Corporation

• Can be created with a few counties initially and grow as more counties wish to join – however, that might entail governing board structure adjustments

• Governing board can be structured to give appropriate representation from all participating counties

• Local trail chapters can be recognized for existing trails or created as new trails are developed

• Local trail chapters can preserve and promote local identity and voice


• Eligible to receive State and Federal grants or through a local governmental grantee and private gifts and donations if organized as a non-profi t 501 type


• Can levy fees for services and user fees for trails and facilities owned by the Corporation

• Does NOT have limited Tort Immunity

• Can purchase insurance on a blanket coverage basis to cover multiple trails and multiple events

• Spreads overhead costs over multiple projects

AS OWNER/OPERATOR

• Staff of Authority can be effi ciently utilized to cover large area

• Competing needs of multiple facilities may become a challenge

AS OWNER W/CONTRACT OPERATOR

• Can provide overall management effi ciencies with dedicated operational and maintenance support for specifi c trails and facilities

• Contracts can be adjusted as needs and funding vary

Greenway Partnership (Susquehanna)

• Governing board is structured to achieve strong independent leadership

• Susquehanna Greenway partnership already has a 22 county geographic reach

• Susquehanna Greenway partnership already has a regional mechanism for connecting with local trail project sponsors

• Eligible to receive State and Federal grants – but normally through COG or governmental pass-thru


• 501c3 eligible to receive tax deductible donations and gifts

• Trails – especially multi-county trails are directly pertinent to the Susquehanna Greenway Mission

• Current fi nancial struggles pose major hurdle for SGP to gear up for trails work

• Trails function could show tangible value (i.e. constructed facilities) for SGP to local communities and potential private donors as well as State funding agencies

• Spreads overhead costs over limited range of multiple projects


Council of Governments (SEDA-COG)

• Broad geographic reach – 11 counties for SEDA-COG or beyond by mutual consent

• Can establish fi rm commitments from participating counties by Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement – SEDA-COG was created under this State statute


• Governing board is structured to give appropriate representation from all participating counties



• Can levy fees for services and user fees for trails and facilities owned by the COG

• Can not levy taxes

• Established history of creating regional services and multi-county organizational capability

• Can arrange alternative multi-county organizational structures such as authority or corporation

• Can provide shared technical and staff support services (e.g. clerical, fi nancial management, GIS, grants administration) as needed by contract to minimize cost burden

• Spreads overhead costs over wide range of multiple projects

• Can develop construction management / funding capability to apply to multiple projects

• Can develop trail maintenance management capability to apply to multiple projects

• Connections with wide-ranging types of specifi c interest groups to promote trail projects and arrange donation of materials, equipment and labor

• Proven track record covering wide array of functions and programs – however those demands may dilute the focus on trail needs

Comparison Matrix

Each of the primary alternative organizational models was then evaluated by assessing the capability to achieve each functional capability needed as criteria based on a scoring from 0 to 5 with 0 = No Capability and 5 = Maximum Capability. It is a professional judgement based upon 45 years of diverse planning experience and awareness of trail organizations as well as specifi c inputs during interviews for this study. See Table A1.

The results yielded a relatively equal capability between the primary options of Multi-County Authority or Regional Trail Corporation or County Governing Bodies if bound together by an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement. The strongest option is the multi-county Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) with a trail-specifi c Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement, since it was formed under the PA Intergovernmental Cooperation Act and has developed a number of multi-county service-providing organizations, which are supported by the central SEDA-COG staff specialists.


Multi- County Trail Management/Ownership Options Analysis

Organization Type P&D Proj Supt R/W Const $ Res R/M Maint Ins/RM Admin Oper $ PR Geog TOTAL MULTI-COUNTY TRAIL AUTHORITY As Owner/Operator w/ Intergovernmental Agreement 5 3 5 5 4 4 5 5 5 3 5 49As Owner w/ Contract Operator 3 3 5 5 3 5 4 4 3 3 4 42 REGIONAL TRAIL CORPORATION As Owner/Operator 5 4 3 3 4 4 4 5 2 3 5 42As Operator for Locally Owned Trails 1 4 0 0 1 3 0 2 1 1 2 15 COUNTY RECREATION AUTHORITIES 2 3 4 4 2 2 4 3 3 3 2 32 COUNTY GOVERNING BODIES As Owners w/ Contract Operators 2 3 3 3 3 3 5 3 3 3 2 33As Owners w/ Intergovernmental Agreement 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 5 4 4 45 COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (SEDA-COG) 4 4 3 5 3 3 4 5 5 5 4 45As Owner w/ Intergovernmental Agreement 5 5 3 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 50 GREENWAY PARTNERSHIP 3 5 0 2 3 0 0 1 2 3 5 24 REGIONAL TRAIL COMMISSION As Heritage Area State Designation 3 3 1 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 5 35As Federal Commission 3 2 1 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 5 29

Note: Scoring is based upon level of capacity which can be achieved or developed - not existing level EVALUATION CRITERIA - CAPABILITY P&D = Planning and Design

Proj Supt = Project Support Mobilization

R/W = Acquisition of Land or Right-of-Way or Easement

Const $=Construction Funding

Res R/M=Other Resources Receipt/Management (donated materials, equipment, operator, labor)

Maint=Maintenance or Maintenance Arrangements Ins/RM=Insurance or Insurability / Risk Management Admin=Organization and Financial Administration OPER $=Stable Operating Funding

PR = Public Relations Geog=Potential Geographic Area of Jurisdiction SCORING Each factor scored on scale of 0-5 with max capability level of 5 As of 12/14/08

Table A1


One concern is that a staff element within the SEDA-COG assigned to do trail development and related ongoing functions will always have to compete with other programs and priorities dictated by shifts in funding and other opportunities. An excellent way to assure ongoing attention and commitment of necessary resources is to form a dedicated Multi-county Trail Authority formed by interested counties through an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement and contract for staff support services from SEDA-COG.

Following is a list of regional organizations, which serve or have served varied community and economic development, environmental and recreation, and public health needs within Central PA. Common to all of these organizations is the involvement of the Susquehanna Economic Development Association (SEDA)—later the SEDA Council of Governments (SEDA-COG)—acting as convener, organizer, facilitator and/ or organization founder or co-founder. These are listed in the approximate order of their founding dating from c. 1970 to present day. To one degree or another, SEDA-COG Board and/or staff have and continue to serve the policy, administrative support, or technical needs of those organizations on the list which are still operating.

Examples of SEDA-COG “Spin-Off ’s” are:

1. Central PA Health Systems Agency (12 Counties) In the early 1970s SEDA-COG was actively engaged in the

development of primary health care centers across the region. The Central PA Health Systems Agency was established in 1976 to coordinate regional investments in health system and nursing home development to assis healthcare facilities and communities recruit physicians.

2. Susquenita Tourism Council (10 Counties) The Susquenita Tourism Council was established by SEDA-COG

to promote regional tourism through varied means, including the printing and distribution of postcards highlighting regional attractions. The Council was the precursor to today’s system of six sub-regional multi-county tourist promotion agencies serving the region today.

3. SEDA Foundation (10 Counties) The SEDA Foundation was established to form an arm’s length

relationship between SEDA-COG, a federal grantee, and the ownership, operation, and management of the Timberhaven property which includes the SEDA-COG offi ce complex and an additional 32 acres of adjoining land. SEDA-COG is a tenant to the Foundation.

4. SEDA-COG Local Development Corporation (67 Counties) The Local Development Corporation reviews and approves

applications for business loans for submission and fi nancing through the U.S. SBA 504 Program.

5. SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (8 Counties) The Rail Authority is a municipal authority that oversees and

administers the acquisition, rehabilitation, and operation of short line railroads in 8 counties.

6. SEDA-COG Housing Development Corporation (14 Counties) The nonprofi t Housing Development Corporation works

with counties, communities, housing agencies, and fi nancial institutions to improve housing opportunities for limited income families and the elderly through the development and management of multi-family housing.


7. SEDA-COG Housing Investment Corporation (14 Counties) The Housing Investment Corporation (HIC) is a for-profi t

subsidiary of the SEDA-COG Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The HIC owns housing projects developed by the HDC.

8. Industrial Modernization Center, Inc. (12+ Counties) The IMC provides the region’s manufacturers with objective

counsel, strategic perspective, high value services and solutions through access to regional, state and national resources.

9. Focus Central PA (4 Counties) Focus Central PA is a regional economic development marketing

alliance that promotes new corporate investment and job creation in Central Pennsylvania by providing site selection services and serving as a link to business incentives, resources, contacts, and economic development support.

10. Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (22 Counties) The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is dedicated to

developing and sustaining the Susquehanna Greenway to connect communities and enrich lives through enhanced recreation, healthy living, economic prosperity and environmental stewardship.

11. Keystone Wood Products Association (11 Counties) KWPA strives to strengthen and expand the base of forest

product manufacturers in Central PA to maintain and enhance the industry’s global competitiveness.

Conclusions

This north-central Pennsylvania region has strong successful multi-county organizational mechanisms that perform a wide array of services and functions. Therefore, it is logical to choose from one of the well-established models and draw upon the “host” support capability of SEDA-COG to address the emerging multi-county trails projects. It would be rather straightforward to ask SEDA-COG to lead the formation of a new Multi-county Trail Authority patterned after the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority. Formation of such a Multi-county Trail Authority should be possible within a timeframe of 6 – 12 months, given the JRA model to follow. The critical question is how to secure the initial and ongoing funding to support the organization itself.

A rather unique opportunity already exists to provide initial capitalization for such a Multi-county Trail Authority. The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority now owns the former North Branch Canal and Towpath, which parallel the North Shore Railroad, an active freight railroad in Montour and Columbia counties. The Rail Authority has indicated a willingness to sell that excess corridor to a trail entity so long as the strip of railroad right-of-way is protected from trespass on the active rail line by adequate physical or natural barriers.

Preliminary discussions with PA DCNR yielded the possibility that the value of the Canal and Towpath corridor, if professionally surveyed, professionally appraised, and conveyed to the multi-county trail entity for a nominal value, perhaps one dollar, could constitute the required value match for a State DCNR grant equal to some percentage of the fair market value of the land. That grant would then provide the initial capital to commence major trail construction and early stage operation and maintenance. If an appropriate multi-county trail


entity is organized it will be eligible for further State funding to do trail construction and major repair. Volunteer labor and donated materials can also be counted as part of the required local funding match.

How then would the ongoing expenses be covered? Participating counties could agree by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement to a formula for cost-sharing of annual expenses. Although the funding question goes beyond the scope of this Study, the Consultant is familiar with trails in other states, which are partially funded by trail user donations, sometimes using lock boxes at parking lots and trailheads to secure honor system donations for the parking and use privilege. Such user fees and private donations can be an eff ective supplemental funding source along with ongoing volunteer labor and professional services and donated materials. Health maintenance has become a major concern and more insurance companies now commit funding to wellness activities and facilities.

Other synergies can be generated within the umbrella of SEDA-COG. For example, many of the trail projects and community connections as well as community revitalization initiatives are embodied in the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) Vision and Strategic Plan.

Report Supplements - Section A

SEDA-COG Trail Authority

Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement

Ordinance No. _____

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNTY OF _________________ AUTHORIZING ENTERING INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH THE SEDA-COG

TRAIL AUTHORITY

WHEREAS, the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Miffl in, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union and the SEDA Council of Governments have resolved to cooperate to address mutual planning and opportunities to develop interconnected green space, parks and trail systems to implement individual county greenways and open space plans and enhance local communities; and

WHEREAS, the Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, P.L. 382, as amended and supplemented, authorizes counties to create and organize public authorities to serve multiple counties pursuant to an ordinance duly enacted and ordained by each participating Board of County Commissioners; and

WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, 53 Pa.C.S.A. Section 2301 et seq., authorizes counties to enter into intergovernmental cooperation agreements in the performance of their governmental functions, powers, or responsibilities;


NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED by the Board of Commissioners of the County of _______________ that the County of _______________ hereby authorizes entering into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement as follows:

THIS INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH THE SEDA-COG TRAIL AUTHORITY is hereby established by and among the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Miffl in, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union, Pennsylvania, and the SEDA Council of Governments, hereinafter referred to as the Participants.

SECTION 1: PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES

The Participants desire to cooperate to address mutual planning and project opportunities to develop interconnected green space, parks and trail systems to implement individual county greenways and open space plans, enhance communities, and more specifi cally to:

A. Provide leadership to support appropriate planning in the SEDA-COG region that helps communities take economic advantage of these initiatives while respecting local trail or special place identity.

B. Be a conduit for interaction and communication with county, municipal, state and federal offi cials and private partners and other stakeholders involved in related projects.

C. Identify community level and multi-county long-distance trail opportunities or needs and implementation strategies necessary to assist in mobilizing project support, planning, funding, design,

acquisition and holding of land or easements or rights-of-way, and construction of said trails and related facilities.

D. Provide a coordinated initiative which will operate and maintain a multi-county network of interconnected green spaces, conservation lands, pathways and trails to foster active living, community health wellness, community and economic development; and to encourage related volunteerism, stewardship and community service in collaboration with the fullest range of public-private partners, while respecting local trail or special place identity.

SECTION 2: POWERS AND SCOPE OF AUTHORITY

This Agreement hereby establishes the SEDA-COG Trail Authority, hereinafter referred to as the Trail Authority, by which the Participants will work cooperatively to fulfi ll the Purposes and Objectives enumerated in Section 1 herein. SEDA-COG shall prepare and fi le with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State those documents necessary to create the Authority. The Authority shall proactively develop the capability to:

A. Provide information, conduct studies and analyses, provide recommendations for action, provide technical assistance to the Participants; advise the SEDA-COG Board; and facilitate communication and project funding advocacy with State and Federal agencies.

B. On behalf of the Participants, as authorized, plan, acquire, hold, design, develop, operate and maintain, or arrange for said operation and maintenance of a multi-county network of interconnected open spaces, trails, and related facilities.


C. On behalf of the Participants, and where requested by local trail owners or trail organizations, secure insurance and conduct trail-related risk management programming.

D. SEDA-COG may, upon request from the SEDA-COG Trail Authority and after notice to the Participant Counties, provide Staff Support services and meeting facilities upon request from the Trail Authority and pursuant to a Staff Services Contract. Said contract may provide for staff benefi ts, group insurance (including Social Security), and shall specify the Trail Authority Board role and responsibilities regarding Staff Performance Evaluation and Discipline. The Trail Authority members acting as the Board of Directors will provide oversight and be responsible and accountable for all projects and services undertaken for Participant counties.

E. The powers and authorities herein conferred shall not usurp the powers, duties, and authorities of the individual Participants and their governing bodies, county planning commissions and county authorities in matters outside of the scope of this Agreement.

SECTION 3: COMPOSITION AND TERMS OF MEMBERS

The SEDA-COG Trail Authority Board of Directors shall consist of the following members:

A. A representative of trail and related interests appointed by the Board of Commissioners of each participating county in accordance with the PA Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, P.L. 382, as amended. Nothing herein shall preclude a Participant County from appointing a County Commissioner or County employee from their county to the Board.

B. Executive Director of SEDA-COG or a designee from the SEDA-COG professional staff .

C. Up to three at-large representatives of other regional organizations dedicated to trails and related recreational and open space interests, or persons living within the Authority’s service area who have demonstrated leadership on trails and related recreational and open space initiatives. Said representatives or persons shall be elected by majority vote of the sitting members of the Authority Board of Directors.

D. The term of member appointments shall be fi ve years commencing January 1 and expiring December 31. For initial appointees the terms shall be staggered with one, two, three and four year initial terms to provide for continuity upon expiration of the initial terms. Participant counties shall mutually agree upon whose members will have which specifi c length of term. Upon expiration of the initial terms said county shall reappoint or appoint a member for the full fi ve year term.

E. Any vacancy shall be fi lled by the respective Participant County who fi rst appointed said member or by the Authority board for at-large members.

SECTION 4: CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

A. The Authority is empowered to conduct its business and administrative functions in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act and all other pertinent Pennsylvania statutes. The Authority Board may adopt Bylaws and policies within the overall framework of this Agreement to govern administrative


operations including, but not limited to, Board member attendance, quorums for Board meetings, and annual reports to Participant Counties.

B. The Authority is encouraged to invite duly designated representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to serve as advisors without vote to the Authority.

C. The Authority is encouraged to establish and convene such advisory committees as may be needed from time to time and as may assist in building and maintaining positive relationships with the constituencies being served.

D. The Authority is authorized and encouraged to engage the assistance, services, and resources of and coordinate with other interested and aff ected agencies, groups, property owners and stakeholders.

E. The Authority shall make every reasonable eff ort to conduct planning and project development in a manner consistent with offi cially adopted County Comprehensive Plans and County Recreation, Open Space and Greenway Plans.

F. The Authority shall establish procedures and policies, including but not limited to, meetings and decision-making, necessary for the conduct of business to fulfi ll the purpose and objectives of this Agreement.

SECTION 5: FINANCES

A. Each Participant shall be responsible for a share of Administrative, Operating and Maintenance costs incurred by the SEDA-COG Trail Authority; said share to be determined for a three-year budget reviewed annually in conjunction with member counties. As each year lapses the third year budget will be added to maintain a continuous three-year complete Administrative, Operating and Maintenance Budget.

B. Project development (trails and related facilities or ancillary support

facilities and services) funding will be case-specifi c to each project. Cost-sharing of a particular project will normally involve those Participant counties who choose to be partners on a given project development.

C. Each Participant will retain discretionary authority to incur expenses or commit funds to carry out actions for their own trail projects and transactions outside the scope of this Agreement.

D. The Authority may, upon request of a Participant(s), seek and receive outside funding on behalf of the Participant(s) to support local projects or activities for which the Authority may provide oversight and management, for which a service fee may be charged.


SECTION 6: EXECUTION, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, EFFECTIVE DATE & TERM

A. This Agreement will become eff ective immediately upon enactment by all of the Participants, commencing upon the date of the last enactment.

B. Or, if not all Participants initially enact the ordinance authorizing this Agreement, this Agreement shall become eff ective if and when enacted by at least two of the Participants, in which case the authorities, responsibilities, powers, privileges, and membership conferred by this Agreement shall be conferred only to and for those Participants that enacted the Agreement. Additional counties may join at any time upon consent by a majority of the existing Participants and upon enactment of this Agreement by county ordinance.

C. A Participant may withdraw from the Agreement upon one-year advance written notifi cation.

D. The Participants shall elect offi cers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) who shall serve one-year terms and may succeed themselves, unless otherwise limited by duly adopted bylaws of the Trail Authority.

E. The Authority Board may appoint an Executive Director and Staff as well as legal counsel.

F. This Agreement will remain in eff ect until terminated in writing by the Participants or until such time as the number of Participant counties who have enacted the Agreement and not withdrawn falls below two.

SECTION 7: PROPERTY ACQUISITION, MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSITION

A. Real and personal property may be acquired in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for such acquisition, management, license and disposition of said property in accordance with applicable law.

B. The Authority may prescribe such rules and regulations as may be appropriate for the safe and healthful use and enjoyment of facilities owned or managed by the Authority. Drafts of all such proposed rules and regulations shall be provided to Participant Counties for review and comment prior to adoption.

SECTION 8: ENTIRE AGREEMENT

A. This Agreement constitutes the entire contract by the Participants and there are no other understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.

SECTION 9: AMENDMENT

A. This Agreement may be amended upon review and approval by Participant Counties and the SEDA-COG Board.


DULY ORDAINED AND ENACTED this _____ day of ____________, 2009, by the Board of Commissioners of the County of ____________.

BY:

Commissioner Commissioner

Commissioner

ATTEST:

Title


Report Supplements - Section B

Next Steps

1. Distribute for internal Review and Comment within SEDA-COG Staff including the Community Resource Center Staff + SGP Staff + JRA Staff and conduct joint briefi ng and coordination discussion with Jerry Walls.

2. Submit this Study Report to DCNR for review and comment.

3. Conduct briefi ng on the Conclusions and Recommendations for DCNR leadership team and legal team – with specifi c discussion of the North Branch Canal Trail options.

4. Conduct briefi ng and discussion with SEDA-COG Board of Directors.

5. Conduct other Stakeholder focus group discussions on concept and implementation – such as with MARC + Columbia County Commissioners and Planning Staff + Union County Commissioners and Planning Staff and LARA + Lycoming County Commissioners and Planning Staff .

6. Brief all SEDA County Boards of Commissioners and off er other Stakeholder Briefi ng sessions.

7. Secure enactment of this Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement Ordinance by two or more counties.

8. Have SEDA-COG Legal Counsel prepare the Authority formation papers.

9. Apply for initial set-up and organizational development funding from DCNR and PennDOT.


Report Supplements - Section C

Key Person Interviews-

Experienced trail managers/stakeholders/potential contacts to interview or consult as future needs arise

Work with DCNR to identify Key Persons and participate in the PRPS/DCNR Major Trail Stakeholders Session 9/30/08 to identify and contact key players for further interviews.

Interview conducted

1. Regional Trail Organization Leaders

2. DCNR Leadership – Brenda Barrett, Director – PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation

3. Diane Kripas, PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation

4. Vanayla Tierney, PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation

5. Lori Kiefer Yeich, PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation

6. Dr. Harry Zinn, Penn State University – Dept of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management

7. Caren Glotfelty, Senior Program Offi cer and Director of Environmental Programs – The Heinz Endowments

8. SEDA-COG Community Resource Center Staff

9. Jeff Stover, Executive Director, SEDA-COG JRA

10. Malcolm Sias, Planning Coordinator, Westmoreland County, TriCounty Trails Corporation

11. Dave Lange, National Park Service

12. Dave DeCoteau, Director, Montour Area Recreation Commission

13. Jane Sheffi eld, Executive Director, Allegheny Ridge Corporation, Mainline Canal

14. Karl King, Coordinator, Main Line Canal Greenway (Pittsburgh to Harrisburg)

15. Natalie Gelb Solfanelli, Executive Director-Lackawana Heritage Valley Authority

16. Stephanie Milewski, RLA – Trail Manager and Environmental Program Offi cer - Lackawana Heritage Valley Authority

17. Scott Everett, Stewardship and Trail Manager – Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

18. Judy Rimple, President – Anthracite Scenic Trails Association

19. Bud Wills, State Trail Chair – Pennsylvania Equine Council

20. Gwen Wills, Trail Stewardship Program Director – Pennsylvania Equine Council

21. Jennifer Heisey, Mid-Atlantic Recreation Planner – Appalachian Mountain Club

22. Jeff rey S. Johns, Chief – Planning Section, Resources Management and Planning Division, PA DCNR

23. Frank Maguire, Central PA Representative – International Mountain Biking Association


24. John O. Buerkle, Jr., Principal – Pashek Associates (Trail Consultants)

25. Denise McCloskey, Executive Director – Northwest PA Regional Planning & Development Commission

26. Linda Stein, Muncy Boro Council + Muncy Canal Project

27. Bill Poulton, President, Muncy Historical Society + Canal Project

28. Lynn Conrad, Rail-Trail Council of NE PA + Trail Conservation Corporation (TCC)

29. Renee Carey and Alice Trowbridge, NPC – SR Water Trail Managers

30. Jerry Ward, Montour County Commissioner

31. Trevor Finn, Montour County Commissioner

32. Carl Knoch, York County Rail-Trail Authority + Rails To Trails Conservancy

33. Tom Sexton , Rails To Trails Conservancy

34. Pat Tomes, Rails To Trails Conservancy

35. Thomas J. Murphy, Jr., Senior Resident Fellow – Chair for Urban Development – Urban Land Institute; former Mayor of Pittsburgh

36. Gary Bloss, Executive Director – Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

37. Trish Carothers, Development offi cer – Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

Contacted with potential followup if warranted

1. Linda McKenna Boxx, President, McKenna Foundation

2. Bob Aungst, Director, Columbia County Planning Commission

3. Shawn McLaughlin, Director, Union County Planning Commission

4. Angela Zimmerman, Executive Director, Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority (LARA)

5. Jim Buck, LARA Board Member and East Buff alo Township Supervisor

6. Trey Casimir, LARA Board Chairman

7. Wil Abberger, Trust for Public Land

8. Lyle Horn, Warrior Run Community Corporation

9. Julie McMonegal, PA Environmental Council, Warrior Trail

10. Kim Wheeler, AICP – Community Planner – PA DCED

11. Andrew JG Schwartz, AICp, Managing Principal – Enviromental Planning & Design (Trail Consultants)

12. Michelle Schasberger, Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership

13. Jim McNulty, Susquehanna River Trail Association

14. Eric Martin, Owner – Wilderness Voyageurs Inc., Ohiopyle, PA

15. Dennis DeMara, DCNR – Wilkes Barre

16. Chuck Flink, President, Greenways Inc., East Coast Greenway

17. Andrew Reback, Principal – green.alley (consultants)

18. Sheri Cramblit, Public Involvement Coordinator – Maguire Group, Inc. (consultants)


19. Rebecca Burke, Lycoming County Commissioner

20. Jeff Wheeland, Lycoming County Commissioner

21. Cyndi Malinen, Physical Activity Program Consultant, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction – PA Dept of Health

22. Michael Stokes,AICP, Assistant Director, Montgomery County Planning Commission

23. Alex Graziani, AICP, President – Pennsylvania Planning Association, APA – PA Chapter; Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County

Identifi ed as potential person to interview

1. Fred Lauster, Duncannon Borough

2. Steve Bartos, Director, Northumberland County Planning Commission – Lower Anthracite Trail

3. James Brezena, County Engineer, Wyoming County

4. Jason Finnerty, Tricounty RPC

5. Dan Villelo, DEP

6. Bill Gomes, Director, Miffl in County PC

7. Rob Postal, Director, Miffl in County Industrial Development Corp

8. Alan Kerkeslager, PhD. St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia – Genessee River Trail to West Branch Susquehanna River

9. Eric Dewald, Central Susquehanna Community Foundation

10. Suzanne Lee, President & CEO, First Community Foundation

11. Jim Zubler, Juniata River Trails Asoociation

12. John Amsler, Perry County Commissioner

13. Frank Sawicki, Northumberland County Commissioner

14. John Showers, Union County Commissioner

15. Malcolm Derk, Snyder County Commissioner

16. Chris Young, Columbia County Commissioner

17. Mark Sunderland, Miffl in County Commissioner

18. Joel Long, Clinton County Commissioner

19. Brett Hollern, Somerset County Trail Coordinator

20. Jon Eich, Centre County Commissioner

21. Ronald J. Woodhead, Centre Region Parks and Recreation

22. Dee Columbus, Cambria County Recreation Authority

23. Marci Mowery, President – PA Parks and Forests Foundation

24. Allison Topper, PANA

Interview Focus

1. What capabilities do they judge to be essential for a Regional Trail Organization?

2. What roles would they assign to a Regional Trail Organization?

3. What representation structure would be necessary to gain local acceptance of a Regional Trail Organization?

4. What key local entities should be considered and involved in the decision-making process to create a Regional Trail Organization?


5. Does any regional organization already exist which has the potential to become a Regional Trail Organization?

6. What help do existing local organizations need?

7. What help do fl edgling local trail sponsors need?

8. What do existing trail organizations perceive to be their strengths?

9. If involved with actual trail operation/maintenance what are annual trail maintenance costs, program, staffi ng, equipment and funding?

10. May we have permission to quote your responses?

Cautions

1. Be careful to avoid impression that SEDA-COG is just trying to build their empire.

2. Make it clear that this is an open study with no preconceived conclusions as to what option should be selected AND what role and functions a Regional Trail Organization should undertake


Report Supplements - Section DSource Documents Reviewed

Articles of Incorporation of SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority

Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, as amended, P.L. 287

Municipal Authorities in Pennsylvania, Ninth Edition, August 2002 by PA DCED

By-Laws of Regional Trail Corporation – for Allegheny, Fayette, and Westmoreland counties

Intergovernmental Cooperation Law – P.L. 177 of 1996

Intergovernmental Cooperation Handbook, Fifth Edition, February, 2002

Managing Greenways: A Look At Six Case Studies, by National Park Service, April, 2000

Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement to form the Pennsylvania WILDS Planning Team, 2005

Trail Towns – Capturing Trail-Based Tourism, A Guide for Communities in PA by Allegheny Trail Alliance, 2005

Governor’s Outdoor Task Force Report, 2008

Lower West Branch Susquehanna River Conservation Plan, October 2003

Pine Creek Watershed River Conservation Plan, 2005

Pennsylvania WILDS Planning Study, December 2007

Rails With Trails: Best Practices Report, January 2001

Pennsylvania Greenways: An Action Plan for Creating Connections by Governor’s Greenways Partnership Commission, August 2001

Susquehanna Greenway Strategic Action Plan, by Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, June 2006

Lycoming County Comprehensive Plan, August 2006

Lycoming County Greenways, Open Space and Recreation Plan, April 2008

Meetings - Appendix B1

Appendix B: Task Force Meeting Agenda & NotesInaugural Task Force Meeting : January 18th, 2007

North Branch Canal Trail Inaugural Task Force Meeting January 18th, 7:00 – 8:30 PMFenstemaker House – Bloomsburg University

AGENDA

Introductions - Around the Room Wes Fahringer – PA DCNR Regional Project Coordinator

Project Background – North Branch Canal Trail

Regional Context – other trail initiatives Commissioner Chris Young – Bloomsburg Area Trails Dave Decoteau – Montour Co. Recreation Commission

Project Scope and Schedule Project Vision – Facilitated Discussion

Project Budget – Raising the Local Match (Cash and In-Kind) Jeff Brunskill – Bloomsburg University GPS Field Work of Towpath Conditions Other Funding Opportunities? Student Service Learning Opportunities

Task Force Meeting Dates – March 20, 2007 June 19, 2007 September 18, 2007 December 18, 2007 (public meeting)

Meeting Summary

Attendees: (19)Brian Auman, Bob Aungst, Bill Baillie, Jeff Brunskill, Pam Brunskill, Renee Carey, David Decoteau, Wes Fahringer, Tom Grbenick, Mike Hardin, Bill Hause, Helen ‘Sis’ Hause, Jean Knouse, David ‘Otto’ Kurecian, Dr. Claire Lawrence, Scott Lawvere, Arie Hoogendoorn, Chris Young, Michael Shepard.

Notes

Commissioner Young fi elded questions about how their work on the Lightstreet trail worked with and connected with the North Branch Canal Trail – it would connect at Rupert. Questions were asked about how to mitigate fl ooding on tributary streams alike Fishing Creek – to reduce trail fl ooding and damage – possibly the creation of wetlands throughout the watershed. Bob Aungst said this was a good question and points toward the need to collaborate with groups like the conservation district.

Questions arouse about the diffi culty of creating the trail with diff erent responses: Aungst and Young – liability and long-term maintenance costs Decoteau and Young – physical limitations – the narrows

Vision for the Trail

A place that I can take my kids

A fl at level trail

A peaceful, natural area to connect with the natural world

Integrates with downtown

Something initially for locals (best kept secret) that gets out to

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Appendix B2 - Meetings

others

Thoughts on how to achieve the trail

Opportunistic – build any component and segment when you have the opportunity

The trail may have a long-term or ideal vision – but we should build it incrementally now

Start small, make the connections and then grow the trail

Need to raise Awareness with the Public

The canal was built with manual labor – lets have a work day where a hundred people with picks and shovels builds a section of trail – period dress and Press Event to raise awareness and solicit volunteers

Have the press out to the next student GPS fi eld work project

Funding Options

Renee Carey mentioned the Railroad Car spill in Columbia county and wondered if fi ne monies could be directed towards the project – Renee and Commissioner Young were going to contact PA DEP to inquire about this.

Painting portrait sold to raise money

Volunteer labor

PCC Labor Crew

Warning about the strings attached to diff erent funding sources – the trail should not be a highway!!

Pursue funding by moving into design – re-contact the foundations

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Meetings - Appendix B3

with funding request to develop concept designs and design standards for the trail.

Task Force Meeting Agendas Task Force Meeting: March 20th 2007

North Branch Canal Trail Task Force Meeting March 20th 20077:00 – 8:30PMDanville Area Community Center1 Liberty Street, Danville

AGENDA

Welcome and Introductions

Update on GIS Mapping / and Field Inventory Updates (10 Min.)

Joe Dewalle and Jeff Brunskill

Identify Key Person Interviews (15 Min.)

Internship Possibilities / Service Learning Projects (15 Min.)

Project Fund Raising Update (10 Min.)

Demonstration Trail – Discussion (30 Min.) Dave Decoteau – Montour Co. Recreation Commission

Task Force Meeting Dates – June 19, 2007

September 18, 2007 December 18, 2007 (public meeting)

Task Force Meeting: June 19th 2007

North Branch Canal Trail Task Force Meeting June 19th 20077:00 – 8:00PM316 Mill Street, Danville

AGENDA

Welcome and Introductions (5 Minutes)

Trail Building Work Day – July 14th (10 Minutes) Dave Decoteau will provide a summary of the Event

Feasibility Study Update (20 Minutes) Inventory and Analysis Concept Design Danville Riverfront Application by MARC

Catawissa Rail Bridge – Discussion (20 Minutes)

Priority Items to Advance the NBCT (20 Minutes) Control Survey – Danville Soccer Fields to Fishing Creek

Trail Corridor Ownership

Potential Addendum to the Current Contract Wes Fahringer

Future Direction – Discussion

Appendix B4 - Meetings

Task Force Meeting Dates – December 18, 2007 (public meeting)

Task Force Meeting: September 18th 2007

North Branch Canal Trail Task Force Meeting September 18th 20077:00 – 8:00PM316 Mill Street, Danville

AGENDA

Welcome and Introductions (5 Minutes)

Trail Building Work Day – Summary (5 Minutes)

Complementary Projects (5 Minutes) Danville Riverfront Application by MARC

Catawissa Rail Bridge - Discussion (10 Minutes)

Feasibility Study Update (15 Minutes) Inventory and Analysis Concept Design

Priority Items to Advance the NBCT (15 Minutes) Control Survey Cost Estimate – Peter Uhl Trail Corridor Ownership Potential Addendum to the Current Contract Public Meeting – December 18th (5 Minutes) Location

Key Person Interviews - Appendix C1

Advertisement

Task Force Meeting Dates – December 18, 2007 (public meeting)

Appendix C: North Branch Canal Trail – Key Person InterviewsSEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority

Wednesday, March 14th 2007SEDA-COG Joint Rail AuthorityProperty Committee (10 member committee)10:00 AM

Brian Auman provided the committee an update on the North Branch Canal Trail project including the idea of summer construction of a demonstration section of trail.

The demonstration section of trail would be constructed either immediately before or after ‘Iron Heritage Days’ in July 2007.

The Committee provided a copy of SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Rails with Trails Standards (dated June 2001).

The Committee stated that the authority will not be owner of a trail and that a sponsor needs to come forward to hold a long term lease on the land.

The following were the important points discussed:

The trail land will need to be held by a sponsor who is backed by indemnifi cation and a form of insurance.

1.

Any eff ort to r-water a section of canal will fi rst need to evaluate impacts to the railroad bed. Rail bed structural stability needs to be maintained.

Please refer to the Trail Policy (Rails-with-Trails Standards, June 2001).

The Volunteer Work Day – the Committee raised concerns about controlling volunteers, including children, near the active rail line. The work day activities will need to be fully staff ed to provide good project coordination.

Trail Clearing and Grubbing Agreement. Currently the PCC has permission to be on the property to clear and grub the trail. The Agreement will need to be modifi ed to accommodate the volunteer work day.

Authority will off er the Trail Easement to $1.00. The cost for this will be in Survey of Easement and Legal Costs to create the easement documents.

Committee recognizes that this is an ideal situation for a trail to work in conjunction with an active rail line (in most situations the rail is separated by canal and signifi cant distance from towpath – the location of the proposed trail. The Authority is interested in working with us in

2.

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6.

7.

Appendix C2 - Key Person Interviews

the feasibility study to make this work.

PA DEP and Columbia and Montour County Conservation Districts

Thursday, May 16th 2007Chip Crose – PA DEP NC Offi ceDennis Strouse – Montour County Conservation DistrictDavid Decoteau – Montour Area Recreation CommissionBarry Travelpiece – Columbia County Conservation DistrictJake Carson – PA DEP NC Offi ceBrian Auman – SEDA-COG

Decoteau and Auman provided an overview of the project and its goals and objectives of creating a pedestrian / bike trail along the historic canal towpath

Questions of fl oodway impactsWhat is the Floodway? – FEMA mapping or 50’ from top of bank

Floodplain – everything in this study corridor (railroad and canal and towpath)

Regulations aff ecting the Permitting of the Trail Project

Chapter 105 – Stream and Rivers

Chapter 106 – Floodway Management

2 Permits will be required since it is in 2 Counties / Engineering stamp

2 Sets of Permits – 105 & 106 Permit NPDES – Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (required on sites greater than 5 acres)

Danville Levee – Federal, state and municipal regulated resource

Municipal Maintenance – DEP and ACOE Municipal – yearly walk through a –

Dike – walk on

Levee – Drive on (so the Danville feature in a levee)

Wyoming Valley – raised 3’ above ’72 fl ood level; recently received a modifi ed top

Dennis Strouse- will send me the Chapter 105 & 106, NPDES Permit Information

Waiver Form will be sent to Dave for current PCC work to clear and grub the corridor

Chapter 105 & 106 – Bridge and Water Obstruction Encroachments (pg. 105-119)

$200 / each bridge and obstruction ( x approx. 25 breaks in towpath) = $5,000

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NPDES Fee – $250.00 Possibly into a NO FEE Schedule

North Branch Canal Trail – Key Person InterviewsCatawissa Boat Club

Tuesday, July 10th 2007Meeting with Offi cers (5 club members)Presentation to the club members at large (approximately 85 members present)

Auman provided an overview of the project and its goals and objectives of creating a pedestrian / bike trail along the historic canal towpath

Auman spoke about the desire to work with landowners like the Catawissa Boat Club to fi nd a solution that creates trail connections AND works with the needs of the private landowners

Auman asked that a follow up meeting could be arranged with a smaller working ground to identify possible trail options

Many members encouraged an ongoing dialogue – seeing great value in the trail to benefi t club members, raise property values and improve recreation options for families

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority

Wednesday, August 1st 2007Jeff Stover – Executive DirectorDenise Pyers – Property Management Offi cer2:00 PM

Project updates on the Work Day – 100 volunteers working an average of 4 hours. Constructed ½ mile of fl at and level (minimum 6’ width) trail. Cleared over 1 mile of trail.

Ownership – Stover said the typical condition of ownership was to the toe of the Towpath on the River side. (i.e. this should accommodate the trail in all these situations).

Entity must come forward to take ownership of the trail easement. The steps necessary for this to happen –

acquire money to have the property surveyed

SCJRA is willing to give the trail corridor for a dollar

have entity (Trail Authority) to assume ownership and liability of the trail easement.

In Field Survey Pins were noted by Auman – Rail authority is not doing survey work – possibly private land owner.

Issues of Pinch points – would have to have waiver of SEDA-COG set back requirements for the trail (Catawissa Boat Club and Route 42 Narrows area).

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SCJRA Request I present these issues, such as pinch points, to SCJRA Property Committee this fall.

PA Historical and Museum Commission Field View

Wednesday, August 8th 20071:00 PM – 3:00 PMDanville, River Road, Rupert and Bloomsburg

Attendees: Steven McDougal – PHMCAnn Safely – PHMC Historic PreservationBill Lowthert – SEDA-COG Staff ArchaeologistBrian Auman – SEDA-COG Landscape Architect

Met for Lunch in Danville

Reviewed the Inventory and Analysis Mapping of the Corridor

Discussed the GPS mapping of the Towpath Condition and the GIS mapping overlay of 1878 survey on current aerial photo

Discussion of the Width of the proposed trail – Ann said the better it could mimic the historic width of the towpath – the better. Can you scale off the historic survey?

If the towpath is eroded – Ann suggested fi ll be added to the River (not the canal) side to re-establish the trapezoidal shape.

Brian discussed the ‘typical condition of rail authority ownership – to the toe of slope of the towpath (river side).

Preservation of Canal FeaturesAvoid Ground Disturbances in these areas (lock locations and other resource cluster areas)

Funding Sources for the ProjectDCNR – for trail and recreation elements

CDBG for Handicap Accessibility Issues

Permitting – Chapter 105 and 106 PermitsACOE will be involved

Ann and Steve suggest you might as well prepare NEPA Requirements – then can have federal funding

Follow Up – MeetingBrian recommends that Bill Lowthert have a follow up meeting with Tom Grbenick and possibly Dave Decoteau on the options for

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permit initiation as part of this feasibility study.

The choices will have cost and funding ramifi cations.

North Branch Canal Trail – Key Person InterviewsGeisinger – Medical Center

Wednesday, August 22nd 2007Administration Conference RoomDanville, PA9:30AM – 10:30AM

Attendees: Brian Auman – SEDA-COG Landscape ArchitectSkip Weider – GeisingerRobert Kailin – GeisingerJeff Tiesi – GeisingerOtto Kurecian – Columbia-Montour Visit. BureauDave Decoteau – Montour Area Rec. Comm.

Overview of North Branch Canal Trail project – feasibility study nearly 50% complete

Update on the Trail Building Work Day – 100 volunteers working an average of 4 hours. Constructed ½ mile of fl at and level (minimum 6’ width) trail. Cleared over 1 mile of trail.

Geisinger is willing to be a partner in the project – what is the project’s immediate need?

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Priority Needs – Survey and Owner for trail:

Ownership – The project needs an Organization to assume ownership of trail corridor (sold off from the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority)

The Project Need to Survey the Corridor to determine ownership and areas of confl ict

A follow up meeting was suggested once we had more specifi cs on the cost of the survey

Auman said he would follow up with PA DCNR to additional funding for the survey – and Geisinger could be a partner for the local match


North Branch Canal Trail

Key Person InterviewsTuesday, September 11th 2007Catawissa Railroad Bridge IssueSeptember 11, 2007, 10:30AM

Attendees: Chris Young – Columbia County CommissionerBrian Auman – SEDA-COG Landscape Architect The Catawissa Railroad Bridge is a complicated issue for the general public.

The issue started well over a decade ago – early 90’s – with Luzerne County and Wilkes-Barre levee raising project.

The Catawissa Railroad bridge was identifi ed – during the fl ood modeling for the Wilkes-Barre levee project to have fl ooding impacts and money was allocated for the bridge to be removed.

Years ago Dan Bauman – Mayor of Bloomsburg – hoped to use the $ allocated towards bridge removal and use it for a levee project in Bloomsburg. This idea had problems – i.e. using federal $ (reallocated federal money for bridge removal) to match federal $ (for fl ood control).

The Federal, State, Luzerne County Flood Prevention Authority sent a letter (to Columbia County) that they would not be responsible for any aff ect of not implementing this fl ood mitigation plan.

The Luzerne County Flood Prevention Authority wants to spend the money now – or have the County adopt language that assumes liability for fl ooding impacts.

The County could not accept the language required in the letter – due to liability exposure.


The County has explored the issue of cleaning out the approach arches – go no avail. But Chris feels this is the one remaining area to further explore to save the bridge.

North Branch Canal Trail

Key Person InterviewsWednesday, September 19th 2007Catawissa Railroad Bridge Issue

Phone Interview: Jeff Brunskill, NBCT Task Force MemberWalt Gosciminski, Catawissa Rail Bridge OwnerWebsite: http://www.trackman.com/tunnel/

The phone number is incorrect at the bottom – correct number at his business – Walter Gosciminski: 356-2345

I spoke with Walt this morning… here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to Brian about the conversation.

“I spoke with the bridge owner, Walter Gosciminski, and he seems quite confi dent that the bridge is clogged by fi ll. I was a little surprised to hear him say this. He said that there are areas where you can climb under the arches, although I don’t think you can crawl all the way through. He said that we are welcome to test it and that he would be interested in the results of the study.

In addition… He doesn’t seem to think that the clogged arches are a major point in the argument to keep the bridge. In fact, he said that it was one point that he brought up at the end of his argument. He thinks that the covered bridges are a more important factor in Bloomsburg/Rupert fl ooding. Also, I guess he likes the fi ll there

(around the bridge) because it makes it easier to lay track and move trains around. If some of the fi ll ends up being removed, it may be necessary for him to develop another means for laying track, or setting up the entrance to the bridge.

As for his interest in the rail trail, he said that he supports the project, but his real interest is in using the bridge is for trains (obviously, I guess). When I fi rst said that I was at the task force meeting, he seemed ready to hang up on me. He apparently has thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in the local rail lines (& a signifi cant portion in the bridge). He would most likely be interested in letting the rail trail use the bridge, but in the long term he will jump at the fi rst chance to run trains on it. I don’t know if that means that we would lose access to it in the future.

Either way, I think that Walter should be a part of the overall trail

Cost Estimates - Appendix D1

discussion. I personally feel that this bridge is a key component in the rail trail design. I think its potential should be explored with the feasibility study money.”

Appendix D: Cost EstimatesPhase I – Land Acquisition

Estimated Costs: $50,000 - $65,000

Phase I will achieve the survey and land transfer of the North Branch Canal Trail corridor from the Ownership of the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority to the Montour Area Recreation Commission or other suitable organization.

Land Survey $20,000 - $30,000Legal Fees $5,000Administration Costs $10,000

Land Appraisal #1 $5000 - $10,000 Land Subdivision and Transfer $5,000Land Appraisal – verify land value $5,000Cost of Land Seeking Bargain Sale of Land

Phase II – Trail Design, Construction, Equipment, Maintenance

Estimated Costs: $850,000

Danville Soccer Fields to Star Barn Phase II will implement a trail design-build process – establishing design guidelines and standards for trail and bridge design and work with a contractor or the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps to construct (13,400 LF 2.54 Miles of)the North Branch Canal Trail from the Danville Soccer Park to the Historic Star Barn (River Road just west of Mt. Zion Drive)

Trail Design Guidelines Susquehanna Greenway – Signs Up program $ 35,000

North Branch Bridge Design Standards Susquehanna Greenway – Signs Up program $ 45,000Trail Layout / Design $ 25,000Engineering $ 25,000Mobilization $ 10,000E&S Permitting $ 1,500Temporary Bridge Structures $ 50,000(MARC DCNR application – April 2005) Insurance $ 10,000Specialized Equipment – $ 33,000Mowers, Gator with specialty attachments, weed wackers, backpack blowers, sprayers, hand tools, etc. Maintenance – labor and benefi ts $ 46,000

Appendix D2 - Cost Estimates

Trail Construction – Soccer Park to Star Barn $ 570,00013,400 LF or 2.54 Miles Trail Head Area – Danville Soccer Park $ 32,000Parking Area $ 5,000Trail Head Kiosk $ 5,000Bollards 4 x $625/ea. $ 2,500Fencing $ 2,500Trail Head Landscaping $ 5,000Seeding $ 1,000Signage $ 2,000Benches 2 x $1500/ea. $ 3,000Trash Receptacles 1 x $1000 $ 1,000Contingency $ 5,000

Segment 1: Danville Soccer Park – access spur $ 17,000 10’ Wide Trail – 500 LF

Clearing and Grubbing - $ 500Selective Timbering $ 500Selective Thinning $ 500Earth Moving - $ 1,500Fill Material Delivery, N/A Placement, Compaction Erosion and Sedimentation $ 500Trail Drainage $ 1,500 Gravel Placement and Rolling $ 9,500Shade Trees $ 2,000Seeding $ 500

Segment 2: Soccer Park woods trail to Bridge $33,00010’ Wide Trail – 1,100 LF

Clearing and Grubbing - $ 2,500

Selective Timbering $ 1,500Selective Thinning $ 1,500Earth Moving - $ 1,500Fill Material Delivery, N/A Placement, Compaction Erosion and Sedimentation $ 1,500 Trail Drainage $ 1,500 Gravel Placement and Rolling $ 20,000Seeding / Stabilization $ 1,500Landscaping $ 1,500

Bridge #1 Location $ 65,000 50’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 50,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000 Landscaping = $2,500 Town Gateway Feature / Sign = $2,500

Segment 3: River Access Woods / Cornfi eld Trail $ 68,00010’ Wide Trail – 2,200 LF

Clearing and Grubbing - $ 8,000Selective Timbering - $ 3,000Selective Thinning - $ 1,500 Earth Moving - $ 3,500Fill Material Delivery, $ 2,500Placement, CompactionErosion and Sedimentation $ 2,000


Trail Drainage $ 2,000Gravel Placement and Rolling $ 40,000 Seeding / Stabilization $ 3,000Landscaping $ 2,500

Segment 4: River Road – Road Frontage $ 48,00010’ Wide Trail – 1,600 LF

Landowner Coordination $ 1,500Clearing and Grubbing - $ 1,500Selective Timbering $ 1,000Selective Thinning $ 1,000 Earth Moving - $ 2,500Fill Material Delivery, $ 2,000 Placement, Compaction Erosion and Sedimentation $ 1,500Trail Drainage $ 1,500Gravel Placement and Rolling $ 30,000 Seeding $ 1,000Landscaping / Buff er Plantings $ 4,500

Segment 5: Danville Lock Trail – to Star Barn $ 185,00010’ Wide Trail – 2,000 LF

6’ Wide Trail - 7,800 LF Clearing and Grubbing - $ 26,000Selective Timbering $ 5,000Selective Thinning $ 3,000Earth Moving - $ 4,500Fill Material Delivery, $ 6,000 Placement, Compaction 10’Fill Material Delivery, $ 6,000Placement, Compaction 6’

Erosion and Sedimentation $ 500Trail DrainageGravel Placement and Rolling 10’ $ 38,000Gravel Placement and Rolling 6’ $ 90,000Seeding $ 2,500Landscaping / Buff er Plantings $ 3,500

Bridge #2 Location (See Bridge Cost Estimates) $ 36,000 10’x26’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 26,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #3 Location (See Bridge Cost Estimates) $ 45,000 10’x35’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 35,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #4 $ 41,000 10’x31’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 31,000


Trail Construction – Star Barn to County Line Estimate Cost: $185,000

10,400 LF or 1.97 Miles6’ Wide Trail – 10,400 LF Clearing and Grubbing - $ 36,000Selective Timbering $ 5,000Selective Thinning $ 3,000Earth Moving - $ 5,000Fill Material Delivery, $ 6,000Placement, Compaction 6’ Erosion and Sedimentation $ 2,500 Trail Drainage $ 2,500Gravel Placement and Rolling 6’ $ 120,000Seeding $ 2,500Landscaping / Buff er Plantings $ 2,500Historic Canal Wall – Stabilization $30,000Removal of damaging vegetationStabilization of stone wallEmergency Access at County Line Road $ 10,000Access Lane – 50 LF $ 1,000Trail Signage $ 2,000Bollards 4 x $600/ea. $ 2,400Fencing $ 2,500Landscaping $ 1,600Seeding $ 500

Bridge Estimates $400,000 Bridge (or Culvert) #5 $ 6,750 (2) 15” HDPE = $ 750

Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Phase III – Trail Design, Construction, Equipment, Maintenance

Estimate Cost: $ 735,000

Star Barn to County LinePhase III will construct nearly 2 miles of the North Branch Canal Trail from the Star Barn to County Line (Montour and Columbia County) on River Road. The cost of this segment of trail is signifi cant given that 15 bridge structures are located in this segment of trail and due to the limited construction access to the trail corridor from River Road.

Trail Layout / Design $ 20,000Engineering $ 20,000Mobilization $ 10,000E&S Permitting $ 1,500Insurance $10,000Specialized Equipment – $10,000Maintenance – labor and benefi ts $25,000Emergency Access at Star Barn $ 11,600Access Lane – 100 LF $ 2,000Trail Signage $ 2,000Bollards 4 x $600/ea. $ 2,400Fencing $ 2,500Landscaping $ 1,500Seeding $ 1,200


Headwall Finish Stone = $1,500 Fill Material = $2,500 Rip-Rap – channel stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000Bridge #6 $ 30,000 10’x20’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 20,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #7 $ 76,000 10’x56’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 60,000 Foundations Masonry = 10,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 4,000 Bioengineering and Riparian Buff er Plantings = 2,500

Bridge #8 $ 24,000 10’x14’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 14,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #9 $24,000 10’x14’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 14,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000


Foundations Masonry = 1,500 (attach to concrete) Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000 Bridge #11 $ 17,000 10’x10’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 10,000 Foundations Masonry = 5,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000 Bridge #12 $ 20,000 10’x12’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 12,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000


Bridge #14 $ 20,000 10’x12’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 12,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000 Bridge #15 $ 20,000 10’x12’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 12,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #16 $ 25,000


10’x15’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 15,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000Bridge #17 $ 25,000 10’x15’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 15,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000



Phase IV – Trail Design, Construction, Equipment, Maintenance Estimate Cost: $ 1,330,000

County Line to Rupert Phase IV will construct the North Branch Canal Trail from the Montour-Columbia county line to Fishing Creek railroad bridge at the Village of Rupert – and Gateway to the Town of Bloomsburg. The trail distance is 24,000 LF or 4.5 Miles

Trail Layout / Design $ 25,000Engineering $ 50,000Mobilization $ 20,000E&S Permitting $ 4,000Insurance $20,000Specialized Equipment $30,000Maintenance – labor and benefi ts $40,000 Trail Construction –County Line – to Bloom $700,000 24,000 LF or 4.5 Miles Roadway Trail 1,000 LF 10’ Wide Trail – 18,000 LF6’ Wide Trail – 5,000 LF Clearing and Grubbing - $ 80,000 Selective Timbering $ 15,000 Selective Thinning $ 5,000 Earth Moving - $ 25,000Fill Material Delivery, $ 25,000Placement, Compaction Erosion and Sedimentation $ 12,000 Trail Drainage $ 10,000


Gravel Placement and Rolling 6’ $ 58,000 Gravel Placement and Rolling 10’ $ 350,000 Roadway signage / striping $ 25,000 Fencing – Railroad Barrier $ 75,000 Seeding $ 5,000Landscaping / Buff er Plantings $ 10,000

Emergency Access Catawissa Boat Club $ 11,600 Access Lane – 100 LF $ 2,000Trail Signage $ 2,000 Bollards 4 x $600/ea. $ 2,400 Fencing $ 2,500 Landscaping $ 1,500Seeding $ 1,200Route 42 – Trail Underpass $ 32,200 Permitting $ 2,500 Erosion and Sedimentation $ 1,500Grading $ 5,000 Lighting $10,000Trail Surface – 500 LF $ 7,000Fencing and/or Bollards $ 3,500 Landscaping $ 1,500Seeding $ 1,200

River Overlook at Route 42 River Bridge $ 61,500 Erosion and Sedimentation $ 1,500 Clearing and Grubbing $ 4,000 Grading $ 2,500 Plaza Paving $30,000 Benches $ 3,500 Fencing $ 5,000 Lighting $10,000 Landscaping $ 5,000

Bridges: $ 153,000

Bridge #20 $ 40,000 10’x30’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 30,000 Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000 Bridge #21 $ 20,000 10’x13’ Bridge @$100 / SF = 13,000 Foundations Masonry = 5,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000





request to conduct the Danville Riverfront Master Site Plan. A phasing plan and cost estimates will be produced as part of this planning process, starting in late 2008 or early 2009.

Phase VI – Bloomsburg Town Connection

Fishing Creek Bridge to Bloomsburg

Phase VI will connect the trail from Fishing Creek to Bloomsburg

Foundations Masonry = 8,000 Rip-Rap – streambank stabilization = 1,000 Riparian Buff er Plantings = 1,000

Bridge #25 (Wet Area – under Railroad Bridge $ 6,000(at Indian Head Campground) Permitting = $ 1,000 Erosion and Sedimentation = $1,000 Fill and Drainage / SF = 2,000 Rip-Rap – canal bank stabilization = 1,000 Seeding and Plantings = 1,000

Railroad Bridge – conversion to trail $180,000 Bridge Transfer / Acquisition $ 5,000 (assume legal fees only) Engineering Inspection $ 5,000 Bridge Design $ 15,000 Decking and Handrails $150,000

Signage $ 2,500 Landscaping $ 2,500 Insurance $ 10,000

Phase V – Danville Riverfront Trail Construction

Danville Riverfront Area to Danville Soccer Fields

Phase V will implement the Danville Riverfront Trail. This element requires signifi cantly more detailed planning and design work. Danville Borough submitted to PA DCNR in September 2008 a grant

Towpath Field Survey Report - Appendix E1

SEDA-COG Proposed North Branch TowpathTask Force Meeting – May 19, 2007

Overview

The North Branch Canal corridor, connecting Danville and Bloomsburg, is approximately 12 miles long. This report presents the results of a fi eld study to survey the condition of a nine mile segment of the towpath starting at the Danville Soccer Fields, along River Road, and ending at the Indian Head Campground in Rupert. The trail was mapped by students in the Department of Geography at Bloomsburg University using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, principally Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. The following items are included in this report:

I. A description of the existing trail / towpathII. Options for connecting the towpath in Rupert to the

Bloomsburg Bike PathIII. Pictures of the towpathIV. The current condition of the towpath V. The location and characteristics of the existing breaks in the

towpath (e.g. gullies) VI. A parcel analysis to identify parcels intersected by or adjacent

to the towpath VII. An analysis of locations that will need a fence between the

path and rail line

I. Trail Description

This section of the report presents an overview of the North Branch Corridor as it would be experienced on a hike from the soccer fi elds in Danville to the Indian Head Campground in Rupert (…traveling west to east along River Road, or upstream along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River). This description includes references to pictures and noteworthy map features stored in the GIS database developed for this project. The ID numbers for the pictures taken during the fi eld study are listed below in parenthesis (e.g. 001) – note that multiple pictures may be associated with each georeferenced ID point. In addition, the mapped locations of breaks (e.g. Break01), and other noteworthy points (e.g. Note01) are listed in the text below as well. These IDs also correspond with georeferenced IDs in the GIS database.

The trail begins at the Danville soccer fi elds (001) near the Danville boat access point (002). Heading west from the boat access parking lot, the trail runs along the south side of River Road for a distance of 1.1 miles. Along this segment, the tracks for the North Branch railroad run along the north side of River Road. At mile marker 1.1 the tracks cross River Road. The railroad tracks run along the south side of River road from this point all the way to Bloomsburg. Leading up to mile marker 1.1, the exact location of the towpath is diffi cult to defi ne. The path appears to run right along the edge of the road throughout this segment. In doing so, the path crosses 11 residential parcels; eight of the parcels have homes built on them. As this project moves forward, it will be necessary to include these residents in the development of this project. A temporary pull-off (Note02) is located on the south side of River Road at mile marker 1.1 where the North Branch railroad tracks cross the road (003). Over the next ¼ mile, the towpath condition is 10. The quality of the towpath along this segment has been improved in recent years under the direction of Dave Decoteau, the director of the Montour

Appendix E: North Branch Canal Trail - Towpath Field Survey Report

Appendix E2 - Towpath Field Survey Report

County Recreation Commission (004-006). Dave has spearheaded this eff ort to promote interest in the trail, and to help local residents develop an understanding of what the fi nal trail may look like. Except for one break (Break02) (007), the towpath along this segment is level with a width of 10-15 feet across. The remains of one of the old canal locks (Note03) is located at the beginning of the segment near the temporary pull-off .

The condition of the towpath deteriorates considerably upstream of the segment that Dave has modifi ed. From mile marker 1.25 to the boundary of Mahoning Township and Cooper Township, mile marker 2.5, the condition of the towpath ranges from 3 to 6. In many places, the right side of the path is marked by a very steep slope down to the river. There is also a signifi cant break (Break03) near the second mile marker associated with a perennial stream that crosses the towpath. After this break, the river veers slightly towards the south, away from the path. Meanwhile, the towpath continues inland, parallel to the railroad tracks and River Road. In this region, the trail cuts through a narrow forested buff er that separates the railroad tracks and River Road from the river. While walking this segment of the trail one might notice the C & W Welding company (Note04) (008) and a silver barn (Note05) (009) located across River Road. A farm access road also cuts across the towpath near the silver barn, providing access to an agricultural fi eld that lies between the path and the river. At this point tow is about a quarter of a mile inland from the river. A sign for Cooper Township (Note07) is located near mile marker 2.5.

Following the Cooper township boundary, the quality of the towpath starts to improve gradually (condition = 6). Over the next ¼ mile, the towpath continues through the forested buff er that resides between the railroad tracks / River Road, and the edge of the agricultural fi eld (Note08). Standing water is visible in the canal along this segment. The

towpath is somewhat diffi cult to navigate along portions of this segment because of debris and fallen trees (010). It might be advisable to build portions of this trail segment along the edge of the adjacent agricultural fi eld rather than the towpath. At the 2.75 mile marker, a large barn with “1812” written on the side is visible across River Road (011). A farm access road (Note09) crosses the trail near the barn. The trail is in good condition at this point. In fact, except for a break associated with a fl owing stream (Break04), the quality of the trail is quite good through mile marker 3 (condition = 6 to 9). Another farm with a red barn and a fi eld access road is located at mile marker 3 (Note10). The farm is somewhat memorable because there is a corral (012) located next to the trail, across the street from the red barn (013).

Following mile marker 3 the quality of the existing towpath starts to decrease once again. Over the next two miles, the towpath conditions range from 4 to 6. More importantly, though, there are 13 breaks in the path over this distance. Most of the breaks are 12 to 15 feet across. The largest break is 56 feet across. Along this segment, the towpath runs parallel to River Road and the North Branch rail line, but at a much lower elevation. There are several interesting features along this segment. Just after mile marker three (014-016), someone fi lled in one of the breaks with a plastic culvert (Break05) (017) and created a path through the woods to access the river. The path (020-021) is located near a large tree with a stone foundation built beneath it (Note11) (019). The origin of the stone foundation is unclear at this point. Moving upstream, the towpath once again joins up with the river. This location is about 3.5 miles from the start of the trail. Starting at this point and continuing for ¾ of a mile, the river side of the trail is supported by a 10-15 foot stone retaining wall (023). There are twelve breaks in the path along the ¾ mile retaining wall (Break06-Break017) (022; 024; 026). The overall structure of the wall is quite good except for one location where the wall has failed (025). The towpath continues upstream (026) at a condition


of 5 until the border between Montour County and Columbia County. The county boundary (Note13) is approximately 5 miles (mile marker 5) from the Danville soccer fi elds. Near the county boundary, a number of campers (Note12) and other structures are visible on the towpath and surrounding land (027-028). It appears as if several individuals are currently living in the campers along this segment of the path.

The condition of the towpath segment that runs from the Columbia County line to the Catawissa Bridge ranges from 5 to 8. Moving upstream from the county line (029-030), a noticeable lip (fl oodplain) develops between the towpath and the river (031). There are several points where trash has been dumped illegally or deposited by past fl ooding along this segment. At mile marker 5.8 (Break19), there is a large break in the towpath (032). Heading upstream, River Road veers to the north while the towpath and North Branch rail line continue in an easterly direction. For the next ½ mile (033-036), a large agricultural fi eld separates the towpath from River Road. At mile marker 6.5 there is another break (Break20) in the path and an interesting dirt mound (Note14). The spot may have historical signifi cance as a stopping point, or waiting point, for barges along the canal (037). Continuing upstream, the river once again veers slightly towards the south and the towpath becomes separated from the river by an agricultural fi eld. At this point, the existing towpath passes under a second set of power lines (038) (Note15) and becomes diffi cult to identify. The segment of the towpath under the power lines is covered with a thick patch of thorn bushes. Immediately upstream of the power lines, it appears as if the towpath was removed to produce a drainage stream for the nearby residential area (039-040). Upstream of this point, the towpath cuts through a narrow forested buff er that separates a number of residential parcels located along river road, from an agricultural fi eld on the river side of the trail. Once again, the towpath is diffi cult to identify along this segment. The towpath is mostly likely located somewhere in the forested buff er,

but the exact location is not clear. There are 22 residential properties that border the rail lines/towpath from mile marker 6.7 to mile marker 7.5, the Catawissa Bridge. There is a considerable amount of trash (042) behind several of the properties; some owners have been using the forested region behind their properties to dump trash. This segment of the towpath ends at the Catawissa Boat Club (Note17) (043-045), or mile marker 7.5. The entrance road to the Catawissa Boat Club is built on the portion of the towpath that runs across the property.

The last segment of the towpath that was surveyed runs along Route 42 from the Catawissa Bridge to the Indian Head Campground in Rupert. Heading upstream from the Catawissa Bridge the towpath curves to the north and runs right along the river. It immediately crosses the foundation from an old bridge that used to cross the river to Catawissa, an excellent picture point (047). Continuing upstream, the towpath condition varies between 5 and 9. Debris piles from the June fl oods are visible at various points along the trail (048-049). At mile marker 8.0, the towpath passes a noticeable rock ledge along Route 42 (050). The path starts to narrow along this stretch as the towpath, rail line, and Route 42 converge. The path is located very close to Route 42 for the next half mile or so. There are four breaks along this segment at mile markers 8.1 (Break21) (051), 8.2 (Break22) (052), 8.5 (Break23) and 8.7 (Break24). In addition, a retaining wall (053) supports the river side of the trail from mile marker 8.2 to mile marker 8.5. From mile marker 8.5 to the end of the surveyed portion of the towpath at the Indian Head Campground (Note19) in Rupert, the towpath diverges from river once again. The towpath enters the Town of Rupert shortly after crossing under an old railroad bridge with two cars on it (057). The trail under the bridge was water logged at the time it was surveyed. The Indian Head Campground is located at mile marker 8.9 near a second canal lock.


II. Options for Connecting Rupert and Bloomsburg

From the Indian Head Campground in Rupert, there appears to be several trail options to connect to the town of Bloomsburg. The Indian Head Campground has traditionally maintained the towpath and uses it for winter and high water storage of campers and other equipment. A key person interview with the owners of the campground would explore trail options. Alternative trail alignment would include:

1. crossing the canal and connecting with Reading Street at the dead-end and use the street as the designated trail; or

2. cross the canal, connecting to Reading Street then heading west and building a trail on municipal land along the wastewater treatment plant and municipal building site.

Both trail options would connect to the existing trailhead parking on Fishing Creek. The existing designated bike route uses the historic covered bridge (061-063). Because of the narrow (one-way traffi c) character of the bridge and poor visibility (users going from bright sunlight to shade) would make for unsafe interactions of cars, bikes and pedestrians. The preferred option to cross Fishing Creek would be to convert the abandoned Railroad Bridge to a Pedestrian and Bike Trail. A converted rail bridge would aff ord trail users scenic views of both Fishing Creek and the Rupert Covered Bridge.

III. Pictures of the Towpath

Over three hundred pictures were taken to document the current condition and general characteristics of the North Branch Corridor, specifi cally the towpath. Each picture was assigned an ID number that corresponds with a point in the GIS database (Picture_Points.shp). The point identifi es the “general” location along the trail where the picture was taken. Please note that multiple pictures may be associated with any individual picture ID. In addition, the GIS database contains some photos that were not georeferenced because spatial reference information was unavailable.

IV. Current Condition of Towpath

We collected information on the current condition of the towpath based on a scale of 0 to 10 (Figure 1). Lower values were assigned to segments of the towpath that are in poor condition whereas higher values were assigned to segments that will require minimal work to return them to their original condition. A score of “1” signifi es a break in the path. A score of “0” indicates that the towpath was not evaluated along a particular segment because the towpath was either diffi cult to identify or it was located on private property. The towpath condition is stored as an attribute of Tow_Path.shp in the GIS database.


Figure 1 – Towpath Condition (Classifi cation Criteria)

Table 1, below, presents the number of segments associated with each ranking category and the total distance assigned to each of the condition categories. The majority of the towpath falls in the condition range of 5 to 8. Most of the unclassifi ed segments run along the fi rst 1.5 miles of the trail, leading from the Danville Soccer fi elds to the point where the North Branch railroad tracks cross River Road.

Towpath Number of DistanceCondition Segments (Miles)

0 5 1.56 1 24 0.11 2 0 0.00 3 3 0.38 4 7 0.21 5 35 2.04 6 33 1.94 7 19 1.34 8 11 0.95 9 4 0.22 10 5 0.20

Total: 8.95

Table 1 – Total Distance (in Miles) Associated with Condition Categories

A bar graph showing the condition of each segment of the towpath plotted according to its distance from the Danville soccer fi elds is

presented below in Figure 2.


Figure 2 – Trail Condition vs. Distance from the Danville Soccer Fields

V. Breaks in the Existing Path

There are 25 breaks in the towpath between the Danville soccer fi elds and the Indian Head Campground in Rupert. The term “gully” is used to defi ne ditches that are cut, or appear to be cut, by running water. The dimensions for Break ID-1 were not collected. Break ID-5 identifi es a segment of the towpath where one of the local residents installed a plastic PVC pipe to channel water under the towpath. Break ID-25 identifi es a water-logged point where the presence of water on the towpath appears to be seasonal. The ID values can be used to link the information below with the information stored in the GIS database.

• Break ID-1: Near Danville Boat Access (Dimensions Not Available)

• Break ID-2: Gully - (26’ across at top, 10’ deep)• Break ID-3: Gully - (35’ across at top, 24’ deep)• Break ID-4: Gully - (31’ across at top, 10’ deep)• Break ID-5: Culvert - (Plastic PVC Pipe Under Trail)• Break ID-6: Gully - (20’ across at top, 5’ across at bottom, 8’

deep)• Break ID-7: Gully - (56’ across at top, 30’ across at bottom, 11’


deep) • Break ID-9: Gully - (14’ across at top, 4’ across at bottom, 7’

deep) • Break ID-10: Gully - (5’ across at top, 5’ across at bottom; 5’









deep)


• Break ID-19: Gully - (40’ across at top, 10’ across at bottom, 15’ deep)






• Break ID-25: Water Logged Point on Trail

VI. Parcel Analysis

The following is a list of parcel owners is derived from the Montour County and Columbia County parcel databases. Six parcel classes are listed below. The list includes parcels that either intersect with the towpath (Classes 1 & 3) or are adjacent to a parcel that intersects with the towpath (Classes 2, 4, 5 & 6). In addition to the list below, each class is stored as a .dbf fi le in the “ParcelAnalysis” data directory. Note: Some parcels do not have PIN NUMBERS and NAMES associated with them. Also, some of the parcel information may be out of date.

1. Montour Parcels Near Towpath Along River Road (Tow_Class = 1 Green)

PIN NAME2-43-67 JONES JESSE D. AND EILEEN M.2-43-81 SHULTZ WILLIAM H.AND DIANE D.2-43-69 MARTIN THOMAS J. AND LOIS D.2-43-77 LATRANYI MIKLOS B. AND HILDEGARD

6-36-104 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNA.2-43-71 JACKSON BARRY L. AND REGINA L.2-43-72 JACKSON BARRY L. AND REGINA L.6-36-81 BENJAMIN MICHAEL A. AND JOANNE K.2-43-24 MONTAGUE LOSSON AND JEAN2-43-75 CEBULKA ALICE S.6-36-82 WITT BARBARA E.6-36-83 BRENT GARY E., JR. AND JENNIFER M.6-36-86 HILSCHER LAWRENCE R. AND ESTHER J.6-36-78 MILLER JOAN MARIE6-36-85 KARNES MICHAEL J. AND DENISE M.6-36-91 CAMERON ROBERT D. AND DEBRA A6-36-84 ANDES NED S. AND CONNIE M.2-43-84 STELTZ ELMER AND CONSTANCE2-43-85 CREASY WAYNE A. AND LISA E.2-43-78 BERTSCH DAVID J. AND ALISOUN D.2-43-83 SHULTZ WILLIAM H. AND DIANE D.2-43-86 SHEPPERSON FRED R. AND GLORIA J.2-43-82 SHULTZ WILLIAM H. AND DIANE D.


2. Montour Parcels That Intersect w/ Towpath (Tow_Class = 2 Blue)

PIN NAME2-43-70 BECK WOODRUFF LORI2-43-80 DUMCHOCK MICHAEL AND JANET E.

6-36-101 SHEPPERSON MARGARET L.6-36-100 LENZINI A.J.6-36-99 LENZINI A.J.6-36-95 SNYDER KENNETH AND EMMA6-36-98 BROKENSHIRE JOHN R. AND ANN E.6-36-97 FULLMER MARJORIE D. AKA M SCHOOLEY6-36-94 VONBLOHN JEFFREY S. AND SHERRILL A.6-36-93 BLAIR PATRICK A.

3. Columbia Parcels Near Towpath Along River Road (Tow_Class = 3 Green)

PIN NAME ADDRESS ZIP25 01 01100 MAURER PERRY D JR & ETAL 407 DAVIS MILL ROAD 2757625 06 03508 SCHOLL JOHN P & ARLENEA SR 50 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04710 LEIBY BERT L & SUSAN K 121 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06A01100 HOFFMAN LAMAR T & MARLENE L 117 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00601 HOFFMAN WADE & SUSAN 139 LEGION RD 1781525 06A01100 HOFFMAN LAMAR T & MARLENE L 117 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00900 LEIBY BERT L & SUSAN K 121 LEGION ROAD 1781525 01 00602 FINK GEORGIA M 259 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04400 DERR RANDY R & BARBARA J 236 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03804 FRY MICHAEL A 174 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04800 NOLTE RICHARD D 2468 FLORENTINE WAY #6 025 06 02600 KELLER LARRY L & ARLA M 243 GROVANIA DRIVE 1781525 01 00602 FINK GEORGIA M 259 LEGION ROAD 1781525 01 00600 ROHRBACH GEORGE L 177 MCINTYRE ROAD 17820


25 06 03803 FISHER JAMES R & SHARYN J 178 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03805 BROBST WILLARD G & ELEANOR W 202 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03806 PENNYPACKER BONNIE J 204 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04500 WATERS ROBERT E & RUTH D 130 MOUNTAIN RD 1782025 06 03807 RUNKLE MICHAEL J 206 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04600 LIPOVSKY JOSEPH MICHAEL 208 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04800 NOLTE RICHARD D 2468 FLORENTINE WAY #6 025 06 04700 CATAWISSA LEGION POST 541 5 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04701 HUNSINGER CLAYTON L 30 TERRACE DRIVE 1781525 06 03504 CREASY JUDITH A 158 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03501 CARL DOUGLAS J & DARRIN D 21 ROBBINS RD 1781525 06 04300 SMITH TED C & KARLEEN II 238 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03600 LINN SANDRA C/O 170 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06A01600 STYER STEVEN C & NANCY J 424 MT ZION ROAD 1782025 01 00701 OXENRIDER GARRY L & JANET L 583 LEGION ROAD 1781525 01 00702 PALLADINO ELLEN WULFFEN 24 ASHTON HOLLOW ROAD 17820

25 06A01500 SIGNORELLI RONALD & JAMES 229 WEST 16TH STREET 1001125 06 03402 TYSON DONALD L 42 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04714 WYNINGS NANCY E 107 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06A01400 WYNINGS NANCY E 107 LEGION ROAD 1781525 01 00700 RISHEL VERA GROVE 2757 POINT TOWNSHIP DRIVE 1785725 01 00604 KEMPER ROLAND D & CHARLOTTE A 387 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04700 CATAWISSA LEGION POST 541 5 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03403 CARL BRUCE E JR PO BOX 51 1860125 01 00603 BOWERSOX PAUL F 275 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03401 TYSON MILES L & LOIS B 42 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04000 ROBBINS ANNA MAE 241 LEGION ROAD 1781525 05 01600 DALO DONATO A SR 1201 FREAS AVENUE 1860325 06 00500 HUMMEL C CLEVELAND 227 HOLLOW ROAD 1781525 06 00600 LONG THOMAS A & ALVIN B 504 NORTH 4TH STREET 1782025 05 01500 DALO DONATO A SR 1201 FREAS AVENUE 1860325 06 00700 PENNSYLVANIA LINES LLC 110 FRANKLIN ROAD SE 0


25 06 03100 TOMASHEFSKI FRANCIS J 893 RUPERT DRIVE 1781525 01 00700 RISHEL VERA GROVE 2757 POINT TOWNSHIP DRIVE 1785725 06 04700 CATAWISSA LEGION POST 541 5 LEGION ROAD 1781525 01 00601 ROBERT PHYLLIS D 504 NORTH 2ND STREET 1782025 06 03200 WAGNER BARRY C & DIANA S 887 RUPERT DRIVE 1781525 06A01300 WYNINGS NANCY E 107 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04712 COFFIN ELSBETH 111 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06A01200 COFFIN ELSBETH 111 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00800 LEIBY BERT L & SUSAN K 121 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00600 SHERIFF KIMBERLY 133 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03500 BEITZ THOMAS W 110 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06A00600 SHERIFF KIMBERLY 133 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00500 LEVAN ROLLIN SCOTT 151 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00400 HUNSINGER MICK R & SHARON KAY 153 LEGON RD 1781525 06 03502 HARTMAN MICHAEL TERRY 120 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04200 SHETTERLY DALE E & EILEEN V 253 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06A00100 KNECHT PAUL S & KATHY S JR 169 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03507 GORDNER JEWEL & CHARLES R II 124 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03801 YODER DONALD F & VIRGINIA L 221 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03900 ANDREWS FLORENCE M & STERLING 210 STEFFENS RD 1782125 06 03906 ROBBINS JOHN D 233 LEGION ROAD 17815

25 06 03701 BREECH MARCIA H 175 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 04100 KARNES CHARLES L & BARBARA 243 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03802 VALESKI DAVID A C/O 205 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03506 MCANALL HOLLY K 130 LEGION ROAD 1781525 06 03505 MUSSELMAN TINA C & LLOYD R 165 S 293RD STREET 9800325 01 00800 DEWALT TYLER E & MARLIN E 407 AVENUE F BOX 553 1786825 01 00600 ROHRBACH GEORGE L 177 MCINTYRE ROAD 1782025 06 04715 ROBBINS BARBARA M STEWART 24 TERRACE DRIVE 17815


4. Columbia Parcels That Intersect w/ Towpath (Tow_Class = 4 Blue)

PIN OWNER ADDRESS ZIP25 01 00700 RISHEL VERA GROVE 2757 POINT TOWNSHIP DRIVE 1785725 06 04900 DRUMHELLER MILES F & CAROL R 201 SOUTH 4TH STREET 1782025 06 03503 CATAWISSA BOAT CLUB / LUTHER COOKE 155 COLUMBIA HILL ROAD 1782125 01 00600 ROHRBACH GEORGE L (RONALD L) 177 MCINTYRE ROAD 1782025 01 00900 NA NA NA

5. Rupert Parcels Adjacent to Proposed Paths (Tow_Class = 5 Red)

PIN OWNER ADDRESS ZIP25 05C03300 SALKO MARION 226 JACKSON STREET 1781525 05C03400 TOWNSHIP OF MONTOUR 1781525 05C01600 ALBERTSON RANDALL P & MARY E 329 READING STREET 1781525 05C01800 DESKI MICHAEL & CAROLYN S JR 327 READING STREET 1781525 05C01500 MAUSTELLER KENNETH B & BETTY 220 READING STREET 1781525 05C01300 MAUSTELLER BETTY J & RONALD L 220 READING STREET 1781525 05C01400 MAUSTELLER KENNETH B & BETTY 220 READING STREET 1781525 05C00600 LONG THOMAS A 504 NORTH 4TH STREET 1782025 05C00200 KISHBAUGH CLINTON D / SIENKIEWICZ LISA 612 KNOB MOUNTAIN RD 1860325 05C08300 MAUSTELLER BETTY J & RONALD L 220 READING STREET 1781525 05 01400 LONG THOMAS A 504 NORTH FOURTH STREET 17820

25 05C00200 KISHBAUGH CLINTON D / SIENKIEWICZ LISA 612 KNOB MOUNTAIN RD 1860325 05C03800 BATIUK MICHAEL J III 215 JACKSON STREET 1781525 05C03500 CONKLIN BRAD R & ALISSA L 213 JACKSON STREET 1781525 05C03001 HOOVER TERRIN E & MARTHA J 207 READING STREET 1781525 05C00300 HOFFMAN BETTY JEAN 210 READING STREET 1781525 05C00400 OTERO SUSAN 216 READING STREET 1781525 05C03003 BECHTEL EUGENE W & CATHY 217 READING STREET 1781525 05C00500 MAUSTELLER BETTY J & RONALD L 220 READING STREET 17815


25 05C03002 FISHER CYNTHIA M 253 READING STREET 1781525 05C02900 BUCK GARY LEE 1231 ELK GROVE ROAD 1781425 05C02400 KLINGER DALE R & BARBARA A 301 READING STREET 1781525 05C00700 LONG THOMAS A 504 NORTH 4TH STREET 1782025 05C02300 HECKMAN JAMES D & JUDY K 305 READING STREET 1781525 05C02200 REED JAMES CHARLES 311 READING STREET 1781525 05C03400 TOWNSHIP OF MONTOUR 1781525 05C03500 CONKLIN BRAD R & ALISSA L 213 JACKSON STREET 1781525 05C00800 REED JAMES CHARLES & JUSTINA 311 READING STREET 1781525 05C02100 HOFFMAN RAY E & JANE M JR 317 READING STREET 1781525 05C00900 HILEMAN RONALD & SHIRLEY 305 MONTOUR BLVD 1781525 05C01900 ZETTLEMOYER WAYNE K 207 HUMPTY DUMPTY ROAD 1781525 05C01900 ZETTLEMOYER WAYNE K 207 HUMPTY DUMPTY ROAD 1781525 05C01800 DESKI MICHAEL & CAROLYN S JR 327 READING STREET 1781525 05C01100 MILLS LARRY R & KATHRYN M 324 READING STREET 17815

6. Bloomsburg Parcels Adjacent to Proposed Paths (Tow_Class = 6 Yellow)PIN OWNER ADDRESS ZIP

05W03 21500 BOYER OIL SERVICE INC. 1311 OLD BERWICK ROAD 1781505W09 01700 KASSAB PETER & MARGARET A 521 ZEHNER STREET 1781505W09 00500 COLUMBIA COUNTY H & A MECH P O BOX 479 1781505W09 01500 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG / ROBERT GREY 301 EAST 2ND STREET 1781505W09 01200 LEIBY EARL P & JANET H 97 HEMLOCK LANE 1781505W09 01100 STREATER WILLIAM E & CAROL 1201 FORT MCCLURE BLVD 1781505W02 00300 HOCK DOUGLAS G & JOANNE M 481 WEST 8 1/2 STREET 1781505W03 21800 MAUSTELLER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 331 SCOTT AVENUE 1781505W03 22000 PENNSYLVANIA POWER & LIGHT 2 NORTH NINTH STREET 1810105W02 00700 CREASY RICHARD P P O BOX 396 1781505W08 03100 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W03 22100 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W03 21700 MONTOUR AUTO SERVICE COMPANY 112 BROAD STREET 17754


05W09 01603 WINDSOR QUALITY FOOD COMPANY LTD 595 WEST 11TH STREET 1781505W08 02300 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W01 00100 BLOOMSBURG TOWN PARK MARKET STREET 1781505W09 02100 BLOOMSBURG AREA JOINT SCHOOL 12TH & RAILRAOD STREETS 1781505W09 01100 STREATER WILLIAM E & CAROL 1201 FORT MCCLURE BLVD 1781505W09 01100 STREATER WILLIAM E & CAROL 1201 FORT MCCLURE BLVD 1781505W02 00100 HOCK DOUGLAS G & JOANNE M 481 WEST 8 1/2 STREET 1781505W09 01900 BLOOMSBURG AREA SCHOOL DISTRCT 12TH & RAILROAD STREETS 1781505W09 01600 MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY MCCLURE BOULEVARD 1781505W09 01601 DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN 561 W FORT MCCLURE BLVD 1781505W03 13900 BLOOMSBURG MILLS INCORPORATED P O BOX 420 1781505W09 00500 COLUMBIA COUNTY H & A MECH P O BOX 479 1781505W03 16600 BLOOMSBURG MILLS INCORPORATED P O BOX 420 1781505W03 20300 R A M BUILDINGS P O BOX 147 1781505W09 01001 BENSON ADELAIDE L 8 A JOHNSON SCHOOL ROAD 1782005W09 00500 COLUMBIA COUNTY H & A MECH P O BOX 479 1781505W03 22001 BLOOMSBURG MILLS PO BOX 420 1781505W03 22102 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W08 02600 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W02 05600 BLOOMSBURG INDUS ENT INC / CLAIR HOCK P O BOX 1311 1783905W02 00600 SUBURBAN PA PROPERTY ACQUISTIONS LLC 240 ROUTE 10 WEST 798105W09 01500 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG / ROBERT GREY 301 EAST 2ND STREET 1781505W09 01000 MUELLER KENNETH A / JAMES K KRAUSE R R 1 BOX 118 1787805W01 00100 BLOOMSBURG TOWN PARK MARKET STREET 1781505W08 02300 MAGEE RIETER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM 480 WEST FIFTH STREET 1781505W09 01602 HANOVER BRANDS INCORPORATED P O BOX 334 1733105W09 01900 BLOOMSBURG AREA SCHOOL DISTRCT 12TH & RAILROAD STREETS 1781505W01 01200 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 00400 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 00300 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 01200 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 00200 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 17815


05W01 01000 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 00300 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W01 00200 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W09 01600 MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY MCCLURE BOULEVARD 1781505W01 00700 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W09 02101 TOWN OF BLOOMSBURG TOWN HALL 1781505W09 01400 KISTLER STEPHEN C & TINA W 196 STONEY BROOK ROAD 1785905W09 01401 RIDGE THOMAS A & ROSE MARIE A 1051 W FORT MCCLURE BLVD 1781505W09 01400 KISTLER STEPHEN C & TINA W 196 STONEY BROOK ROAD 1785905W09 01400 KISTLER STEPHEN C & TINA W 196 STONEY BROOK ROAD 17859


VI. Railroad Fence Analysis

Railroad Fence Analysis – BackgroundThe SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority is opposed, in principle, to pedestrian/bike trails on its property. The Authority may consent to working with a trail sponsor if its proposal meets the following criteria:

Standard R/W is 30-33 feet from track centerline. Where the Authority R/W extends beyond 30-33 feet and there is no other parallel track, a trail may be considered. If accepted by the Authority, separation by a chain link fence (minimum 60 inches high) installed no less than 25 feet from track center shall be required.

Railroad Fence Analysis – Exceptions to StandardsIf a trail does not meet the above standards, and there is a constriction with no other reasonable option, then the standards may be relaxed for an extremely limited distance. The exemption will be of a longitudinal distance no greater than 400 yards, and in no case less than 25 feet separation distance with a fence or vegetative barrier required.Exceptions to these standards will be considered only if:

• The trail sponsor demonstrates sincere and exhaustive analysis of non-rail locations.

• The sponsor prepares an operating and maintenance plan. Operation and maintenance are at the expense of the trail operator.

• The sponsor agrees to pay for services of a risk assessment specialist, secured by the Authority, in determining the real risk of the proposal for the railroad owner, operator and all other operation entities, such as Norfolk Southern and Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society. Included in the assessment shall be a review and recommendation by the Authority legal counsel.

• The sponsor provides information addressing insurance and indemnifi cation for the railroad owner and operator. A governmental body shall fund the insurance and indemnifi cation for the railroad and its operator on behalf of the sponsor.

• Long-term indemnifi cation is assured by the sponsor. • The Rail Authority and its operator need suffi cient time

to review designs. • Trail sponsors understand that trails may require

modifi cations or total relocation at their own expense in the event of expansion or modifi cation of rail facilities or utilities licensed by the Authority.


• Trail projects will not impose additional costs on the operator in terms of his staffi ng, maintenance or insurance costs.

Grade CrossingsExcept in exceptional circumstances, no new at-grade bike/pedestrian crossings shall be allowed. An exceptional circumstance would occur when there are no viable options on a slow speed line with limited train traffi c. All pedestrian grade crossings must be made “public” through the process established, and sanctioned by, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Pedestrian grade crossings shall be made at existing grade crossings and sanctioned by the PUC.

Railroad Fence Analysis – Results The fi rst segment that runs 1.1 miles from the Danville soccer fi elds may require a fence. Along this segment, the rail line runs on the north side of River Road. The exact location of the towpath along this segment is unclear, so if the trail follows on the south side of river road (particularly in front of the residential area there), it will be less than 50 feet away from the rail lines. Note, however, that the road will separate the rail from the path along this segment.

A fence may be needed between mile marker 3.9 and 4.4. Along this segment of the path, the towpath, rail and road lie on terraces at diff erent elevations. The towpath is, however, less than 50 feet away from the rail line at several locations along this segment.

A fence may also be needed between mile marker 7.5 and 8.2. Along this segment, the towpath, rail line and Route 42 are in close proximity as the trail heads north towards Rupert. Close to mile marker 8.2, a small body of water separates the rail and the towpath; however, this segment will most likely require a fence.

The spatial relationship between the towpath and the rail line was not evaluated for locations north of the Indian Head campground because of the uncertainty in where the track will be positioned.

Field Survey and Report Prepared by:Joel Bond (Senior – Dept. of Geography and Geosciences, Bloomsburg U.)Amy Gorini (Student – Bloomsburg U.)Arie Hoogendoorn (Senior – Dept. of Geography and Geosciences, Bloomsburg U.)Julian Whitley (Junior – Dept. of Geography and Geosciences, Bloomsburg U.)Jeff Brunskill (Asst. Professor – Dept. of Geog. and Geosciences, Bloomsburg U.)

Brian Auman (Landscape Architect – SEDA-COG)

Trail Corridor Inventory & Analysis Maps - Appendix F1

Recreation:Grand Street Trail GatewayPotential trail from street to levee.

Community:Danville Levee SystemFuture trail and park enhancements.

Recreation:Grand and Iron StreetStreetscape enhancement and 'Safe Routes to School'.

Recreational:Pocket ParkPossible area for small park space.

Community:Railroad and Cooper StreetSee photo of existing condition.

Community:Danville Elementary SchoolSee photo of existing condition.

Recreation:Danville levee systemAverage 8'-10' width.

Recreational:F. Q. Hartman FieldFormer high school football field.

Community Connection:Danville Area School complex

Community Connection:Danville Elementary SchoolPotential 'Safe Routes to School' project.

Warehouse - River Access -Old warehouse - now Total Body Fitness.View through to river.

Historical:Hartman HouseHistorical private home.

Academy

Yarn Factory

Danville Waterworks

Masonic Temple

Montgomery, Gen. William, House

Ridgway, Matthew S., House

Montour County Trust Building

Beaver, Thomas, Free Library & Danville Y.M.C.A.

Saint Peter's Methodist Episcopal Church

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

53 42

1

Panel 1

North Branch Canal TrailFeasibility Study

Legend

1 inch equals 200 feet °0 400200 Feet

Railroad

[d River Access

Historic District\Site

NWI Wetland

100 Year Floodplain (Regulatory)

Steep Slope ( >25% )

Towpath ConditionPoor (non-existent)

Good

Fair

Tax ParcelInventory & AnalysisInventory & Analysis

Appendix F: North Branch Canal Trail Corridor- Inventory & Analysis

The North Branch Towpath Field Survey was conducted by Bloomsburg University Department of Geopgraphy Faculty & Students

Appendix F2 - Trail Corridor Inventory & Analysis Maps

Recreation:Grand Street Trail GatewayPotential trail from street to levee.

Break in Trail:Break - 2 - 1Possible place for bridge over small stream.Dimensions - 50' bridge, 8' drop.

Recreation:Pocket ParkPossible area for small park space.

Community:Powerline PoleLarge overhead power pole.

Community:Town sideAccess to town side of levee.

River Access:LeveeAccess to river side of levee.

Stream Corridor:LeveeRoad crossing strea with access to levee.

Community:Danville Elementary SchoolSee photo of existing condition.

River Access:LeveeView and direct access to riverdue to overhead powerline clearing.

River Access:Pennsylvania Fish & Boat launchPA Fish & Boat launch site. Has parking,but is to be used by boat-launchers.

River Access:Danville Waste Water Treatment PlantViews and access to the river.

Community:Danville LeveeAverage 8'-10' width.

Recreation:Danville Soccer ParkMulti-field complex.

Recreation:Washies ParkCommunity park with baseballfields and playground.

Recreation:Danville Soccer Park - ParkingPotential Trail head site.

Community:Danville Elementary SchoolPotential 'Safe Routes to School' project.

Community:Danville Water TreatmentDanville water treatment plant.

Community:Danville Water Treatment PlantDanville Water Treatment Building and Property.

State Hospital, Danville, Building

Trinity Lutheran Cemetery

RIVERDR

MAR

KETST

CLINICRD

WALL ST

ELYSBURGRD

RAVINE RD

FRANK

LINST

STA

TEST

UNNAM

ED

FOLEYS

CT

FRONT STGRAND ST

LIB

ER

TYS

T

STATE

HO

SPITA

LD

R

COPPER

BEECHD

R

ALTON ST

COOPERST

RESERVOIR

FAUST ST

NASS

AU

ST

IRO

NST

CLINTON ST

MOWERY ST

FISHERCT

RESERVOIR

RD

GATEHOUSE DR

ALLEY

OR

AN

GE

ST

HONEYMOON ST

MC

CA

RTY

LN

PARK AVE

DEY ST

KIR

KB

RID

ED

R

FULTON ST

RAIL

ROA

DST

CAMPBELL DR

KOOHERCT

FRIENDSHIP ALY

FRA

NK

LIN

ST

RAIL

ROA

DST

ALLEY

ALLEY

ALLEY

UNNAMED

ALLEY

UNNAMED

ALLEY

ALLEY

FOLEYS CT

ALLEY

ALLEY

ALLEY

UNNAMED

NORTH

SHOR

E

FREIGHT MAIN

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

53 42

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Panel 2


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel

Inventory & AnalysisInventory & Analysis


Historic:Towpath Break (3 - 2)[Dimensions __ x __ x __]Historic:

Towpath Break (3 - 1)Break in towpath that has been detouredaround for access purposes.

Historic:Canal Lock # 2Location of Lock house and Lock.

State Hospital, Danville, Building

RIVER DR

TOBY RUN RD

BOYD STATION RD

CLINICRD

RAVINERD

RESERVOIR

UNNAMED

REE

DR

D

RESERVOIR

RD

UN

NA

ME

D

FREIGHT MAIN

NORTH SHORE

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

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Panel 3


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax ParcelInventory & AnalysisInventory & Analysis


Private Property:Access to TrailCorral provides possible emergency access to trail.

Historic:TowpathWell maintained towpath used by ownerfor access to river.

Private Property:CorralPrivately owned horse corral requiring a work around.

Historic:Towpath Break (4 - 2)[Dimension __ x __ x __]

Historic:Towpath Break (4 - 1)[Dimensions __ x __ x __]

RIVER DR

MT

ZIO

ND

R

UN

NA

ME

D

BOYD STATION RD

TOBY RUN RD

LITT

LERO

ARIN

GCR

EEK

RD

RIVER DR

UN

NA

ME

D

FREIGHT MAIN

NORTH SHORE

Montour

Columbia

ville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg

9

8

76

53 42

Panel 4


Legend

1 inch equals 200 feet°

0 400200 Feet

Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel



Historic:Towpath Break (5 - 5)[Dimensions 8' x 3' x 5']













Historic:Towpath Break (5 - ?)Unknown and unfoundbreak in field study.


Community:Private PropertyPrivately owned land with trailors.

RIVER DR

CHARLESTON DR

MOUNT ZION RD

SUSQ

UEVI

EWRD

RIDGE DR

LEGION RD

SHARPRIDGE

RD

RIVER DR

FREIGHT MAIN

NORTH SHORE

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

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76

53 42

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Panel 5


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel



Historic:CanalPossible wet conditions, seasonally,thoughout this part of canal.

Historic:Towpath Break (6 - 1)[Dimension __ x __ x __]

Community:Private PropertyStorage of trailors and equipment onhistoric towpath requiring coordination with landowner.

NORTH SHORE

FREIGHT MAIN

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

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53 42

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Panel 6


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel



Trail location:Possible alternative routes totake here at the bridge.

No Access - Route 42 NA -No access from road totowpath (vehicles).

Natural Resource:WetlandPossible seasonal wetland area.

Natural Resource:WetlandPossible seasonal wetland area.



Private Property:Catawissa Boat ClubPrivate boat club requiringcoordination for trail routing.

Community:Private ProperyPrivately owned land requiringcoordination for trail routing.

Catawissa River Bridge

Catawissa Creek Bridge

Opera House

Susquehanna House

All Wear Shoe Factory

Catawissa Railroad Station

Brobst, Charles W., Property

Saint Matthew Lutheran Church

Catawissa Friends Meeting House

Crane, Thomas E. & Mary A., Property

Davis, Howard R. & Pauline E., Property

RUPERT

DR

LEGION RD

GROVANIA DR

FOU

RTH

ST

THIR

DST

FOX

AVE

MILL ST

HO

LLOW

RD

FIRS

TST

W PINE ST

KLINE AVE

SOUTHST

W MAIN ST

QUINN AVE

WCREEK RD

SECO

NDST

DENT AVE

FIFT

HST

SANDT ST

RAIL

ROA

DST

SHUMANST

E MAIN ST

NORTH ST

E PINE ST

PARK

AVE

BALSHI AVE

PFAHLER ST

FISHER AVE

WILLIT AVE

JOHNSON AVE

BURG

ERAV

E

TERRACE DR

BAKER AVE

E FRANKLINST

ZARRST

E CHURCH ST

W CHURCH ST

LILLY AVE

SEC

ON

DA

ND

ON

EH

ALF

ST

MERCERUN ST

NUMIDIA

DR

OLD

FER

RY

RD

RIVERHILL DR

WCEMETERY

ST

WALNUT ST

ERVI

NAL

YLEVA

NA

LY

E CEMETERYST

EPI

NEST

BURG

ERAV

E

THIR

DST

RAIL

ROA

DST

WILLIT AVE

SOUTH ST

SECO

NDST

PFAHLER ST

WALNUT ST

NORTH SHORE

FREIGHT MAIN

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

53 42

1

Panel 7


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel



Recreation:Indian Head CampgroundLocal campground (AAA Approved).

Recreation:Bloomsburg Rail TrailBloomsburg Rail Trail existing.



Historic:Rupert RR BridgeBreak (8 - 3)Path goes below old RR with cars on.Area becomes wet.

Historic:Old Rail BridgeBreak (8 - 5)Old rail bridge (only structure,no base to walk on) over road.

Historic:Old Rail BridgeBreak (8 - 4)Old rail bridge (only structure,no base to walk on) over Fishing Creek.

No Access:Route 42No access from road to towpath (vehicles).

Recreation:Indian Head Campground bridgePossible location to cross overthe river to other side.

River Access:Boat LaunchPublic boat lanuch area.

River Access:Boat LaunchIndian Head Campgroundboat launch (private).

Rupert Covered Bridge

RUPERT

DR

WM

CCLURE

BLVD

HOLLOW RD

FISHER

ST

JACKSO

NST

TRAIN ST

REA

DIN

GS

T

IND

IAN

ST

GIPPLE ST

DEL

AW

AR

EST

HUNTER ST

JAC

KSO

NST

HOLLOW

RD

REA

DIN

GS

T

NORTH

SHORE

FREIG

HT

MA

IN

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

53 42

1

Panel 8


Legend


Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel



Bloomsbur

Community:Bloomsburg Fairgrounds

Recreation:Bloomsburg Town ParkLocal community park.

Community:Bloomsburg Fairgrounds Track.

Community:Bloomsburg High School

Community:Bloomsburg Sewage TreatmentBloomsburg Sewage Treatment center.

Bloomsburg Elementarty School -Community Connection -Local elementary school.

Magee Carpet Works

Bloomsburg Silk Mills

Bloomsburg Worsted Spinning Mill

Sharpless, C.H., Grocery Warehouse

D.L.&W. Railroad Freight Station

Jail

Schoonover, E.

Fred Fear Match FactoryRAILROAD

ST

MAR

KETST

W MCCLURE BLVD

W ELEVENTH ST

W FIFTH ST

WNIN

THST

W MAINST

W THIRD ST

IRON

ST

W TWELFTH ST

COLO

NIALST

DRINKER

ST

E NINTH ST

W EIGHTH ST

W PORT NOBLE DR

WSANDS

ST

WEST

ST

W ANTHONY AVE

W PINE AVE

W SIXTH ST

RED MILL RD

SCOTT

AVE

E EIGHTH ST

ZEHNER

ST

BARTON

ST

RU

PER

TD

R

JAMES

AVE

CREASY AVE

CENTERST

W MIDDLE AVEE TENTH ST

MARY

AVE

COLUM

BIAAV

EJACK

SON

ST

STATE

ROUTE11

/42

W TENTH ST

WHITMAN

AVE

WASHINGTON

ST

W THIRTEENTH ST

MUR

RAYAVE

SHORT ST

E MIDDLE AVE

W BRUGLER AVE

REICHART AVE

SPADE AVE

BLOOMAVE

WEIG

HT ANDONE

HALF ST

LEONA

RDST

E PORT NOBLE DR

CATHERINEST

MT AIREY LN

ORCHARD ST

E ELEVENTH ST

JEFFERSON

ST

BARTON

AVE

HEM

LOC

KST

ORCHA

RDST

W PINE AVE

W THIRTEENTH ST

W SIXTH ST

WASHINGTON

ST

W MCCLURE BLVD

BARTONST

WEST

ST

MUR

RAYAVE

CENTERST

WM

CCLU

REBL

VD

WM

AIN

ST

LEONARDST

FREIGHT MAIN

NORTHSHORE

NORTHSHORE

NO

RTH

SH

OR

E

NORTHSHORE

NORTHSHORE

NORTHSHORE

Montour

Columbia

Northumberland

Riverside

Danville

Catawissa

Bloomsburg9

8

76

53 42

1

Panel 9


Legend

1 inch equals 200 feet°

0 400200 Feet

Railroad

[d River Access


NWI Wetland




Good

Fair

Tax Parcel


Historic Canal Corridor Overlay Maps - Appendix G1

Appendix G: North Branch Canal Trail Corridor- Historic Canal Map Overlays

Appendix G2 - Historic Canal Corridor Overlay Maps