DCNR has acquired a 5,600-acre parcel of land that will be developed into a motorized recreation area in Weiser State Forest in Schuylkill and Luzerne Counties.
The acquisition is part of a larger statewide investment in environmental projects. Nearly $700 million of the 2022-23 budget will be devoted to conservation, recreation, and preservation throughout the commonwealth.
The funding will also go toward the development of three new state parks in locations to be announced later this year.
“We at DCNR are very excited to announce the acquisition of this property and look forward to it being developed into the Catawissa Recreation Area, the first such area within our state forest system,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “As the statewide leader, DCNR works to expand outdoor recreation across the commonwealth, and this is an exciting new opportunity that we believe will help strengthen the region’s reputation as a destination.”
DCNR acquired the land using funding in Pennsylvania’s 2022-23 budget designated for diverse motorized recreation opportunities. The department is working with a consultant to develop and implement a motorized recreation plan, which will include community and stakeholder feedback.
The Catawissa Recreation Area includes land that was once an off-highway vehicle park, Paragon Adventure Park, which closed more than 10 years ago.
“This is an important step for expanding motorized recreation in Pennsylvania and of a type of outdoor recreation where we see growing interest,” DCNR Deputy Secretary John Norbeck said. “Acquiring these lands also helps us achieve a number of conservation goals, including improving and protecting water quality, restoring degraded lands, conserving ecological resources, and providing education opportunities to the visitors and the surrounding community.”
The property has significant ecological value. The forested areas include sensitive plant habitats, high quality tributaries to the Catawissa Creek, and a stand of old-growth hemlock.
In addition to enhancing motorized recreation in Pennsylvania, the new area will provide opportunities to manage natural resources, restore water quality, and rehabilitate abandoned mine lands in the area.
“Our state forest team is equally as thrilled for the motorized recreation area as we are the conservation work that will be done to restore the Catawissa Creek Watershed,” State Forester Ellen Shultzabarger said. “The legacy of this project will result in long-term protection of plant and animal habitats, cleaning up the source of acid mine drainage discharges and creating a new asset in the region.”
DCNR rangers will be patrolling the site to manage existing activity and control unauthorized use until the motorized recreation area opens, which is expected in the summer of 2024.
“Each year, motorized outdoor recreation contributes more than $350 million to Pennsylvania’s economy, a contribution that directly benefits small businesses, such as vehicle dealers and repair shops, restaurants, gas stations, and accommodations close to destinations like Catawissa, as well as in riders’ hometowns.”
State forest officials will manage the land until planning is complete and a contractor assumes control of operations. The project serves as a new model for utilizing Liquid Fuels funds and state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) restoration funds to conserve land while also expanding opportunities for ATVs, dirt bikes, off-highway vehicles and other forms of recreation.
Visit DCNR’s website for more information about motorized recreation and state forests.
