Northumberland OHV park 1st public meeting
For all of those interested Tues the 27th will be the first Public meeting of the new Northumberland County OHV / multi-use Park.

The Meeting is at 6:00pm. Lacation is the Shamokin Area High School Auditorium.

We need a good showing of interested persons. This means everyone that reads this and can make the drive. We expect frim resistance from a few very vocal groups. We need to make sure that we get as many persons to the meeting that are not locals. Locals we need you there as well!

The largest misconception is that the area will only be used by the same type of people they notice now. The drunks, litter bugs, drug trafficing, and other "undesirables." Most people in town never notice the respectable groups that have been, or are still using the area.

I will post up more information on the meeting as I get it.

If you are in a club/group or know 5 other people that enjoy our sport, tell them.

This first public meeting will be your best opportunity to have your own input into the development of the park. The Northumberland County officials, and the design and engineering firms, will be there to hear your ideas and comments.
The goal of the project is to build what you guys/gals want and need for your motorized and non-motorized recreational activities. Having 6000+ acres of abandon strip mine land ,that has been used extensively for off-roading for the last 40 years, is a great start.
Check out Facebook and the our web page for updates and progress on the park. Please leave a comment letting us know what you think.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northu...2542490?ref=ts

http://www.ohv.norrycopa.net/index.htm

I think i mite make to the meeting/

_________________
84' scrambler

wishing i had a/c in the jeep for the up coming week

Myself and a couple of FingerLakes 4x4, including the owner of Aussie Locker, will be attending this meeting. We will be driving 4.5 hours to attend the meeting, and I think it is absolutely worth it! Last weekend a couple of us were invited for a tour of the county owned land with county officials and Barry.

Below is a write up of the event from FingerLakes 4x4 president OlllllO, aka Erik.

link:

http://www.fingerlakes4x4.org/modules/n ... 5&start=30

From OllllllO on the FingerLakes 4x4 website:


I don't think I have ever been as excited about a "proposed new park" as I am after visiting Northumberland county.

Let me start by simply saying this property is unbelievable. 6 thousand acres spit in two by a surface road. The east property is aprox. 3 miles long while the West spans 5miles. The views are breathtaking, and the property seems to stretch on forever.

We met up with Barry who is the man with the plan. While he is not a state or county employee, he is working closely with the local and state government to help with planning and development. Some of the proposed plans we were told about were:

Welcome center / training center with bathrooms & showers
Tunnel unnder the road to connect both properties
Campground with RV hook-ups, multiple lakes for fishing and canoeing
Multiple camping areas throught the park (family areas & party areas)
Bath / shower facilities located within the trail network
Atv & ohv trails
Competition course
And more

The land is currently owned by Northumberland county and they are awaiting grants and other funding aproval to the tune of 3 million dollars.
Barry explained how the land was coal mine land last used prior to 1970. Therefore it was not required that the land be reclaimed. So it just sitting untouched. Barry and others told us they had been going there for 40 years, and the locals are still currently using it.

The master plan is to get all the funding in order, all the planning and design work completed, and be ready to work right away before they start closing the property down for construction.

They told us the plan is to start construction early 2011.

Barry explained how an agency called BAMR. Bureau of abandoned mine reclamation, has gobs and gobs of money to spend on re-claiming coal mining land. He went on to explain how this agency will reclaim only what the park wants reclaimed. This means all the natural stone formations and glacial deposits won't get buried with dirt and grass. The reclamition process is going to include the fabrication of "Hammers" style rock trails that will require all day or even all weekend to complete.

We were taken on a 25 miles loop of the west property. we are told our tour didn't even put a dent in seeing the entire property. The views alone and the seemingly endless terrian is worth the trip.

A little news
http://www.wnep.com/videobeta/618e70af- ... et-Rolling