CONFLUENCE, Pa. — An additional mile of forested frontage along the Casselman River across from the Great Allegheny Passage Trail in Somerset County is now protected and open to the public, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy said.
Location
This newly protected 35-acre property is in Lower Turkeyfoot Township, approximately 3 miles east of Confluence, Pennsylvania, on the Casselman River, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River.
This property is now open for hiking, birding, wildlife watching and other forms of low-impact recreation.
It is one of six conservancy-owned properties protected in recent years to help safeguard scenic views and wildlife along the GAP Trail.
These properties comprise the Conservancy’s 644-acre Casselman River Conservation Area.
This property protects several rare plant species found within this section of the Casselman River floodplain, where dense vegetation, forests and wetlands play an important role in filtering and storing water while providing habitat for wildlife.
It is in proximity to four canoe/kayak access points along the river operated by conservancy partners, the Casselman River Watershed Association and the PA Fish and Boat Commission.
Two of these access locations, Fort Hill and Harnedsville, were created by grants from the Conservancy’s Canoe Access Development Fund.
Experienced paddlers will pass through this and other conservancy-protected lands during a 5.5-mile trip that features mostly fast, flowing water and open rapids between those two access points.
Purchase history
The purchase of this property was made possible by Charles and Sandra Romesburg of Logan, Utah.
Charles grew up in the area and graduated from Uniontown High School. Shortly after earning a Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh, he and Sandra moved to Utah, where Charles served as a professor at Utah State University until his recent retirement.
Although the Romesburgs have not lived in this area for many years, they have continued to support the conservancy since becoming members in 1970.
Additional grant funding was provided by the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
Before exploring the property, visitors are encouraged to first contact the conservancy for parking and access information at 412-586-2318 or azadnik@paconserve.org.
