The Hemlock  

Volume 3, Issue 5 (March 2010)

"I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire."
                                                      --Shakespeare, All's Well that Ends Well

Another Anniversary
This issue marks the two-year anniversary of The Hemlock.  The publication developed from the Environmental Focus Group, an ad-hoc committee formed in 2007 by President Miller to promote and support activities, experiences, and structures that encourage students, faculty, and staff to develop a stronger sense of place for Lock Haven University and central Pennsylvania.  Since March 2008, we have published 16 issues, with 120 articles written by 62 different authors.  Those contributors have been current and former students (27), faculty (19), people from the community (9), and staff (7).  Our student and faculty writers have come from 14 different disciplines: Art, Biology, Communication Media, Computer Information Science, Elementary Education, English, Geography, Geology, History, Journalism, Marketing, Philosophy, Psychology, and Recreation Management.  The typical issue is accessed by 300 readers.  We appreciate the support that the LHU community has shown for The Hemlock and encourage you to consider contributing to a future issue.  We welcome anything that has to do with outdoor recreation, environmentalism, or Pennsylvania culture.  If you have an idea, please contact Bob Myers.

I’ve Been in the Lowlands too Long
     --Carrie Shirk (LHU Alumnae)

My parents, who were born and raised in Pennsylvania, took me camping once in our native state.  It unfortunately rained the entire first night, putting both a damper on the overall weekend and the possibility of any future camping trips.  My only memory of this particular outing was restlessly waiting in the car, and then cheering the adults’ decision when they revealed we would spend the duration of the weekend in the comfort of a rented condominium (with cable television of course).  For our second outdoor excursion in Pennsylvania, just a short hike, my parents took me to Hawk Mountain where I scampered from rock to rock across the massive pinnacle, until I fell, bringing my forehead to meet the smaller, less impressive pinnacle of a jutting boulder.

Afterwards, despite my parent’s delight in traveling and hiking everywhere else in our country and abroad, my outdoor experiences in Pennsylvania remained nonexistent.  When it was time for college, I dreamed of an education outside the Keystone state. Ironically, however, to escape Pennsylvania, I went to the heart of it--Lock Haven’s study abroad program was (and still is) one of the best in the country. Regardless of this perk, I still found myself in the center of the state, boxed in by miles of state forests, and hours away from what I considered the only worthwhile part of Pennsylvania--the raucous city of Philadelphia. 

For the first three years of my education, I was like a lot of the students at Lock Haven who come from more the more suburban, less mountainous areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  I wrestled with alternating bouts of self-pity over the freezing, treacherous weather and the isolating location. Not a J. Crew in sight. Like the discolored snow that often lingered until March, my resentment thawed in the spring, as I began to celebrate the warmer weather and my return to southeastern PA. 

But after I spent a spring semester in Europe and a summer in San Diego, California, I began to develop an appreciation for central Pennsylvania.  In Europe, traveled through in a terrain that boasts forty shades of green, similar to Pennsylvania but without the mountains.  California was a totally different climate, with the mountains but not the green.  When I lived in hip southern California my new friends listened to me with wonder as I I also spun tales of Pennsylvania as an unforgiving tundra where locals have to leave their house twenty minutes early just to scrape the ice off the windshield.  But I also described the mountains that overlook the green landscape of a Pennsylvania summer.  Because I talked about it so much, I started to miss it.  I had been gone from January to August, absent during the best part of the year in Pennsylvania, that time when the lengthening days usher in a burgeoning season of renewal; as if to say, “Hey, we’re sorry for that long winter.  Have some nice blueberries.”  So, when I came back for my senior year, it was with a newfound appreciation for the mountains and yes, even the isolation that defines central Pennsylvania.  I savored back roads, taking 61 to 54, winding through Pottsville, Ashland, Centralia, and Danville, until I zipped on 80 to exit 178.  After all my travels, it was still one of the most scenic drives I’d ever taken and it seemed particularly Pennsylvanian with its derelict mining towns amidst a dominating northeastern wilderness.  I felt like I was home.   

Now, after graduating, I’m back in southeastern Pennsylvania, and I find myself fairly miserable, working and living in suburbia, a place I’ve never loved and never will love.  Not the city, not the country, but instead that unhappy medium of unoriginality without the views or the culture.  My exposure to nature is limited to red-tailed hawks on the light posts of the highway.  I miss the isolating hills of Lock Haven and the quiet trees that cradle the valley.  As Gillian Welch sings, I’ve been in the lowlands too long.

Pennsylvania Culture Festival
On Thursday, April 15, the Environmental Focus Group will be hosting the Pennsylvania Culture Festival on campus.  The festival will celebrate all aspects of Pennsylvania culture.  If you would like to be part of this festival, please contact Bob Myers.

Green Should be More Than the New Black
     --J. M. Price (LHU Exploratory Studies Major)

At first, I was glad to see stores stocking t-shirts with “reduce-reuse-recycle” emblems and various environmentally savvy slogans.  I took it as a sign that consumers as a whole were becoming more environmentally conscious.  However, my attitude towards such products has changed.  One afternoon, as I sat a bench people-watching, I saw a young teenage girl spit her gum into the shrubbery.  I watched with disgust as she took a sip from a bottle of water, wrinkled her nose, and complained about it being “too warm.”  She then promptly tossed it into a garbage can that was positioned next to a bin reserved for recyclables.  Throughout this whole process, she was wearing a t-shirt that announced “Green is the new black!”  While environmental awareness is certainly an admirable and worthy cause, it shouldn’t be more than a fashion statement that’s in one year and out the next.  Instead, it should be an overall consciousness towards changing one’s habits.

I’ll freely admit to being a relatively new convert to environmental conservation.  I’ll even admit that I’m more greenish-around-the-edges than truly green.  It’s only been within the past year that I’ve started driving family members nuts by unplugging unused lamps and appliances.  I’ve only started to realize that I should do my best to discourage over-fishing by resisting the urge to order seafood, even if I really like it.  Fortunately, I’m not alone in my attempts to conserve.  My whole family is trying. 

Granted, it can be hard to break bad consumer habits.  We’ve all forgotten to bring our reusable canvas bags to the grocery store.  It’s been hard adjusting to the slightly metallic taste of water in the metal reusable canteens, but it’s doable.  We can’t all afford an environmentally friendly car, but we can carpool with one another. We can’t afford to refurbish our house with brand-new energy star appliances, but we can gradually replace them.  Sadly, our source of heat in the winter isn’t the most environmentally friendly, but we can cut back on our usage.  Our sliding glass door and several windows are covered with opaque plastic to help prevent the cold from seeping in.  Yes, the plastic is one of the ugliest things I’ve ever seen and the moment the weather is warm enough, I’m tearing it all down.  But it works.  Likewise, the towels and blankets we've rolled up and placed at the base of our doors can get in the way, but they prevent heat from escaping the house.  They’re small things, but they’ve helped to significantly cut down our carbon footprint.

Other changes in habit aren’t so hard.  In fact, they weren’t really changes at all because my family’s been practicing them ever since I can remember.  I was very surprised to learn that little things like eating leftovers and bringing home doggie bags from restaurants are considered green.  Considering the fact that some foods taste better as they’ve marinated overnight in their sauces, that’s not very hard to do.  During the summer, my family’s always bought produce from local farmers for comparatively ignoble reasons like taste and cost.  Meat that’s been locally butchered is far less expensive and is of better quality than the meat bought from grocery stores, plus it hasn’t been transported across the country and generally has much less packaging.  Surprisingly, my family’s penchant for going to garage sales and thrift stores is even considered to be more environmentally friendly: it's better than buying new clothes and furniture.  Other things like recycling and composting take hardly any effort,  and they help so much.

My family knows we have a long way to go before we transition from greenish-around-the-edges to truly green, but we’ve started.  We have a long way to go, but we’re getting there.  Sometimes we have disagreements about how to go about our new-found path, but we all agree on one thing: we won’t be caught dead wearing a “Green is the new black!” t-shirt.

Marcellus Shale Update #2
     --Bob Myers

Although 2010 is only a few months old, the natural gas and petroleum industry has already been responsible for several incidents in Pennsylvania that have resulted in environmental damage.  On January 20, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) fined M.R. Dirt $6000 for spilling seven tons of "gaswell drilling wastewater sludge" in Avis (eight miles from Lock Haven).  The dump truck driver drove away even though he saw the spill (DEP, "DEP Fines M.R. Dirt" [1/20/10]).  On February 1, 2010 the DEP fined Fortuna Energy $3500 for various infractions at a Bradford Country site, including the discharge of fracking fluid into a tributary of Sugar Creek (DEP, "DEP Fines Fortuna" [2/1/10]).  Recently two men from Swamp Angel Energy pled guilty to dumping 200,000 gallons of brine water from petroleum well drilling into abandoned wells in the Allegheny National Forest (Post-Journal, "Two Plead to Violating" [2/17/10]).  On February 19, 2010, the DEP fined Jersey Shore Borough $75,000 for violations at its sewage treatment plant, mostly stemming from its improper treatment of gas well wastewater (DEP, "DEP Fines Jersey Shore" [2/19/10]).

Meanwhile, the political debate over leasing the state forest for natural gas drilling continues.  As part of the 2009-10 budget, 32,000 acres of the state forest were leased, generating $128 million, twice what was expected (DCNR, "Results of FY09-10 Lease").  Recently, the Philadelphia CityPaper released memos from former DCNR Secretary Michael Diberardinis and Acting Secretary John Quigley that had cautioned Governor Rendell about the dangers of leasing the state forest.  In May 2009 Diberardinis warned, "Wholesale leasing will damage our state forest landscape.  It would scar the economic, scenic, ecological, and recreational values of the forest."  (CityPaper, "The Marcellus Memos" [2/12/10]).  In January 2010 Dave Rothrock, President of the Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited criticized the leasing: "With one-third of our state forests now open to gas drilling, we are concerned that public recreation and water quality is at risk. We have already seen detrimental effects to water quality on our state forest land due to drilling, and find this unacceptable. The state budget should not be balanced at the expense of hunters and anglers." (TU, "TU Concerned" [1/13/10]).

This issue will continue to be important in the debate over the 2010-11 budget.  Governor Rendell's budget proposal calls for a severance tax on natural gas production as well as additional leasing of the state forest (Inquirer, "More State Forestland" [2/12/10]); indeed the Governor may unilaterally direct DCNR to lease more land (Citypaper, "Governor's Office Confirms" [2/10/10]).   Meanwhile, 37 "Green Dog" and "Hunting Dog" legislators who are concerned with protecting the environment and outdoor recreation opportunities in Pennsylvania have called for a moratorium on any further leasing (Post-Gazette, "Gas Well Foes" [2/22/10]).   Rep. Greg Vitali has introduced House Bill 2235, which would impose a 5-year moratorium on additional leasing (Vitali, "Vitali Bill").  This would be a good time to write your representatives and senators and tell them that you support this bill.  The petroleum industry is already ginning up its advertising machine to oppose any severance tax.  You may have seen their ads, which feature working-class people explaining why a tax on the petroleum industry would hinder growth (API, "TV Ads").

Locally, we remain at the center of hydro-fracking activity.  Anadarko Petroleum was successful in its bid to acquire additional land for hydro-fracking near Queens Run in the Sproul State Forest (DCNR, "Results of FY09-10 Lease").  Anadarko has requested permission to build a seven-mile long collector pipeline through the Sproul State Forest (LH Express, "Gas Rush" [2/17/10].  Anadarko is also seeking permission to build a water pumping station at the Hyner Bridge, in the middle of the Bucktail Natural Area.  Residents have objected that the station will spoil the "PA Wilds," and that the line of water trucks on Route 150 will be dangerous (LH Express, "Lots of Concerns" [2/19/10]).  Castanea Township recently agreed to allow Patriot Water to build a fracking water treatment plant (LH Express, "Castanea Imposes Conditions" [2/9/10]).  Meanwhile, neighboring Avis hopes to cash in on the boom by building a hotel and restaurant to serve the needs of the natural gas industry (LH Express, "Investors Seek" [2/4/10]).

(The March 2009 Hemlock was devoted to the issue of the drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale.  In the October 2009 issue, I provided an update.)

Winter
     --Adam Russo (LHU English major)

Winter’s dreadful twilight relentlessly surrounds me
As I inch up that peaceful ridge. 
A minute passes and the frosty air nips at my nose 
But I don’t notice;
I’m transfixed by the image before me that He has composed. 
A sea of green rests peacefully in the valley below— 
The Pines and Hemlocks hold strong against the army of white capped mountains. 
Puffs of smoke linger above a lonely cabin,
And a still silence dances through the dale. 
A shivering mouse finds warmth radiating from my left boot, 
And I decide not to startle him; 
For we seem to share gratitude for the green aesthetics that He has painted. 
Apollo is finally creeping northward to his summer home,
But the darling buds of May seem yet so far away. 
I turn and take in one final glance of that green pasture,
And I say adieu to my new found friend.

Hike of the Month: The Donut Hole Trail
     --by Dawn Hamilton (IBM Project Manager)

I moved to Pennsylvania about two years ago and have been pleasantly surprised to find so many hiking trails in this area.   I started looking for something close to Lock Haven for those times I just need to get out in the woods.  What I found was The Donut Hole Trail.  From Lock Haven, I can be at the Farrandsville end of the trail in about 15 minutes.  Even better, I can hike about 2.5 miles up the Donut Hole Trail (DHT) and connect to other trails to make a 5 mile loop out of it – outstanding!  

The orange blazed DHT is actually about ninety miles long.  It runs from Farrandsville passing through Hyner Run State Park, Sproul State Forest, Kettle Creek State Park, and makes its way to Jericho just north of the Bucktail State Park.  The trail has varied terrain and varied maintenance.  Sometimes it follows old logging roads to make it a pleasant walk in the woods.  Then there are some sections which are quite overgrown.  However, the bright orange blazes mark the trail well enough to find your way even when the path doesn’t seem clear.  There are steep climbs, level ground, many views, a fire tower, several streams and quite a few small campsites. There are enough road crossings to be able to break the trail up into sections for day hikes or backpacking. 

But let’s talk about the part of the DHT that is so close to home.  It is a lovely loop which is well-graded and well-maintained.  To get to the trail head, take the Jay Street Bridge out of Lock Haven. Turn left onto Farrandsville Rd. and follow it to Farrandsville (across the railroad tracks, about 5.5 miles), when it turns into Hazard Rd.  Continue until you get to the bridge across Lick Run.  The gate is closed to traffic across the bridge except during hunting season. There is a good-size parking area here.  The first 0.4 miles of the trail is relatively flat.  You then come to a junction where the DHT bears left and begins to climb (following the orange blazes).  Follow the DHT (you'll return to this junction on the way back).  The trail is nice and wide as it climbs about 400’ in the next 0.7 miles.  It then becomes a gentler grade with minor ups and downs.  There can be some muddy sections depending on the weather and time of year.  At about 2.4 miles the trail turns to the right with a double orange blaze on the tree to mark the turn.  Be careful NOT to go straight here on an alternate trail. In about another 0.1 miles from this turn, you will see 2 blue blazes on a tree on the right.  Follow this trail down about 0.6 miles--it has a few somewhat steep rocky sections where you’ll need to watch your footing.  This trail ends at a trail that follows along Lick Run.   Take a left here and go 0.2 miles until the trail ends at a rock throne someone has built for a pleasant resting place along the stream.  Now retrace your steps for 0.2 to the blue blazed link trail you came down on your right.  Instead keep going straight following the level path with Lick Run on your left.  Be sure to notice the wonderful stone bridges placed by the trail maintainer.  In about 1.4 miles after you pass the link trail, you will come to the junction of the DHT--continue for another .4 miles and you'll be at the parking area.  I have done this loop many times and never tire of it. 

Environmental Focus Group
Bob Myers (chair), Md. Khalequzzaman, Lenny Long, Jeff Walsh, Danielle Tolton, John Crossen, Sandra Barney, David White, Tom Ormond, Ralph Harnishfeger, and Barrie Overton.  The committee is charged with promoting and supporting activities, experiences, and structures that encourage students, faculty, and staff to develop a stronger sense of place for Lock Haven University and central Pennsylvania.  Such a sense of place involves a stewardship of natural resources (environmentalism), meaningful outdoor experiences, and appreciation for the heritage of the region.