jf* y CARLISLE Feelings were hurt from the first day landowners in the Cum berland Valley found out the U.S. Government planned to take the Appalachian Trail off the roads -crossing the Valley and put it on private property. Incidents since then have not endeared either the fanners or the trail people to one another. Things got off to a bad start when a number of farmers and other lan downers were informed the Appalachian Trail was to be relocated under the Scenic Trails Act’s provisions. The Department of In terior’s National Park Service has $9O million to assure the Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia, would remain a woodland trail and not a path through developed areas. Cumberland Valley, along with some spots in New York State, is one of/the few remaining areas not running USED HAYBINE USED TRACTORS NH "partial I SSSstam ... *14,750. » J e t c n h Deerels2o Di ' sers .... Oliver 1800 Diesel IHC Super C, fast hitch w/2 bottom plow Farmall M USED SPREADERS JD 40 w/hydraulic end gate NH 516 NH 510 single beater NHI2A Nl 150 bushel PTCgfl*-* USED HARVESTER SPECIALS NH 880 2-row narrow row head $3,650.00 NH 717 w/l-row head 2,195.00 NH 717 1,175.00 Fox 1000 RPM PTO w/2-row corn hd & Pk up attach MF 620 w/2 row and pickup USED BALER SPECIALS JD24Tw/#2 Thrower John Deere 14T John Deere 14T w/ejector USED GRAIN DRILLS Cooplsx7Fert Grain Drill w/grass seed attach $750.00 John Deere 15x7 FBB Drill 550.00 USED MOWER CONDITIONERS NH 469 New Holland 479, as is Hesston 320 9’ Gehl 770,7 ft Evergreen Tractor Co. Inc. | 30 EVERGREEN RD., LEBANON, PA 17042, mSmI I SaE® PHONE (717) 2724641 ™™™ i g How Trail controversy got where it is through state, national, or privately owned forest land. Many of the landowners said they were told the government wanted to take a 1000 foot wide stretch across the Valley. And, they said, they were told they’d better concede the land would be taken or else they’d lose it to eminent domain. Needless to say, this did not make any of the Valley’s landowners happy. They banded together in a group called CANT Citizens Against the New Trail. But Karen Wade, Regional Coordinator for the National Park Service’s Penn sylvania division, denies the Park Service had even talked to any landowners in the Valley at that tune. “It is not National Park Service procedure to talk to landowners at that stage,” she said. She said the Park Service needed to have a plan before it got to the stage of talking to farmers and other landowners. Wade said it was against National Park Service policy USED TRACTORS to threaten landowners with eminent domain. “It’s a last resort, not a first step,” she said. She indicated the Park Service has not reached that stage even yet. “We don’t mention the matter smce most lan downers realize in the back of their mind that we could eventually take the land,” she explained. Actually, the initial study was made not by the Park Service but by members of the Appalachain Trail Conference. The Conference is com prised of over 60 mdependent Trail clubs, including the Maryland club which maintains the Cumberland Valley section of the trail. The Appalachian Trail Project is a bit unusual from the National Park Service’s view smce it is cooperating with the Trail Conference rather than doing the work on its own. But the particulars of who was doing what mattered little to farmers who knew USED PLANTER SPECIALS Tag 11650 John Deere 125ft\ 6 Row Plateles^y®’* 1229 Ford 4 Row Tag 11934 JD 494 $4,850.00 1.675.00 1.250.00 USED TILLAGE SPECIALS MF 62012’ Disc Harrow Ford 4x18” auto reset plow Ford 4-16”'Plow JD KBA 32x18 Wheel Carrier Disc Bnllion 10’ Cultimulcher $1,050.00 975.00 850.00 450.00 650.00 Cockshutt427 w/Power Steering & 10’ Platform $1,450.00 JD 55 Corn Soybean Special 12’ head 9,700.00 JD 55 Diesel w/cab, 12’ platform 7,500.00 MISCELLANEOUS John Deere #lBl-row Corn Picker New Set 18 4x30 Snap on Duals w/New GoodyearS Ply Tires Used NH #8 Crop carrier 1.495.00 2.450.00 $1,550.00 750.00 450.00 I SNOWMOWirsmTSALEI I MEN'S, LADIES & CHILDREN’S I S GOOD SELECTION | | 20% OFF 3..■. Check Our Prices Before You Buy! | $2,550 00 2,150.00 1,850.00- - 1,975.00 Trail dispute v * ‘ USED COMBINE SPECIALS only that someone ,vith a lot of power and money was out to take ' some prime limestone valley farmland. Farmers took their case to the Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture. “I was disappointed when the Agriculture Department did not even take a look at it,” said Sheldon B. Brymesser, R 2 Boiling Springs. He and his father Stanley could have lost 15 acres of farmland under the original proposal. Sheldon pomted out that the Department was ap proached before the current administration took office. “Maybe they did not want to get involved with something that concerned the Federal government,” he speculated. The farmers of the area also put through an ASCS committee resolution. They passed a local resolution through the Farmers’ Association. Both statements asked for *5,850. $2,350.00 775.00 1,275.00 $2,950.00 2,200.00 950.00 875.00 850.00 $950.00 1.050.00 1150.00 Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, December 29,1979 support in saving their farmland. Shortly thereafter, the trail proposal was modified. Under this proposal the Park Service called for a 200 foot easement. Of this, 25 feet were right-of-way for the trail, 175 feet a scemc easement to surround the trail with natural beauty. This was the first com promise proposal advanced by the trail people. But farmers like the Brymessers did not want to give up their land especially not when it sat right next to the buildings as it does in the Brymessers’ case. The route followed under this proposal is called the Eastern Route and would closely parallel the existing trail. A counter-proposal was offered. Local residents asked the trail be relocated Appalachian Trail The proposal has not into strong opposition by members of CANT, the Citizens Against the New Trail. They have the backing of Cumberland County Com missioner Jake Myers who has been working as a mediator on the Trail Ad visory Committee. Myers has sent out a letter more or less rejecting the idea. This follows on the heels of a December meeting where the National Park Service and Trail people rejected a proposal by landowners. Landowners said they would like to see the trail moved off the roads and onto the right-of-way next to the roads. I The four Cumberland County townships mvolved all agreed to maintain a dirt path parallel to the roads. Hikers would be off the highways, and since the easement for the highway setback already existed, little if any land would be lost. This idea was presented to Bob Herbst, Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks with the Department of the Interior. Herbst is in charge of the total relocation project. He rejected the Cumberland Valley proposal. Herbst said the proposal did not move the trail far enough off the road, would leave the trail dose to buildings and houses, was on a highway right of way which could be taken at some future date, and might restrict the landowners’ use of their road frontage. According to Karen Wade, regional coordinator for the National Park Service’s Pennsylvania and Virginia activities, the whole plan simply was not consistent HENRY K. FISHER, INC. SAND BLASTING & SPRAY PAINTING AERIAL LADDER EQUIPMENT SPECIALIZE IN FARM BUILDINGS. (Farm buildings ask for Amoc Fisher) 667 Hartman Station Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-6530 along the ridge to the West of the Valley and that it cross farther south in the Valley where rhuch of the land is owned by Pennsylvania in state parks. This proposal was rejected. About this time the Trail Relocation Advisory Commission was formed to try to mediate the situation. The township supervisors in the four townships through which the trail passes came up with their own solution. Their Advisory Com mission was chaired by County Commissioner Jake Myers. Under the supervisors’ plan the trail would be placed adjacent to existing roads on a dirt path which would be maintained by the municipalities. Their offer was rejected (Turn to Page 19) (Continued from Page 1) with the Congress’ intentions in the Scenic Trail Act. Meanwhile, farmers like the Brymessers can’t see losing prime farmland to a project which best could be carried out in woodland or less valuable acreage. There is some question whether hikers really object to the present location of the trail. Members of CANT have advanced several alter native plans, none of which has been found acceptable to the Park Service. There is a feeling of resentment over how the whole project was presented to farmers and other land owners. And the National ParK Service is running into a deadline. The Park people want to have a preliminary plan to present by this coming May. The appropriation for the Scenic Trails Act expires in September 1981, although Commissipner Myers said he believes Congress would extend the funding if the Park Service so requested. Wade said the Park Ser vice wants to have all of the planning done by May so they can get on with the buying of land. Neither side expressed much optimism over coming to an agreement at this week’s meeting. Both sides voiced concern about reaching some workable conclusion. The National Park Service has its deadline. For the CANT members, the spectre of eminent domain a sore point from the very beginning lurks in the background. Thursday’s meeting will have to be a busy one if both sides are to come away satisfied. 17
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