The Allegheny Land Trust sponsored a meeting in Elizabeth Township on Tuesday to develop a plan for the future of the Dead Man's Hollow conservation area.

About 30 local residents packed into the Boston Shoppes for the second and final public meeting to get information about the 440-acre wildlife habitat in Lincoln and Liberty to Pittsburgh-based environmental planning firm Pashek Associates.

Allegheny Land Trust contracted Pashek to develop a land management plan to improve existing trails, add user-friendly features and detail a specific strategy to turn the largest privately owned conservation area in Allegheny County into a destination for nature enthusiasts, hikers, birdwatchers and more.

Mike Good, stewardship coordinator with Allegheny Land Trust, said Dead Man's Hollow was the first conservation area the organization acquired about 20 years ago.

“I've spent a lot of time in the hollow repairing graffiti or pulling tires from hillsides and we realized we were at a point that we were tired of coming out every so often and putting these Band-Aids on problem areas,” Good said. “We were at a point where we needed a truly comprehensive vision and assessment of the conservation area as a whole.”

Pashek landscape architect John Buerkle presented a cohesive plan to increase the profile and appeal of Dead Man's Hollow, largely by highlighting the rare wildlife and plants inside the preserve, expanding the six current hiking trails and drawing increased attention to the area's rich industrial archaeology.

“We think the environment and the legends and lore are really our brand for Dead Man's Hollow,” Buerkle said. “We want to get people here and talking about it when they leave because there are lots of special things here.”

Representatives from the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program inventoried the site in the spring and identified 12 different types of vegetative environments inside Dead Man's Hollow — from grasslands to different types of forests. One of the most important aspects of Pashek's plan is to protect the “heart” of Dead Man's Hollow.

“The most significant vegetative community on the property is the sugar maple basswood forest near the middle of the site,” Buerkle said. “It's significant because the soil conditions prolong spring wildflowers and we've learned this is probably one of the premiere spring wildflower sites within Allegheny County. It's also home to forest interior dwelling bird species and breeding populations for migratory birds, which is important from a bird conservation perspective.”

Another key aspect of the revitalization plan is to greatly increase the accessibility and utility of the six pre-existing hiking trails and to add several more during the course of the next decade.

Pashek planner Mike Kotyk said the main goal is to establish a 12-mile system of sustainable trails that won't erode and are more stable and traversable for hikers.

“Sustainable trails run with the landscape and dip at intervals along the trail to allow water to run off and not wash it away over time,” Kotyk said. “They have nice banking turns to make it smoother and easier for the user to climb the landscape.”

The plans include the addition of lots more signage and incorporating the use of QR codes that can be scanned by a smart phone to bring up an interactive learning experience dedicated to specific portions of the preserve. Buerkle spoke of partnering with iNaturalist.org and eBird.org — two websites that offer users dynamic, real-time maps and checklists of the flora and fauna inside the conservation area so users can document their own finds.

The next steps in the overarching plan include applying for official plant sanctuary status through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and important bird designation through the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.

Buerkle said it will be important to protect the industrial ruins scattered throughout Dead Man's Hollow, hopefully with the help of the National Register of Historic Places.

Pashek then will deliver the final recommendations to the Allegheny Land Trust and apply for implementation funding through private donors and various grants.

Tim Karan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1970, or tkaran@tribweb.com.

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