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THE LOWER WYOMING
VALLEY OPEN SPACE
MASTER PLAN
EC's Land Use Plan
recommended that approximately 10,000 acres be devoted to open/green spaces
and conservation lands.
To that end, EDAW, Inc., of Alexandria,
VA, developed the Open Space
Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for the use of this land.
During the planning process, EC held several public meetings and consultants
interviewed key local people to ensure that the plan best reflected the needs
and wants of Wyoming
Valley
residents.
EC's
Board of Directors adopted the plan in December 1998, and EC is now
implementing those plans. The plan
consists of a trail network, parklands, and conservation lands.
The Lower Wyoming
Valley Open Space
Master Plan proposes:
* 55 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails, including an 8-mile Mocanaqua
Loop Trail, a series of looping trails throughout the Mocanaqua area, one of
which travels to the ridge of the northern Penobscot Mountain, with overlooks
of the Susquehanna River, a nationally-recognized American Heritage River
* Nearly 6,700 acres of conservation lands for low-impact use
* 4,258 acres of open space
* Six proposed park lands, including an Ashley
Planes Heritage
Park, which is being developed in
conjunction with the Delaware
and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor to educate users about the region's
coal mining heritage. The Ashley Planes was a naturally inclined
area used to transport coal from the Wyoming
Valley floor over the mountain, to
White Haven, where it was transported to urban markets, helping to fuel America's
Industrial Revolution. A Conceptual Master Plan for the Ashley Planes Heritage
Park and detailed
engineering plans for this site are complete
At left is one
of the existing trails through the Planes area. The center picture
shows a remaining portion of the steam engine house, which powered the
mechanism that moved rail cars loaded with anthracite. At right, is
a natural waterfall along the Planes.
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The Lower Wyoming Valley Open Space Master Plan was partially funded
with two $50,000 grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources and Luzerne
County.
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