Friends of Allegheny Wilderness

10/24/2026

10/23/2026

Over 80 percent of the world's population lives under light-polluted skies where the Milky Way is no longer visible!

Dark skies are yet another reason why America's National Wilderness Preservation System is so special.

Over 80 percent of the world's population lives under light-polluted skies where the Milky Way is no longer visible!

Dark skies are yet another reason why America's National Wilderness Preservation System is so special.

📸 Piper Mountain Wilderness by Bob Wick

10/21/2026

Renowned ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson (1908–1996) of Jamestown, New York was a contemporary of Wilderness Act of 1964 author Howard Zahniser (1906–1964) of Tionesta, Pennsylvania in the mid-20th-century American conservation movement, sharing his era's growing concern for the protection of the natural world.

For example, both were associated with the Audubon Naturalist Society in Washington, D.C. Peterson helped strengthen the organization after World War II, and Zahnie served on its board of directors during the 1950s.

Peterson is best known for creating, writing and illustrating the famous Peterson Field Guides -- such as A Field Guide to the Birds (Eastern North America) in 1934.

Shown in the attached image is a stunning five-story-tall mural of Peterson with his binoculars and paintbrushes, surrounded by a swirling composition of iconic birds, located in downtown Jamestown (not too terribly far north of the Allegheny National Forest). Painted by Buffalo, New York artist Chuck Tingley, the mural, titled "Take Flight," was unveiled in June of 2025.

If you have never been to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute and nature preserve in Jamestown it is definitely worth a trip!

"The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them." ~ Roger Tory Peterson

10/18/2026

Anders Run Natural Area is a 96-acre protected DCNR state forest Natural Area located in Warren County, Pennsylvania near Youngsville -- not far from and sharing the same landscape, climate, and forest ecology with the Allegheny National Forest.

Around fifty acres of Anders Run contain impressive remnant stands of old-growth white pine (Pinus strobus) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Some of the massive hemlocks are estimated to be more than 400 years old, while towering white pines reach over 200 years old with trunk diameters exceeding four feet.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources natural areas are stewarded similar to how federal wilderness areas are stewarded -- no motorized or mechanized recreation or conveyances are allowed, and there is no active "management" of the forest. Public access is limited to low-impact, non-motorized recreation like hiking, cross-country skiing, and nature observation. The forest is simply allowed to be a forest, for all time to come.

When we designate wilderness areas under the Wilderness Act of 1964 in the Allegheny National Forest, with time those areas too will continually progress toward the later successional and old-growth forest characteristics that one can find in the Anders Run Natural Area, through the inevitable process of natural succession.

The more designated wilderness acreage in the Allegheny National Forest, the better. The more permanently unprofaned "self-willed" forestland we will leave for future generations!

(Not to mention the Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Areas old-growth forest, the Hearts Content old-growth forest, and the old-growth forest found in Cook Forest State Park, among others.)

10/17/2026

Taken during a FAW winter backpacking trip in January of 2005 deep within the backcountry wilds of the 6,887-acre proposed Morrison Run Wilderness Area.

These animal tracks were not there the night before when we arrived and set up camp. But there they were the next morning, we had a visitor come through camp overnight.

Looks like rabbit tracks? Anyone? 🐰

10/17/2026

Have you ever been going through old files on an old computer and found a set or sets of cool old photographs that you hadn't seen in years and had practically forgotten about?

The attached shots were taken during a FAW kayak day trip on the National Wild and Scenic Allegheny River from Kinzua Dam to Warren in August of 2005. As can be seen it was a beautiful day that day. 🛶

These photos were taken with a very early digital camera -- the old kind that actually took a couple of AA batteries instead of being rechargeable. The stone ages!

We will probably continue to post more of these 20-plus year-old Allegheny wilderness photos from time to time in the weeks and months ahead. Just for the fun of it. Now that they have been "rediscovered" again.

Despite the "ancient" technology, some of the photos actually turned out somewhat decent.

These particular shots make one wistful for summertime on the Allegheny again.

10/15/2026

"Manipulation of Wilderness to achieve a condition based on a point in the long arc of ecological time to achieve human interests is the antithesis of humility and restraint, hallmarks of wilderness stewardship."

By Suzanne Cable

10/11/2026

Hermetically Seal the Allegheny Reservoir Shoreline Against All Forms of Development

The key takeaway here is the UNDEVELOPED character of the Allegheny Reservoir shoreline! Few others have that. Almost everywhere else large bodies of water are already over-developed and totally ruined. We should never allow ourselves to become lackadaisical or complacent and allow major developments to happen here too -- once it's gone we'll never get it back.

"The big lakes in New England where we boat are surrounded by trophy homes and so busy with boat traffic and it's not much fun anymore. Cruising the 20-plus miles of the Allegheny reservoir surrounded by nothing but national forest is special. We've seen lots of wildlife over the years including bears w/cubs, deer, bald eagles, osprey, beaver, foxes, bobcats, etc."

https://www.facebook.com/MeanwhileinYork/posts/pfbid02eqJsTDkYmJch9fhijUBAcR9Pctzhj6EoJD9gw887UDgK1L4fEmjPPqzjpGxPRg9l

10/08/2026

Note: During the original implementation of the rule in 2000–2001, the agency also received more than 1.6 million public comments, the vast majority of which supported establishing the protection.

“The Roadless Rule has kept logging out of America’s last remaining wild forests for decades. These are truly special places where you can still find trees older than America, hundreds of feet tall and too big to wrap your arms around,” said Lisa Frank, Environment America’s executive director. “The Roadless Rule was enacted with overwhelming support in 2001 and that support continues today. We have lost 90% of our original forests. We must protect our wild forests so they can continue to grow and be experienced by future generations.”