Pictured is Jim Backes- Chairman AOAA accepting grant from Judy Becker, District Manager Northumberland County Conservation District.

The Northumberland County Conservation District (NCCD) awarded its first Act 13 Mini Grant award to the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA). The grant of $2500 is designated for conservation practices on the 6,500-acre abandoned mine lands project. The first use of these funds is earmarked for the American Chestnut reforestation of areas [reclaimed by the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation] as demonstration areas. Partners include The American Chestnut Foundation, PA Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR), PA Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Abanonded Mine Reclamation (BAMR), Northumberland County, NCCD and AOAA.

The Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area is a 6,500-acre abandoned mine land facility in Northumberland County. Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) funded a master plan and DCNR provided grant funding for trailhead development. AOAA is driven by three guiding principles:

* Recreational Opportunities

* Economic Development

* Conservation of Natural Resources

AOAA has received more than $5,000,000 in grants, partnership and "in kind" donations including support from DCNR, DCED, Appalachian Regional Commission, Act 13, Polaris, Yamaha, Can Am, Geisinger Children's Miracle Network, PA Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Surface  Mining, NCCD as well as local clubs and business. AOAA will open as a motorized facility that will accommodate ATV's, dirt bikes, and full-sized vehicles. A non-motorized segment is slated for development in the near future.

Shadow Day Experiences a Great Way to Introduce Students to Districts

Jacquelyn Rouse, Sullivan Conservation District Manager, is joined by a Red Rock student, for a half-day shadow experience in early February. Photo courtesy of Jackie Johnson, Red Rock Job Corps.

In order for the conservation and environmental fields to keep growing and evolving, residents have to be engaged, seeing the work being done, and empowering them to become champions in their own right.

At the Sullivan Conservation District, one way to provide that opportunity is by offering shadow day experiences to school-aged students. On February 4, the district was one of several organizations in the county to host a half-day learning opportunity for a student enrolled in the Red Rock Job Corps Program. Red Rock Job Corps is a free education and technical career training program through the U.S. Department of Labor. This program aids youth between the ages of 16 and 24 in improving their quality of life, granting them opportunities to explore career fields that they may not have known existed.

"Our district has participated with this program for many years," said Jacquelyn Rouse, Sullivan Conservation District Manager. "This is a half-day experience, where Red Rock transports the student(s) to our office and then he/she is able to go out into the field to see first-hand the type of work districts are doing to preserve the environment. All it costs us is our time and a willingness to want to help these students learn. It also gives us an opportunity to educate individuals about the possible career fields in conservation. If other districts have the opportunity to participate in such an endeavor, I'd encourage them to do so."

For more information about programs such as Red Rock Job Corps, visit http://redrock.jobcorps.gov/Home.aspx.

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