Evaluation of Bear Rocks PreserveGrant and Tucker Counties, West Virginia

For its Merit in Meeting National Significance Criteria as a National Natural Landmark in Representing Plateaus as an Example of Plains, Plateaus, and Mesas in the

Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province

Prepared by:Todd R. Lookingbill1, Natalie E. Somerville1, Carly D. Sibilia1,

David E. Kitchen1, and Katharina A.M. Engelhardt2

Photo by Natalie Somerville

June 19, 2015

1University of RichmondDepartment of Geography and the Environment

28 Westhampton WayRichmond, VA 23173

2University of Maryland Center for Environmental SciencesAppalachian Laboratory

301 Braddock RoadFrostburg, MD 21532

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1Introduction......................................................................................................................................2

Source of Site Proposal................................................................................................................2Evaluators.....................................................................................................................................2Scope of Evaluation.....................................................................................................................2

Characterization of the Primary Natural Feature.............................................................................3Description...................................................................................................................................3Distribution and Context..............................................................................................................4Regional Variation.......................................................................................................................4Significance..................................................................................................................................5

Bear Rocks Preserve Site Description.............................................................................................6Primary Natural Feature...............................................................................................................6Secondary Natural Features.........................................................................................................7Natural History Themes Represented..........................................................................................9Physical Setting............................................................................................................................9Location and Access..................................................................................................................10Ownership..................................................................................................................................10Land Use and Condition.............................................................................................................10

Historic Land Use..................................................................................................................10Current Land Use and Present Condition..............................................................................11

Sensitive or Hazardous Resources.............................................................................................12Comparative Assessment...............................................................................................................13

Regional Site Inventory..............................................................................................................13Site Descriptions........................................................................................................................14

Highest Quality Sites..............................................................................................................14Other Sites..............................................................................................................................21

Comparative Analysis and Discussion.......................................................................................22Evaluation Recommendations.......................................................................................................28

Proposed Landmark Boundary...................................................................................................28Literature Cited..............................................................................................................................29Appendix A: Bear Rocks Preserve Species List............................................................................41Appendix B: Representative Site Photographs..............................................................................51Appendix C: Photographs for Comparative Sites..........................................................................69

Special thanks to:

Jared Goldbach Ehmer (University of Richmond ’17), for his assistance with the maps and figures for this report. Megan Wing (University of Richmond ’1able of7) and Sophie Holmes (University of Richmond ’17), for their assistance with and contribution to the preliminary research of Bear Rocks and comparative sites, and for helping to make this report possible.

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Executive SummaryThe National Natural Landmark (NNL) Program encourages the preservation of the Nation’s natural heritage. To qualify for NNL designation, a site must be one of the best examples of a geological and/or biological feature within a biophysiographic province.

The Bear Rocks Preserve in Grant County and Tucker County, West Virginia, is an excellent example of a plateau, and illustrative of the diverse Appalachian Plateaus Biophysiographic Province of the United States. It is an outstanding example of the NNL geologic theme Plains, Plateaus, and Mesas.

The Bear Rocks Preserve is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Conservancy has consented to allow the site to be evaluated as a potential NNL (pNNL). This evaluation considers whether the resources at Bear Rocks Preserve are intact, nationally significant, and deserving of NNL designation. It includes a general characterization of plateaus, a site description of Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL, a comparative assessment of similar sites, a final recommendation for designation, and a map of the recommended boundary.

The flat-lying landforms at Bear Rocks are the result of uplift and continental collision and erosion by ice, rain, wind, and water. Evidence of crustal movement and the aftermath of continental collision can be seen within the Preserve and the adjacent Valley and Ridge Province. The proposed site illustrates better than any other the processes that follow continental collision when mountain landforms are transformed into plateau landscapes by million years of uplift and erosion.

Owing to high elevations, cold temperatures, wind, and shallow soil, the plateau ecosystem supports a rich boreal ecological community that is dominated by red spruce and heath shrub at higher elevations and by bogs at lower elevations The stunted spruce trees, exposed rock outcrops, bog and heath shrubs are habitat to more than 190 species of plants. Many of these species are specially adapted to shallow soil, high elevations, and harsh conditions. A terrestrial succession with a spruce forest climax is visible in all stages of development. This interplay of geology and ecology contributes significantly to the natural history of the region.

The Bear Rocks Preserve is thus of great scientific, conservational, and educational interest because of its spectacular geological history and its rare and diverse flora. The biggest threats to the system are an uncontrolled increase in the number of visitors and the long-term impact of fire suppression; however, the biota is sturdy and able to withstand substantial environmental pressure from visitors.

A comparative study shows that the Pocono Front-Delaware Water Gap in the Southern New York section of the Appalachian Plateaus region shares many significance criteria with Bear Rocks, but potentially destructive recreational land use practices lessen its significance. The greater elevation, illustrative geology, rare ecosystem, and higher escarpment with stunning overlooks of the Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL better illustrate the characteristics of a plateau in this region.

It is our recommendation that Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL meets the national significance criteria required for the NNL Program. After considerable research, discourse with experts, and three site visits to Bear Rocks, we have come to the conclusion that Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL is a prime candidate site to be designated as a NNL. We include a map of the proposed landmark boundary, which delineates a total of 477 acres (193 ha).

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Introduction

Source of Site ProposalThe Bear Rocks Preserve was originally recommended as a potential National Natural Landmark (pNNL) in the Potential National Natural Landmarks of the Appalachian Plateaus Natural Region Report (Baer et al. 1982; pp. 231-235) commissioned by the National Park Service (NPS). The Preserve is primarily representative of the Plains, Plateaus, and Mesas (Theme 1) Plateaus (Sub-theme 1b) natural history theme under the Landforms of the Present grouping (Group I). The plateau found at Bear Rocks is the product of a mountain-building continental collision and displays the results of millions of years of erosion. Uplift from tectonic activity, along with eroding forces of wind, precipitation, ice, and streams, left a relatively flat landform that is highly dissected today. The high elevation and cold climate of Bear Rocks result in an ecological community dominated by cold-resistant boreal species such as red spruce and heath shrubs. The site has not previously been evaluated for NNL status. It received priority for evaluation because the site represents themes that are currently underrepresented within the Appalachian Plateaus Natural Region as outlined in “Natural History in the National Park System and on the National Registry of Natural Landmarks” (National Park Service 1990).

EvaluatorsDr. Todd R. Lookingbill, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Richmond. Dr. Lookingbill is a landscape ecologist with research focusing on the spatial patterning of the abiotic environment and the processes that affect species distributions within natural and managed landscapes.

Dr. Katharina A. M. Engelhardt, Research Associate Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Dr. Engelhardt studies the maintenance of biodiversity and its effects on ecosystem functioning. Her current research focuses specifically on the feedback between geomorphology and biodiversity to predict the effects of climate change on ecosystems.

Dr. David E. Kitchen, Associate Dean and Associate Professor, School of Professional and Continuing Studies. Dr. Kitchen is an earth scientist with a special interest in the impact of climate change and the origins and impacts of natural disasters. He is currently working on a new textbook on natural disaster for Oxford University Press.

Scope of EvaluationThe study area used in this evaluation was the Appalachian Plateaus region of the Mid-Atlantic United States (Figure 1). The sites selected for the comparative assessment lie within a similar climatic zone as Bear Rocks with an emphasis on sites in the Allegheny Mountains section of the Appalachian Plateaus province, particularly those sites lying on the Allegheny Front, the structural front separating the Appalachian Plateaus and the Valley and Ridge provinces (Figure 2).

The evaluation of Bear Rocks is based on scientific literature and conversations with scientific experts. Three site visits were conducted on March 21, 2015, May 22, 2015 and June 4-5, 2015. Experts conferred with during the course of this evaluation include: Mike Powell (Land Conservation Practitioner, West Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy), Jim Vanderhorst

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(Vegetation Ecologist, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources), Troy Waskey (District Ranger on the Cheat-Potomac District), Whitney Bailey (Forest Ecologist, United States Forest Service), Zachary Goodrich (Habitat Management Coordinator, Northern Pennsylvania Chapter of The Nature Conservancy), Adele Wellmen (Lead Naturalist at Allegany State Park), Gary M. Fleeger (Geologist, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), Kara E. Deutsch (Chief of Resource Management & Science Division, National Park Service), James McCann (Maryland Department of Natural Resources), and Dan Feller (Maryland Department of Natural Resources).

Characterization of the Primary Natural Feature

DescriptionPlains, plateaus, and mesas are elevated geological landforms characterized by a level or nearly level surface topography. They are formed by a combination of factors such as the movement of tectonic plates, volcanic activity, isostatic uplift, and erosion. Of special interest for this report are plateaus that form where tectonic compression shortens, thickens and uplifts the continental crust, but other examples occur when a large volume of magma is erupted at the surface, or when isostatic uplift occurs due to the intrusion of granitic magma into the crust or changes in mantle temperature.

Tectonic plateaus are landscape features comprised of horizontal to sub-horizontal layers of moderately to weakly deformed and faulted sedimentary rock. Significant plateaus of this kind are located in Tibet (Fielding et al. 1994; Yin et al. 1994), central Asia (Windley et al. 2007), Iran, on the western side of South America (Reynaud et al. 1999), and in southern Africa. Tectonic plateaus are also an important part of the natural heritage of the United States and occur at several locations across the country, most notably in the Colorado Plateau (Stewart et al. 1972), the Ozark Plateau (Rafferty 1988), and the Appalachian Plateaus (Evans 1994).

Each plateau is unique in some respect. All are shaped over time by the erosional impact of wind, rain, running water, and ice. Some are sustained over time by the ability of strata (often sandstones or basaltic lavas) to resist erosion, while others persist for millions of years due to sustained regional faulting or localized isostatic uplift. These competing forces of erosion and uplift produce a variety of plateau types. Some, such as the Colorado Plateau, are deeply dissected due to rapid uplift and vertical erosion by rivers or glaciers. Others, such as the Appalachian Plateaus, are less deeply dissected because the combined action of vertical erosion and mass wasting have degraded the entire surface of the plateau more evenly over time.

The tectonic plateaus considered in this study are relatively flat areas of Earth’s surface that are elevated above the surrounding land, and variably dissected by erosion (National Park Service 1990). They form where tectonic activity produces regional uplift (Grotzinger and Jordan 2010). Such plateaus are usually bounded by an escarpment, but can also be bounded by a mountain on one or more sides. Escarpments can develop due to differential erosion of contrasting lithologies, or by local changes in structure associated with folding. Steep scarp slopes are very often associated with faults, and major regional scarp slopes, often called “fronts,” tend to mark the boundary between major structural provinces.

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Distribution and ContextThe Appalachian Plateaus form an elevated province within the Appalachian Highlands in the eastern United States and consist of sub-horizontal to moderately folded and faulted strata (Fenneman 1928) that slope gently to the north west and merge with the central plains. Their eastern boundary is marked by a rapid transition across an escarpment from the less intensely folded and faulted rocks of the plateaus region to the west to the highly imbricated, faulted and folded rocks of the Valley and Ridge province. The boundary between these physiographic provinces occurs across a major crustal fault zone.

The plateaus formed during the Allegheny orogeny circa 225 million years ago following a continental collision between the current-day continents of North/South America and Europe/Africa (Rentch n.d.). The Plateaus province stretches from New York to Alabama, covering parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. The geologic features of a plateau are best seen on the structural front to the east of this province, where a steep elevation change exists between the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge geological provinces.

Regional VariationThe Appalachian Plateaus province of the eastern United States is divided into seven separate sections: Mohawk, Southern New York, Catskill, Allegheny Mountains, Kanawha, Cumberland Mountain, and Cumberland Plateau (Figure 1). The Mohawk section is characterized by a strike valley developed on rocks of lower Paleozoic age and bounded to the south by the Devonian Helderberg-Onondaga escarpment. The Southern New York section was glaciated during the last glaciation period, creating the Finger Lakes and an excellent “through-valley” network due to glacial and meltwater erosion. The Catskill section has the highest overall topography in the Plateaus province as well as a significant escarpment on its eastern border, where resistant Devonian rocks stand as much as 3,000 feet above the Hudson Valley. The Allegheny Mountains section has a distinct southeastern boundary – the Allegheny Front – resulting in the section’s characteristic escarpments and vista over the Valley and Ridge province. The Kanawha section has a distinct northern boundary – the southern limit of glaciation (Figure 3) – and contains a spectacular gorge, the New River Gorge, with as much as a 2,000 foot elevation difference between the New River and the plateau surface. The Cumberland Mountain section has a distinct boundary along faults defining a thrust block 125 miles long by 25 miles wide; this section also contains the Cumberland Gap, the largest wind gap in the province. The Cumberland Plateau section is characterized by numerous escarpments, some of which have been sculpted to create natural bridges and arches (Fenneman 1928). Most of the land of the Plateaus province is higher in elevation than the surrounding land and is separated from outside areas by an outward-facing escarpment; the primary or most significant escarpment of the Plateaus province lies on the east side (Fenneman 1928).

Elevation of the plateau varies along the Plateaus province, rising to greater than 4,000 feet above sea level in the highest sections and falling as low as 500 feet above sea level at the southernmost end (Fenneman 1928; Figure 3). Only the Northern part of the Plateaus was glaciated during the Pleistocene Ice Age (Figure 3). Land that was affected by ice is characterized by shallow soils, the presence of depositional moraines, and evidence of forceful erosion by glaciers. In contrast, the plateaus to the south that were not affected by glaciation have

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greater soil depth with less intense surface erosion, although periglacial features and thin soils may still occur at elevation. This variation in elevation and glaciation has resulted in corresponding ecological differences within the Plateaus province. Perhaps the most significant regional difference in vegetation is seen through the presence and absence of boreal forest. The boreal forest biome reaches its southernmost limit near the Bear Rocks Preserve, illustrating a major difference between the Plateaus region to the north of Bear Rocks (containing boreal forest) and to the south of Bear Rocks (not containing boreal forest).

We focused our research and site analysis on areas of land located within the Allegheny Mountains section of the Appalachian Plateaus province. Although the entirety of the Plateaus province demonstrates aspects of plateau geology and its associated ecology, the Allegheny Mountains section has the highest consistent elevation of any of the sections, as well as the most distinct structural front and escarpment. The Allegheny Front, the eastern boundary of the Allegheny Mountains, is associated with the eastern Continental Divide. We believe the inclusion of that structural front is important for the highest quality sites, as features such as high elevation and flat surfaces are clearly observable at the edge of the plateau.

SignificanceThe Appalachian Plateaus province is a distinctive and significant geological and biological feature of the eastern United States. The geological history of the plateau demonstrates the interrelated processes of sedimentary basin development, continental collision, uplift, and erosion, dating back to the Grenville Orogeny circa 1250-980 million years ago and largely complete by the end of the Allegheny Orogeny 325 million to 260 million years ago. Over this long period of geological time, shallow marine and continental sediments that were originally deposited on a continental margin, were progressively compressed, folded, and faulted, and then eroded, to form the high plateau seen today. The exposed fluvial sandstones of Carboniferous age that cap the plateau have resisted erosion following uplift of the region. Their high elevation during the Pleistocene glacial period created an Arctic climate that is still reflected in the landscape and biology of the area today. Although thought to be biologically depauperate due to the harsh wind and temperature conditions, the plateau supports a diverse species assemblage that is an important component of the nation’s natural history. The topographic front of the plateau provides an opportunity to showcase the geological balance between erosion and uplift over millions of years, and the deep escarpment presents a unique geological vista over the Valley and Ridge Province to the Blue Ridge and Piedmont beyond.

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Bear Rocks Preserve Site Description

The Bear Rocks Preserve has been proposed for this evaluation as one of the best examples of mountain plateaus in the eastern United States. Bear Rocks was explored and surveyed in 1742 by Peter Jefferson (father of former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson) and Thomas Lewis as part of the Fairfax expedition, the first white exploration on the Allegheny Mountains. The Fairfax expedition described the area of land containing the Preserve as open and clear of trees (Lewis 1925; Strother 1872; Burkhart 2011). Described in a report for the National Park Service as “one of the most unique areas in the United States…unequalled for scenic beauty and ecological significance” (Baer et al. 1982; p 232), the Bear Rocks Preserve demonstrates outstanding examples of plateau geology and cold-climate ecological communities. The Preserve is significant as a range extension of northern plants, animals, and biotic communities. Bear Rocks Preserve (39°04’23” N, 79°17’53” W) is located between the city of Petersburg in Grant County and the town of Davis in Tucker County in the northeastern part of West Virginia (Figure 4). The 477 acres of the Preserve are bounded to the southeast by the Allegheny Structural Front, to the south by the Fairfax Survey Line and the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area of the Monongahela National Forest, and to the west by the western limit of the Chestnut Ridge anticline and the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The landscape of the tract consists of dissected sandstone and wind-swept forests and heathlands. The following sections describe the environments and ecosystems found in the Bear Rocks Preserve in detail.

Primary Natural FeatureBear Rocks Preserve is located on the Allegheny Front at the boundary between the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge Provinces of eastern West Virginia (Figure 1). The Preserve is a periglacial landform and is part of the unglaciated plateau of the Allegheny Mountains section of the Appalachian Plateaus province. Bear Rocks Preserve is representative of the impact of continental movement and the collision of plates throughout the natural history of Earth. Cycles of uplift and erosion during continental collision created a plateau characterized by open folds and low angle thrust faults (Baer et al. 1982). Over millions of years, erosion has leveled these folds to form the sandstone-capped plateaus of the Appalachian Plateaus province of today (Baer et al. 1982). The Allegheny Structural Front is most likely marked at this location by a major fault at depth and Bear Rocks lies at the edge, on an erosional remnant of the Stony River syncline, a result of the mountain-building collision that occurred about 225 million years ago (Rentch n.d.).

Along a relatively flat surface behind the escarpment, sandstones and conglomerates belonging to the basal Pottsville Group crop out at the surface. These rocks are embedded with white quartz pebbles, are tightly cemented with silica, and bear the fossilized imprints of vegetation. These rocks, that are both hard and resistant to erosion, produce acidic soils and are visible throughout the Bear Rocks Preserve (Gibson 1970). The underlying geology consists of strata typical of Upper Carboniferous formations including clay, sandstone, and coal (Englund et al. 1980; Baer et al. 1982).

The elevation and the degree of dissection of the plateau are greater in the Bear Rocks area than in areas lying to the west (Baer et al. 1982). At just over 4,000 feet above sea level, the Bear Rocks Preserve provides an unobstructed view of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province

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and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. The long parallel northeast-southwest trending valleys and ridges that characterize the Valley and Ridge province are clearly visible and visitors to Bear Rocks can stand on the edge of the Allegheny Front and behold one of the great geological wonders of the world.

Secondary Natural FeaturesThe Bear Rocks Preserve provides an outstanding example of high-elevation, cold-weather ecology, seen most significantly in the shrub community and the extension of the boreal forest biome usually found farther north. Three plant communities within the Bear Rocks Preserve have G2 global conservation status ranking, designated by NatureServe, meaning they have a very restricted range and very few populations throughout the world. The Natural Heritage Program of West Virginia also assigns state ranks of S1, S2, or S3 to ecological communities. The three G2-ranked communities of Bear Rocks are listed by their global and common names in Table 1 below; the table also includes the state ranks of the communities. The prevailing cold, wet climate of the Preserve determines the ecological makeup of the land. Many of the species of Bear Rocks today are traceable to the Pleistocene glaciation – although glaciers never reached the Preserve, the cold associated with the period of glaciation had a long-lasting impact on the ecological conditions (Allard and Leonard 1952; Gibson 1970). The Allegheny Front is one of the windiest spots in the eastern United States. The soil depth on the Preserve is thus not too deep or rich; much of the tract is covered by rock outcrop (Figure 5). Harsh conditions exist on the front and limit the range of vegetation: strong, westerly winds are essentially constant, rime frost precipitates onto plants from low winter clouds, and heavy snowfall can weigh down trees and shrubs (Gibson 1970). The plant community of Bear Rocks demonstrates the strength of ecological adaptation to even the most inhospitable geological and weather conditions (Baer et al. 1982). Spruce trees survive the wind by growing branches only on their eastern sides; accumulated snow, while causing damage to taller plants, acts as a protective, insulating blanket over lower vegetation (Gibson 1970).

Table 1. Global and state rankings of three ecological communities found in Bear Rocks. Global Name Common Name G Rank S Rank

Picea rubens / Kalmia latifolia – Menziesia pilosa Woodland

High Allegheny Red Spruce Woodland

G2 S1

Vaccinium oxycoccos – (Vaccinium macrocarpon) / Rhynchospora alba – Drosera rotundifolia / Sphagnum spp. Dwarf-shrubland

Cranberry – Beaksedge Peatland

G2 S1

Kalmia latifolia – Gaylussacia baccata – Vaccinium (angustifolium, pallidum) – Menziesia pilosa Shrubland

Central Appalachian Heath Barrens

G2 S2

A general terrestrial succession exists in ecosystems of the central Appalachians above 3,000 feet elevation, which is visible in the Bear Rocks Preserve. The succession begins with bracken brakes and sods, then moves on to low shrub mat, tall shrub bush, colonial and scrub forests, northern hardwoods forest, northern hardwoods-hemlock-spruce-white pine forest, and ends with a climax of spruce forest (Baer et al. 1982). Several plant species at each stage of succession can be found within the Preserve. Small vegetative species, including bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinium), eastern hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), wrinkleleaf goldenrod

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(Solidago rugosa), bog goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa), whorled wood aster (Oclemena acuminata), purple-stem aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum), poverty rush (Juncus tenuis), narrowleaf gentian (Gentiana linearis), violet (Viola), flattened oatgrass (Danthonia compressa), bristly dewberry (Rubus hispidus), strawberry-raspberry (Rubus illecebrosus), as well as seventeen varieties of mosses and several lichen species, exist in the Preserve as species of the lowest successional stage of bracken brakes and sods. Plants of Bear Rocks within the low shrub mat successional stage include velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides), northern lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), black chokeberry (Photinia melanocarpa), red chokeberry (Photinia pyrifolia), wintergreen or teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens), trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens), and blackberry (Rubus ssp.). Tall shrub bush species, including Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), common winterberry (Ilex verticillata), mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), northern wild raisin (Viburnum nudum), and black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) grow among the sandstone rocks in the Preserve. Tree species within the colonial and scrub forests successional stage, such as quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), mountain holly (Ilex montana), pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), red maple (Acer rubrum), and pitch pine (Pinus rigida), grow in the Bear Rocks tract. Red spruce (Picea rubens), the most well-known tree species in the Preserve for its characteristic flagged appearance, fits into the later successional stages of spruce forests. A complete list of all plants recorded at the site is attached as an appendix to this report (Appendix A).

The cold-resistant plants of the Preserve’s ecological community form a part of the global boreal forest biome, a biome with its southernmost extensions in the higher mountain elevations of the Alleghenies (Gibson 1970; Baer et al. 1982; Rentch n.d.). Boreal forest ecosystems comprise the largest land-based biome on the earth and are critical for the global carbon cycle in their role as carbon sinks (Schulze et al. 1999; Taggart and Cross 2009; Potapov, Turubanova, and Hansen 2011). Boreal species are usually linked to subarctic and cold climates, favoring conditions with high elevations, steep slopes, and moderate drainage (Messaoud et al. 2007). The plateau of Bear Rocks exemplifies these favorable conditions and displays a cold-climate ecosystem. Only tough, hardy, cold-resistant boreal species can withstand harsh winters, such as those seen on the Allegheny Front. Global climate change has the potential to severely affect boreal forests and cause a northward-trending migration as boreal species search for cool, suitable temperatures (Kojima 1994; Taggart and Cross 2009; Scheffer et al. 2012). The boreal forest species of the Bear Rocks area are a representative remnant of one of the finest climax spruce forests in the eastern United States, a forest that once covered much of the Allegheny Mountains (Allard and Leonard 1952).

The ecological community on the Bear Rocks Preserve includes a portion of the largest expanse of heathland in the Central Appalachian Plateaus region. Plants of this heath barren include shrubs such as minniebush (Menziesia pilosa) and the previously mentioned mountain laurel, black huckleberry, and northern lowbush blueberry. Bogs are another significant ecological feature on the Preserve; there are several bogs located in the area on the Allegheny Front (Gibson 1970). Bear Rocks Preserve contains and buffers the upper portions of the Bear Rocks Bog, a bog supporting northern stitchwort (Stellaria borealis) in its southernmost known colony (Powell pers. comm.). The bogs of Bear Rocks contain both large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), drawing visitors in the fall season for berry picking.

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The ecology of the Preserve can be generally categorized as consisting of deciduous and evergreen forest (Figure 6); however, much of this land cover is made up of the heath shrub species. Other ecological features of the Bear Rocks Preserve include subalpine grass balds and a wide array of lichen species. Records of varied fauna species within the Preserve are less complete. Mammals on the Preserve include the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister), a species that has been in decline in the northern ranges of its habitat and is state-listed as threatened, endangered, or sensitive in every state where they are found. Bear Rocks is a major flyway for migratory raptors, which take advantage of the air currents and thermals found along the Allegheny Front due to elevation changes. One species among these is the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). Several insect species have their habitats within Bear Rocks, including black-tipped darner (Aeshna tuberculifera), pink-edged sulphur (Colias interior), Allegheny mound ant (Formica exsectoides), and bog copper (Lycaena epixanthe).

Natural History Themes RepresentedBear Rocks Preserve is representative of the Plateau sub-theme (1b) under the Plains, Plateaus, and Mesas natural history theme (1) of Group I: Landforms of the Present as identified by the NNL program. The primary feature of the Preserve, the flat outcropping of Pottsville sandstone forming a plateau just on the Allegheny Structural Front, splendidly fits the description of the Plateau sub-theme (1b).

Of secondary importance are the biological and ecological features of the Preserve. The dominant ecosystem found within Bear Rocks represents the Appalachian Highland sub-theme (21b) under the Boreal Forest natural history theme (21) of Group III: Land Ecosystems. The plant species within the Preserve are cold-hardy, boreal species typical of a northern climate. The shrub community in the Preserve is of high-quality, featuring a variety of stubborn, tenacious shrub and heath species throughout the tract. In addition, the bogs within the Bear Rocks area fit into the Bogs sub-theme (32o) under the Lakes, Ponds, and Wetlands theme (32) within Group IV: Aquatic Ecosystems. The geology of the Preserve – the underlying rock and the exposed outcroppings – is made up of Pottsville sandstone, a rock of the Pennsylvanian age thus representing the Pennsylvanian Period sub-theme (16b) within Group II: Geologic History.

Physical SettingBear Rocks Preserve is located on the border of the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge provinces. The Preserve is fully contained within the Allegheny Mountains section of the Appalachian Plateaus province. The elevation of the Preserve exceeds 4,000 feet above sea level, a height contributing to a cool climate similar to alpine or tundra. Air temperatures can go up into the 80s (degrees Fahrenheit), but can drop well below 0° Fahrenheit in winter; there is a possibility of frost during any night of the year (Gibson 1970). Winters are prolonged in this area, with cold, snowy conditions lasting later than in the rest of the state. The Bear Rocks Preserve, located on an elevated plateau, receives a significant amount of precipitation due to orographic lift as air masses move from west to east. Dense fog is also common (Baer et al. 1982). Average annual total rainfall is 52 inches (132 cm); snowfall may reach 150 inches (381 cm) on Bear Rocks and the surrounding ridge (Gibson 1970; Powell pers. comm.). In addition to the high elevation and snowfall, the Allegheny Front is characterized by its strong, prevailing westerly winds contributing to the harsh conditions of the Bear Rocks Preserve.

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Location and AccessBear Rocks Preserve is located within a 477-acre tract of land on the eastern edge of the Allegheny Mountains, bounded on the south by the Dolly Sods Wilderness and on the east by the Allegheny Front. The delineated boundaries for the Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL are identical to the boundaries of the Bear Rocks Preserve and include all 477 acres officially managed by The Nature Conservancy. The address of the Bear Rocks Preserve is Bear Rocks, Union, WV 26260. To access the Preserve from Petersburg, take WV 55 west to Jordan Run Road/Rt. 28/7 (a right turn). Take Jordan Run Road 1 mile then turn left onto Forest Service Road 19 and follow it for six miles to the top of the Allegheny Front. At the top of the mountain, turn right onto Forest Service Road 75. Continue on FS Road 75 for about eight miles to the Bear Rocks parking lot (where the road turns sharply to descend the mountain). The Bear Rocks Preserve is a very short walk north of the parking lot. There is one official entrance to the Preserve, delineated by an informational sign and clearly accessible by a wider path from the parking lot (Figure 7). The Bear Rocks Preserve is open to the public for hiking, nature study, and noncommercial berry picking; several informal sandstone and dirt social trails weave throughout the Preserve, while an extensive trail system exists within adjacent national forest lands. Winter weather conditions present potential barriers to visiting the Preserve, as the FS Roads are not plowed in winter. The United States Forest Service (USFS) controls the two access points – either end of FS Road 75, both of which have gates – and closes the gates during winter months. Reliable information on snow conditions and accessibility can be obtained by calling the Petersburg Ranger Station in West Virginia (304-257-4488). Bear Rocks Preserve is completely within the 1:24,000 scale topographic map quadrangle “Blackbird Knob WV” (Figure 4).

OwnershipThe 477 acres of the Bear Rocks Preserve is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy (Figure 8). The Nature Conservancy acquired this area of land, including all mineral rights to the tract, on 17 February 2000 as a gift from Virginia Electric and Power Company (Dominion); the official dedication of the Preserve was 14 June 2000. The Nature Conservancy can carry out whatever management strategies and conservation efforts they wish on the Preserve – they may not, however, assign, transfer, lease, or convey any part or any interest in the Preserve without prior written approval of Dominion Power (Powell pers. comm.) The proposed landmark boundary is the Preserve boundary.

Land Use and Condition

Historic Land UseThe conditions of Bear Rocks were documented and described as being open and unforested, even before the industrial logging period, by the 1872 writings of David Hunter Strother (better known by his pen-name Porte Crayon) and by the 1746 diary of Thomas Lewis, a member of the Fairfax survey expedition of the same year (Burkhart 2011). These two sources describe the area as being clear of timber, covered with large, flat rocks, and containing an occasional stack of boulders and straggling firs (Lewis 1925; Strother 1872).

At the time of early exploration and settlement, dense red spruce forests and associated wetlands covered the area adjacent to Bear Rocks (what is now the Dolly Sods Wilderness). Between 1880 and 1920, logging took place on this forested land, resulting in a complete clear and burn of the

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Dolly Sods area by the 1920s; the area has been slowly recovering, however, and spruce forests now cover over half of the Dolly Sods Wilderness (Clarkson 1964; Baer et al. 1982; Burkhart 2011). In contrast to the cleared and logged Dolly Sods land, the area that is now Bear Rocks did not have extensive forests to be cleared, and thus was not logged. People did take advantage of the heath barrens, bogs, and grass balds of the Bear Rocks area, though, for berry picking and as livestock grazing lands (Gibson 1970).

The tract of land that is now Bear Rocks Preserve had been part of large corporate timber holdings during the first half of the twentieth century. United States Leather (or Union Tanning) held it from 1902-1920; Babcock Lumber Company owned it from 1920-1925, cutting the virgin spruce timber on the land; Central Tie and Lumber held the tract from 1925-1953, though the last logging on Bear Rocks occurred during 1925. Individuals then owned the area of land for investment purposes: Arthur Goldizen owned it from 1953-1961 and Henry and George Moomau held it from 1961-1962. During World War II, the United States army used the Dolly Sods area as an artillery training area; informational signs on USFS Wilderness and TNC Preserve lands warn visitors to keep an eye out for unexploded ordnance or shell fragments that they may encounter. Bear Rocks Preserve was not included in the official artillery training area, but shells may have ended up within the area of the Preserve. Virginia Power acquired the land in 1962 for coal mining – however, they never mined coal on the tract. Virginia Power completed an unexploded ordnance assessment prior to giving the tract to TNC (Powell pers. comm.). In February of 2000, Virginia Power gifted the Bear Rocks tract to The Nature Conservancy.

Current Land Use and Present Condition The Bear Rocks Preserve is managed by The Nature Conservancy, with the purpose of protecting and managing the natural communities with an emphasis on maintaining resources of high ecological value such as high-elevation forest. Bear Rocks Preserve is in excellent condition and does not require much active management on the part of The Nature Conservancy. Part of the management of Bear Rocks has included red spruce tree planting (primarily in the bog area, not on the front) with the goal of connecting to a red spruce stand on adjacent USFS property (Burkhart 2011; The Nature Conservancy 2015). Another recent management project entailed placing coconut fiber logs and small rock walls in stream channels to reduce erosion. The Conservancy also filled in some stream channels by moving rocks, soil, and clumps of shrubs into channels to try to mimic the natural look of the land while lessening the velocity of future streams (Powell pers. comm.).

The Nature Conservancy maintains good relations with adjacent landowners, as it has the biggest strategic ecological impact by working with neighbors such as the United States Forest Service (Powell pers. comm.). The USFS and TNC have a good working relationship: while the two groups do not collaborate on their individual management plans for protected areas, they share management resources including summer field crews. The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing partnership with Dominion Power – the landowner to the north of the Preserve – exemplified by the gifting of Bear Rocks by Dominion to the Conservancy (Powell pers. comm.). Even though timber and energy companies (primarily Western Pocahontas and Dominion Power) own the land around Bear Rocks and Dolly Sods, these companies cannot initiate any action to take back land owned by TNC or the USFS. Unless The Nature Conservancy willingly lets go of

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ownership of Bear Rocks, energy and timber companies cannot mine coal or install windmills on the tract.

As The Nature Conservancy owns one hundred percent of mineral rights to the land, there are not many current threats to the Bear Rocks Preserve. While Bear Rocks is safe from destructive land use practices within the 477 acres of the Preserve, the practices of Dominion Power pose an indirect threat to the land. Deposition of pollutants on Bear Rocks can be a problem since toxins from the Power Station are released into the atmosphere and precipitate onto the Preserve. However, due to the prevailing westerly winds, most of the smoke from the Mount Storm Power Station (a Dominion Power station five miles north of the Preserve) blows eastward from the plant into the Valley and Ridge Province. Since the water table of Bear Rocks is very close to the surface of the land, any soil disturbance or erosion could cause the water to flow up over the surface. Another potential ecological threat is invasive species such as spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), a plant that eats both grass balds and three-toothed cinquefoil (Potentilla tridentata) on the Preserve and surrounding land (Powell pers. comm.).

Bear Rocks Preserve is in excellent present condition. The relatively open and clear Preserve of today demonstrates the historical open conditions of the area. With the exception of some trees in the bog area of the Preserve planted by The Nature Conservancy, all the red spruce trees on the tract north of the Fairfax Line are a result of natural regeneration. There has been very little human impact in the Preserve, primarily due to the hardy and resistant nature of the ecological community. The plants are stubborn, cold-resistant, boreal species, and they are thus able to withstand visitors walking through the site. The Preserve welcomes several thousand visitors annually. Overnight camping is not permitted on Bear Rocks, but visitors wishing to camp can drive a few miles south along Forest Service Road 75 to the Red Creek Campground within the Dolly Sods Wilderness. According to the Conservancy’s most recent management plan, all hunting seasons are permitted on Bear Rocks, but not explicitly promoted (Powell pers. comm.). The Nature Conservancy does not allow the use of horses on the Preserve – enforcement of this policy is difficult, though, as horses are permitted on neighboring USFS land and there are some trails connecting USFS land to the Preserve. No fires are allowed on the Preserve, either those started by visitors or by TNC staff members. Popular daytime activities on the Preserve include nature study, hiking, berry picking, photography, and bird watching. The season for blueberry picking runs from mid-June through August, while cranberry-picking season does not arrive until autumn. The fall season provides the most activities, as the tract is part of a major flyway for raptors migrating in autumn, and due to the bright, red leaves and scenic vistas that attract visitors to document one of the most frequently photographed sites in the state of West Virginia.

Sensitive or Hazardous ResourcesThe Bear Rocks Preserve is a small tract of land containing a mix of ecosystems and wide variety of plant species. The ecosystem of the Preserve is inclusive of three G2-ranked communities – High Allegheny Red Spruce Woodland, Cranberry-Beaksedge Peatland, and Central Appalachian Heath Barrens – the first two of which also have a critically imperiled state rank of S1; there are also exceptional high-elevation cranberry bogs in the Preserve. Species of concern found within the Preserve include the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister), pink-edged sulphur butterfly (Colias interior), and bog copper butterfly (Lycaena epixanthe). The pink-edged sulphur, while not yet federally listed as threatened, exists only in an isolated

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population in the Central Appalachians – butterflies found in Bear Rocks exist here at the southernmost extent of their habitat range. Another species of interest found in Bear Rocks is the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). While the northern goshawk is not rare or endangered, it is a raptor typically found in colder locales to the north; its presence in Bear Rocks is thus significant. Although not officially documented at the site, the habitat in Bear Rocks is conducive to the Cheat Mountain salamander (Plethodon nettingi; on the list of federally endangered species), snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), and saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus; both typically found farther north).

Comparative Assessment

Regional Site Inventory The Allegheny and Appalachian Plateaus encompass a vast area of relatively flat layers of sedimentary rock. The challenge was therefore to select comparison sites among the many available that were most representative of a Plateau. The Plateau feature has three characteristics that we looked for in comparison sites: a) flat sedimentary rock that b) is elevated and therefore features an escarpment and c) may be dissected through erosion by creeks and rivers. Using GIS, we used the USGS National Gap Analysis Program Protected Areas Database (v. 1.3) including sites with Status codes 1 and 2, to generate a map of all protected areas on the Appalachian Plateaus. Areas with status codes 1 and 2 have permanent protection and a mandated management plan (USGS GAP 2012). We then determined which of the protected areas bisected the Allegheny Front or featured an escarpment. Sites recognized as particularly alluring to the public or specialists due to scenic overlooks, rock outcrops, or high levels of biodiversity were then considered in the primary stages of deliberation. These sites are listed below in alphabetical order.

In addition to the GIS approach, we also reviewed all pNNL studies for the Appalachian Plateaus region that identified Plateau as a natural resource theme. We then included all of those pNNLs in our comparisons that featured elevated land with an escarpment. Through this comprehensive selection process, we identified comparison sites that appeared to fulfill the Illustrative Character criterion (Table 2). Using literature and Internet searches, site visits, and conversations with natural resource managers, we further narrowed down the list of sites to be included in our comparative assessment (sites with asterisks) that best illustrate the Plateau feature, including flat and elevated land dissected with streams, and preferably featuring an escarpment with exposed rock formations.

Table 2. List of comparative sites and their respective illustrative features. Site State Flat & Elevated Dissected Escarpment Total

Allegany State Park* NY 2Black Moshannon* PA 2Dan’s Mountain* MD 2Dobbin Slashing WV 2Mt. Porte Crayon WV 2

Long Pond* PA 2Pocono Front – DEWA* PA 3

Tug Hill NY 2

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We then examined the Present Condition of each of the sites to determine which sites would warrant a full comparison with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL using all five evaluation criteria (Illustrative Character, Present Condition, Diversity, Rarity, and Value for Education and Science).

After careful consideration, Pocono Front-Delaware Water Gap in PA emerged as the only close competitor to Bear Rocks for NNL status, and is therefore the only site we consider in a full comparison using all five evaluation criteria. Other sites (Allegany State Park, Black Moshannon State Park and Forest, Dan’s Mountain, and Long Pond Macrosite) are only considered in a two-point comparison using the Illustrative Character and Present Condition criteria. The remaining sites (Dobbin Slashing, Mt. Porte Crayon, and Tug Hill) are all listed as pNNLs in Baer et al. (1982) and are summarized here, but were excluded from the comparative assessment owing to their low significance in representing the Plateau theme.

Site Descriptions Each of the sites detailed in this section contains a section of the Appalachian Plateaus that illustrates the Plateau natural resource feature. High Quality sites (Table 3) are detailed below and included in the comparative assessment.

Table 3. Comparison of maximum site elevation and escarpment height between most qualified locations. Elevation is measured in feet.

Highest

Quality Sites Allegany State ParkAllegany State Park (42.115° N, 78.72° W), owned by the State of New York, received high priority ranking in the Potential National Natural Landmark of the Appalachian Plateaus Natural Region, 1982 Geological Report due to characteristics influenced by its location in the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau section (Baer et al. 1982). Covering nearly 65,000 acres within Cattaraugus County, NY, Allegany State Park exists within a geologically distinct area known as the Salamanca Re-entrant, a portion of the Allegheny Plateau never reached by the last Wisconsin ice sheet (OPRHP 2010). This distinction has influenced soils and surficial geology topography, as well as the region’s flourishing flora and fauna. Allegany State Park, protected since 1921 and now often referred to as the “wilderness playground of Western New York,” is considered as a comparative site to Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL due to its combined natural features and its relation to glacial and post-glacial drainage change (Baer et al. 1982).

What is now Allegany State Park is an area that alone escaped the advance of the glacier at the end of the Ice Age that scoured New York, broadening valleys and depositing rocks (Ostertag and Ostertag 2002). Park topography instead consists of rolling hills dissected by streams, which

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Site Name Max. Elevation Max. Escarpment HeightBear Rocks 4,012 1,762Dan’s Mountain 2,898 2,188Allegany State Park 2,425 N/ABlack Moshannon 2,307 1,488Long Pond Macrosite 1,974 842DEWA-Pocono Front 1,057 756

are intermittent, especially at higher elevations (OPRHP 2010). The rugged hills within the park rise abruptly to elevations nearing 2,400ft, varying between 800 and 1,000ft above the valleys (1,400ft) and neighboring plains (1,200ft) (Lobeck 1927). Although the effects of glaciers (in the form of ice erosion or morainal deposition) did not directly modify the park’s terrain, glacial meltwater reversed the once northbound flow of the Allegheny River (Baer et al. 1982). This process resulted in deep stream down cutting, leading to the formation of steep valley sides superimposed on a relatively level upland terrain. The term “maturely dissected plateau” therefore briefly defines and describes the Allegany State Park region within the vast Appalachian Plateaus (Lobeck 1927).

The bedrock of the park consists of horizontal beds of shales, sandstones, and conglomerates, resulting in relatively stony, course-textured, moderately deep, well-drained soils of moderate to low fertility (OPRHP 2010). The ruggedness of the landscape is partially attributed to the presence of sandstone, which characteristically resists weathering. The lowest strata found at the bottom of the hills belong to the Chemung formation, followed by the Cattaraugus formation containing the Salamanca conglomerate in its middle portion. Next is the Oswayo formation, and at the top the Knapp formation and Olean conglomerate member of the Pottsville formation (Lobeck 1927). Outcrops of these layers can be seen at the base of hills where streams cut against banks, as well as designated locations such as Thunder Rocks and Bear Caves (OPRHP 2010). Moreover, the weathered, productive soils and undisturbed bedrock combined with the humidity and high precipitation levels of the area altogether facilitate the growth of the park’s old growth forests.

The unglaciated recent history, soil types, landforms and climate combine to allow both northern and central Appalachian plant species to thrive, providing a rich diversity in both the canopy and the understory (Taylor 1928). Allegany State Park contains the best representation of the Hemlock-White Pine-Northern Hardwoods Forest Region in the northern section of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, and features climax forest types such as Beech-Birch-Maple and Oak-Hickory (Bear et al. 1982). Additionally, hundreds of wildflower and low-lying shrub species can be found within park grounds, resulting in what Lobeck (1927) describes as a “botanist’s paradise.”

Declared as one of the nation’s top “Amazing Spots” by Reserve America in 2007, Allegany State Park is known for its idyllic beauty, quiet charm, and wealth of natural life (PRNewsWire.com). The park is home to a number of rare species, and wildlife is abundant, including many species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians (OPRHP 2010). With approximately 1.5 million visitors a year, Allegany State Park is both accessible and accommodating in its transportation and recreation programs, which include camping, skiing, fishing, nature studies and more (OPRHP 2010).

Although its even height peaks and ridges separated by v-shaped valleys are highly representative of a maturely dissected plateau, Allegany State Park fails to fully illustrate the Plateau theme with a defining escarpment and associated exposed rock outcrops. It is therefore not included in the full comparative assessment with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL.

Black Moshannon State Park and Forest

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Black Moshannon State Park and State Forest (40°53′54″ N, 78°03′23″ W) together cover over 46,000 acres within Centre, Clearfield, and Elk counties in Pennsylvania. The forest, which helps create the park’s remote and wild feel, envelops the 3,394-acre park, located entirely in Centre County. Both areas are owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and together see hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Both the park and forest sit upon an unglaciated section of the Allegheny Plateau at an average elevation of 1,900ft (Bonta 1995). The Allegheny Front crosses through the eastern edge of the state forest, creating scenic overlooks of the Valley and Ridge Province to the southeast. Such views are highlighted by lookouts along the Allegheny Trail, as well as the height of the escarpment that falls an average of 1,300ft.

Declared one of Pennsylvania’s “25 Must-See State Parks” by the PA DCNR Bureau of Parks in 2008, Moshannon State Park and its surrounding forests are considered significant due to their diverse and specialized vegetation communities. The park’s high elevation and slight basin shape traps cooler, heavier air, resulting in bogs characterized by Sphagnum moss and freshwater wetlands. The low temperatures paired with acidic and low nutrient soil conditions facilitate the growth of seventeen species of orchid and all three carnivorous plants found in Pennsylvania (Young 2001). Additionally, the Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area is considered by botanists to be “the best reconstituted bog in the high plateau region,” as it features many plants and animals, including the leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) and the Canada warbler (Cardellina canadensis), which can be seen here near the southern edge of their range (Bonta 1995). Unlike other wetlands however, the saturated areas at Black Moshannon were not a result of glacial retreat; instead, sloping bedrock continuously directs water from surrounding hills into the shallow groundwater table, increasing the soils’ overall moisture levels (Black Moshannon Recreational Guide 2013).

Three bedrock units have been mapped within park boundaries: the Pennsylvania-age Pottsville Group, the Mississippian-age Mauch Chunk Formation, and Burgoon Sandstone. As suggested previously, the bedding is described as “sub horizontal,” typically dipping “15 or less to the northwest or southeast.” The Pottsville Group is the youngest within the park, occupying topographic highs including the ridges on either side of the dam, and two less pronounced hilltops. Due to its position, only the basal unit of the formation has been observed, the upper units being lost to erosion. Moreover, the unconformity between the Pottsville Group and the Mauch Chunk Formation is considered representative of “an ancient erosion surface and/or a period when no rock units were deposited.” The third unit, the Burgoon Sandstone member, underlies the foundation of the dam, the lakebed, and most of the tributary drainages (Black Moshannon Resource Management Plan 1993).

The 250 acre Black Moshannon Lake presents just one of the many recreational opportunities within the wide span of this park and its surrounding forest. Besides swimming, boating, and fishing, this area provides a catalog of activities including picnicking, mountain biking, and camping. Seasonal recreation includes ice skating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hunting, as well as a number of environmental interpretation programs. Moreover, since the area includes not only bogs and wetlands, but also mature hardwood forests, pine plantations, Rhododendron thickets, and hemlock groves, many animal species have taken residence within the park. While game species such as deer, wild turkey, grouse, and squirrel are abundant

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throughout the park’s forests, those who observe carefully may also find songbirds, bats, bears, coyotes and more. In fact, due to the high volume of avian species, the National Audubon Society has designated the park as an Important Bird Area (Black Moshannon Recreational Guide 2013).

Despite these many options for recreation, the component of Black Moshannon State Park and Forest that is most illustrative of the Allegheny Plateau is the Allegheny Front Trail. Built in the late 1990s, this trail encircles Black Moshannon State Park, traversing approximately 40 miles of the Allegheny Plateau (Cramer 2014). The path leads hikers past beautiful streams and creeks, up and down challenging and rocky ridges, and across stone bridges and boardwalks throughout the bogs and swamps. Most importantly, up to 3 miles follow the edge of the Allegheny Front, featuring 6 identified vistas and some areas of nearly continuous views (Cramer 2014).

The expansive and educational views of the neighboring Valley and Ridge Province, direct access to the steep escarpment of the plateau, and the unglaciated characteristics demonstrated by this region, make Black Moshannon lands highly competitive as a potential Appalachian Plateaus landmark. However, Black Moshannon is not included in the full comparative assessment with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL due to its Present Condition. The area was clear cut about a century ago and thus the forests in Black Moshannon State Park are regrowth stands. Additionally, the lake of Black Moshannon State Park, although a tourist attraction, is an artificial lake produced by the damming of Black Moshannon Creek.

Dan’s MountainLocated in Allegany County, Maryland, Dan’s Mountain includes both Dan’s Mountain State Park (39°33′28″ N, 78°57′12″ W), as well as the neighboring Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Both the park and the wildlife management area are owned by the state and managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Dan’s Mountain stretches 16mi long, and reaches peaks of around 3,000ft, and the state park covers an area of 482 acres at a mean elevation of 2,224ft (DNR Owned Lands Acreage 2014). About a mile and a half to the east of the park, the WMA consists of a 9,504acre tract along the steep ridges of the mountain, which range 900 to 2,800ft (Dan’s Mountain WMA 2015). Dan’s Mountain represents the Maryland portion of the Allegheny Front, forming the eastern edge of the Maryland section of the Allegheny Plateau physiographic region. This particular area of the greater high plateau, which encompasses all of Garrett and western Allegany County, is described as the elevated upland between the long parallel crests of Dan’s and Savage Mountain (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900). Although relatively dissected, the area that contains the northeast-southwest ridges of the two mountain ranges is representative of a plateau in its elevated surface and steep outer escarpments.

The general upland of the plateau has a strongly rolling surface as a result of steep-sided stream valleys that cut deeply into what would otherwise be an even-lying surface approximately 2,100ft above sea level (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900). The undulations of the plateau are most strongly marked along a line about midway between the crests, which owe their prominence to the upturnings of the resistant Pottsville sandstone (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900). While the inner boundaries of the mountains gradually fade into the center region, the sudden upward bending of the strata around the edges of the plateau result in mountains with steeper outer-slopes (Bullock

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Clark et al. 1900). Borders of the plateau are therefore asymmetrical; the steeper and shorter slopes fall towards the valleys of the Savage (2,400ft) and Potomac (700ft) Rivers, and the longer, gentler slopes melt back into the upland (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900).

Streams of the plateau district are all comparatively small with the single exception of the northern branch of the Potomac. Dan’s Mountain specifically features a large number of small, intermittent streams that drain down its eastern face, etching the façade and revealing the bedrock beneath. The growing gullies and ravines expose rocks belonging to the Mauch Chunk and Greenbrier formations. At about 1,800ft are rounded foothills marking the junction of the Hampshire and Jennings formations. These formations are the youngest Paleozoic strata in the county and exhibit almost horizontal bedding, increasing in dip rapidly only in the immediate vicinity of the two bounding crestlines (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900).

The only exposure of Greenbrier-Mauch Chunk formations in the county exists in the slight depression between the outlying ridge of Pocono sandstone and the eastern front of Dan’s Mountain. Rocks of these two formations are grayish limestones with red and brown shales and sandstones. The soils are not deep, but are heavy enough to retain moisture, supporting the white pine forests that occur almost entirely on the northern and eastern slopes (Bullock-Clark et al. 1900). The WMA however is said to be composed of 98% mixed oak forest in various age classes, providing a prime habitat for many songbirds that only nest in this type of forest (Dan’s Mountain WMA 2015). The WMA also supports many game creatures such as turkey, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, and gray squirrels, earning it a spot on the list of “100 Best Public-Land Hunts” by FieldandStream.com. In addition, a number of rare, threatened, and endangered species such as Allegheny Woodrat and the Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum) can be found along the ridgetop of Dan’s Mountain (Maryland’s Key Wildlife Habitats 2014). The presence of these key species thus highlights the importance of upper slope communities such as high elevation ridge forests, cliff and rock outcrops, and acidic glades and barrens (Maryland’s Key Wildlife Habitats 2014).

While the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has set forth to conserve and enhance wildlife populations and their respective habitats within the WMA, Dan’s Mountain State Park is instead very focused on its recreation. The park features an Olympic-sized swimming pool, four large group pavilions, a gigantic recycled-tire playground, and a pond for fishing (Dan’s Mountain State Park 2015). The exposed stone of Dan’s Rock Overlook, moreover, which provides a grand view of the plateau’s eastern escarpment from atop the highest point in Allegany County (2,898ft), is painted with the graffiti of its many visitors. Therefore, while the landform structure of the area is fairly demonstrative of a plateau, the present condition of this area provides significant concern in regard to its ability to qualify as a natural landmark. Dan’s mountain is therefore not considered further in the full comparative assessment with Bear Rocks.

Long Pond Macrosite Long Pond Macrosite (41°02'46" N, 75°28'50” W), located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was evaluated in 1988 as a pNNL under the Pocono Plateau section of the Appalachian Plateaus Region for its eastern escarpment and mosaic of rare habitats (Smith et al. 1988). Long Pond Macrosite lies within the Glaciated Pocono Plateau Section, within the Allegheny Province of the Appalachian Plateaus. The Glaciated Pocono Plateau section is a broad undulating upland,

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surrounded on all but its western side by a steep to moderately steep slope that marks its boundary with adjacent sections (Sevon 2000). The local relief is considered low to moderate, with approximate elevations between 1,200 and 2,320ft (Sevon 2000). Long Pond in particular lies between 1,800 and 2,000ft and is thus relatively flat. The site also features a 700ft escarpment along its eastern edge (Ostrander 1996). Additionally, the Glaciated Pocono Plateau Section is defined by deranged drainage patterns, as well as underlying rock beds with low, northern dips and small folds, all originating from fluvial and glacial erosion, and glacial deposition (Sevon 2000).

Consisting of a 2,000-acre wetland surrounded by a 5,600-acre pitch pine-scrub oak barren, Long Pond features an ecological community said to typify the Pocono Plateau (Smith et al. 1988). These mesic till barrens provide not only a diverse range of plant and animal species, but insight into the Illinonian glaciation that occurred in this area over 100,000 years ago as well. Included in naturalist Stephen Ostrander’s “Great Natural Areas in Eastern Pennsylvania,” Long Pond Macrosite is a small yet indispensable preservation that contains an eco-region greatly significant to the southern portion of the High Allegheny Plateau.

The Pocono glacial till barrens located at Long Pond appear to be the only natural community of its kind in the world (Bonta 1995). The vegetation grows in the sandy clay soils of the largest remaining deposit of glacial till from the Illinosian glacier, which covered the area 140,000 years ago (Ostrander 1996). In contrast to the Illinosian deposit, which is rare to eastern North America, the more common and more recent Wisconsinan glacial till contributed to Long Pond’s composition as well. Approximately 12,000 years ago, large blocks of ice broke off of the withdrawing glacier and melted in the depressions created by their own weight, leaving behind the Lost Lakes and Halfmoon Lake. Although these lakes have since shrunk due to mineral and organic sediment deposition, they are currently preserved areas within the Long Pond ecosystem due to their richness in biodiversity (Ostrander 1996).

The Long Pond barrens are often described as a mosaic of shrublands and forests, including a large expanse of pitch pine and dwarf shrub oak forests, interspersed with moorlike heathlands, swamps, bogs and marshes similar to Bear Rocks (Bonta 1995). Home to 32 rare-to-Pennsylvania plant and animal species, including the globally rare variable sedge (Carex polymorpha), Long Pond is rich in biodiversity, and has been the focus of many conservation movements throughout the late 1900s (Smith et al. 1988). Although the land is not fertile enough for farming, in the past it had been used for recreation, pipelines, quarries and blueberry harvests. As a response to the declining health of the ecosystem, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Nature Conservancy purchased a 367-acre tract, and obtained agreements to protect an additional 1,100 acres (Ostrander 1996).

The site is currently owned mainly by the Nature Conservancy, Bethlehem Water Authority, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. While fire regulation and human influence have caused issue in the past, the barrens are now maintained as an extensive wild area with little man made disturbance. Additionally, as outlined in the Long Pond Barrens Conservation Plan (Orndorff 2008), the Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania has dedicated itself to the proper management and conservation of Long Pond based on scientific knowledge of the land’s distinct biodiversity and ecosystem function.

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Long Pond Macrosite features outstanding ecological characteristics; however, it is not as illustrative of the Plateau theme as some of the other identified sites. Although Long Pond features elevated flat land, its escarpment along the eastern edge is not easily observed. Long Pond Macrosite is therefore not considered in a full comparative assessment.

Pocono Front-Delaware Water GapThe Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (41°10’ N, 74°55’ W) in Pike County, Pennsylvania, is listed as a pNNL in the Potential National Natural Landmark of the Appalachian Plateaus Natural Region, Geological Report (Baer et al. 1982) because it incorporates the sharp, eastern edge of the Pocono Plateau, referred to as the Pocono Front. The steep drop of the Front creates the Valley between Kittatinny Mountain to the east, and the Pocono Allegheny Plateau to the west, which together surround the Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. The plateau folds away gradually to the north, and the escarpment’s abrupt drop of about 600 feet creates conditions for an array of waterfalls. Determined an “Outstanding Scenic Geological Feature” of Pennsylvania, and described as “the most attractive [water gap] in the United States,” the Pocono Front-Delaware Water Gap is an excellent representation of the Plateau theme (Geyer and Bolles 1979). The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area stretches some 20-30 miles from Stroudsburg to Port Jervis (Baer et al. 1982). The Delaware River Valley itself is approximately 1 mi wide and 1,200ft deep, creating a v-shaped notch through Kittatinny Mountain (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Creeks and rivers meet steep gradients off the front (elevations 900-1,100ft) to the valley (elevations 450-750ft) resulting in a number of waterfalls and cascades, including the notable Bushkill and Dingmans Falls (Baer et al. 1982). The Delaware River Valley, which contains the Scenic and Recreational section of the Delaware River, the longest free-flowing river in the eastern United States, was deepened not by way of fault lines; rather, the river created its notch by exploiting a zone of weakness focused on a flexure in the bedrock (Chance 1875). Through both erosion and additional weathering processes such as frost wedging, dissolution, and abrasion, the eastern stream eventually captured the flow of a western stream, forming a through-flowing water gap. This connection created the channel for the modern Delaware River System, which has revealed exposures of steeply inclined Silurian rocks, dated more than 416 million years old (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Additionally, repeated glaciations during the Pleistocene Epoch sourced and reshaped many portions of the northeastern United States, including the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Thick sheets of ice advanced and retreated over the park, culminating in the most recent Wisconsinan glaciation; today, glacial deposits and features within and surrounding the park are well exposed and well studied. For example, the park is rich in Paleozoic fossils that range from more than 480 million to about 360 million years old (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Other notable characteristics of the park include its wide range of habitats, including dry lichen covered cliffs and mist-drenched moss covered rocks, to dry Virginia pine thickets and open chestnut oak stands. While much of the park is interspersed with small farms, recreational facilities, and resorts, wildlife along the front is said to be well managed and abundant, featuring animals such as deer, bear, bob cat, and porcupine (Baer et al. 1982). Such features have drawn

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nearly 5 million visitors to the park annually, allowing the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to become the tenth most-visited park in the National Park System in 2012 (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Due to these rising numbers, the park’s present condition and resource management concerns are detailed in the Comparative Analysis section below.

Other Sites The following three sites are summarized here because they were identified as featuring the Plateau theme in their pNNL summaries. After careful review, however, we decided to eliminate the sites as comparison sites. The summaries below are included to provide context.

Dobbin SlashingDobbin Slashing (38°59′45″ N, 79°22′05″ W) was transferred to the state of West Virginia in 2005 through a land donation from Western Pocahontas Properties and Buffalo Coal Company. It is now designated a Wildlife Management Area and is managed by the Division of Natural Resources. Dobbin Slashing Wildlife Management Area covers 965-acres at a mean elevation of 3,960ft in the Allegheny Mountains of Tucker County, West Virginia (Clovis 1973). Although once a very large spruce forest, the land was lumbered between 1880 and 1890, and subsequent burnings destroyed the area’s ability to support self-sustaining forest communities. The land’s glades, bogs, and beaver dams are recognized by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources as prime wildlife areas for black bears, beavers, deer and waterfowl. One rare animal species and five rare plant species are recognized, and peat deposits date back thousands of years. The site is located at the headwaters of Red Creek, a native trout stream that is impaired by acid mine drainage. Although the site is unique in the east for its desolate, windswept character, there has been a complete lack of woody re-vegetation in the swamp after the land was lumbered. Dobbin Slashing is located close (1.5km) to Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL and therefore features the same elevated flat plateau characteristics. However, unlike Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL, Dobbin Slashing does not feature a prominent escarpment. This, combined with its history of disturbance, decreases the significance of this site for consideration as a potential competitor to Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL. Dobbin Slashing is therefore not considered further in a comparative assessment with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL.

Mt. Porte CrayonLocated in the Allegheny Mountains Section of West Virginia, immediately south of the Dolly Sods-Allegheny Front area, Mt. Porte Crayon (38°55′44″ N, 79°27′22″ W) covers approximately 10 square miles of land at an elevation of 4,770ft. The mountain is the sixth highest point in West Virginia and the highest point of the Allegheny Front. The height provides a scenic view of the neighboring Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, which lies to the south and east. The US Forest Service owns the site, however management is directed through the Monongahela National Forest. Although the biology of the area is highlighted for its myriad of natural plant and animal communities, there is no unique quality to the geological features at this site (Baer et al. 1982). Therefore, Mt. Porte Crayon is not considered further in a comparative assessment with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL.

Tug HillOwned both privately and by the state, Tug Hill (43°37′15″ N, 75°27′50″ W) covers approximately 2,100mi2 of land across the Mohawk Section of the Appalachian Plateaus in

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upstate New York. The maximum height of the plateau in this region is 2,100ft, while the cuesta lies at elevations between 1,500 and 1,600ft. The landform provides scenic and educational views of the Black River Valley, which lies 800ft below. The high plateau is covered by largely unfragmented forests, while active agriculture and successional fields predominate the adjacent flood plains and valleys. Within the forested areas, the elevation changes provide a vegetation gradient; species such as the balsam fir, red spruce, and eastern hemlock are found above 1,750ft, while American elm, white ash, and silver maple dominate the wet woodlands below. While Tug Hill was recommended for consideration based on its unusual topography and climate, as well as its wilderness qualities, its vulnerability is unknown, and its landform is best categorized by the Cuestas sub-theme (Theme 2.1) rather than Plateau (Theme 1.b) (Baer et al. 1982). Tug Hill is therefore not considered further in the comparative assessment with Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL.

Comparative Analysis and Discussion We compare Bear Rocks Preserve pNNL to the five other potential sites in the region deemed to be most illustrative of the Appalachian Plateaus (Pocono Front-Delaware Water Gap, Allegany State Park, Black Moshannon State Park and Forest, Dan’s Mountain, and Long Pond).

1. Comparison of pNNL with Pocono Front-Delaware Water Gap

The Pocono Front at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is most closely matched with Bear Rocks. We therefore consider both primary (Illustrative Character and Present Condition) and secondary (Diversity, Rarity, and Value for Science and Education) features to illustrate similarities and differences.

A. Illustrative Character: In regard to physiographic region, Bear Rocks and the Delaware Water Gap are equal in that they both exist on escarpments separating the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge Provinces. Both areas feature a clear and accessible front, each of which provides scenic overviews of neighboring formations including Pottsville sandstone ridges and the Delaware River respectively. Outcrops can be seen in both locations; however, the Silurian rocks at the Delaware Water Gap are likely more significant in their age than the Pottsville sandstone abundant at Bear Rocks. The major differentiation between these sites, and therefore the primary source of their distinction, is the elevation at which each site sits. Bear Rocks is situated at an average elevation of 4,000ft, and has a maximum escarpment height of 1,762ft. In contrast, the front at the Delaware Water Gap has a maximum escarpment height less than half of that at Bear Rocks at 756ft. In conclusion, although the Delaware Water Gap is competitive in its outcropping and many beautiful cascades, Bear Rocks ranks higher in illustrative character due to its towering elevation.

B. Present Condition: Bear Rocks is an area that, due to its natural methods of protection, requires little active management despite its popularity. In order to survive the seasonally severe climate conditions, the vegetation is both tough and hardy. Additionally, there are many informal trails available for hiking, many of which consist of sandstone and broken-down sediment highly resistant to weathering. Although there is evidence of past fire management, the Nature Conservancy has put forth efforts to return the area to its

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most natural state. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is similar in that it features a large number of well-established trails that discourage social paths and the trampling of grasses and low-lying shrubs. Additionally, due to the large number of visitors the park sees each year, National Park Service Rangers are active and abundant, providing both information and on-site management. However, despite its diligent administration, the park faces a number of geological issues including slope movements and river channel migration and flooding. Additionally, it was revealed that as of 2011, an estimated 2.4 trillion m3 of recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of natural gas liquids exist within the Marcellus Shale, areas of which lie beneath park boundaries (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Such potential in natural resources provides possible threat for the conservation of this area, especially since hydraulic fracturing has already begun in areas of the Upper Delaware Basin.

C. Diversity: Bear Rocks and The Delaware Water Gap each provide sufficient example of geological processes within their boundaries. The former features several large and well-defined potholes in the surfaces of the sandstone, highlighting weathering processes, whereas the latter hosts a number of glacial features and deposits from the Wisconsinan glacier. Bear Rocks additionally features diverse plant communities including the popular and high quality cranberry bogs and blueberry bushes that draw berry pickers each year. Blueberry bushes are similarly evident throughout the understory of the Delaware Water Gap’s forests, along with rhododendron and fern. The large area of the park additionally allows for the inclusion of a wide range of habitats including dry ridge-top communities, stands of eastern hemlock, dry Virginia pine thickets, and open chestnut oak stands. Wetland areas can also be found along the river’s edges within the valley, and moist cool ravines surround the parks most notable waterfalls. This myriad of habitats allows for a wider range of plant and animal species, whereas Bear Rocks sees little variation in fauna and tree types; thus, the Delaware Water Gap supports higher diversity due to its larger area. Overall, the Delaware Water Gap ranks higher in Diversity than Bear Rocks.

D. Rarity: A number of rare or endangered species can be found at both locations. Notable species at Bear Rocks include the Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), bog copper butterfly (Lycaena epixanthe), Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister), and the Pink-edged sulphur butterfly (Colias interior), found here at the edge of its habitat. At the Delaware Water Gap, 8 of 26 reptiles, 10 of 61 fish, and 6 of 8 freshwater mussel species are of special concern in New Jersey and/or Pennsylvania. Notable species include the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) and the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), protected under the endangered species act (National Park Service 2015). The Delaware Water Gap also contains rare fossils of eurypterids Dipleurozoa and Lingula within rocks aged more than 416million years old. At Bear Rocks however, most significant are the shrub and heathland communities, ranked G1 in ecological importance and found in this form in five or less places worldwide. Both sites are therefore ranked equally in terms of Rarity.

E. Value for Science and Education: The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area holds environmental programs and classes for students of varying ages in cooperation with school districts, colleges, or other government agencies at locations such as Sky’s

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Edge and the Pocono Environmental Education Center (Baer et al. 1982). The National Park Service Rangers are abundant and well informed, and visitor centers provide a number of informational booklets that allow visitors to practice identifying species on their own. Although Bear Rocks does not have a building designated to host such programs, the area has welcomed many natural science studies and is a very popular place for field trips and nature research. In fact, the plateau, in its evidence of continental collision and uplift, “affords a readily accessible outdoor museum in easy reach of Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere unequalled south of the state of New York and Canada” (Baer et al. 1982). Additionally, the folding and faulting of the neighboring Valley and Ridge Province can be easily observed atop the highest elevations at Bear Rocks, providing insight into the powerful geological processes which allowed such landforms to exist. The Delaware Water Gap provides similar insights, although perhaps less obvious to the average viewer, as all three major types of faults (normal, reverse, and thrust) have been documented in the area (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). The park’s landscape is said to “reflect the massive amounts of ice that covered the park during the Pleistocene ice age glaciations,” leaving behind glacial deposits and other related features (Thornberry-Ehrlich 2013). Ecologically, Bear Rocks is greatly significant due to its comprehensible display of plant succession, including the various stages “bogs, bare rocks, wind-cropped shrub mats, flag-formed trees, and youthful forest” (Baer et al. 1982). In comparison, The Delaware Water Gap provides a wide range of environments with characteristics and inhabiting species dependent on each habitat’s location within the park. Both sites are therefore ranked equally in terms of Value for Science and Education.

Each of these locations demonstrates a number of significant geological and ecological characteristics. In terms of secondary criteria (Diversity, Rarity and Value for Science and Education), both locations rank fairly evenly, each incorporating a wide range of biodiversity, notable rare species, and opportunities for research and scholarship. The aspects of these locations that divide these two competitive areas are highlighted instead within the primary criteria (Illustrative Character and Present Condition). Although The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area features scenic overlooks at the edge of the Pocono Front, the height of the escarpment is dwarfed by that at Bear Rocks. Additionally, although its great size allows for the inclusion of a wider range of habitats, The Delaware Water Gap also faces a greater number of geological and anthropomorphic issues, including slope movements and excessive recreational use. In sum, while both sites provide significant example of a plateau landform, due to its great elevation and insightful overlooks, Bear Rocks is considered more illustrative.

The following sites are considered less qualified than Bear Rocks to fulfill the Plateau theme. We therefore need only to consider the primary conditions (Illustrative Character and Present Condition) to draw sufficient conclusions.

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2. Comparison of pNNL with Allegany State Park

A. Illustrative Character: The characteristic of Allegany State Park that allowed for its high priority status as a pNNL in 1982 is its location within the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau section. Untouched by glaciers, this area has soil types and superficial geology demonstrative only of the Salamanca re-entrant. In contrast to Bear Rocks, this location is highly dissected, with stream-carved valleys at depths of 800 to 1,000ft (Lobeck 1927). Although both locations feature outcroppings and evidence of resistant sandstone, in Allegany State Park these exposures create a more rugged terrain. In turn, although Allegany State Park is representative of a maturely dissected plateau, it features no defining escarpment, and the topography feels far more mountainous than it does flat. Such contradicting characteristics rank Bear Rocks ahead of Allegany State Park in Illustrative Character.

B. Present Condition: As the largest park in New York State, Allegany State Park sees approximately 1.5 million visitors a year. Despite this high volume, there are still areas of the park that have been virtually undisturbed since its establishment; such areas are distinguished by vast stretches of mature forest and their accompanying fauna. However, the park is by no means free of human influence; rather, there are 71 program sites set up to better direct the park’s guests, along with a large number of hiking trails. Additionally, the park is open year round, hosting recreational activities from horseback riding to snowmobiling. Noting the environmental impacts of such activities, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation set forth a master plan in 2010 aimed at finding the balance between recreational use and “the protection and interpretation of the biological, physical, and cultural resources of the park” (OPRHP 2010). Although plans of construction have been enacted, new facilities will be located in areas that require minimal land disturbance, and significant scenic vistas will continuously protected and maintained (OPRHP 2010). In conclusion, although Allegany State Park is far more developed than Bear Rocks, the two are decidedly equal in rank in regard to Present Condition.

3. Comparison of pNNL with Black Moshannon State Park and Forest

A. Illustrative Character: Similarly to Bear Rocks, Black Moshannon State Park and Forest highlights the division between the Appalachian Plateaus and the Valley and Ridge Provinces. At both locations, visitors can climb to high heights at the edge of the Allegheny Front, and are rewarded with scenic overviews of the mountains to the east. While each site has equally accessible viewing points, the escarpment elevation at Bear Rocks (1,762ft) is still superior to that at Black Moshannon (1,488ft). Furthermore, both sites feature bedrock from the Pottsville Formation; however, at Bear Rocks the outcroppings are obvious and abundant, whereas at Black Moshannon the Pottsville is only considered significant due to its unconformability with the adjacent Mauch Chunk Formation. In conclusion, while these sites are fairly equivalent in character, Bear Rocks has a less-forested escarpment at a higher height, resulting in a more impressive overlook.

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B. Present Condition: The Beaver Mill Lumber Company removed Black Moshannon State Park’s wealth of timber a century ago (Black Moshannon State Park Management Plan 2014). Although the Civilian Conservation Corps established plantations of red pine and other evergreens to help heal scars, remnants of the three- to five-foot-diameter stumps remain in some reforested areas (Bonta 1995). Moreover, while Black Moshannon often brags its “remote” and “wild” atmosphere, a small airport exists within the boundaries of the forest, and the lake that is the area’s centerpiece is entirely man-made. The Mid-State Regional Airport lies directly adjacent to the park, and is managed by the Regional Airport Authority. While the site does play a large role in forest fire management, it is also a landing site for a number of private planes (Mid-State Regional Airport Authority 2015). Moreover, the previously mentioned Black Moshannon Lake is maintained by the Kephart Dam, which features a “100ft wide ogee-shaped concrete spillway with a crest elevation of 1,865ft above sea level” (Black Moshannon Resource Management Plan 1993). In conclusion, although thorough plans have been meticulously outlined in Black Moshannon’s Park and Resource Management Plans, Bear Rocks altogether provides a more significant example of a natural, untouched environment.

4. Comparison of pNNL with Dan’s Mountain State Park

A. Illustrative Character: Dan’s Mountain is the only site that truly competes with Bear Rocks in terms of elevation. The peak of the mountain’s crest has an average escarpment height of 2,017ft, and in turn represents the eastern edge of the Allegheny Plateau physiographic region. In contrast to Bear Rock’s however, the elevated upland defines this area’s plateau is fairly dissected and often described as strongly rolling. Furthermore, while Dan’s Mountain State Park and the Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area are both within the borders of Dan’s Mountain, it is instead from Dan’s Rock, the mountain’s highest point (2,989ft), that the plateau feature can best be observed.

B. Present Condition: The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, while partially focused on the conservation and population growth of its resident species, has the additional interest of recreation. Since 85% of the funding for Maryland’s state wildlife programs comes from hunting license fees and a federal excise tax on sport hunting devices and ammunition, recreation is of major importance (Dan’s Mountain WMA 2015). The same is true for the state park, which has a number of man-made facilities to attract visitors. Most important, however, is the lack of upkeep at Dan’s Rock. As previously mentioned, Dan’s Rock is the best location to overlook the Maryland escarpment of the Allegheny Plateau. Unfortunately, this once beautiful cliff has fallen victim to vandalism, and is now riddled with graffiti. For this reason, Dan’s Mountain ranks below Bear Rocks, which instead appears unaltered.

5. Comparison of pNNL with Long Pond Macrosite

A. Illustrative Character: Long Pond is located within a section of the Glaciated Pocono Plateau, a region of the Allegheny Province of the Appalachian Plateaus. The bedrock consists mainly of characteristically resistant sandstone, which gives the area its obvious flatness (local relief on the upland varies only 200ft). Additionally, because this area was

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impacted by the Illinonian glaciation, rather than the more recent Wisconsinan, its unique soils facilitate the growth of mesic till barrens. This ecological community is considered representative of the Pocono Plateau, as well as highly significant due to the rare arrangement of wetland and barren plant species. While the escarpment at Long Pond (700ft) is demonstrative in its height and slope, it can only be seen from atop a neighboring state park. Therefore, due to the importance of Long Pond’s plant communities, as well as the lack of overlooks from within the site, this location is perhaps a better fit for an ecological theme, rather than that of the plateau.

B. Present Condition: Visually, Bear Rocks and Long Pond seem equally developed in terms of roads and trails. Long Pond is another site that is relatively wild in its appearance, and features a number of informal trails developed solely by its visitors. In contrast to Bear Rocks however, prescribed fire is necessary to maintain the site’s most important natural resource, the rare pitch pine-scrub oak barrens. However, despite the many complications that often arise when dealing with fire, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Nature Conservancy has done remarkably well in the management of these prescribed burns, and the benefits are abundantly clear. While a natural gas pipeline does run through a portion of the site, the maintenance (mostly mowing) necessary is actually beneficial to the barrens, which often face issues of overgrowth. In conclusion, although active management is necessary at Long Pond, the success of such efforts allows the site to rank equally with Bear Rocks in Present Condition.

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Evaluation Recommendations

After careful evaluation of the primary feature of the plateau found at Bear Rocks, we recommend this site for designation as a National Natural Landmark. This designation would fill a current gap within the NNL Program for Plateau Landforms in the Appalachian Plateaus region. The proposed site showcases how tectonic activity and continental collision form regionally important mountain and plateau landscapes. Despite the vast area of plateau landforms represented in the Plateaus province, only sites along structural fronts contain an escarpment that so clearly defines a plateau. Bear Rocks Preserve provides an illustrative example of this landscape feature since the Preserve exemplifies all three focus features: flat, sedimentary rock; high elevation and an obvious escarpment; and fluvial dissection. The elevation and cool climate of Bear Rocks supports a distinct ecological community dominated by cold-resistant, boreal plant species.

In comparing Bear Rocks to other potential sites in the Appalachian Plateaus province, we rank it slightly above the Pocono Front at the Delaware Water Gap in meeting NNL significance criteria. This prioritization is based on Bear Rocks’ towering elevation and more natural quality, as the escarpment at the Pocono Front is less than half of that at Bear Rocks, and the Delaware Water Gap faces a number of pressing geological and anthropogenic issues. At Bear Rocks, the opportunities for education and research at all academic levels are also outstanding. Other potential comparative sites are either inferior in demonstrative quality (Allegany State Park, Long Pond), or second-rate in condition (Black Moshannon, Dan’s Mountain).

Proposed Landmark BoundaryThe proposed landmark boundary includes all Preserve land currently overseen by The Nature Conservancy (Figure 4). Any land added to the management area in the future will be evaluated accordingly. The vector boundary layer for the Preserve was provided by the Conservancy. The site is coarsely bound on the south by the Dolly Sods Wilderness, on the west by the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, on the north by Virginia Electric and Power Company land, and on the east by the Allegheny Structural Front.

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Schulze, E. D., J. Lloyd, F. M. Kelliher, C. Wirth, C. Rebmann, B. Luhker, et al. 1999. Productivity of forests in the Eurosiberian boreal region and their potential to act as a carbon sink – a synthesis. Global Change Biology 5(6): 703-722.

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Figure 1. Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. Bear Rocks Preserve is located in the Allegheny Mountain section of the physiographic province.

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Data from Fenneman’s 1:7,000,000-scale map, “Physical Divisions of the United States.”

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Figure 2. Comparative sites studied for evaluation against Bear Rocks. Large dots represent the highest quality sites and small dots represent other sites.

Figure 3. Elevation of the Appalachian Plateaus and Valley and Ridge provinces. Land above the red line was glaciated during the last glaciation,

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while land below the line was unglaciated. Data from USGS National Elevation Dataset.

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Figure 4. Bear Rocks Preserve location map and proposed National Natural Landmark boundary. Data from Blackbird Knob WV Quad Sheet 7.5-minute USFS topographic quad sheets.

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Figure 5. Soils of Bear Rocks Preserve and surrounding lands. Data from National Resources Conservation Service.

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Figure 6. Land cover for Bear Rocks Preserve and surrounding lands. Data from National Land Cover Database.

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Figure 7. Access to Bear Rocks Preserve.

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Figure 8. Ownership for Bear Rocks Preserve and the nearby Dolly Sods Wilderness. Data provided by Mike Powell of The Nature Conservancy and from the Protected Areas Database of the United States.

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Appendix A: Bear Rocks Preserve Species List

VASCULAR PLANTS

This list is derived from two sources: (1) species lists from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (data provided by Jim Vanderhorst); (2) species lists from The Nature Conservancy (data provided by Mike Powell).

Abies balsamea (L.) P. Mill.Balsam Fir

Acer pensylvanicum L.Striped Maple

Acer rubrum L. Red Maple

Agrostis hyemalis (Walt.) B.S.P. Winter Bentgrass

Agrostis perennans (Walt.) Tuckerman

Upland Bentgrass Amelanchier laevis Wieg.

Allegheny Serviceberry Amelanchier Medik.

ServiceberryApocynum cannabinum L.

Indian-HempAralia hispida Vent.

Bristly Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis L.

Wild SarsaparillaArisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott

Jack-In-The-PulpitAulacomnium palustre (Hedw.) Schwaegr.

Swamp Ribbed MossBartonia virginica (L.) B.S.P.

Yellow Screwstem Betula alleghaniensis Britt. var. alleghaniensis

Yellow BirchBryum Hedw.

Bryum MossCalamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv. var. canadensis

Reedgrass, BluejointCarex aestivalis M.A. Curtis ex Gray

Summer Sedge

Carex argyrantha Tuckerman Hay Sedge

Carex atlantica BaileyPrickly Bog Sedge

Carex brunnescens (Pers.) Poir. Brown Sedge

Carex debilis Michx. White-Edge Sedge

Carex echinata Murr. ssp. echinataStar Sedge

Carex gynandra Schwein. Nodding Sedge

Carex L.Sedge

Carex trisperma Dewey var. trisperma

Three-Seeded SedgeCladina (Nyl.) Nyl.

Reindeer LichenCladonia P. Browne

Cup LichenClematis occidentalis (Hornem.) DC. var. occidentalis

Purple Virgin's BowerCoptis

GoldthreadCornus canadensis L.

Canadian BunchberryCorydalis sempervirens (L.) Pers.

Rock HarlequinCypripedium acaule Ait.

Pink Lady's-SlipperDalibarda repens L.

Robin-Run-AwayDanthonia compressa Austin ex Peck

Flattened Oatgrass

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Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore

Eastern Hay-Scented FernDeschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin. var. flexuosa

Crinkled HairgrassDichanthelium acuminatum (Sw.) Gould & C.A. Clark ssp. implicatum (Scribn.) Freckmann & Lelong

Western Panicgrass Diervilla lonicera P. Mill.

Bush-HoneysuckleDoellingeria umbellata (P. Mill.) Nees var. umbellata

Parasol WhitetopDrosera rotundifolia L. var. rotundifolia

Roundleaf SundewDryopteris intermedia (Muhl. ex Willd.) Gray

Intermediate WoodfernEpigaea repens L.

Trailing Arbutus Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC. var. hieraciifolia

PilewortEriophorum virginicum L.

Tawny Cotton-Grass Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nutt. var. graminifolia

Flat-Top GoldentopGaultheria procumbens L.

Wintergreen Gaylussacia baccata (Wangenh.) K. Koch

Black Huckleberry Gentiana linearis Froel.

Narrowleaf Gentian Glyceria canadensis (Michx.) Trin.

Rattlesnake MannagrassGlyceria laxa (Scribn.) Scribn.

MannagrassHeuchera alba Rydb.

White AlumrootHoustonia caerulea L.

Quaker-Ladies

Houstonia L. Bluet

Hypericum densiflorum Pursh Bushy St. John’s-Wort

Hypnum imponens Hedw.Flat Fern Moss

Ilex montana Torr. & Gray ex GrayMountain Holly

Ilex verticillata (L.) GrayCommon Winterberry

Juncus brevicaudatus (Engelm.) Fern.

Narrow-Panicle Rush Juncus effusus L. var. pylaei (Laharpe) Fern. & Wieg.

Soft RushJuncus effusus L. var. solutus Fern. & Wieg.

Lamp RushJuncus filiformis L.

Thread RushJuncus L.

RushJuncus subcaudatus (Engelm.) Coville & Blake var. subcaudatus

Woodland RushJuncus tenuis Willd.

Poverty Rush Kalmia latifolia L.

Mountain LaurelLasallia papulosa (Ach.) Llano

Toadskin LichenLeucobryum Hampe

White Cushion MossLycopodium annotinum L.

Stiff ClubmossLycopodium clavatum L.

Running Clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum L.

Princess-Pine Lysimachia quadrifolia L.

Whorled Yellow LoosestrifeMaianthemum canadense Desf.

Canada MayflowerMelampyrum lineare Desr.

Narrowleaf Cow-Wheat

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Menziesia pilosa (Michx. ex Lam.) Juss. ex Pers.

MinniebushNemopanthus mucronatus (L.) Loes.

CatberryOclemena acuminata (Michx.) Greene

Whorled Wood AsterOsmunda cinnamomea L.

Cinnamon FernPhotinia melanocarpa (Michx.) Robertson & Phipps

Black ChokeberryPhotinia pyrifolia (Lam.) Robertson & Phipps

Red ChokeberryPicea rubens Sarg.

Red SprucePinus rigida P. Mill.

Pitch PinePleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt.

Redstem Feather MossPoa pratensis L. ssp. pratensis

Kentucky BluegrassPolygala paucifolia

Gaywings Polygonum cilinode Michx.

Fringed Black-BindweedPolygonum scandens L. var. cristatum (Engelm. & Gray) Gleason

Climbing False BuckwheatPolypodium appalachianum Haufler & Windham

Appalachian Rockcap FernPolytrichum commune Hedw.

Common Hair Cap MossPolytrichum Hedw.

Hair Cap Moss Polytrichum pallidisetum Funck

Mountain Hair Cap Moss Polytrichum strictum Brid.

Woolly Hair Cap MossPopulus tremuloides Michx.

Quaking Aspen

Prunus alleghaniensis Porter var. alleghaniensis

Allegheny PlumPrunus L.

Plum, CherryPrunus pensylvanica L. f. var. pensylvanica

Pin Cherry, Bird Cherry, Fire CherryPrunus virginiana L. var. virginiana

Choke Cherry Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

Bracken Fern Ptilium crista-castrensis (Hedw.) De Not.

Knight's Plume MossQuercus ilicifolia Wangenh.

Bear OakQuercus rubra L.

Northern Red OakRhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl

White Beaksedge Ribes L.

GooseberryRibes rotundifolium Michx.

Appalachian GooseberryRosa L.

RoseRubus hispidus L.

Bristly Dewberry Rubus illecebrosus Focke

Strawberry-RaspberryRubus L.

BlackberrySalix discolor Muhl.

Pussy WillowSalix sericea Marsh.

Silky WillowSambucus nigra L. ssp. canadensis (L.) R. Bolli

Black Elderberry, Common ElderScirpus atrocinctus Fern.

Blackgirdle BulrushScirpus cyperinus (L.) Kunth

Woolgrass Bulrush

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Smilax rotundifolia L.Roundleaf Greenbrier

Solidago rugosa P. Mill. Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod

Solidago uliginosa Nutt. Bog Goldenrod

Sorbus americana Marsh.American Mountain-Ash

Sphagnum cuspidatum Ehrh. ex Hoffm.

Common Longleaf PeatmossSphagnum fallax (Klinggr.) Klinggr.

Sharp Longleaf PeatmossSphagnum palustre L.

Common Spoon Peat MossSphagnum papillosum Lindb.

Golden Spoon PeatmossSphagnum rubellum Wils.

Red Hair PeatmossSpiraea alba Du Roi

White MeadowsweetStellaria borealis Bigelow ssp. borealis

Northern StitchwortSymphyotrichum puniceum (L.) A.& D. Löve var. puniceum

Purple-Stem Aster

Thelypteris noveboracensis (L.) Nieuwl.

New York FernTrillium L.

WakerobinUmbilicaria Hoffm.

RocktripeUmbilicaria muehlenbergii (Ach.) Tuck.

Lesser RocktripeVaccinium angustifolium Ait.

Northern Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.

Large CranberryVaccinium myrtilloides Michx.

Velvetleaf Blueberry Vaccinium oxycoccos L.

Small CranberryViburnum acerifolium L.

Mapleleaf ViburnumViburnum nudum L. var. cassinoides (L.) Torr. & Gray

Northern Wild RaisinViola L.

VioletZigadenus leimanthoides Gray

Pine Barren Deathcamas

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LICHENS

This list is derived from the lichen species list from The Nature Conservancy (data provided by Mike Powell).

Acarospora fuscata Brown Cobblestone Lichen

Amandinea punctata Tiny Button Lichen

Arctoparmelia centrifuga Concentric-ring Lichen

Aspicilia cinerea Sunken Disk Lichen

Caloplaca flavovirescens Sulphur Firedot Lichen

Candelariella vitellina Common Goldspeck Lichen

Cetraria arenaria Karnefelt Sandwort Cetraria Lichen

Cladina arbuscula Reindeer Lichen

Cladina mitis Green Reindeer Lichen

Cladina rangiferina Reindeer Lichen

Cladonia chlorophaea Mealy Pixie-cup Lichen

Cladonia crispata Organ-pipe Lichen

Cladonia grayi Gray's Cup Lichen

Cladonia macilenta Lipstick Cladonia

Cladonia pyxidata Pixie Cups

Cladonia squamosa Cladonia uncialis

Thorn LichenCornutispora lichenicola Dimelaena oreina

Golden Moonglow LichenHeterodermia granulifera

Shield LichenHypogymnia physodes

Tube Lichen

Imshaugia aleurites Salted Starburst Lichen

Lasallia papulosa Common Toadskin

Lecanactis sp. Lecanora albella (Pers.) Ach. var. rubescens Lecanora hybocarpa

Rim LichenLecanora pulicaris

Rim LichenLecanora symmicta

Rim LichenLeconora thysanophora

Mapledust LichenLeptogium lichenoides

Skin LichenMelanelia culbersonii Melanelia stygia

Melanelia LichenMyxobilimbia sabuletorum Ochrolechia arborea

Tree Crabseye LichenParmelia fraudans

Shield LichenParmelia saxatilis

Salted Shield LichenParmelia sulcata

Shield LichenParmeliopsis capitata

Headed Starburt LichenPeltigera collina

Tree Pelt LichenPeltigera rufescens

Felt LichenPorpidia herteliana

Hertel's Porpidia LichenPorpidia tahawasiana Pseudevernia consocians Puntelia missouriensis

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Pycnothelia papillaria Pycothelia Lichen

Rhizocarpon subgeminatum Rinodina sp. Sarcogyne similis

Sarcogyne LichenSarcosagium campestre Scoliciosporum chlorococcum

Scoliciosporum LichenStrigula jamesii

James' Strigula Lichen

Umbilicaria americana Frosted Rock Tripe

Umbilicaria muelenbergii Vulpidida pinastri Xanthoparmelia angustiphylla

Xanthoparmelia LichenXanthoparmelia conspersa

Shield LichenXanthoparmelia plittii

Plitt's Rock-shield

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BIRDS

This is derived from the list of all breeding birds detected on West Virginia’s “Bismark” Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Route (Route 90147). Species data was collected within a 32-year time period, between 1976 and 2007. BBS Route 90147 lies within the Appalachian Mountain (28) Bird Conservation Region of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (start coordinates 39°13’3” N, 79°13’60” W). Although bird species data was not available for the Bear Rocks Preserve, the “Bismark” BBS Route lies north of the Preserve, along the same plateau and structural front.

Accipiter cooperiiCooper's Hawk

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird

Ammodramus savannarumGrasshopper Sparrow

Anas platyrhynchosMallard

Archilochus colubrisRuby-throated Hummingbird

Ardea herodiasGreat Blue Heron

Baeolophus bicolorTufted Titmouse

Bombycilla cedrorumCedar Waxwing

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse

Branta canadensisCanada Goose

Bubo virginianusGreat Horned Owl

Buteo jamaicensisRed-tailed Hawk

Buteo platypterusBroad-winged Hawk

Butorides virescensGreen Heron

Cardellina canadensisCanada Warbler

Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal

Carduelis tristisAmerican Goldfinch

Cathartes auraTurkey Vulture

Catharus fuscescensVeery

Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush

Chaetura pelagicaChimney Swift

Charadrius vociferusKilldeer

Circus cyaneusNorthern Harrier

Coccyzus americanusYellow-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmusBlack-billed Cuckoo

Colaptes auratus(Yellow-shafted Flicker) Northern Flicker

Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite

Columba liviaRock Pigeon

Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee

Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow

Corvus coraxCommon Raven

Cyanocitta cristataBlue Jay

Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink

Dumetella carolinensisGray Catbird

Empidonax alnorumAlder Flycatcher

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Empidonax minimusLeast Flycatcher

Empidonax trailliiWillow Flycatcher

Empidonax virescensAcadian Flycatcher

Geothlypis formosaKentucky Warbler

Geothlypis trichasCommon Yellowthroat

Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch

Haemorhous purpureusPurple Finch

Helmitheros vermivorumWorm-eating Warbler

Hirundo rusticaBarn Swallow

Hylatomus pileatusPileated Woodpecker

Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush

Icteria virensYellow-breasted Chat

Icterus galbulaBaltimore Oriole

Junco hyemalis(Slate-colored Junco) Dark-eyed Junco

Leuconotopicus villosusHairy Woodpecker

Megaceryle alcyonBelted Kingfisher

Megascops asioEastern Screech-Owl

Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker

Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey

Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow

Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird

Mniotilta variaBlack-and-white Warbler

Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird

Myiarchus crinitusGreat Crested Flycatcher

Parkesia motacillaLouisiana Waterthrush

Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensisSavannah Sparrow

Passerina cyaneaIndigo Bunting

Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak

Picoides pubescensDowny Woodpecker

Pipilo erythrophthalmusEastern Towhee

Piranga olivaceaScarlet Tanager

Poecile atricapillusBlack-capped Chickadee

Polioptila caeruleaBlue-gray Gnatcatcher

Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow

Protonotaria citreaProthonotary Warbler

Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle

Sayornis phoebeEastern Phoebe

Scolopax minorAmerican Woodcock

SeiurusOvenbird

Setophaga americanaNorthern Parula

Setophaga ceruleaCerulean Warbler

Setophaga citrinaHooded Warbler

Setophaga discolorPrairie Warbler

Setophaga dominicaYellow-throated Warbler

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Setophaga fuscaBlackburnian Warbler

Setophaga magnoliaMagnolia Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanicaChestnut-sided Warbler

Setophaga petechiaYellow Warbler

Setophaga ruticillaAmerican Redstart

Setophaga virensBlack-throated Green Warbler

Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird

Sitta canadensisRed-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch

Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow

Spizella pusillaField Sparrow

Stelgidopteryx serripennisNorthern Rough-winged Swallow

Sturnella magnaEastern Meadowlark

Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling

Tachycineta bicolorTree Swallow

Thryomanes bewickiiBewick's Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianusCarolina Wren

Toxostoma rufumBrown Thrasher

Troglodytes aedonHouse Wren

Troglodytes hiemalisWinter Wren

Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin

Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird

Vermivora chrysopteraGolden-winged Warbler

Vermivora cyanopteraBlue-winged Warbler

Vireo flavifronsYellow-throated Vireo

Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo

Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo

Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove

Zonotrichia albicollisWhite-throated Sparrow

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Appendix B: Representative Site PhotographsPhotos by Natalie Somerville

(Above and below): A view of the plateau of Bear Rocks Preserve along the escarpment of the Allegheny Front; view to the southwest (above) and to the northeast (below).

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Landscapes

(Above and below): Two sunrises, looking east (above) and northeast (below) from Bear Rocks Preserve. The ridges and valleys of the Valley and Ridge Province, as well as the escarpment

from Bear Rocks, are visible.

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(Above): Pottsville sandstone rocks and stunted red spruce trees of the Bear Rocks Preserve, looking north into the Preserve from the Dolly Sods Wilderness.

(Below): Mixed vegetation of the Bear Rocks landscape, including red spruce, mountain laurel, and heath shrubs.

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(Above and below): Examples of Bear Rocks landscapes, displaying the assortment of trees, shrubs, and jumbled, rocky outcroppings typical of the Preserve.

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Geologic Features

(Above and below): Illustrative examples of the flat-lying Pottsville sandstone, found in the Bear Rocks Preserve along much of the Allegheny Front bounded within the Preserve.

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(Above): Further example of the illustrative flatness of the rocks on the edge of the plateau in Bear Rocks; view towards the east.

(Below): Several potholes, created by erosion and weathering, are visible in the surface of the Pottsville sandstone.

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(Above): An example of a frost heave in the Preserve; sandstone rocks of a frost heave form this jumble due to upward swelling of soil during freezing conditions as ice pushes up to the surface.

(Below): Escarpment along the front, looking north (left) and south (right).

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Biologic Features

(Above): Cranberry bog, showing grass species and pooled water from rain.(Below): Flowering shrub species.

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(Above): Pink flower buds of mountain laurel, about to burst into bloom.(Below): Examples of stunted, or flagged, red spruce trees.

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(Above): Lowbush blueberry; not yet ripe for picking.(Below): Cranberries left over from last fall’s berry picking season.

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(Above and below): Two examples of reindeer lichen; a larger, more mature example (above) among other scrub plants, and a small example (below) growing among other moss and lichen

species on sandstone.

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Education and Access

(Above and below): Examples of informal trails running through the Bear Rocks Preserve; some are wider and more distinct (above; below right), some are less obvious (below left).

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(Above): Example of signage at Bear Rocks.

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Management

(Above): Small red spruce trees planted by The Nature Conservancy.(Below): Cleared land as evidence of fire-fighting activities.

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(Above): A coconut fiber log (left) and a small rock wall (right) put in place by The Nature Conservancy to prevent sediment from being carried away by streams in times of rain.

(Below): An example of a property boundary marker between USFS land and TNC land.

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Surrounding Area: Dolly Sods Wilderness

(Above and below): View from the scenic overlook within the Dolly Sods Wilderness, located just across from the Red Creek Campground; view to the east (above) and the southeast (below).

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(Above): Forest Service Road 75.(Below): Example of signage and trailhead information found in the Dolly Sods Wilderness.

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(Above): Example of a trail path (left) and a visitor activity restriction (right) within the Dolly Sods Wilderness, placed there and managed by the United States Forest Service.

(Below): Three-toothed cinquefoil (left) and blueberries (right) found in Dolly Sods.

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Appendix C: Photographs for Comparative SitesPhotos by Carly Sibilia

Long Pond Macrosite

(Above): Mesic till barrens at Long Pond including characteristic scrub oak, pitch pine, and low-lying shrubs such as blueberry and sheep laurel.

(Below): Round-leafed or common sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs and marshes, alongside the bog cranberry, a flowering plant in the heath family. Both species thrive

in infertile soil.

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(Above): View of the Long Pond escarpment from atop Big Pocono State Park.

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Delaware Water Gap

(Above): View of the Pocono Front from Route 209 within the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area.

(Below): Scenic overlook of the Delaware River and surrounding area from atop the Pocono Front. Notable features include outcrop and oak, birch, and pine forests (left). Dingman Falls

(right) is an example of one of the many waterfalls along the Pocono Front escarpment. Surrounding vegetation includes misted mosses and liverworts as well as Hemlock forests.

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Dan’s MountainPhotos by SummitPost.org member EastKing

(Above): View to the east, standing on Dan’s Mountain.(Below): Example of graffiti found on the rocks.

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