Clean Up Report - PENNSYLVANIA 1999 Rainbow Gathering in Allegheny National Forest

FINAL IMPACT SUMMARY
1999
NATIONAL RAINBOW FAMILY GATHERING
ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST
***********
1999 National Rainbow Event Resource Summary
USDA, Forest Service, Region 9
Allegheny National Forest

Introduction: The 1999 National Rainbow gathering occurred on lands administered by the Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District. The event occurred from early June, 1999 through September 1999 when clean-up operations were completed.

The site chosen for the gathering was just south of the Bear Creek Campground near the community of Ridgway, Pennsylvania. This site was very remote with limited interior vehicular access opportunities. The vegetation is almost entirely tree-covered with limited interior openings. Because of the extreme remoteness, steep terrain, and limited openings, this site was not recommended as desirable for a gathering of this magnitude.

A team of Forest Service Resource Specialists was assembled, charged with the task of doing a pre/post event assessment of resource impacts both negative and positive. These assessments were shared openly and frequently with Rainbow Family members in the hope that long term negative impacts of the gathering would be minimized or avoided. Specialists in Soils, Heritage, Water Quality, Recreation, Engineering, and Wildlife made an initial and post-event assessment of the resources. The resource writeups are included in this document and form the basis for the following summary.

Summary: After reviewing the pre/post event evaluations by the team of resource specialists assigned to this event. I have concluded that there will be minimal long-term negative resource impacts to the Bear Creek site. One Heritage site was damaged during the event. All other resource impacts have been adequately addressed, mitigated or rehabilitated.

The post-event Rainbow Family contingent did a very good job of cleanup and site reclamation. As time passes, it will be increasingly difficult to determine that a gathering of this magnitude ever occurred in the Bear Creek area. The Forest Service District Ranger and Resource Assessment team experienced a high degree of cooperation with the family on any matter where natural resource issues were of concern. I believe this is largely due to the cooperative spirit that was established with family members at the outset of the gathering and carried that the event by mutual encounters by Forest Service and Rainbow family members.

LEON F. BLASHOCK
District Ranger

---

CLEAN UP and SITE RESTORATION

These activities consisted of searching out and filling in all slit latrines; removal of all litter and man made facilities from the Bear Creek Valley and along Forest Service roads numbered 135, 136, 393 (bus village), and 161, and Bear Creek Recreation Area; removal of abandoned vehicles; restoration of wildlife food plots; restoration of areas that needed waterbars and seeding.

The energy and commitment that went into returning the site back to its near natural state is to be highly commended. All requests for needed restoration action and follow-up was met with a spirit of wanting to do the right thing for clean-up and restoration. The USFS resource coordinator met many times with various groups and individuals of the Rainbow Family (RBF) prior to, during, and after the gathering to coordinate and seek cooperation in reducing resource impacts and mitigate impacts from RBF activities.

The Resource Coordinator (RC) made numerous trips into Bear Creek Valley during the clean-up/restoration phase and when only 12 campers were left. Lists were made of what had to be done and given to members. Several walk throughs were made with RBF members to see what needed to be done and to what standard.

The RC spent several days walking out most of the trail system located on the plateau, low slope, and riparian positions. No uncovered latrines were found. One was found that did not have enough soil cover but was covered correctly the next day.

Litter and trash removal started on July 6th. The material was removed to three concentrated recycling centers. All material was examined and separated for recycling. Local organizations were contacted for the various materials and they came out and picked up the material. Remaining non-recyclable material was placed in large dumpsters to be hauled to a local landfill. Some material was taken home by members to ease the demand on local landfills. RBF fully met their obligation to remove all litter/trash material. All abandoned vehicles were removed.

One wildlife food plot required restoration. This plot was at the A Camp location. RBF contracted with the same contractor the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) uses to renovate food plots. The work met ANF standards and was completed in a timely manner. One other plot was impacted but it needed renovation prior to RBF use.

Approximately 60% of the main trails were located on existing Forest Service roads, historical logging trails and/or historical logging railroad grades. The main trail in the "Main Meadow" area was wide, bare of vegetation and compacted. Rainbow Family rented an aerator and ran this over most of the trails. It removed a core of soil about 3/4 inches wide and 1 to 2 inches deep. On these compacted areas, the seed catch and sprouting was greatest in these small holes. After being undisturbed for 3 to 4 weeks natural vegetation began to sprout. Some areas were too shady to plant, but the RBF took it upon themselves to seed some of these areas. Some existing waterbars were restored. One area of waterbars was not done correctly. Members re-did those water-bars. Kitchen Areas were aerated using shovels and picks. Bridging and stone crossings were removed to allow for natural drainage. Some observable traces of the sites occupation will remain until leaf fall. The RBF satisfactorily "naturalized" camping areas and kitchen sites by scattering rocks, scattering logs, and filling fire pits.
Bill Moriarity
Resource Coordinator


Original Source