This Kind Of Activity Will Get St. Clair, Pa Closed For Everyone.

[fossilcrazy]

Yesterday, I went fossil fern collecting at St. Clair for the first time this year. What an eye opener! I counted 15 conifer trees were removed from the pit digging areas. Garbage litter is very prevalent. Tents erected blocking use of the road and left there. Just coincidentally I spoke to three people from the PA Dept. of Natural Resources who came to the collecting site while I was collecting. I'm sure if what they saw got back to Reading Anthracite we will be on outside looking in. Here are some of the sights I saw.

I'm not sure how to mitigate the problem. I took out one garbage bag with me; but It took time to gather the litter. I came to collect fossils, not pick up after others. Looks like another half dozen bags would be needed to clear the area. The trees are a loss and aren't going anywhere. I don't know if other FF members find this as a concern or annoyance. There are large number of clubs who have annual fieldtrips here at St. Clair. Young and older families have fossil collecting outings. I personally find this place a beautiful fossil collecting experience. I'll post more pictures with another message.

Edited August 14, 2013 by fossilcrazy

[fossilcrazy]

Here are more trees found down-

[JohnJ]

That's just sad.... I've always said if you're man or woman enough to bring it in, then you should be man or woman enough to pack it out.

[fossilcrazy]

Some more trees and some of the garbage I gathered in the area I was collecting.

[Kosmoceras]

Thank you for helping to tidy the place up by removing other people's rubbish. I find it sickening what some people do to places like this!

[Pagurus]

This is terrible to see. St. Claire is a beautiful spot with incredible plant fossils. I haven't been there in a couple of years but it's high on my list for this fall. Unfortunately I can understand the garbage, some people have no regard for others. Thank you for picking some of it up. I don't understand the toppled trees. Do you think people knocked them down to uncover fossils underneath? I really don't know what to make of the tent. Was there digging under there? Did it look like someone set it up for shade while they collected? Do you think it was a commercial operation to sell fossils? It's all disconcerting. Did the PA Natural Resources people shed any light on what happened there? It would be a shame to lose that site to collecting. Up until now I think the landowners just kind of looked the other way when individual collectors and families dug a few holes, but when they see this kind of abuse they might begin to see a problem. Most fossil-collectors, like most hunters, are respectful to the land and the property owners, but there are always a few rotten apples. It's possible this mess wasn't caused by fossil hunters at all, but that probably wouldn't matter to the landowners. Yuk.

[fossilcrazy]

I'm not going to say the people who put up the tents also removed the trees. The dig does look like who was working it, was doing a whole scale dig and removal;

possibly a commercial enterprise. I just thought it was presumptuous to think it's OK to block the road. For sure it didn't have to stay up and debris left there.

[fossilcrazy]

Looking at this from Reading Anthracite's (owner of the property) view; money was spent to reclaim this strip mine area. That consists of dozing the area somewhat level and landscaping with trees and vegetation. If guests (more like unknown visitors) undo the work put into reclaiming; it would seem there is a problem. I don't need to be a genius to see the writing on the wall as to what the next step will be.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

too many people on one natural resource eventually brings with it this poor stewardship mentality.

[fossilcrazy]

too many people on one natural resource eventually brings with it this poor stewardship mentality.

Well put. I can understand the drive to participate in searching these fossils. I can't understand the lack of respect for the land and others. Do manners just go out the window because of fossil collecting?

[Ridgehiker]

Congrats for making an effort to clean things up. Fortunately the vast majority of people these days are more responsible. As we know, it just takes a few to destroy what we all cherish.

[rejd]

That is really sad. I often find myself packing out garbage no matter where I go. Is it really that hard to put an empty pop bottle in your bag and carry it out?

[FossilDudeCO]

Those pictures are sickening. I would have packed those tarps out though and if they did come back to "camp" oh well their loss!

[Uncle Siphuncle]

the paleo gig presents a crucible of human nature at times...

[Roz]

I sure hope they don't close it.. It doesn't take many to ruin it for all..

[Regg Cato]

smh...some people...

if it is a commercial enterprise that's quite sad...but then I guess it is consistent with how humans have mismanaged the earth's other resources...

[MakoMeCrazy]

what a shame. Hopefully this activity doesn't ruin it for everyone.

[jgcox]

what if you could get a group of collectors from the area around to have a clean up day. Show the owners that not all collectors will trash their property.

[fossilcrazy]

I wouldn't mind being on that cleanup committee, but I sure wouldn't give the owners (Reading Anthracite) a heads up that their property is in a state of abuse.

I would just remedy the situation before the owners feel the need to handle it their own way. No harm no foul. My thoughts today would be to make signs to

outline good collecting guidelines at access points. This would only work if this can get turned around.

[PFOOLEY]

Many times, in my travels to the Puerco, I see "shooters" residue. Targets, microwaves, and a lot of trash. These people just leave all their snarge behind for, those of us who really appreciate our wilds, to see in our adventures. There is no cure, but I definitely appreciate your picking/gathering it up. I am notorious for bringing home more trash than I took.

Every bit matters.

[fossilcrazy]

Tearing down someones camp site tent isn't going to help the greater damage done by people who want to look for fossils underneath the trees. Like there isn't enough area without trees.

Here is a aerial view picture of the collecting area taken on Sept. 12, 2012 before the unscrupulous activities. I have circled in pink the area that the trees are now gone.

When the Google updated map appears it will be interesting what the terrain will reveal. Oh, and the little blue area in the circle is someones tent.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

watch ebay for an influx of st clair slabs...then don't buy their offerings.

[erose]

The spot has been poached by commercial collectors before. On at least one occasion a backhoe was even brought in. As always the ownership question gets raised. My understanding is that Reading owns the land we cross to get in but the actual collecting area is owned by others. When I was with the NYPS we contacted a woman who owned the area we collected. She told us about the backhoe and was upset but not to the point of cutting us off. That was a dozen years back?

I also find it interesting that the tarps were left behind? Would be very interesting to see if they come back. As Dan said, let's see what starts popping up on ebay or even in rock shops and shows this fall.

There was always some litter there, but mostly the odd soda can, water bottle, wind-blown plastic bag, etc. All those gallon jugs suggest someone came in prepared for hard work. The ATV riders use(d) the area as well, but were surprisingly gentle on the place. And I learned early that just because someone enjoys the great outdoors doesn't mean they respect it. And, sadly, that includes a small portion of fellow rockhounds.

Edited August 15, 2013 by erose

[Scylla]

This saddens and angers me at the same time. I wish I lived close enough to help clean up. I will remember to bring an extra trash bag and haul out a bag of trash when I visit next time.

[Joe D.]

You have to be a bit careful in this area as the old mines are used by those who use every kind of small arms weapon known to man. Machine guns, armored piercing and "cop" killer rounds are used to shoot through old 20 gallon LP tanks and 1 inch steel plate. The site down the road from the old St. Clair site is notorious for a target practice spot. People have used these sites for garbage dumps since they have been closed to mining. Its a shame that some people have no regard for anyone else or their property. A few of the old sites I used to collect up in the "Strip Mine area" have been leased to off roaders who maintain them pretty well, some even have key card access for their members.

The St. Clair site was closed for years after an off roader got injured by his own stupidity and then got a lawyer to bring a litigation suit against the lease owners of the land. Commercial harvesters have been known to rape this area with heavy equipment from time to time.

Be careful collecting on your own in these areas. I usually stop a policemen to see how things are going in the area before I collect there. I also carry a gun in this area at all times. This is still a beautiful area to collect unusual fossils but car should be exercised. One of my sons still teaches school in the high school down the road from this area.

Joe D.