Whiskey Springs to Bloody Skillet ATV connector trail one step closer to completion

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https://www.northcentralpa.com/life/outdoors/whiskey-springs-to-bloody-skillet-atv-connector-trail-one-step-closer-to-completion/article_85c1eff0-725e-11ec-a996-4f675fdbdb4c.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2ssDfGTsVCdeD

 

Whiskey Springs to Bloody Skillet ATV connector trail one step closer to completion

 

Lock Haven, Pa. -- The Central Mountains ATV Association Inc. was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $1,223,900 to complete the Whiskey Springs to Bloody Skillet ATV Connector Trail in Renovo Borough and Chapman Township, Clinton County.

The grant was awarded through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2). 

According to Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, this funding will make possible the construction of approximately 1.25 miles of trail from Brewery Run Road in Renovo Borough to Sproul State Forest in Chapman Township, including ADA access, landscaping, signage, and other related site improvements.

 

 

The study for this segment was completed in the spring of 2020, but the construction process has been full of obstacles. 

"The first shovel of dirt likely won't happen until spring of 2023," said Henry Sorgen, president of the Central Mountains ATV Association Inc. 

One of the major hurdles, he said, included road crossings. "The ATV Pilot Program opened doors and made it easier," he said.

According to DCNR, "as the term 'pilot' suggests, the Regional Trail Connector is a new program that connects ATV riding opportunities on existing trails overseen by different governing authorities." The 2021 ATV Regional Trail Connector Pilot area spans Potter and Tioga counties.

DCNR approached the Central Mountains ATV club after completing the study to connect Renovo to Bloody Skillet.

"We just had a meeting Friday [with DCNR] about the grant," said Sorgen. It's going to be a Clinton County trail, so the County will manage the grant. The Club will share the project with the county, managing construction and maintenance.

"Clinton County is heavily invested in the project," said Sorgen.

 

Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grants are administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and are awarded to municipalities and authorized nonprofit organizations for recreation, park, and conservation projects.

Overall, Connection to from Renovo to the New York border is hoped to be completed by 2024. "Over the years, the ATV clup has increased the available miles to ride from 286 to 1,100 legal miles," said Sorgan.

 

Some of the trails are also open to hikers, mountain bikers, and snowmobiles.