Pennsylvania Hiking Trail Troubles

A long-ish piece in the Sentinel (from the Carlisle-Shippensburg, PA region) by Heather Stauffer on 10 June 2007, and headlined "Troubled trail: Part of Dickinson Township hiker/biker path is closed" details some of the difficulties of trails that pass over private property. There are a number of them in Pennsylvania. Different hiking club officers quoted agree that many landowners seem concerned about liabilities if hikers are injured on their property. The article mentions a Pennsylvania bill - passed by the House and being considered by the Senate - which would reiterate landowner protection.

Paul Shaw, executive director of the Keystone Trails Association,

"said, he'd like to see a bill for a defense fund that would reimburse landowners for those legal costs.

"Meanwhile, he's happy about another piece of pending legislation: House Bill 1281, which would amend Pennsylvania's Appalachian Trail Act by spelling out what Pennsylvania municipalities and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources may do to protect the trail.

"'What we found is that a lot of people assume that with the Appalachian Trail being a national trail, it's fully protected,' Shaw said. But, he said, that's not the case.

"'There was a racetrack proposed in eastern Pennsylvania that would have been right next to the trail,' Shaw said. So, he said, 'We're strong supporters of (the bill).'"

That would be the Alpine Rose race track which is actually STILL a live issue.