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> General description: The Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau cover 



>i much of the central and western part of the state. They are primarily forested 



C/5 except for the major valleys, where agricultural, industrial, and urban develop- 



p ment are concentrated. Agriculture is also especially well developed in the 



LU Great Valley and along the Piedmont. The important wetland types found in the 



°- state are wooded swamps, marshes, and bogs. Swamps are scattered throughout 



the wooded, mountainous sections, wherever drainage is impeded. Bogs may 



also be associated with such sites especially in the northern glaciated portion of 



the state. Marshes occur along certain of the major rivers and elsewhere, where 



water levels favor marsh development. 



Status of the wetlands: Near the centers of urban and industrial growth the 

 fresh-water wetlands continue to be destroyed. Some bog sites are also being ex- 

 ploited for peat deposits. Among the specific encroachments threatening certain 

 of the areas reported are highway construction, land fill, development, agricul- 

 tural drainage, and grazing. 



Sources of data: Information has been received from the Philadelphia Conserva- 

 tionists, Inc., the Carnegie Museum, and biologists at the state colleges. 



Recommendations: Of the 15 areas reported, three (Bear Meadows Natural 

 Area, Presque Isle State Park, the Tinicum Marshes) have already been 

 designated as Natural Landmarks. Bear Meadows, located in central Pennsyl- 

 vania, considerably south of the terminal moraine, exhibits a typical bog flora. 



Of the dozen areas to be considered as candidates for landmark status most of 

 them are bogs concentrated in the northwestern part of the state. One exception 

 is the Cranberry Bog Preserve situated in the northeastern section. It is a low 

 elevation black spruce-tamarack bog just a few miles north of the terminal 

 moraine which crosses the region at the Delaware Water Gap. Through the ef- 

 forts of The Nature Conservancy and Lafayette College over 100 acres have 

 been protected. With some commitment from adjacent owners of the remaining 

 acreage, designation of this tract would add further diversity to the bog flora 

 now under landmark status. 



The most extensive bog complex reported is Hartstown Bog, an estimated 

 3000 acres in western Pennsylvania. Data on the plant communities are too 

 limited to fully evaluate this area. Since most of the land is state-owned, long- 

 term protection can probably be provided. It should be site visited. 



Mercer Bog is reported to be the southernmost bog in glaciated terrain in 

 western Pennsylvania, which makes it comparable in this respect to the Cran- 

 berry Bog Preserve in the eastern part of the state. Under private ownership, it 

 is currently being used rather heavily, an encroachment which could do ir- 

 reparable damage to the bog mat vegetation. If adequate protection can be as- 

 sured, it may be worthy of landmark status. Titus Bog and Wattsburg Bog are 

 owned by the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania and the Western 

 Pennsylvania Conservancy, respectively. Both exhibit an unusually interesting 

 bog flora including certain very rare species. They should be investigated. The 

 privately owned Boleratz Bog is only about 30 acres in extent but it, too, ex- 

 hibits a rich flora worthy of preservation. It should be inspected along with the 

 other western bogs. Data on Plain Grove Bog is too limited for recommendation 

 but it should be field inspected. Reynolds' Spring, actually described as a bog, is 

 located in an extremely isolated section of Tioga County. It, along with 

 Tamarack Swamp lying on the Tioga-Lycoming County border (also shown on 



