RECLAMATION OF THE LANDSCAPE 321 



and the Green Sullivan State Forest are major recreational areas 

 that indicate how beauty can be created where strip mining had 

 disturbed a large percent of the land area. 



Specific needs of the immediate future are reclamation along high- 

 ways and beautification of the landscape around the water impound- 

 ments that have been created by strip mining. This will require 

 State and county planning for rehabilitation to provide for outdoor 

 recreation, hunting and fishing, and production of wood products. 

 Such a program could be made a top priority for use of the new Land 

 and Water Conservation funds and for the Bureau of Outdoor Recre- 

 ation to help plan and acquire reclaimed land for development of 

 public recreation areas in mining States. 



Mr. STOCKER. Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., an investor- 

 owned electric utility, serves a 10,000-square-mile area in central 

 eastern Pennsylvania. The northeastern portion of this territory 

 contains the anthracite area which had a one-industry economic 

 base for many years. 



The anthracite industry's decline resulted in the loss of 58,000 

 mining jobs from 1945 to 1960 and the emigration of 100,000 

 people. It also ignited the tremendous spirit and action of the people 

 in the region to aggressively seek new diversified industries. Their 

 achievements have been outstanding a gain of 31,000 new manu- 

 facturing jobs in the last 10 years alone. 



The anthracite area has had many tools to work with . . . plant- 

 sites, shell buildings, low-cost financing, a supply of capable and 

 willing workers, friendly people, convenience to the Nation's largest 

 markets, transportation, schools, housing, and a willingness to co- 

 operate among communities. However, new trends have been oc- 

 curring in plant location studies. Site selection is becoming more 

 sophisticated. Ever increasing importance is being placed on area 

 appearance. 



There are sharp contrasts in the natural environment of the anthra- 

 cite area. From one side of a mountain you can see a lovely fertile 

 valley. From the other side of the same mountain the view is marred 

 by spoil and culm banks and the scars of strip mining. Years of 

 mining operation have left their mark on the area. Though the 

 scars are evidence of the region's extensive and continuing contribu- 

 tion to progress, they are, at the same time, becoming an increasingly 

 greater deterrent to accelerating the area's economy. 



Here is where remedial action had to be taken in the anthracite 



