THE ANTHRACITE FOREST REGION-- A P R O B L E M AREA 



Part /.—The Anthracite Forest Region 



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GENERAL DESCRIPTION 



THE anthracite coal deposits of Pennsylvania lie 

 in the northeastern part of the State. Because 

 the mining of these deposits requires the use of large 

 quantities of timber, forest operations for a consider- 

 able distance on all sides of the coal fields are deter- 

 mined by the needs of the anthracite industry. A 

 small quantity of the wood used by the mines is 

 imported from other parts of the country, from New 

 York, Maryland, Virginia, and even North Carolina. 

 Most of it, however, comes from the 15 counties 

 that include and surround the coal fields. In forest 

 utilization this area forms a unit, the Anthracite 

 Forest Region, shown on the cover. 



Topography and Drainage 



This region comprises about 5% million acres, or 

 IK percent of the area of Pennsylvania. The topo- 

 graphy is generally rugged (fig. 1). In the north is 

 the eastern end of the Allegheny Plateau. This is 

 the deeply eroded remains of a tableland, in some 

 places very uneven, in others relatively level, much 

 of it dotted with small glacier-formed lakes and 

 swamps. The higher ground is mostly rock-strewn 

 with a comparatively thin soil covering; but man) 

 of the gullies and valleys have deep, rich soil. The 

 southern part of the region is partly rolling foothill 

 country, well watered, and much of it fertile. Lying 

 across this and joining the Allegheny Plateau on tin- 

 east is the upper end of the Appalachian chain, a 

 series ol steep parallel ridges, widening out in places 



into relatively infertile plateaus, and separated from 

 one another l>\ narrow valleys. 



The eastern and southeastern parts of the region 

 drain into the Delaware River, which bounds the 

 area on the east; the remaining parts are drained by 



the Susquehanna River, the north branch of which 

 winds down across the center of the region. 



Land Use 



About 61 percent of the region is in forest (fig, 2). 

 The proportion of forest land is 25 percent higher than 

 in the rest of the State. The water area, most of 

 which is in the forested sections, is relative!) large; 40 

 percent of the water area of the State is located here. 

 Mine waste banks are to be found wherever mining is 

 carried on. There is considerable open pasture land, 

 especially in the north, much of it in close association 

 with forest. Urban areas given over to residential 

 and industrial uses are located principally along the 

 river valleys, though some of the mining towns in tin- 

 central and southern part are on the higher land. 

 The area devoted to each of the principal land use- is 

 as follows: 



i ■ 



Forest y 



( Copland 1 . 059, 500 



Mine waste .100 



Water 73, 900 



( )ther uses Si-' . 



fotal 5. 



Industrial Development 



( !oal mining is the keystone of the econon 



of this region, 1 he mines provide the chief market 

 for the forest products. I lie transportation - 

 was buill up to transport coal, which is still its 

 pal cargo. Much of the metal industry - 

 in normal times with manufacturing niacin 



the mines and rolling slock for the railro 



780540 is 



