Forty years after a devastating tornado hit Parker Dam State Park, a major project brings new life to the area.
HUSTON TWP.– A major project, roughly two years in the making, is starting to come to fruition outside of Parker Dam State Park in the Moshannon State Forest.
The project will give Pennsylvania’s largest land mammal, the elk, a new habitat and a prime location for people to see them.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission teamed up with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Turkeys for Tomorrow to add 250 acres of prime elk habitat and a new future elk viewing area near the park.
An announcement with a project update was recently made on the commission’s Northcentral region social media pages, building excitement about the progress.
According to Shawn Seeley, Land Manager for the Pennsylvania Game Commission who is currently overseeing the project, planning began in 2023 with a lot of coordination between the PA Game Commission and DCNR to lay the groundwork, which officially started in January of 2024.
The area, once hit by a tornado, left the forest with small pole timber and little wildlife value.
Read more on GANT about the tornado here.
“Before the project it was hard to find signs of wildlife in the area. As soon as we began the project, the deer and turkey showed up,” said Seeley.
He noted since the elk are in close proximity to the area already, it shouldn’t take long for them to find it.
The project is unique because they created woodland savannahs, which are open areas with islands of trees. They kept a mix of oak, cherry, and other special trees in place. These trees will provide a habitat not just for the elk but birds, insects, and other animals, too.
“We expect these woodlands to be fully green by next spring. This project will benefit all wildlife,” explained Seeley.
In addition to the new elk habitat, they are also creating a small elk viewing area that borders a section of the state forest road adjacent to this project.
“The viewing area will be similar in nature to the Hoover viewing area in Quehanna. It will have a small parking lot with informational kiosks. The field will be designed in a “V-shape” with the bottom of the “V” designated as the parking area.
“We will be planting the area in front with native wildflowers to support pollinators and warm season grasses so the elk can forage in the back. This natural buffer will help to provide for safe viewing,” explained Seeley.
The need for elk conservation is great.
The post went on to explain that much of the state’s elk habitat sits on reclaimed strip mines, which have become grasslands perfect for elk and other grassland animals. Since elk are mainly grazers, eating grasses and wildflowers, these areas are critical for their survival.
Each year, the Game Commission receives funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation via the Governor’s Elk Tag Lottery. Eighty percent of the money raised goes back to the Game Commission to help fund elk conservation.
The viewing area is slated to be completed by the end of 2027.
For more project updates you can follow the PA Game Commission’s Northcentral Region Facebook page here.
Pictured is a view of a portion of the land being readied for the future elk viewing area. (Shawn Seeley, PA Game Commission Land Management).