Armstrong County lies in Western Pennsylvania and is located approximately 50 miles north of Pittsburgh . The County is bordered by Indiana and Jefferson Counties on the east, Butler County on the west, Clarion County on the north, and Westmoreland County on the south. Armstrong County covers approximately 656 square miles and has a population of nearly 72,400 people based on the 2000 Census. The larger communities in the County are Kittanning, the County Seat, Ford City , Leechburg, Freeport , Apollo, Elderton, Dayton , Worthington , and Parker, the smallest city in America . Major highways are U.S. Route 422, and State highways 28, 66,268, 56, and 85. The County is served by the many watersheds such as the Allegheny River, the Kiskiminetas River , Redbank, Mahoning, Pine, Buffalo and Crooked Creeks. All of these waterways have been impacted to various degrees from acid mine drainage (AMD), abandoned mine land (AML) impacts, and other forms of non-point source pollution..

In 1963, the Armstrong County Commissioners by resolution created the district and charged it with being the lead agency in the conservation of the natural resources of the County. In 1969, the district, with local citizen input, developed the first Long Range Plan of protection for the natural resources of the County. In 2005, the Long Range Plan of the district was supplemented with a new Strategic Plan of the district. In 1968, there was an estimated 2.37 billion tons of recoverable coal left to mine within the County. A significant portion of those resources are available through the underground mining process, however there are an additional 400-600 acres of land that are subjected to surface mining activities each year. Other issues facing the district at that time were the lack of adequate municipal water and sewer resources throughout the county, soils limitations for the proper use of on-lot sewage disposal, agricultural non-point source pollution from cropland and pastureland, and flood prevention and protection of low lying areas of the county. The 2005 Strategic Plan of the district continues to stress the meeting of these earlier identified goals.  The district’s mission was and still remains: To assist local people in solving their watershed protection and resource problems through group actions, the formation of Watershed Associations and by the use of other measures available to them under the law.

 

Goals and Accomplishments:

The OSM/VISTA for the district will assist district staff in five core areas. They are: watershed group and capacity building, watershed research and project development/implementation, watershed education and outreach, community revitalization, and professional development opportunities for the OSM/VISTA.. Both the 1969 Long Range Plan and program of the district and the 2005 Strategic Plan update have identified technical assistance to local watershed associations and the creation of new watershed associations as high priority goals of the district. Presently, the district is actively engaged with the Crooked Creek, Roaring Run, Cowanshannock Creek, and Kiski River watershed associations as they strive to reach their goals and expand their program offerings. In Armstrong County , a very active Trout Unlimited chapter, named the Arrowhead Chapter of TU exists and has conducted many stream restoration projects with the district as have many of our local sportsmen's clubs. Each of these organizations face or have addressed AMD and AML issues. Some of these groups are trying to inventory and define their problem areas while others are trying to implement solutions to their existing AMD issues. Recently, the district has become involved with the development of two new fledgling organizations interested in conserving the natural resources and protecting the water quality of the Buffalo Creek and the Redbank Creek Watersheds.

The OSM/VISTA will work with existing district staff and our partner organizations to conduct research, inventory, and monitoring to characterize AMD and AML features throughout the County. The OSM/VISTA will assist with the preparation of grant applications to correct previously identified AMD and AML features and other forms of non-point source pollution within selected Watersheds.  The OSM/VISTA will assist these organizations as they build capacity and partner organizations. The OSM/VISTA will organize and assist volunteers in identifying and monitoring AMD and AML sites. In addition, the OSM/VISTA will coordinate clean up events and initiate/implement stream bank protection and restoration projects in conjunction with district staff and watershed volunteers.

The OSM/VISTA will assist district staff and watershed volunteers in the creation and distribution of press releases, newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, and web sites. He/she will also conduct watershed and water quality monitoring demonstrations for the watershed community, make presentations to local groups and others interested in watershed development and protection. He/she will assist district staff with the development and presentation of environmental education programs for area schools and members of the public. He/she will work to implement the ACCWT’s basic engagement plan. He/she will work with district staff and watershed volunteers to arrange tours to AMD/AML sites and publicize such events in local and regional newspapers.  The OSM/VISTA will assist district staff in the presentation of a DVD for local, state and federal politicians that focuses on conservation accomplishments of the previous year.

The OSM/VISTA will attend watershed association meetings and will coordinate efforts by local associations to obtain grants for the development of watershed based interpretive trails and parks, work to preserve and interpret our coal heritage and legacy, and support tourism and other community related projects that promote our local historic preservation efforts. The OSM/VISTA will also coordinate with district staff and contact the private sector in an attempt to encourage re-mining of previously mined sites to remove recoverable coal and restore such sites to beneficial post-mining land uses..

The OSM/VISTA will be afforded numerous training opportunities during his/her experience with the district. These training and professional development opportunities will enable the OSM / VISTA to become a valuable team member, expand his/her knowledge of watershed issues and opportunities, and enhance his/her chances for future employment within the conservation field. The OSM/VISTA will be offered an opportunity to attend at least one regional conference, seminar that will increase their professional competence and allow the OSM/VISTA to apply their skills to support the Watershed Team.

Over the last several years, the district has completed Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plans for the Redbank Creek, Mahoning Creek, Buffalo Creek, Pine Creek, Cowanshannock Creek and Kiski River watersheds.  District staff, with the support of the OSM/VISTA, are now working to complete non-point source pollution assessment work on the Crooked Creek Watershed and those small watersheds within Armstrong County that drain directly to the Allegheny River . Water chemistry is being obtained for AMD discharges, AML sites are being mapped and characterized, and prioritized restoration plans will be developed to target limited financial resources to those restoration efforts. Future projects will include the preparation of grant applications to ameliorate water quality impacts from AMD sites, restore abandoned mine lands to productive uses, and maintain existing water quality in waterways not currently impacted by AMD and AML issues.

 Partners and Contributors:

Allegheny Valley Land Trust
Armstrong Rails-To-Trails
Armstrong County Commissioners
Crooked Creek Environmental Learning Center
Redbank Watershed Association
Cowanshannock Creek Watershed Association
Crooked Creek Watershed Association
Kiski Watershed Association
Roaring Run Watershed Association
Buffalo Creek Watershed Association
PA Audubon Society
PA Dept. of Environmental Protection
PA Game Commission
PA Fish and Boat Commission
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Farm Service Agency
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
PennDOT
Penn State Cooperative Extention
PA Association of Township Supervisors
Office of Surface Mining
ACCWT
Americorps
Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps
Armstrong County Tourist Bureau
Local Sportsmans Clubs
Local Senators: James Ferlo and Don White
Local Congressmen: Kathy Dahlkemper and John Murtha
Local Representatives: Jeffrey Pyle, Donna Oberlander, John Pallone, Joseph Petrarca, Samuel Smith