Feasibility study in works for ATV park on 10,000 acres in Newport and Conyngham townships

A feasibility study for a potential all-terrain vehicle park on 10,000 acres in Newport and Conyngham townships is now underway.

The nonprofit Earth Conservancy recently announced Manheim, Pennsylvania-based Laird Landscape Architecture has been hired as a consultant for the study, which will be funded through a $62,000 state grant.

In addition to providing local ATV enthusiasts with a safe and legal place to ride, the park could be a major draw for visitors and support restaurants, outdoor supply shops and other businesses, said Earth Conservancy President/CEO Terry Ostrowski.

“Having an ATV park like this is an attraction,” said Ostrowski, who started overseeing Earth Conservancy in November. “There’s a possibility for this to be a real economic shot for the area.”

A past study had identified 2,500 acres of largely mine-scarred Earth Conservancy land in Newport Township that was most suitable for an ATV park, but this analysis also found additional land would be needed to meet the demand of many riders, he said.

For example, the Famous Reading Outdoors park in Schuylkill and Northumberland Counties is about 20,000 acres, its website says.

After discussions, the private and public owners of several adjacent tracts agreed to participate in the new feasibility study, with the understanding they were not under any commitment to agree to the final plan, he said. The other sites include more than 4,400 acres of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources land and 2,600 acres owned by Newport Aggregate.

Much of the acreage is former coal land with large pits, although some has been reclaimed or is forested, he said.

The feasibility study also would examine options for funding the park and identifying an entity to own and operate it.

Earth Conservancy would not be the owner/manager, he said. Some other parks are run by private organizations or governmental entities.

“That’s really what’s going to make this park become a reality. Who could we get to sign on and take this park plan and run with it?” Ostrowski said. “We’ll look at several models.”

A feasibility study steering committee is being formed that will include representatives of the land owners and local leaders and ATV riders.

While the past push has been cracking down on illegal ATV trespassing to prevent damage and injuries, this initiative seeks involvement of riders, he said.

“We feel they could provide some good feedback on what local ATV riders want to see. We’re aiming to give them a legal and safe way for them to enjoy their activities in a controlled park environment,” Ostrowski said.

The study also will assess the topography and trail options, with market research to be performed by The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development.

Public input meetings will be held to collect input from municipalities, community groups, residents and other stakeholders, with the goal of preparing a final report in the fall or winter of 2021 that can be publicly presented in spring 2022.

Laird was selected from several consultants that responded to a public request for proposals. Laird representatives are ATV enthusiasts and have been involved in other off-road parks, he said.

“They can speak the language of the ATV riders,” Ostrowski said.

Company representative Jim Laird said in a release his group understands the need to balance responsible community and environmental planning with the “tremendous economic development that motorized recreation and the adventure tourism industry can generate.”

“We have lived, worked and played in Pennsylvania and very much understand the opportunity to simultaneously address blighted landscapes, provide legal riding areas, and bolster the regional economy,” he said.

Earth Conservancy was created to find the best use for nearly 16,500 acres purchased from the bankrupt Blue Coal Corp. in 1994. To date, it has reclaimed 2,000 mine-scarred acres for productive reuse, conserved 8,700 acres for recreation and greenspace and created two treatment systems to mitigate acid mine drainage in local watersheds, it said.

The state had announced funding for the ATV study in December through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation and Partnerships Program.

Grant funding is generated when ATVs are registered and intended to increase opportunities for riders. With a few limited exceptions, all ATVs in the state must have a registration issued by DCNR.

Pennsylvania has around 285,000 registered ATVs, the state said.