Tragedy in Trash: Honored volunteers, businesses uphold Fayette鈥檚 image
Fayette County holds some of the most scenic and historic sites in America, yet castoff litter like this trash along Walnut Hill Road mars many highways, most conspicuous in a snowless winter.
Ben Moyer
Away from needlessly littered roadsides, Fayette鈥檚 landscapes are the envy of regions less naturally gifted.
Outdoor diehards have reason to lament this anemic winter. I鈥檓 not a downhill skier but conditions must have been marginal, even on man-made snow. Cross-country skiing is out of the question, and ice-fishermen need to look far northward for safe crust. As if to officially declare the disappointment, Ohiopyle State Park cancelled Winterfest for just the second time in the popular event鈥檚 history.
Still, there鈥檚 a more glaring reason for everyone to regret the lack of snow. Without it, and with no screening greenery, castoff bottles, cans, plastic bags, tires and every domestic item imaginable mar many roadsides in Fayette County. In some locations, litter is so densely strewn that it obscures the ground itself 鈥� the default view that demands notice.
I think we locals grow immune to litter鈥檚 offense. We鈥檙e de-sensitized because we see such clutter so often. But visitors notice. I鈥檝e been in the uncomfortable situation of accompanying a visitor from elsewhere as we drove into my native county, otherwise a place of incomparable historic and scenic significance.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 with all this litter?鈥� I鈥檝e been asked by companions I鈥檝e invited here to fish, canoe, or camp. It鈥檚 tough to respond, and the answers seldom satisfy those from elsewhere who simply don鈥檛 view litter as an unavoidable fact of life.
I鈥檓 not aware of any studies on the subject, but it would be telling to somehow measure the impact on visitors鈥� impression of a place when confronted by such debris. It can鈥檛 be positive. That鈥檚 unfortunate for a county like Fayette, which increasingly, and justifiably, banks on tourism for its economic vigor.
Encouraging, though, volunteer clean-up crews can tell you that litter and road-side dumping that have long plagued the county are not as bad as in years past, that things are gradually improving.
And fortunately for Fayette, as some continue to mar roadsides and streambanks, many others are working hard to promote Fayette as a place to visit, to bring the family and experience things you can鈥檛 do in places less naturally gifted than Fayette County and the Laurel Highlands.
This past week I had the privilege to attend the Tourism Grant ceremony sponsored by the Fayette County commissioners and the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB). It was an inspiring gathering, held in the State Theater in downtown Uniontown. The ceremony recognizes and rewards volunteer organizations and small businesses working to uplift Fayette鈥檚 appeal to visitors. The disbursed rewards come from the Hotel Occupancy Tax collected from overnight visitors, then re-invested in tourism development within Fayette County.
These honored ambassadors for all of us are working to polish the county鈥檚 image in diverse ways. For example, the Allegheny Trail Alliance and the Regional Trail Corporation care for the Great Allegheny Passage, the bike/hike trail that brings curious cyclists from around the world, spending millions here as they pedal more than 40 miles through the county beside the Youghiogheny River.
Similarly, volunteers of the Friends of Fort Necessity were noted for their efforts to upgrade this National Park site whose visitors are often surprised to learn that the one of the most pivotal events in the history of western civilization occurred here atop Chestnut Ridge.
The Fayette County Cultural Trust and the Carnegie Free Library of Connellsville were honored for their efforts to welcome Great Allegheny Passage travelers to Connellsville, making the city an attractive option for overnight stays.
Touchstone Center for Crafts won recognition for bringing people from around the world to study various arts in a mountain setting at Pennsylvania鈥檚 only residential craft campus.
Sometimes overlooked are the economic importance and tourism potential of farming in Fayette County. But the Fayette County Fair highlights these assets every summer, and the commissioners and LHVB hailed that contribution. Fayette鈥檚 fair is one of the longest-running and most widely known of all county fairs in the commonwealth.
When visitors dive into Fayette鈥檚 high-adventure assets, like whitewater rafting or rock-climbing, they sometimes need help and first-aid. The Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Company was called to the State Theater stage because of its vigilant presence on the mountain, and its proficiency in swift-water rescue that can save lives.
The Springfield Township Volunteer Hose Company received a grant to promote its buckwheat suppers that draw hundreds of visitors to enjoy a mountain menu staple from generations past.
Commissioners and the LHVB also singled out the National Road Heritage Corridor for its collaborative work to help communities along the National Road celebrate the annual National Road Festival that recreates our region鈥檚 key role in America鈥檚 westward expansion.
These are only a few of the volunteer groups, organizations and businesses acclaimed at the State. They do what they do because they take pride in this place. Most inspiring, these honored few represent a small fraction among others working to make Fayette County and the Laurel Highlands region a unique and desirable destination. From cleaning up carelessly tossed litter, to restoring trout streams and building trails, they make Fayette better for visitors, and for those of us lucky enough to live here every day.
Ben Moyer is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.