When I was fresh out of college, I worked on a trail crew in Arizona. During that time, I spent 10 days working the most heavily-trafficked trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Trail. We walked the two-and-a-half to three miles down every morning and back up in the late ...

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission has opened trout season just over 10 days early. “Effective 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, in consultation with the Office of the Governor, Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania ...

Brent McKown enjoyed fishing. He also enjoyed introducing people to fishing. And, though he passed away in 2001, he is still introducing people to fishing. In his memory, McKown’s sons, Daryl and Derek, set up and continue to oversee the Brent McKown Learn-to-Fish Program. “My dad ...

Chili culture in the Warren area has developed its own nature through the past three decades. Still most households do not eat homemade Texas Chili either because they do not know how or because it requires too much time and effort. Just the cooking part of Texas Chili takes 3-1/2 hours. Then ...

Those wishing to view the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners meeting, being held virtually on Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7, either can watch live through the video-conferencing site Webex, or later on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel. For those watching live, the simplest ...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced this week that Howard Nursery will not distribute seedlings as a result of mandatory closings and delays caused by COVID-19. The nursery annually has provided over a million seedlings to Hunter Access Program cooperators, who allow public hunting on ...

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Department of Agriculture Food Safety Director Jeff Warner assured Pennsylvanians this week that there is no evidence that human or animal food or food packaging is associated with transmission of COVID-19. Redding also reviewed the department’s ...

If you didn’t see this message on Audubon Community Nature Center’s home page (AudubonCNC.org), Education Coordinator Sarah Hatfield would like to share it with you now: Here’s the thing. There are many fewer excuses now. Maybe you’re home, maybe your kids are home. Maybe you’re ...

Some of my best days of crappie fishing have been the very day the ice left a lake. Forget any nonsense about the water still being too cold. Late ice crappie fishing usually is great– if there only were any decent late ice. Find crappie when they are hungry and they will hit. Wait for ...

Fishing is essentially a form of social distancing before social distancing became a key part of our lexicon. But that doesn’t mean that the COVID-19 crisis isn’t impacting trout season in the Commonwealth. The Fish & Boat Commission has issued a statement as well as a FAQ on ...

Students may not be able to go to school, but they have options. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has waived the fees associated with its Hunter-Trapper Education programs and opened them online to those as young as 11. “Effective immediately and until at least March 31, all prospective ...

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the USDA Forest Service - Allegheny National Forest has decided to reduce services available for outdoor recreation. All ANF campgrounds, group-use areas, bathrooms, and other facilities have been closed indefinitely for the health and safety of visitors ...

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that all facilities at state parks and forests in Pennsylvania will be closed until April 30 to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The public will still be able to access trails, ...

With anything and everything getting postponed and canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has clarified that the 2020 hunting seasons have not been canceled despite a false social media post. “There is a social media post currently circulating, featuring ...

PennDOT is functioning with a “skeleton” crew amid the COVID-19 crisis. Though it’s too early to say just to what degree that will impact the upcoming road construction season. District Press Officer Jill Harry told the Times Observer “a lot of our employees at the district level are ...

Federal officials on the Allegheny National Forest have gone virtual. A Wednesday statement from the Allegheny National Forest announced that the Forest Service’s physical offices - which would include the headquarters at the Farm Colony in North Warren - “and implementing virtual ...

Allegheny National Forest offices remain open in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis but operations are looking a little different. “Currently, the Allegheny National Forest remains focused on the safety and well-being of our employees,” Christopher Warner, the ANF’s public affairs office ...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced it is closing all shooting ranges on state game lands, effective immediately, until further notice. The closure includes rifle, shotgun, pistol, and archery ranges. Given Gov. Tom Wolf’s March 19 updated guidance to help control the spread ...

Conservation District closure The Warren County Conservation District will be closed to the public until further notice due the most recent public health guidelines. All workshops and meetings with the staff have been cancelled until further notice. Messages will be checked regularly and we ...

Proposed permit parking for Crescent Park and Fourth Ave. is on hold. Warren City Council established a committee to revisit parking issues during Monday’s meeting. Councilman John Wortman asked that a January decision on parking be revisited at the April meeting. Back in January, ...