Boat launch project seeks WPC grant / By Martha Knight

The boat launch project at Roulette may be in line for a grant from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), according to an announcement at an informal gathering of some Port Allegany Area Economic Development Corporation (PAAEDC) members last Thursday evening.

The group will spearhead the application process, in hopes of receiving up to $4,000 for the project—or possibly adding another launch.

PAAEDC has pledged $600 to “launch the launch,” and Potter County’s Conservation District is on board, with the McKean County Conservation District collaborating. Billy Burleson chairs the project group.  

The WPC is looking for “new projects that will improve canoe and kayak access to the region’s waterways.”

That is precisely what the Roulette boat launch would do. The initial project calls for a no-frills design to get things up and running, but grant funds could add features.

Also, the local group would like to see other “improved access points” along the Allegheny River in the area, as a “water trail” is developed. One possibility being discussed is a launch at Froggy Bottom, at Dunbar Crossing.

Accepted applicants will receive up to $4,000 per site, according to WPC. So far the agency has helped complete more than 20 projects, in the access development program that has been operating for about five years.

As WPC sees it, making waterways more accessible provides “an avenue for folks to immerse themselves in the great diversity of ecosystems we have nearby,” according to Eli Long, the access fund coordinator for WPC.

WPS protects and restores exceptional places. It is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1932. It has helped establish 10 state parks, protected or conserved more than 235,000 acres of natural lands and restored more than 1,500 miles of rivers and streams.

Of interest in this area is the fact that WPC owns and operates Fallingwater, near Mill Run. Fallingwater is an amalgam of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design genius and the engineering and building abilities of Port Allegany’s Walter Hall, who also built Lynn Hall.

The “Canoeing Guide to Western Pennsylvania” lists the Allegheny River from Coudersport to Salamanca, N.Y. among rivers and tributaries suitable for canoes and kayaks. That is one criterion for grant eligibility.

Also listed is the Portage Creek from Wrights to where it joins the Allegheny River.

Applications are due by November 15. Announcement of awards will be made by December 15. Funds are to be used in the 2015 construction period.