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The Cambria County Conservation & Recreation
Authority is a special body of local government incorporated under the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Authority Act of 1945 by the Cambria County
Commissioners in January of 1994. The purpose for the creation of the Authority
was to establish recreation opportunities and assist with the cleanup of
coal mining polluted rivers throughout Cambria County. The Cambria County
Conservation & Recreation Authority projects initiated by SCRIP, the
Stonycreek,
Conemaugh Rivers Improvment Project, Blacklick Creek Watershed Association,
West Branch Susquehanna River Rescue and other watershed groups active
in the region. The Authority works closely with and utilizes
staff of the Cambria County Conservation
District for technical assistance on projects. The Authority is made
up of a board of 15 residents from all parts of the County who are appointed
by the County Commissioners for staggered 5 year terms. Staff consists
of an Executive Director and Administrative Specialist.
A municipal authority in Pennsylvania is
an independent agency of local government. Typically Municipal Authorities
are involved in water and sewage projects. The Pennsylvania Legislature
authorized these independent bodies of government following the Great Depression
of the 1930's as a way to establish necessary public infrastructure. The
costs of the projects are usually paid for through project revenues such
as sewer or water fees. The municipal authority is an ideal organization
to assume responsibility for pollution remediation projects. A provision
of the act authorizing them provides that the debts and liabilities of
the authority shall not be a debt or liability of the municipality creating
the Authority.
As an instrumentality of government, the
Authority is exempt from all taxation and eligible for grants and
other governmental assistance. The Authority can act as a conduit for tax
exempt bonds to finance private projects fullfilling important public purposes
within the chartered purposes of the Authority. The laws creating
the authority require that the Authority follow all laws respecting the
conduct of local government. Generally contracts are bid, members
must follow the Pennsylvania Ethics Code, and authority business is transacted
in public.
Major current projects of the Authority include:
Bear Rock Run Acid Mine Drainage Remediation - Washington Township
Gray Run Acid Mine Drainage Remediation
- Lower Yoder Township
Sulfur Creek Acid Mine Drainage Remediation - Adams Township
Webster Mine Remediation - Nanty Glo Borough
- Blacklick Creek
St.
Michael Pump Storage / Water Treatment Project - Adams Township
Mainline
Trail Planning Study - Cresson Borough to South Fork Borough
Path of Flood Trail - South Fork Borough
to Franklin Borough
National
Park Service map of the route of the 1889 Johnstown Flood
Recreational Use of area Reservoirs
Ghost
Town Trail
Candi Trail (and Ebensburg Extension)
James Mayer River Walk Trail
Upper
West Branch Susquehanna River Conservation Plan| About our AMD Projects | About our Trail Projects |
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| Details of Operations | Our Board & Staff |
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The Authority meets the third Friday of each month at 10:00 AM on the second floor of the PMC Building (behind Rebeccah Manor along Route 22) at 401 Candlelight Drive, Ebensburg PA 15931. |
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Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority
401 Candlelight Drive, Suite 234
Ebensburg, PA 15931
Mrs. Columbus can be reached via email thorugh
the
Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority at 
cccra@penn.com
The Cambria
County Conservation District provides technical expertise and assistance
on Authority projects.
They can be contacted at:
Telephone: 814-472-2120Facsimile: 814-472-0686
or by e-mail at cccd@co.cambria.pa.us
Contact Rob Piper, District Manager, or Jaqueline
Ritko, County Geologist