The Kinzua Valley Trail Club is looking to realign an unbuilt section of the Kinzua Valley trail paralleling Kinzua Creek, to the north from Westline to U.S. Route 219.

U.S. Forest officials are only focused on the alignment that leaves the approved route at Windfall Run and crosses Kinzua Creek.

In 2011, the U.S. Forest Service signed a decision authorizing the construction of 9.3 miles of the Kinzua Valley Trail between the Red Bridge Fishing Area and Guffey. The construction was divided into sections A, B, C, D and E.

Sections A and B are located west of Westline and were constructed in 2015 and 2016. Sections D and E are east of U.S. Route 219.

In its request letter, the club expressed concern about the amount of disturbance and construction that may be required to build Section C in its approved alignment. Section C is an approximate 1.7-mile section of trail between Westline and Route 219.

The club has requested an alternative alignment that would follow about a mile along Camp Run Road to Kinzua Creek at Windfall Run. At Windfall Run, the club is proposing the construction of a bridge and the use of existing bridge abutments.

The proposed alignments would then cross the Westline Road and use an oil and gas road and Lafayette Township Road No. 469. The trail would use a Route 219 bridge underpass.

The club must secure more approvals to use the oil and gas road south of Westline Road, Lafayette Township road No. 469 and the Route 219.

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking site-specific comments about the proposed activities by May 15 that can be submitted at comments-eastern-allegheny-bradford@fs.fed.us or Kinzua Valley Trail Realignment, District Ranger Rich Hatfield, Bradford Ranger District, 29 Forest Service Dr., Bradford, PA 16701. Comments will also be accepted from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at 29 Forest Service Drive, Bradford.

Questions regarding the proposed project can be directed to Josh Bridge at 814-363-6089 or JBridge@fs.fed.us.