One of Cumberland County's great places to access and hike the Appalachian Trail or kayak Conodoguinet Creek is Scott Farm, off Bernheisel Bridge in Middlesex Township. As reported in the The Carlisle Sentinel, the National Park Service plans to tear down this landmark building and remove access to the AT.

• For local AT fans, Scott Farm is the only engineered parking lot with Trail access between Trindle Road and PA-850 in Perry County.
• For the Cumberland Valley AT Club and local Appalachian Trail preservers, Scott Farm is a base for staging projects, where they store their tools, and would negate 25 years of renovating the facility and trail head.
• For AT through-hikers, which I've met many just this summer, Scott Farm is a spot where through-hikers can kick back, refill their water bottles, catch their breath on a bench, or slide into some shade and take a nap. They often need this type of R&R in Pennsylvania, the fabled part of the Trail "where boots go to die."
• For local historians and conservationists, the County Historical Society lists Scott Farm as #1 on its "Opportunities Watchlist" as an historic site for preservation.
• For me, as a history teacher and candidate for county-wide office, Scott Farm is a place of personal solace. My wife and I often turn here, as it's only at Scott Farm where we can safely park our car so our two children, ages 1 and 3, can access the Appalachian Trail, Conny Creek - and take in all its remarkable beauty and quiet.

But now is a time to be loud. Let the NPS know their federal overreach is not welcome and we will fight to preserve this local gem.

The Keystone Trail's Association announced there will be a meeting at Scott Farm on Friday, June 28th at 10 a.m.

Whether you can or cannot make it, please sign and circulate this petition.

Photo credit to Jason Malmont of The Carlisle Sentinel