RAF FUNDS IMPROVEMENTS AT AIRFIELD IN THE PENNSYLVANIA WILDS

RAF Pennsylvania Liaison Andy Turner has received an RAF grant for picnic tables and fire rings at Clarion County Airport, KAXQ. Recognizing the untapped recreational potential of the area, Turner approached Airport Manager Donald Kimball, and received enthusiastic support for a project and improvements.

Turner and Kimball initiated an effort to develop a campground just outside the airport fence, adjacent to a two-acre pond. The project really serves to improve two issues — the site is an abandoned coal mine that was never property restored. The ground was uneven and overgrown with invasive shrubs and small trees. With the support of the airport board, Kimball and his assistant used heavy equipment to grade and level the ground, and clear trees and shrubs. They purchased and spread topsoil and applied grass seed. “This was a considerable investment of labor, equipment, and materials,” Turner said. “The results of the site work are very encouraging. We now have a nice level site with large shade trees adjacent to a good fishing pond.”

KAXQ is popular among recreationists. It’s nearly surrounded by State Gameland 63 – a 3,700-acre tract of rugged country with no motorized vehicle access, offering excellent opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and bird watching. The 4,800-mile North Country Trail that runs from North Dakota to Vermont is immediately adjacent to the airport. It’s one of North America’s longest hiking trails. “Because of its prominence in the hiking community, the trail attracts a large number of visitors from outside the region,” Turner pointed out. “Tables and fire rings will make this an attractive spot for tent camping and should begin to attract visitors, who hopefully will enjoy the positive experience and spread the word of the recreational opportunities,” he added. He envisions further phased improvements, and for Clarion County to appear in the Airfield Guide.

Written by Carmine Mowbray.
Submitted on September 28, 2023.

Posted in News

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RAF AWARDS GRANT FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF HCRC

February 24, 2026

Oregon RAF Liaison Bill Ables has been awarded a $5,000 RAF grant to retain RAF membership in and support the Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative (HCRC) for the next five years. The HCRC was organized in 2016 at the request of Idaho’s Congressional Delegation as a framework for the various recreational user groups to collaborate with the US Forest Service within the 652,488-acre Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Ables, a past Director and current member of the group, explained that HCRC membership is a cross-section of user groups from both the private and commercial sectors, including river rafters and jet boaters, backpackers, horse packers, aviators, and governmental management agencies. Providing ongoing support ensures continued aviation representation. The rugged Snake River canyon region hugs the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, and includes nine backcountry airstrips within the Recreational Area. All are maintained by volunteer aviation groups in collaboration with the USFS: Cache Creek, Salmon Bar, Dug Bar, Temperance Creek, Pittsburg Landing, Sluice Creek, Lord Flat, Memaloose, and Big Bar. “Our support of HCRC, combined with the other involved aviation groups, ensures ongoing maintenance and improvements at each of these nine airstrips. It benefits general aviation by preserving access to enjoy the beauty of the Hells Canyon area, which directly speaks to the Mission of the RAF,” Ables said. For more information on Dug Bar, Cache Creek, Big Bar, and Memaloose, see the Airfield Guide . Pittsburg Landing, Sluice Creek, Temperance Creek, and Salmon Bar are not listed in the Airfield Guide at this time. Submitted February 24, 2026