Blue Mountain Charcoal Project Research Area

This GEOJSON polygon identifies the area in which Dr. Benjamin Carter (Muhlenberg College) and students have focused their efforts in an attempt to use remote sensing and field work to identify charcoal hearths from the 19th century. The main destination for the charcoal was the furnaces and forge of the Balliet family (Lehigh and East Penn Furances and East Penn Forge) in East Penn, Carbon County and Washington, Lehigh County (Pennsylvania, USA). This polygon defines an area that includes much of Pennsylvania State Gamelands #217 but also surrounding privately owned areas that show limited recent impacts by people (especially avoiding homes and roads). It extends from the Lehigh Gap to Pennsylvania Route 309. While there is limited evidence of hearths to the east of the Lehigh Gap, there are definitely more hearths to the southwest of route 309.