Burning Lands Territory
Originally known as the ghost town of Centralia, the Burning Lands Territory was given to the wendigo tribe lead by Alex Winship as a part of the Land Back movement. It included large stretches of land surrounding the old town north to Aristes and south to Ashland, expanding even further both west and east to encompass vast tracks of hills, woods, several creeks and ponds, with ownership of abandoned quarries fitting in as well. The land is constantly prowled by these cannibalistic citizens, and as such they do not permit human outsides into the territory for everyone's safety at the current moment.
Geography
The territory has noticeable traces of relatively flat terrain split by the occasional large set of rolling hills. The land is broken up from being largely forests with stretches of sunny fields, usually found where large groups of buildings have been taken down as the land recovers itself and reclaims old roads. Many parts are known to be dry soil with a mild rock content devoid of iron, but under it all are veins upon veins of undiscovered (and unburnt) coal. Many small ponds in the area show a high trace of the effects of all that coal burning below, displayed in high PH balance readings. A few have escaped this, noticeably an old reservoir, the creeks, and a large pond to the north along the boarder of the territory.
Localized Phenomena
October 2021 was the expected time of another annual clean up with an inclusion of care for the recently planted trees from earlier that year in the beginning of April. It had been halted in its entirety due to ownership of the land being handed over to the Burning Lands Tribe. After careful consultation, Alex Winship had expressed he was willing to allow EPCAMR and Keystone's 10 Million Trees Partnership to come onto the territory to provide shelters for the trees and provide native trees that will be planted during the time of the original annual clean up. For safety this is expected to be the only case of this collaboration taking place.
Fauna & Flora
Due to lack of humans and the abandonment of the old town, the land has been reclaimed by all forms of flora and fauna.
Allegheny woodrat, Appalachian cottontail, Badger, Beaver, Black Bear, Bobcat, Deer mouse, Eastern chipmunk, Eastern cottontail, Eastern coyote, Eastern mole, Elk, Ermine, Evening bat, Feral boar, Fisher, Fox squirrel, Gray fox, Gray squirrel, Hairy-tailed mole, Hoary bat, House mouse, Indiana bat, Least shrew, Least weasel, Long-tailed weasel, Masked shrew , Long-tailed shrew, Meadow jumping mouse, Meadow vole, Mink, Muskrat, Northern flying squirrel, Northern long-eared bat, Northern short-tailed shrew, Norway rat, Opossum, Pine or woodland vole, Porcupine, Pygmy shrew, Raccoon, Red bat, Red fox, Red squirrel, River otter, Smokey Shrew, Snowshoe hare, Southern red-backed vole, Southern bog lemming, Southern flying squirrel, Spotted skunk, Star-nosed mole, Striped skunk, Tri-colored bat, Water shrew, White-footed mouse, White-tailed deer, Woodchuck, Woodland jumping mouse, and the Yellow-nosed vole.
Trees
Native trees consist of: Red maple, Eastern white pine, Eastern hemlock, Eastern red cedar, Swamp white oak, Sugar maple, Flowering dogwood, Sourwood, Eastern redbud, Fringetree, Black Tupelo, Green hawthorn, River birch, and Sweetbay magnolia with the last two being host to many moth and butterfly species in the area.Shrubs
Not to be forgotten, plenty of native shrubs and wildflowers to Pennsylvania have grown over the area can be seen as well. These include the following shrubs: Summersweet, Winterberry, Lowbush blueberries, Witch alder, Swamp azalea, Arrowwood, Red twig dogwood, American pussy willow, New Jersey tea, Virginia sweetspire, American wisteria, Smooth hydrangea, and the Mountain laurel.Flowers
Native wild flowers found in the territory mostly bloom in spring and summer, and are in high abundance. There are several known milkweed species and ferns as well. Species include the following: Bee balm, Wild blue phlox, Oxeye sunflower, Golden sundrops, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrod, Marsh blazing star, Virginia bluebells, Woodland stonecrop, Garden phlox, Cardinal flower, Blue flag iris, Jerusalem artichoke, Queen of the Prairie, Mountain mint, Wild indigo, Butterfly milkweed, Swamp milkweed, Common milkweed, Culver’s root, Canadian, Columbine, Foxglove beardtongue, Obedient plant, Foamflower, Bunchberry, and Golden ragwort. The ferns are the smallest group with only five native species growing in the area, which includes the Royal fern, Cinnamon fern, Sensitive fern, and the Hayscented fern, so named for its smell when rubbed cut or soaked after drying. ----Fauna
The lack of humans and traffic in the area aided in the abundance of fauna as well. Though the thought of elk being seen in the territories may be hard to process, it and many other native creatures to Pennsylvania can still be seen in the territory. One just has to look.Wild Birds
Birds native to the area include the well known and majestic Bald Eagle, and the Eastern Wild Turkey. The list for birds is so long that it spans several pages, from the Black Bellied Whistling Duck to the small Ruby Throated Hummingbird. It is rare to see Terns this far inland, but not so much the Snow Goose at times, particularly during their migratory season. As it stands there are 285 permanent residential native species of birds in Pennsylvania, with only the coastal ones not native to the territory. The other 129 migratory birds all pass through the territory.Mammals
Lacking in a wide diversity of large mammals, Centralia is home to more conservatively sized small mammals instead. They're in a rather large abundance, but the occasional black bear might come through. On average, mammals endemic to the territory include in alphabetical order:Allegheny woodrat, Appalachian cottontail, Badger, Beaver, Black Bear, Bobcat, Deer mouse, Eastern chipmunk, Eastern cottontail, Eastern coyote, Eastern mole, Elk, Ermine, Evening bat, Feral boar, Fisher, Fox squirrel, Gray fox, Gray squirrel, Hairy-tailed mole, Hoary bat, House mouse, Indiana bat, Least shrew, Least weasel, Long-tailed weasel, Masked shrew , Long-tailed shrew, Meadow jumping mouse, Meadow vole, Mink, Muskrat, Northern flying squirrel, Northern long-eared bat, Northern short-tailed shrew, Norway rat, Opossum, Pine or woodland vole, Porcupine, Pygmy shrew, Raccoon, Red bat, Red fox, Red squirrel, River otter, Smokey Shrew, Snowshoe hare, Southern red-backed vole, Southern bog lemming, Southern flying squirrel, Spotted skunk, Star-nosed mole, Striped skunk, Tri-colored bat, Water shrew, White-footed mouse, White-tailed deer, Woodchuck, Woodland jumping mouse, and the Yellow-nosed vole.
Local Extinction and Reintroduction
Several other species once called Pennsylvania and thus the territory home, but have since been wiped out from the area locally. Such examples are the Marsh Rice Rat, Moose, Cougar, Wolverine, and Bison. Elk, fishers, and beavers once had been on the list but after several Rocky Mountain Elk were brought in to the state years ago their numbers have steadily risen, as has the case for fishers and beavers as well. It is probable that at some point the Grey Wolf, another species hunted to extinction locally, may make a return through ecological and conservation efforts. If the process manages to be accepted, the territory would likely be the launch place for the efforts. From there, attempts to get moose, if not bison, transported to the territory in likewise fashion may commence. It is unlikely such creatures as the wolverine and cougar may see a reintroduction unless the Tribe itself demands it for the sake of conservation, effectively making them wardens of the reintroduced species.Invasive Species
There are several species not native to the territory that have been introduced some time in the past and grown numerous. Pests such as the Norway Rat, Black Rat and Brown Rat are common. The common and usually overlooked European Hare is also an interloper, and as one would guess, feral hogs are an issue too. The Burning Lands tribe considered all five species invasive, and harmful, garnishing them a 'kill on sight' order. A war has been just about called on the boar due to the damage they can inflict to the ecosystem, including its endemic life such as by eating fawns.Natural Resources
Without any surprise, coal is a main natural resource currently out of reach due to the fire. The tribe however intends to snuff the fires out, and harvest more of the coal for the sake of funding their tribe's town so it can be built. After that, all mining for coal will cease and the land will be guarded to ensure what is left remains in the dirt.
The tribe hunts almost continually, and refuses to waste parts. Because of this, leather, and hides from game animals they have no need for are usually sold as excess. Skulls and bones are another export, usually for museums and those wanting them as curiosities.
History
The land was originally bought by agents in the 1700's, but nothing would be done with them til their acquirement by the bank of America in 1798 after its owner Robert Morris declaired bankruptcy. From there, multiple people bought land. The Centralia coal deposits were largely overlooked before the construction of the Mine Run Railroad in 1854. In 1832, Johnathan Faust opened the Bull's Head Tavern in what was called Roaring Creek Township; this gave the town its first name, Bull's Head. In 1842, Centralia's land was bought by the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company. Alexander Rae, a mining engineer, moved his family in and began planning a village, laying out streets and lots for development. Rae named the town Centreville, but in 1865 changed it to Centralia because the U.S. Post Office already had a Centreville in Schuylkill County. Coal became its eventual big export.
How the fires started is still a hot debate to this day with several stating a landfill burning lead by the city accidentally had the fire ignite a still exposed coal mine entrance, while others state it was trash that had caught fire by unknown means that set it all off. Since 1962, Centralia and the surrounding land has been the site of a fire that still is burning beneath its soil. It caused several sinkholes, one almost proving deadly to a child. The ground was literally cooking beneath their feet, toxic gas rising up from cracks that formed in the roads and soil. Eventually the city was bought out and people told to move. Some that refused to stay fought for their right to remain, up until as recent as 1992 in which an agreement was made that the remaining residents could live out their lives in Centralia, which upon death their homes would be seized by way of eminent domain. As such only two residential buildings remain currently, while all others have been bulldozed.
Recently in the past year of 2020, PA sent workers to destroy and bury what was once known as Graffiti Highway. Even more recent an event was held to help restore some parts of the ecosystem, including planting apple trees along the upturned path of the old Graffiti Highway. Up until the year of 2021, local organizations would annually arrive on Centralia's grounds for an annual clean up. All clean up efforts and care of the trees has since shifted to the new wards of the land; the Burning Land Tribe.
Tourism
No tourism is allowed and the land is currently considered private and under jurisdiction of the Burning Lands Tribe.
Alternative Name(s)
Centralia
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