 The old @-@ growth forests were clearcut by the early 20th century and the gorge was stripped bare . Nothing was left except the dried @-@ out tree tops , which became a fire hazard . As a result , much of the land burned and was left barren . On May 6 , 1903 , the Wellsboro newspaper had the headline " Wild Lands <unk> " and reported landslides through the gorge . The soil was depleted of nutrients , fires baked the ground hard , and jungles of blueberries , blackberries , and mountain laurel covered the clearcut land , which became known as the " Pennsylvania Desert " . Floods swept the area periodically and much of the wildlife was wiped out . 
