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Protecting the Bethlehem Watershed
The Lehigh Valley Group (LVG) continues our efforts for sensible environmental protections for the watershed lands of the City of Bethlehem's Water Authority (BA, the Bethlehem Authority). These lands in the Poconos Plateau encompass about 23,000 acres located in two separate parcels: about 9,000 acres in Monroe County (Tunkhannock watershed), and about 14,000 in Carbon County (Wild Creek watershed). The BA collects and treats water and then sends it to the city of Bethlehem and 11 other municipalities. A large portion of the Tunkhannock watershed is identified by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as one of the ten most threatened ecological areas in the USA.
Four years ago, the BA decided to extensively timber these resources in an effort to provide money to the city's budget needs. Unfortunately, the proposed plan, enthusiastically supported by the city administration, would have been a clear cutting and high grading effort that would have virtually destroyed the biological support for the watershed, and threatened water quality.
Headed by the LVG, support was mobilized to expose the devastating impact the ill-considered timbering effort would bring, and the initial plan was scrapped--but not the effort to get timbering done. At that time, and since then, we have worked closely with TNC to get the BA to grant a development easement overall or majority of the Tunkhannock watershed in return for a substantial financial package. So far, there has been no progress on that matter, despite our pressure and that of TNC.
After the strong defeat of the original timbering plan, and due in part to LVG efforts, the BA finally determined to hire a qualified firm, Brooks Forestry, to consider how to manage the forest "better" with a clear goal of still producing timber. For various reasons, the process has been very slow, but the goal is still to get timber. At the recent December meeting of the BA board, which we monitor frequently and often address, the chairman stated that, within the budget, there is an expectation of starting timbering in 2004.
The goal of the Sierra Club has been to protect and enhance the natural resources of this public land. Monroe and Carbon counties have experienced explosive development in the past fifteen years and sprawl growth is affecting these lands. In addition, a history of mismanagement and non-management of the watersheds by the BA has led to a steady decrease in the environmental capacity of the watershed. The Sierra Club has always advocated the development of a complete a watershed resources management plan (WRMP), developed with full public input, before any timbering activity can commence. This would include a complete natural resources inventory of the watershed conducted over two seasons. In addition to the ecosystem aspects, a solid WRMP would involve the two counties and the contiguous municipalities in developing zoning that would protect the communities and the watershed from rampant sprawl development.
The BA continues to have a myopic vision that focuses solely on developing the basis of timbering on some of the lands of the watershed. At a time when there is tremendous effort across the counties and state of Pennsylvania to protect our rapidly dwindling open spaces and watersheds, the BA sees the allure of short-term small-change income to be gained from timbering. It sees the price of timber but cannot see the value of a forest. The Sierra Club want this island in a sea of rampant development to be so treasured and managed as to ensure water quality and the protection and reconstruction of a damaged forest. In seventy-five years, this total resource will be enhanced, may become a strong and healthy diverse forest supporting a great range of plants and animals, and a natural resources treasure for the Poconos Region. That would benefit all of us!
By Dave McGuire, January 2004
