Keep Glen Onoko Falls Trail Open

The PA Game Commission plans to close the Glen Onoko Falls trail on May 1st 2019. This trail has been respected and enjoyed by thousands over the decades.



Understandably, their concern is the public sustaining injuries or fatalities as well as the wellbeing of emergency personnel who may respond to anyone injured along the trail.



Emergency personnel have suggested in the past that the Game Commission create an access road to allow their UTVs to drive in, quickly and safely accessing anyone in need.



It should be noted that there were no deaths along the trail in 2018. Furthermore, there have been more injuries and deaths along roadways in Carbon County than along the falls. One instance is North Lehigh Gorge Drive between White Haven and Weatherly where fatal accidents are all too common and far more common than those along the trail.



PennDOT does not close down roadways when inexperienced and unequipped motorists lose their lives. The Game Commission should not participate in this act.



The falls trail is in State Game Lands 141 which is next to Lehigh Gorge State Park. Pennsylvania's State Parks are known for having much better maintained trails than those of the Game Commission. State Parks also map and mark their trails for safety reasons and create access roads for emergency personnel and trail maintenance crews.



Almost comically, the Game Commission's plan to enforce their goal of not having anyone on the trail for safety concerns is to have Game Commission employees patrol the trail.





SOLUTIONS:



-The Game Commision can have employees keep an eye on the trail for safety reasons if they close the trail, so they can clearly do the same while keeping the trail open.



-The Game Commission can create access roads allowing emergency personnel UTVs and ATVs to access the trail, making rescue operations simplified.



-The Game Commission can transfer the falls trail from SGL 141 to the neighboring Lehigh Gorge State Park who will ensure that the thousands of responsible hikers can enjoy the trail for generations to come.