Commercial development may threaten the environment in the Poconos

The Pocono Mountain region is known for its picturesque landscape, outdoor recreation, and clean water. Unfortunately, irresponsible business interests and municipal officials are threatening the region’s outdoor recreation opportunities and unique environment.

Large-scale commercial and industrial land developments continue to spread across northeastern Pennsylvania. Too often, the public is not consulted about how projects ⁠— such as expansive warehouses, poorly sited gas stations, or other similar developments — would impact local communities. Consideration of the impacts on streams, green spaces, or the outdoor recreation industry is rarer still.

Poorly conceived projects are often proposed and pushed through with potentially drastic impacts on communities and the environment. Such projects threaten the small creeks and streams that make the Poconos region so special.

Only 2 percent of Pennsylvania’s 86,000 miles of creeks, streams, and rivers are so healthy that they are classified as “Exceptional Value” by the Department of Environmental Protection. Roughly 80 percent of these clean and pristine waters — which carry the greatest legal protection — are located here in the Poconos.

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Locals will know some of them by name—Tank, Paradise, Swiftwater, Devil’s Hole, Cranberry, and Tunkhannock. Each one of these creeks is literally “Exceptional” for its water quality and biodiversity.

Exceptional Value waters cannot be degraded in any way for any reason. Period. That means that developers and municipalities must take every precaution to preserve the pristine nature of the water during construction activities and operations.

Protecting Exceptional Value streams also protects a vital economic engine. Our tourism and outdoor recreation businesses rely upon these protected waterways. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, tourists spent more than $570 million on outdoor recreation in the Poconos in 2020 alone.

Tourists and outdoor enthusiasts do not visit the region to tour warehouses or to lock themselves in the rooms of their resort. They are drawn to the respite that the landscape and the outdoor activities that our vulnerable streams and rivers provide.

Regardless of whether they fish, boat or hike along these creeks, residents understand that the Pocono region is defined by its outstanding streams and rivers. Living near Exceptional Value waterways enriches the quality of life in local communities.

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A recent poll conducted by the Our Pocono Waters campaign in partnership with Susquehanna Polling…