The Pennsylvania House Republicans held a policy committee hearing on July 9 at Avon Grove High School that addressed the community’s continued concerns over the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) plans to develop a portion of Big Elk Creek State Park – which they own -- into campgrounds and additional facilities.

The three-hour long hearing – organized by Rep. John Lawrence and the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee led by Vice Chairman Torren Ecker – drew more than 150 passionate residents and featured three panels: the DCNR’s panel, the community officials’ panel and a panel made up of community leaders.

Before the meeting began, Olivia Quinci, a resident of Elk Township and former outdoor educator, shared that she felt split on the issue.

“I know that this is definitely an area that needs to be protected and yet at the same time, I know that a lot of people don’t tend to care about nature unless they have access to it,” she said. “I’m just curious to hear what other people’s ideas are – to see if there’s a middle ground conclusion that they come to.”

However, as the meeting began, it was immediately apparent that no such middle ground would be reached and there was little hope that one would be found. In his opening remarks, DCNR State Parks Director John Hallas addressed the January 10 meeting at Avon Grove Charter School, when a capacity audience of more than 500 community members expressed their opposition to DCNR’s “improvements and enhancements” of the state park. The main backlash from community members was centered on the campground plans, which Hallas shared have been removed from the master plan. DCNR told the audience that moving forward, the campground plans were on pause but not explicitly terminated completely. 

The audience at the July 9 meeting was particularly vocal, applauding statements they agreed with from other testifiers and interrupting Hallas during his remarks, including one audience member who called Hallas a “liar.”  

The second panel was made up of community officials that included former state Sen. Andrew Dinniman; David Gerstenhaber, chairman of the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors; Estace Walters, vice chairman of the Elk Township Board of Supervisors, and Chester County Commissioner Eric Roe.

Dinniman shared his experience working with Lawrence and the DCNR before his retirement to ensure that the purchased Big Elk Creek lands by the state would be “an addition” to the White Clay Creek Preserve and maintain the same status as a “preserve.”

“It was clear to me it was to be a preserve, and DCNR said it was to be a preserve,” said Dinniman. “Then all of a sudden in 2022, the bureaucracy declared that it was to be a state park.”

The final panel of the meeting was made up of community leaders and featured Anteia Consorto of Save Big Elk Creek, Gary Schroeder of Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve and George Hundt, Jr. executive director of Safety, Agriculture, Villages and Environment (S.A.V.E).

All three panelists reiterated the importance of changing Big Elk Creek State Park back to a preserve status and abandoning plans for further development.

Main concerns of community members and officials addressed in the hearing focused on what Lawrence referred to as the “bait and switch” by DCNR on maintaining the property as a preserve with low impact recreation opportunities rather than further developing as a state park.

“This hearing highlighted concerns that must be addressed,” Lawrence stated in a press release on July 12. “I strongly urge DCNR to live up to the commitments made over the past decade and manage Big Elk Creek as a preserve.” 

Other concerns highlighted during the meeting included potential negative impacts on local traffic and wildlife, the use of pesticides in the park, DCNR’s financial backlog and lack of transparency by the state agency.

In an interview after the meeting, Hallas said that he remains hopeful for the park and the collaborative planning efforts.

“We need to get there, there’s no other option. We will,” he said. “We will have a plan that hopefully serves the needs of not only the park and the public at large but our neighbors and the community.”

Although DCNR is intent on maintaining the designation of Big Elk Creek as a state park, Hallas stated that moving forward, planning will focus on passive recreation similar to the White Clay Creek Preserve, and while that is an acceptable option for DCNR, it may not be good enough for local residents. For community members, the fate of Big Elk Creek is personal and many panelists and community members who testified said that they have lived their whole lives around Big Elk Creek and feel a duty to guard the property from outside interests. One such community member, Wayne Hunter, shared photos he had taken of wildlife from his backyard facing the park.

“That’s worth fighting for,” he said.

“The citizens here and the people in Chester County just don’t accept it,” Dinniman said. “We will fight back.”

To learn more about the grassroots efforts to preserve Big Elk Creek State Park, visit www.savebigelkcreek.org. To learn more about the work being done by Rep. John Lawrence on this issue, visit www.replawrence.com.