Broken glass, trash familiar problems at Skinners Falls

Posted 8/21/12

SKINNERS FALLS, NY — When Jeremy Rolston brought his children tubing at Skinners Falls, the scene they saw was not one of pristine, untouched beauty. He witnessed groups of people drinking heavily …

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Broken glass, trash familiar problems at Skinners Falls

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SKINNERS FALLS, NY — When Jeremy Rolston brought his children tubing at Skinners Falls, the scene they saw was not one of pristine, untouched beauty. He witnessed groups of people drinking heavily from glass bottles and abandoning those bottles as well as other trash on the rocks by the falls. The scene is becoming all too common at the popular river spot.

During the Fourth of July weekend, Skinners Falls was flooded with a large number of people, most of them visitors to the area. The problem, many say, is not people having a good tim, but that they are bringing in glass, which inevitably breaks and can cause injury, or fall into the water where it will probably stay forever. Although there is a no glass policy, there seems to be no one regulating it.

Rolston writes in a letter to The River Reporter, “We floated down in tubes and were greeted by hundreds of drunk, underage kids. There was broken glass everywhere from the thousands of beer bottles being consumed. At least two people were vomiting on the rocks from extreme intoxication. How do I explain this scene to my seven- and four-year-old?” Rolston said he posted these comments to local camp Facebook pages Bryn Mawr, Blue Ridge, Tyler Hill and Equinunk, and that Tyler Hill Camp removed his comment and then disabled the comment function.

Many people wonder, who are the people that come to Skinners Falls and leave a mess? And where is the National Park Service (NPS)? The River Reporter talked to Tyler Hill Camp and the NPS.

The large groups are camp counselors on their day off. Andy Siegel, the owner and director of Tyler Hill Camp, said “I’ve been here 25 years and Skinners has always been a place where camp staff and other groups go to enjoy themselves, and go tubing or rafting.” He said when he heard about the day when many camp counselors were there he sent the assistant director down to handle the situation, adding that the camp sent a bus of 14 counselors there.

There are 26 camps in the surrounding area, and camp counselors flock to the falls. “It’s everyone,” Siegel said. “Locals and seasonal workers go there to hang out.” But with the drinking and glass bottles, Siegel said he thinks it is unacceptable. “That is not how my camp is represented,” he said.

After that day, he said he will continue to talk to all the camp staff to make sure they represent it in the best possible way. “People are protective of beautiful spaces, as they should be.” However, he said one “ugly day” does not represent an entire camp community.

Rolston, in his letter, said, “I think it's appalling what is happening to a river that used to be my favorite place in the world. Soon it will join many other rivers as ‘nice to look at, but don't touch it unless you want your skin to glow.’ I just wish the camps could be held accountable for the actions of their employees.”

Other local people agree with Rolston. Darren Wiseman said, “I have been many places in the world. Skinners Falls is so amazing and unique. The idea that people need to consume so much while they are there and then leave the trash of their consumption behind is extremely disheartening.” Colette Ballew said, “I am so sick of cleaning up after people who just do not get it. Carry in, carry out—simple concept!”

Kristina Heister, Superintendent of the NPS, said they are aware of the problem and are working toward solving it. The issue, she says, is understaffing. Currently there are only four officers to patrol 73 miles of river. There is no possible way for them to be at Skinners Falls all the time. So they prioritize and send rangers there during the weekend, and especially on holiday weekends. “The short answer is we don’t have a lot of staff and a lot of river to cover,” Heister said.

There are two people from the Canoe Safety Patrol there on a regular basis to watch the water and help boaters who have overturned in the falls. And NPS rangers are on call to respond to any type of violence, safety, or medical issue. Heister said they are oftentimes the closest law enforcement around, and they are certified New York State Police peace officers. They can write citations for smashing glass bottles and littering.

Heister said they have seen the complaints from people on Facebook and are responding to it. They have brought in two officers from the Delaware Water Gap to patrol Skinners Falls until Labor Day. They will be there two days a week on week days, either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, as that is when the camp counselors come. Heister said, “What we need is communication with the sheriff’s office and police. We need to work together to see change there.”

She said that before the season the NPS goes to local camps to speak with the counselors. She said most camps are receptive, but this year Tyler Hill Camp didn’t want them to come. She says a solution will come from educating the camps. Most of the counselors are young and from foreign countries. “They don’t have the respect for the tremendous resource that the Delaware River is,” Heister said.

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