A Carbon County commissioner wants to see if is it possible to maintain Mauch Chunk Lake Park for county residents only while Carbon remains in the yellow phase of reopening, but also urges those wanting to venture out to be safe and follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

On Thursday, Commissioner Chris Lukasevich recommended that the parks and recreation commission convene an information session to assess restricting portions, such as the beach and camping, or total use of Mauch Chunk Lake Park to only county residents while Carbon is in the yellow phase. He said that after speaking with the park director, a meeting to discuss this matter is expected to take place this week, and a recommendation, which would be sent to the board of commissioners, could be made on if limiting who can access Mauch Chunk Lake Park is feasible.

He provided a few reasons for his suggestion, including expecting a “notable increase in out-of-county residents” coming to use the park because of Carbon’s yellow status; and recreational locations in Carbon, including Beltzville, Hickory Run, Lehigh Gorge and the D&L Trail are open in some capacity, which means the county will need to try to deter large group gatherings, as well as urge residents to stay away from high visitor areas.

By looking to restrict Mauch Chunk Lake Park to county residents, Lukasevich said the park could be a safe haven for those looking to get out in nature, while following the CDC guidelines for social distancing.

He urged residents to visit parks that are close to home, because traveling to parks where there are high visitor rates or are out of the county could contribute to a spread of COVID-19.

While these suggestions sound feasible, Lukasevich said there are a lot of factors that would also need to be considered and weighed, including the economic impact of making such a move at this time on the park amenities and legal issues since the state controls boat launches.

Mauch Chunk Lake Park has been open for recreational use since 1974 and has been a destination spot for visitors and locals wishing to get out and enjoy nature.

In April, the county commissioners announced that the campground area of the park would be open to Carbon County residents only. There are 135 campsites and 14 cottages at the park.

The campgrounds would remain county-only until June 12.

The swimming area and pavilions will remain closed until further notice as well.