In one of the most wasteful and environmentally irresponsible actions in recent memory, Penn Forest Township has cleared a tract of high-quality mixed oak forest at the top of Pohopoco Mountain along Route 534 to build a Dollar General store in the middle of a scenic rural region that is already saturated with dollar stores, the nearest being a mere four miles away from the construction site.

The deforested property is bordered roughly by the Bethlehem Authority Water Supply Area to the west, and Jonas Mountain to the east, in an area that until recently was known for its exceptional scenic and ecological properties.

Aside from the visual impact of replacing an attractive wooded property with a commercial eyesore, this project carries with it additional negative impacts. According to some predictions, our region is expected to experience more extreme weather events like the heavy rains and flooding that afflicted our region over this past summer.

The impact of removing a sizable tract of mature healthy trees at the project site raises the potential for flooding and polluted runoff to contaminate the exceptional value creeks and streams of the western Poconos.

The community was never properly informed in advance of this project.

Whoever is responsible for this fiasco should be required to obtain additional forested land for preservation to compensate the community for the devastation and loss of ecological services caused by their activities.

Juliet Perrin

Penn Forest Township