Mitigation efforts at a pair of homeless encampments along the D & L Trail in Weissport are forthcoming.

Lehighton Mayor Ryan Saunders briefly touched on the matter at last week’s Lehighton Borough Council meeting.

“We will be working with them to get them mitigated,” Saunders said.

After the meeting, Saunders expanded on the discussion and noted the Lehigh Canal Recreation Commission is working with the conservation officers “to see how we can police this type of a matter, being the fact that the D & L Trail is deemed a national historical landmark.

Saunders noted what prompted his “was vandalism at the pavilion in Weissport, which the (Lehigh) Canal (Recreation) Commission recognized at their last meeting.”

Saunders added, “we had some lockout electrical box covers on our receptacles at the pavilion on the Trailhead that were vandalized, had to shut power off to those receptacles, had to determine where this is coming from, where this is happening. With the help of the conservation officer, we’ve uncovered two homeless encampments; they’re not big, but they’re going to become problematic if we don’t take care of it.”

Saunders noted that “The D & L Trail does bring a tremendous amount of tourism though the town and the community. A lot of tourists, bikers, trail enthusiasts and residents utilize the trail.

“We’ve gotten some reports of some individuals that were confronted by some homeless individuals that have made them very uncomfortable going on the trail, and they’ve reported that to the D & L HC (Heritage Corridor) and they relayed that to the canal commission. We need to figure out how we can make people feel good and safe about utilizing the D & L Trail in our town.”

“We’re doing the best we can to maintain the integrity of the trail for the community and for all the traffic that it does bring to the boroughs, all of the boroughs that it touches. The D & L Trail is a vital landmark in our community as a whole.

“We’ve got to start somewhere, and at some point we are going to begin to address the motor bikes that should not be on there. We’re working on additional signage, but first what we need to do is (figure out) how we’re going to enforce the signage.

“That’s what we discussed at the canal commission (meeting) last month. What kind of signage, what should it say, and how can we enforce it.”

Discussion on homeless encampment ordinances have recently popped up in several neighboring municipalities.

Last month, Parryville solicitor Robert Frycklund told Parryville Borough Council that it should adopt a homeless encampment ordinance.

Borough council then voted unanimously to have Frycklund draft the ordinance.

Also last month, Mahoning Township Supervisors discussed having a camping ordinance on the books to dissuade a swell at a nearby encampment.

Board chair Deb McGowan said at that meeting that the township plans to use the prototype camping ordinance from Lehighton Borough in an attempt to “try to deter what’s going on with the encampment down at the D & L Trail.”

Just a few miles away, Weissport Borough is also weighing solutions to homeless encampments that have resurfaced in its municipality.

The issue of homeless encampments was discussed at September’s Weissport Borough Council meeting, at which time it was noted that homeless encampments have returned, with several residents asking the borough what can be done about it.

The latest encampment in Weissport is located behind the 200 block of Franklin Street on land owned by the borough and near or on the levee.

Weissport is also looking at enacting a camping ordinance similar to one that Lehighton Borough adopted in June 2024.

In 2024, the area known as Tent City between Lehighton and Weissport near the Lehigh River on land owned by Carbon County was ordered closed by the Carbon County commissioners.