Ad Crable | Bay Journal | July 8, 2020
Lynne Napoli of Boiling Springs, PA, lives near the Appalachian Trail, normally her refuge for quiet mental sustenance.
But, this spring, things changed. “It has been so packed I don’t go,” she explained. “When I do, it is trashed. Other sites have been ridiculously spray-painted. I’m glad people got out, especially children. Unfortunately, not many seemed to respect nature. This makes me so sad.”
Parks, trails and natural areas in Chesapeake Bay states have been slammed this spring and early summer as the masses head outdoors seeking relief from coronavirus stay-at-home orders. The effects have been widespread and varied across Bay states. Hiking, hunting, boating, paddling and fishing have all been affected.
“It’s been unprecedented in every sense of the word,” said Jason Bulluck, director of Virginia’s 64 natural area preserves, where the priority is to protect rare species and unique natural communities, rather than provide recreation. Three of the preserves had to be closed for overuse. Parking lot gates at others had to be manned seven days a week to control entry into the sensitive areas.
“It’s like summer holiday weekends,” said an exhausted Melissa Baker, Virginia state parks director, who had to lay off 70% of her staff at the peak of the pandemic because of loss of revenue from lodging at cabins and campgrounds.
The swarming has land managers sorting out blessings and curses and wondering how to handle what may be the new norm.
During the surge in attendance, natural resources have been damaged by illegal all-terrain vehicle use, trash dumping, littering, increased spray painting, unauthorized creation of new erosion-prone shortcut trails, blocked boat launches, vandalism, and trees cut and boulders thrown from landmarks. Park staff has also been taxed by frivolous rescue calls and worrisome behaviors such as camping and building campfires in illegal places, walking dogs off leashes and a lack of social distancing.
But untold numbers of people have discovered the physical and mental gifts the outdoors has to offer, and perhaps the ranks of those who will clamor for protecting nature has grown.
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