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State Takes Control of Recreation Areas

PLAINS TOWNSHIP — The state is inviting people to check out its newest recreation areas, thanks to donations from Luzerne County. Last week, the county tr...

PLAINS TOWNSHIP -- The state is inviting people to check out its newest recreation areas, thanks to donations from Luzerne County.

Last week, the county transferred Moon Lake Park and the Seven Tubs Nature Area to become state forest land.

We talked to people at both spots who have a lot of high hopes now that the state is in charge.

The waterfalls carved into the rock at Seven Tubs Nature Area near Wilkes-Barre are now part of state forest land

For decades this was a Luzerne County park but now the falls and the trails there are controlled by the state.

Frequent visitors have high hopes for the state control.

"I'm hoping the state keeps it's clean. You can't have the litter over there across the street. You can' have the litter over here. You can't have the people dumping their trucks and dump all their stuff."

That's coming from someone who helped establish this as a county park in the first place. Now he comes to visit all the time and has strong feelings about what the state has acquired.

"It's a gem. It's not an asset. It's gem!!"

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (DCNR) immediate plans include improvements to the trail system.

Jessica Garrison of Wilkes-Barre likes the sound of that.

"If they're looking to improve it, that would be good. I think it's beautiful as it is."

Visitors to the Seven Tubs say there's no questioning the beauty and the potential. They just hope the state realizes that and makes it even better.

"It's nice to be able to get out of the city and come and hike around and be in some solitude and quiet, and the water is gorgeous. It's beautiful," Garrison added.

The state also has improvements planned for Moon Lake Park near Sweet Valley. That, too, is now part of state forest land.

Next year the plan is to remove vacant, dilapidated buildings there.

The state is also developing a recreation plan for this park for trails, camping, boating, and more.

"I'm hoping they put a good effort into getting a lot done and then keeping it," said Trucksville resident Larry Long.

Long is sad to see the county neglect.

"It gets cleaned up, it starts looking nice, people are going to want to come up here and then word is going to spread, 'I was up at Moon Lake, it's so great now.'"

It's important to note, these areas aren't becoming state parks but part of a state forest.

But they will still be open to different types of recreation. A plan for all of that is still being developed by the state.

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