SIMPSON -- Members of two organizations that oversee trails in our area are meeting Wednesday night in Lackawanna County, looking to solve an ongoing vandalism problem on one stretch of the trail near Simpson.
Lynn Conrad of the D&H Rail Trail Council took us to the place where the rail trail and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Trail meet outside Simpson. It's an area that's been the focus of a lot of effort over the past few years.
Yet, nearly every time she comes here, Conrad finds something unpleasant -- most recently three cases of vandalism.
"These are new hinges. They took these hinges, and they cut them, and they threw the gate in the river."
Then, someone removed a fence, Conrad guesses, to allow a vehicle onto the bridge where they are not allowed.
Then this past weekend, a vehicle dented the access gate.
Fishers who keep the trail busy this time of year have seen ATV riders illegally using the trail.
"If you look around, there's not too much litter here," said Bob Lukeski of Archbald. "I think they just come in here and want to destroy improvements."
Improvements that have Conrad's time and many other peoples' money invested in it.
"Tax dollars probably go into a lot of those improvements and it's just wasted," said Lukeski.
Conrad says a scheduled meeting on the trail to plan future improvements has now shifted to find a solution to the ongoing vandalism. She says they may add cameras here.
"I know Lackawanna Heritage Valley has gone that route with cameras along the trail and we may have to do the same up here. Unfortunately, that's another expense."
For now, the D&H Rail Trail Council is counting on eyes. Trail users should call police if they see vehicles illegally using the trail.