RYAN TOWNSHIP -- There's something serene about hanging out at one of Pennsylvania's many state parks. However, every so often you will come across something less serene: trash.
To help clear that up, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is expanding its Clean Air Beach pilot program to Schuylkill County and at seven other state beaches. The plan is to eliminate smoking in parts of Locust Lake State Park beach.
"I guess it's a good idea because then I won't have anyone smoking around me or my kids," said Susan Markiewicz from Tamaqua.
Janis Edwards from Wenersville said, "Well if alcohol is banned, I wondered why smoking isn't prohibited, so it did, it crossed my mind just last night."
Locust Lake State Park was included in that trial because of some of the trash people were finding around the park and the DCNR received many complaints. But that smoking ban will be in effect soon and people said they look forward to enjoying much of the smoke-free park.
"I think it's good that we come to places like this and have fresh air to breathe," said Edwards.
Janis and Raymond Edwards used to be the people to light up in public, but they kicked the habit years ago with one exception.
"When I fish, I always have a cigar in my mouth. It keeps the bugs away, so in the campground areas, I could see it, but if I was fishing I would probably have a problem," said Raymond Edwards.
Robert Shipe of Shamokin is a smoker. He said it's probably not the smoke that bothers people, it's the butts!
"if people picked up after themselves, it wouldn't be an issue," said Shipe.
Since it's a pilot program, there isn't really a penalty for smoking in a non-designated area and Schipe thinks it would be pretty hard to enforce anyway.
"Especially with all the trails, what are you going to do, put 15 people walking around out here?"
The smoking ban will goes into effect May 1, but signs won't be posted at Locust Lake Beach until the last weekend in May, when the beach opens.
The other parks included in the pilot program are:
- Black Moshannon, Centre County;
- Colonel Denning, Cumberland County;
- Keystone, Westmoreland County;
- Locust Lake, Schuylkill County;
- Moraine (South Shore), Butler County;
- Parker Dam, Clearfield County;
- Presque Isle (Barracks Beach and Beach No. 11), Erie County;
- Promised Land (Pickerel Point Beach), Pike County.
The smoking restrictions are now permanent at Pine Grove Furnace’s Fuller Lake beach area in Cumberland County after a two-year pilot program.