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Task force members urge 'preserve' designation for Big Elk Creek and limit infrastructure
Summary
Representative John Lawrence read a signed statement from members of a Big Elk Creek master planning task force urging the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to redesignate Big Elk Creek State Park as a preserve, limit development to low‑intensity passive recreation, and consult local townships before building infrastructure.
HARRISBURG — Representative John Lawrence read a signed statement into the House record on Jan. 29, 2025, reporting recommendations from a master planning task force for Big Elk Creek State Park in southern Chester County.
The statement, prepared by members of the task force, said the master plan should redesignate the area from Big Elk Creek State Park to Big Elk Creek Preserve and "clearly recognize" that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will honor commitments made over the previous 15 years to steward the area "solely as a wilderness area limited to low intensity passive recreational opportunities." The task force members asked that "significant infrastructure, including overnight accommodations and concessions, are inappropriate" for the area and urged the department to consult with Elk and Franklin townships and to honor those townships' zoning codes before constructing any infrastructure.
Why it matters
The statement frames the master plan as a long-term decision about how the state manages land adjoining other conserved properties, including the White Clay Creek Preserve. Task force members said aligning management with the preserve model would protect ecological resources and maintain low‑impact public access.
What the statement said and who signed it
Lawrence told the House the task force has met since August 2024 and that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) sought the task force's input on the master plan. The statement was signed by Representative John Lawrence and task force members Anthea Consorto, Eileen Butler, Andrew Denaman, James Nolan, Carmela Silberki, Judy Jordan, Gary Schroeder, Michael Corcoran and Henrietta Bellman. The statement urges DCNR to honor prior commitments to federal, state, county and township officials and to nonprofit organizations and the public.
No formal action recorded
The remarks were entered on the House floor and memorialized by Lawrence. The transcript shows the statement was read into the record; the House did not take a formal vote or adopt a legislative directive in the provided excerpt.
Ending
Lawrence concluded by asking that the statement be memorialized in the House record.
