The brochures paint the idyllic picture: “The 2,002-acre Beltzville State Park is an excellent trout stream which feeds the 949-acre Beltzville Lake, a rest stop for migrating waterfowl with a sand beach and picnic pavilions that are very popular.”

Way too popular.

So popular that the massive crowds, especially this year when traditional community pools and other waterways have been shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought a deafening chorus of calls for action from those who are fed up with inconsiderate visitors who leave their calling cards in the form of trash, soiled diapers, discarded tampons and other disgusting filth.

This does not even begin to address the problem of drugs, alcohol use and fireworks. And then there is the illegal parking, accidents and unsafe driving which at times makes it a living nightmare for Franklin Township residents living nearby.

Along with everything else, there is a concern that the numbers horde descending on Beltzville might turn it into a COVID-19 hot spot. While New Jersey and New York are not among the 19 states Gov. Tom Wolf has cited as coronavirus problem areas, residents from some of these other states are showing up in Pennsylvania, which presents a risk for community spread of the virus. Unlike Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York charge a fee to enter their state parks.

Having heard his constituents’ complaints and pleas for action, State Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon is asking Gov. Tom Wolf to use his emergency declaration powers to ban out-of-state residents from using the beach area until the pandemic is over. This would not affect these residents from boating and fishing so long as they obey the park’s rules. Heffley also stresses that his recommendation involves Beltzville only, none of the other state parks.

Heffley called what is going on at Beltzville a wholesale disrespect for rules and regulations, a regular “free-for-all.” He said those who are inconsiderate are thinking only about themselves not about how it impacts others.

In a letter to Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Dunn, Heffley said, “It makes no sense to restrict businesses from safely reopening across the Commonwealth only to allow this lawlessness on our state-owned properties.”

Noting that tourism is Carbon County’s number one industry, Heffley stressed that the county welcomes out-of-state visitors for other recreational activities, such as boating, fishing in addition to tubing on the Lehigh River.

Heffley said that he conferred with business leaders, owners and others before sending his letter to the state. He assured us that this was not a knee-jerk decision.

There is movement on other fronts, too. Volunteers hand out garbage bags to park visitors hoping that they will dispose of their trash appropriately. Most do, but many don’t.

A Facebbook group which serves as a conduit for residents’ and others’ complaints is Beltzville State Park Concerned Citizens, whose mission is to “share photos and news stories documenting the ongoing issues with overcrowding by people not local to our area. By bringing attention to this we hope to reduce the overcrowding and maybe create some kind of solution.” The group will sponsor a “Save the Lake” fundraiser on July 25.

I asked Heffley why this annual issue at Beltzville has not resulted in corrective action. He said the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources two years ago contracted to have a task force study done, which would result in a series of recommendations to address the many issues at the facility.

According to Heffley, it was supposed to be completed in March but has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DCNR said that Beltzville is the state park that typically reaches capacity most often resulting in other visitors being turned away. This situation became even more acute this year when the park’s visitation was limited to 75% parking lot capacity under Wolf’s emergency orders.

Instead of turning around and going home or going elsewhere, Heffley said, these visitors try to find other parts of the park not intended for recreational use, or they park illegally on area roads. This results in serious public safety issues, he said.

We sympathize with local residents, who say they are tired of paying state taxes to support Beltzville. They say they are being turned off to this beautiful spot in their backyard as they see the park trashed every week.

BRUCE FRASSINELLI | tneditor@tnonline.com