JAMAICA-My name is Lilian Newton, and I'm 13 years old, and I'm writing this letter in response to Vermont Forest Parks and Recreation's proposed development plans for Hamilton Falls Natural Area in Jamaica.
For my entire life, I've lived a very short walk from Hamilton Falls, in the same house my great-grandparents lived in when they sold the falls property in 1972.
As I've grown up, I've gone to the falls on most any hot day I can. Despite having been there many hundreds of times, the beauty and power of the falls never ceases to amaze me. It's one of my favorite places in the world, and when I first saw these plans, I cried.
During the pandemic, there was a problem with crowding at the falls, which has since been resolved. The data in the plans are grossly inaccurate to the current numbers, but the addition of parking lots would increase the amount of people and encourage a party atmosphere, making the falls far more unsafe.
Despite all the time I've spent at the falls, I've never seen anyone even be injured. There has been only one death in the past 20 years, of someone who ventured into an unsafe area and fell. Viewing platforms or fences would add an unnecessary liability, as people would be inclined to climb them. They would also be eyesores.
Parking lots would cause erosion and pollution and would require the clearing of beautiful old-growth forest. The proposed parking lots would also be visible from the top of the falls, marring its natural beauty.
The proposed viewing platforms would also require the clearing of old-growth forest and cause severe erosion where tree roots have been holding the soil together for hundreds of years.
Every few years, incredible amounts of water go through the area where the viewing platforms are proposed, flooding that would easily break the platforms and make more trash downstream.
A new trail would require clearing old-growth forest and cause erosion.
In the plans, visitor enjoyment is listed as the No. 1 priority, and preserving the natural area as No. 3. Hamilton Falls is a designated Natural Area, and preserving it should be the No. 1 priority.
When it comes to the experience of visitors, a large part of the appeal of Hamilton Falls is its natural beauty, which means a lot to many people. These plans would damage it irreparably.
Lilian Newton
Jamaica
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