Lehighton agrees to work with Wildlands Conservancy

Lehighton plans to work with the Wildlands Conservancy to create public access along a section of the Lehigh River.

On a unanimous vote, borough council on Monday approved a Memorandum of Understanding after it heard from Dennis DeMara of the Wildlands Conservancy.

DeMara said that in June, council agreed to allow Wildlands to investigate the feasibility of creating a public access at Dunbar’s Beach.

The work entailed investigation of the property and access rights to determine whether public access if feasible.

On Aug. 28, council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wildlands Conservancy authorizing Wildlands to see funding from the Palmerton Restoration Trustee Council to execute the feasibility analysis.

Last year, the Wildlands approached the borough about improving the semipublic access on property referred to as Dunbar’s Beach.

Responsibilities of the Wildlands are to seek funding from the Palmerton Restoration Trustee Council through the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Boating & Facilities Grant Program; to coordinate with the borough on property ownership, public access, and results of investigative studies; and the Wildlands will hire contractors to help with the investigation, design, engineering and construction of public access.

In turn, the borough will support the Wildlands’ applications for funding assistance; coordinate with Wildlands, contractors, and consultants on property ownership, public access, and results of investigative studies; and share and provide any information on property rights or access that will aid in the feasibility analysis.

The Wildlands will prepare and submit a license agreement to the borough, granting access for Wildlands and their contractors for construction; will seek borough approval for design and engineering plans; and will hire, manage, and pay contractors and consultants upon completion of each project phase.

The borough will review and sign license agreement, granting access for Wildlands and their contractors for construction; review submitted design and engineering plans; and will accept ownership and maintenance following construction of the boat launch facility, per the terms of the license agreement.

The Wildlands Conservancy, in its role as the Lehigh River Water Trail manager, is working with municipal landowners to expand, construct, and restore public access at strategic points along the Lehigh River.

Wildlands has previously worked with county and municipal landowners to plan, engineer and construct boat launch facilities on public land.