People discuss future of Frog Hollow in Wayne Twp.; county acquiring site
Apr. 26—FRIEDENSBURG — Community members met Tuesday to discuss the future of the Frog Hollow Environmental Education Center.
The 28-acre nature space in Wayne Twp. is expected to change hands and become the second Schuylkill County park by the fall.
During a public meeting at St. John's Lutheran Evangelical Church, about two dozen people shared their thoughts, made suggestions and discussed their vision for the park as a future county property.
Frog Hollow, which was owned by the South Schuylkill Garden Club since the 1980s, is now owned by the St. John's church board.
The church board has been looking to transfer ownership of the park to the county so it can stay open for public use, said Julia Sophy, president of the Schuylkill County Conservancy.
"To make a long story short, as a conservancy, we did not feel that we were large enough to make a purchase and to support what needed to be done for Frog Hollow," she said.
Currently, Sweet Arrow Lake County Park is the only county recreational park.
Unlike Sweet Arrow Lake, however, Frog Hollow is intended to be a "passive" recreation site, with few amenities, said Jane Kruse, a member of the garden club.
Frog Hollow would focus on providing hiking trails, fishing, bird-watching and other low-impact recreation options that would not disturb its natural wetland environment, Kruse said.
" 'Passive,' by definition, meaning a place where you can go walk and hike," she said. "It's not a place that will bring in entertainment and groups of that sort.
"There will be a few (additions) along the way, because it's a wetland — it always has to be maintained and worked and updated, and wood deteriorates. ... But we want to keep it very much a natural land."
Kruse said that a volunteer committee, called the Friends of Frog Hollow, has been formed to maintain the park and field suggestions for improvements.
Last year, Schuylkill County received $71,200 in grant money for the acquisition of Frog Hollow as a county park.
The grant, awarded by the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, came through a recent $90 million state investment on recreation that included more than 300 projects across Pennsylvania.
Drew Kline, Schuylkill County Parks and Recreation supervisor, said the county has contracted a surveyor to handle office paperwork and other responsibilities before it can finalize the acquisition.
Also in attendance Tuesday were Jason Wood, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 651; Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary J. Hess; Kristin Frederick, principal of Blue Mountain Elementary West; and Sue Reier, naturalist and youth educator with the conservancy.
Some of the attendees mentioned recent initiatives, including cleanups, that volunteers have conducted to improve the site's cleanliness and accessibility.
They also discussed how certain issues, including vandalism and parking, should be addressed moving forward.
Another topic of discussion was whether there should be directional signs on the outlying roadways leading to Frog Hollow.
Frank Christian, who lives on Stone Mountain Road near Frog Hollow, said he would be in favor of more signs, believing they would not attract unwanted visitors.
He added that his main concern with the facility is the limited parking space, which he said could lead to people parking in unauthorized areas.
He also said that, over the last 30 years, the amount of vandalism and littering on the property has increased.
"Kids are down there drinking, people are parking at night. ... I'd want that to be addressed," he said.
Kruse acknowledged that vandalism has been a longstanding issue at the park, which is open daily from dawn to dusk.
Another local resident, Donna Bowen, said that vandalism has actually decreased throughout the years.
"The more use (the park) got, the less the vandalism has occurred," she said.
Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085
