Development of Hamilton Falls would destroy old-growth forests, cause erosion and be an eyesore.

To the Editor: My name is Lilian Newton, I am 13 years old, and I am writing this letter in response to Vermont Forest Parks and Recreation’s proposed development plans for the Hamilton Falls Natural Area in Jamaica.

All my life I have lived within walking distance of Hamilton Falls, in the same house my great grandparents lived in when they sold the property at the falls in 1972. As I grew up I went to the falls almost every hot day I could. Even though I have been there many hundreds of times, the beauty and power of the falls never ceases to amaze me. It is one of my favorite places in the world and when I first saw these plans I cried.

There was an overcrowding problem at the falls during the pandemic, which has since been resolved. The dates in the plans are very inaccurate compared to current numbers, but building parking lots would increase crowds and encourage a party atmosphere, making the falls far more unsafe. Despite spending so much time at the falls, I have never seen anyone injured. In the last twenty years, there has only been one fatality, which was due to venturing into an unsafe area and falling.

Observation platforms or fences would not only be an eyesore, but also an unnecessary nuisance, as people would tend to climb on them. Parking lots would cause erosion and pollution, and would require the clearing of beautiful virgin forests. The proposed parking lots would also be visible from the top of the falls, detracting from their natural beauty. The proposed observation platforms would also require the clearing of virgin forests, and would cause severe erosion where tree roots have held the soil together for hundreds of years. Every few years, incredible amounts of water flow through the area where the observation platforms are planned, causing the platforms to easily break and creating even more garbage downstream.

A new trail would require clearing old growth forest and cause erosion. The plans list visitor enjoyment as the top priority and conservation of the natural area as the third. Hamilton Falls is a designated natural area and conservation should be the top priority. In terms of the visitor experience, a large part of Hamilton Falls’ appeal is its natural beauty, which means a lot to many people. These plans would damage it beyond repair.

Lilian Newton

Townshend, August 18