A Necessary Call to Action : Protecting the Wissahickon Together.

I was not prepared for this petition to reach the news so quickly. I am grateful to CBS3 & Ray Strickland for giving the green light for raising public awareness for this cause. I am grateful to Nancy Crescenzo, who - along with several others - began this movement in 2020 with the Bring Back Our Park Rangers initiative. 

I am not wanting to step on toes, and I am certainly not seeking attention or notoriety. I am however, seeking active change and consistent enforcement of park rules, because I am passionate about both historical and environmental preservation.  The Wissahickon Creek belongs to all of us. 

Environmental groups - including Friends of the Wissahickon volunteers - regularly clean up not just the hotspot at Devil's Pool  and the Cresheim Creek tributary, but the entire length of the Wissahickon, from Bells Mill entrance through Valley Green and all the way down to Lincoln Drive and beyond. Many good-Samaritan hikers and cyclists even carry trash bags in their backpacks to quietly pick up garbage as they go. But the existence of volunteers does not make the littering acceptable, nor does it imply that it is our responsibility to clean up after unlawful gatherings. 

It is not my intention or my desire for any individual or group to feel singled out, targeted, or blamed. The issue is the behavior - not the people. However, the increase in litter and garbage directly resulting from these unlawful swim parties has become a major problem. Environmental organizations, frequent visitors like myself, and countless Philadelphians clean up these areas regularly, but the volume of waste continues to grow.

This is why this petition has become necessary. This is why I am calling on City Council act now. The pollution, the noise, and the disorder have reached an unacceptable level.  We are watching an ecologically fragile and historically significant area be repeatedly damaged without intervention or consistent enforcement of park rules.  Park Ranger presence must increase - and, when needed, be supported by the mounted police - to enforce existing regulations by issuing fines, citations, and directing individuals to leave prohibited swim areas, extinguish open-flame barbeques, and turn off loud radios that disturb the park's natural environment. 

Unfortunately, fines and citations are the only measures that some individuals respond to, and at this point they have become necessary. 

Someone mentioned that the title of this petition feels harsh or forceful. Perhaps it does - and perhaps it needs to. After years of inaction, a strong message may be the only way to motivate City Council to take this issue seriously enough to finally address it. 

Since 2020, very little meaningful progress has been made. During the pandemic, the issue was addressed only minimally, resulting in a few additional signs stating that swimming was prohibited. Many of these signs are small, obscured by trees, and easy to miss.  There are still no signs indicating fines or penalties for littering, illegal open-flame barbequing, or other violations - all of which Nancy and I witnessed again today at Devil's Pool.  Smoke from an open barbeque could be seen and smelled across the water on Forbidden Drive. Around thirty people were in the creek, and several radios were blasting music from both sides, competing with one another and clearly audible well beyond 100ft. 

The rules need to be enforced. The law needs to be enforced. These unlawful swim parties are not harmless fun - they are an environmental hazard that increases pollution in our Creek. Illegal open-flame barbequing creates a serious fire risk. Littering and dumping of garbage are damaging the habitats of local wildlife. The constant noise from blasting speakers disrupts the serenity of the area and frightens wildlife. Swimming and diving in the creek are prohibited and dangerous, posing serious risks to health and safety due to submerged debris and contaminated storm-drain runoff. These already polluted waters are further compromised by the addition of toxic human waste, discarded food and beverage containers, and - as one recent visitor admitted on a TikTok thread - glowsticks and other items intentionally thrown into the water "because it looked cool." 

The park rules must be enforced, and enforcement must be consistent. Please sign and share.