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Pennsylvania’s 5 Cleanest Lakes With Clear Waters And Sparkling Surfaces – Islands

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Pennsylvania’s 5 Cleanest Lakes With Clear Waters And Sparkling Surfaces – Islands






There are 76 natural lakes and about 2,300 more manmade ones across Pennsylvania. Many of these have become popular spots to enjoy outdoor activities like camping at quiet Canadohta Lake or hiking the underrated trails around Tuscarora Lake. The state’s history of mining, farming, and industrial pursuits are massively detrimental for water quality, though.

The 2022 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Report found that 33% of the region’s waterways fail to meet at least one quality standard set in the federal Clean Water Act. For Pennsylvania lakes, there are three main pollution sources: agriculture, drainage from abandoned mines, and stormwater runoff from urban areas. Given this, it’s no surprise that the state’s two largest population centers also have the dirtiest water. Roughly 97% of the waterways in Philadelphia County are impaired, for instance. Meanwhile, Allegheny County — home to the one-time industrial powerhouse of Pittsburgh — has 915 impaired stream miles; that’s roughly 69% of the county’s waterways. With lakes specifically, another major concern is eutrophication, which is when accumulated sediment and nutrients prompt high algae growth. This is a natural lake aging process, but it’s also sped up by human activity.

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On the plus side, Pennsylvania has been steadily working to improve its water quality. Roughly 28,000 acres of public lakes have been restored since 2004, and even the once-impaired waterways of southwest Pennsylvania are now clean enough that strange creatures called the “livers of rivers” are reappearing in them. The Poconos region has some of the state’s cleanest water, and only 3% (the lowest in the state) of north-central Cameron County’s waterways are impaired. So, if you’re seeking clear waters to explore during your next travel adventure, this list of Pennsylvania’s five cleanest lakes will show you where to start.

Eagles Mere Lake

Widely regarded as one of the state’s best hidden gems, the Endless Mountain region of northeastern Pennsylvania is known for its pristine natural beauty and rural small-town charm. Smaller crowds don’t just mean a tranquil atmosphere, either. They’re also part of what’s spared Eagles Mere Lake and its surrounding landscapes from the pollution that plagues many Pennsylvania lakes.

The 116-acre Eagles Mere Lake is a natural glacier lake fed by underwater springs. That means its waters start off very pure, and the Eagles Mere Association is committed to keeping them that way. Boats brought to here must be cleaned before entering the water, and the water is tested weekly during the summer swimming season to ensure bacteria levels stay low.

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There are a number of ways to enjoy your time at Eagles Mere Lake. Swimming, canoeing, and fishing are popular activities in the summer, while winter means it’s time for ice skating and cross-country skiing. You can also walk around the lake via Laurel Path, a hiking trail that’s been in use since the 1800s. World’s End State Park, about eight miles to the north, is a top spot for hunting, camping, whitewater rafting, and hiking over 20 miles of trails. Visitors with an interest in history should also tour the village of Eagles Mere, a quiet lake village with storybook cottages and outdoor fun hidden in the Pennsylvania mountains.

Harveys Lake

About an hour east of Eagles Mere, on the other side of Ricketts Glen (northeastern Pennsylvania’s ethereal state park with waterfall hikes and scenic campgrounds), is a region known as Back Mountain. Along with 10 small towns and two state parks, the area is home to Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania’s largest natural lake. This landmark has a surface area of 621 acres and, in places, is over 100 feet deep. That depth, combined with the notably clear water, makes Harveys Lake one of the best fishing spots in northeastern Pennsylvania. It is stocked yearly with trout and walleye and regularly hosts bass fishing tournaments.

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Like Eagles Mere Lake, Harveys Lake is spring-fed with cool, pure water. Sunset Beach, along the southern shore, is open for swimming from May through September and has a launch and berths for kayaks and paddleboards. Here, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also maintains a public boat launch (though not rentals, so you’ll need to bring your own watercraft).

While Harveys Lake is a highlight of Back Mountain, it’s not the only way to enjoy the local wilderness. Frances Slocum State Park, less than 10 miles to the east, has hiking trails, campsites, and over 1,000 acres of forest and wetlands around yet another lake, where you can rent kayaks or paddleboats. To the south is the trailhead for the Back Mountain Rail Trail. Currently, this trail runs for about 4 miles from Luzerne to Dallas, but there are plans to eventually extend it the entire way to Harveys Lake.

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Lake Wilhelm

Located in northwestern Pennsylvania’s Mercer County, Lake Wilhelm is a 1,724-acre reservoir that was created when Sandy Creek was dammed in 1971. Though it’s only about an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh, it feels like an unspoiled paradise, surrounded by mature forests and wetlands that give the area rich biodiversity. Wildlife surveys conducted here by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in 2024 captured 17 fish species, including varieties like largemouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, and catfish that are popular with anglers. And, unlike many lakes in Pennsylvania, Wilhelm has been assessed to support fish consumption, meaning what you catch in the lake is safe to eat (something that is also true for the other four destinations on this list).

Lake Wilhelm is bordered on its north shore by Maurice K. Goddard State Park, while its upper tip is within State Game Land 270. This adds to the outdoor recreation you can enjoy here, opening up opportunities for hiking, biking, hunting, and winter sports like snowmobiling and skiing. The area is popular with birders, who come to see fish-eating raptors like ospreys and bald eagles, as well as waterfowl like teals, mergansers, and buffleheads. Once-rare birds like purple martins and eastern bluebirds have also made a comeback thanks to the park’s nesting box program, and visitors often spot pileated woodpeckers in the winter. You can see other animals, like turtles and beavers, at observation areas on the lake’s shore. For more human-centric entertainment, visit the Lake Wilhelm Marina in August for live music, food trucks, and a car cruise during the annual Music at the Marina festival.

Tobyhanna Lake

The Pocono Mountains region is a popular outdoor escape for people from New York City, which is only a couple hours’ drive away. Within this 2,400 mile area are roughly 170 miles of rivers, some 35 golf courses, and extensive skiing and hiking trails across two national and nine state parks. Tobyhanna State Park, a scenic escape for hiking and kayaking, is home to the 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake.

Once known for its active ice harvesting industry, Tobyhanna Lake is now renowned for its vibrant blue water. Reviews also consistently praise the cleanliness of the surrounding shore. The sandy beach is open for swimming from Memorial Day through mid-September, and there are boat launches on the eastern and western shores that allow visitors to rent rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats. Self-sustaining populations of bass, perch, pumpkinseed, and pickerel, along with regularly restocked trout, mean anglers can catch a variety of fish here — and not only in the summer. Ice fishing is popular in the winter, as are activities like ice skating and snowshoeing.

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If you’d prefer to observe Tobyhanna Lake from dry land, the 5.1-mile Lakeside Trail is a fairly easy hike that circles its entire perimeter and connects to the campground and beach. You can also explore the Black Bear and Bender swamps by taking the Range Trail or Frank Gantz Trail, both of which offer more strenuous hiking and opportunities to spot local wildlife. The area is especially beautiful in June, when the mountain laurels and rhododendrons are blooming.

Yellow Creek Lake

While southwest Pennsylvania’s overall water quality is questionable, Yellow Creek Lake is the exception. Located just 65 miles east of Pittsburgh in the town of Indiana, this large, 720-acre lake was created in 1969 when a dam was constructed on Yellow Creek. It has become a favorite destination for western Pennsylvania’s fishing enthusiasts, with about 230,000 people visiting the park each year for that purpose. As Yellow Creek State Park manager James Tweardy told Dark Skies Fly Fishing, this spot is “a great bass fishing lake,” where “fishing can be good in the shallows all spring and summer.” The size of the fish in Yellow Creek Lake is as noteworthy as the species variety (which includes muskellunge, walleye, and pike). The average pike catch is around 24 inches and can be over 30 inches, with walleyes up to 26 inches and muskellunge often around 42-49 inches.

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Along with water recreation like fishing, boating, and swimming, birdwatching is a top activity at Yellow Creek Lake. A common resting point for migrating birds, the park is particularly popular during the spring migration season. In March, you can see wood ducks, wigeons, grebes, and mergansers out on the water, while late March to early May is when the warblers migrate through the surrounding woods. Yellow Creek State Park also has year-round avian inhabitants. Various species of woodpecker are active along Laurel Run Trail, and Dam Site Trail passes through areas several songbird species use for nesting in May and June.

Methodology

Lakes were selected for this list based on their performance in the 2024 Integrated Water Quality Report released by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. In this report, all bodies of water are evaluated across four categories of protected uses: 

  • Aquatic Life: Whether the lake is able to support a healthy aquatic ecosystem, based on its taxonomic richness and the presence of pollution-sensitive organisms
  • Potable Water Supply: Whether surface waters can be used for drinking, cooking, and other domestic purposes based on the concentration of chemicals, dissolved solids, and toxic substances
  • Recreation: Whether the lake is safe for activities like swimming, boating, and water sports, based on its bacterial content and aquatic plant coverage
  • Fish Consumption: Whether fish living in the lake are safe to eat based on the levels of mercury, chlordane, persistent chemical substances (PFOS, PFAS, PFOA, etc.), and other contaminants in their flesh

Based on assessments across these four protected uses, lakes are separated into categories. These range from Category 1, which are waters that support all uses, to Category 5r, waters that are impaired in at least one category, do not meet quality standards, require monitoring, and need a restoration plan. Each spot that made this list of Pennsylvania’s five cleanest lakes resides in Category 1 (per the 2024 Integrated Water Quality Report) and was similarly categorized in the 2022 report, indicating sustained water quality.

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Breakfast for dinner is on the menu at these Western Pennsylvania eateries

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Breakfast for dinner is on the menu at these Western Pennsylvania eateries


Breakfast dishes can be a fun departure from traditional dinner foods when dining out. While plenty of diners serve breakfast all day, many of those spots close at 2 or 3 p.m.

“It’s one of those things that everybody wants — we sell a lot of breakfast at night,” said Back To The 80’s Diner co-owner Shane Hissem. “After 4 p.m., we sell about 30% breakfast. I think sometimes people just get hungry for it.”

Hissem, his wife Kari Hissem and Aimee Bell co-own the Greensburg diner decked out in ’80s memorabilia, including a mounted E.T. in a bicycle basket, servers decked out in ’80s leg warmers and fanny packs, Pac-Man wall art and a MTV-themed wall.

The cheesy hash browns ($3.49) and fruit-filled stuffed pancakes ($8.98) are a hit, along with eggs Benedict ($9.99).

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“People love the vibe and the breakfast at night,” Hissem said.

Server Bria Boyle said her customers really dig the pancakes for supper.

“French toast, pancakes and a lot of omelets are ordered at night. Customers come in at 7:30 p.m. and get their coffee and breakfast — we even serve Spam,” Boyle said.

Oakmont Bakery retail manager Billy O’Block holds three specialty breakfast sandwiches sold all day at the bakery/cafe in Oakmkont. (Joyce Hanz | TribLive)

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Breakfast, er, dinner sandwiches

Cameron Wycich of Shaler likes to get creative when he orders build-your-own breakfast sandwiches at Oakmont Bakery in Oakmont.

The cafe there serves 10 different breakfast sandwiches all day, until 7 p.m.

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“Today I ordered a blueberry bagel with bacon, egg and cheese. I occasionally order one for dinner,” Wycich said.

Oakmont Bakery co-owner Tony Serrao said offering breakfast options all day has proved popular with customers.

“People come in and order them all day long, especially kids coming over from the high school after school. They love to get hash browns, breakfast sandwiches and they even like to put the hash brown on the sandwich,” Serrao said.

Sandwich prices range from $6 to $10.

Breakfast for dinner is a concept that just “caught on” for Oakmont Bakery.

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“We just revamped our cafe and offer fresh-squeezed orange juice all day now, too. We are a bakery, but our cafe has just evolved over the years,” Serrao said.

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The Giant Cinnamon Roll Pancake at Youngstown Grill in Youngstown near Latrobe. (Courtesy of Youngstown Grill)

 

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Extra large pancakes

Craving a mega-sized pancake for supper?

You’ll find them at Youngstown Grill near Latrobe. The best seller is the giant cinnamon roll pancake ($6.95), which covers the plate.

A homemade cinnamon sauce is made in-house and you can add chocolate chips or blueberries for $1.50.

Breakfast here is served until 8 p.m. Another popular breakfast choice is the Youngstown scramble ($9.95) served with eggs, onions, green peppers, home fries and a choice of bacon or sausage, all mixed together.

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Hash it out

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The Corned Beef Hash Breakfast served at Tap It Brewery and Grill in Mt. Pleasant. (Courtesy of Tap It Brewery and Grill)

 

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Tap It Brewery & Grill in Mt. Pleasant is another spot for hearty breakfast-for-dinner options. They serve breakfast until closing between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., depending on the day.

The house-brewed beers pair well with breakfast.

The most popular breakfast meal is corned beef hash ($10.95), which is made with braised beef in a brine and served with breakfast potatoes, two eggs and toast.

Menu highlights include The Mammoth Special ($10.95) featuring two eggs, choice of sausage, ham or bacon, choice of two regular pancakes or two waffles or two French toast and one side. Three stuffed pancakes ($8.95) are served folded like a taco and stuffed with a homemade cheesecake filling (apple, strawberry, cherry or blueberry) and served with a side.

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Frederic Rongier, owner of Paris 66, folds a breakfast crepe inside his East Liberty restaurant on May 6. (Kristina Serafini | TribLive)

 

Savory crepes

Authentic French crepes are served for dinner at Paris 66 Bistro in East Liberty.

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Proprietor Frederic Rongier studied at a crepe-making French institution in 1999.

One of the two dinner options is made with buckwheat and is gluten-free. Both can be made with Swiss cheese, egg and a choice of ham or bacon.

Crepes are $25 each and adding smoked salmon is $12 more.

Rongier is keen on buckwheat crepes.

“It’s 100% French and the taste is not comparable with anything else,” he said, also recommending pairing a crepe with French cider Cidre Brut ($42), a dry, crisp alcoholic French drink.

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Crepes are commonly eaten for supper in France, particularly in the Brittany region, said Rongier, a native of France.

“Guests feel like they are in France when they eat one,” he said.



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What each Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary candidate would do on Day 1

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What each Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary candidate would do on Day 1


It’s one of the hottest-contested races on the May 19 ballot in the 2026 Pennsylvania primary election. Four Democrats are running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep Dwight Evans in what has been rated the most Democratic-leaning district in the nation, Pennsylvania Congressional District 3.

The candidates are tax attorney Shaun Griffith, state Rep. Chris Rabb, Dr. Ala Stanford and state Sen. Sharif Street.

CBS News Philadelphia interviewed all four candidates to discuss a bevy of topics important to voters. On Wednesday, the focus was on affordability. On Thursday, the focus was on what makes these candidates stand out in a sea of Democrats. Friday’s focus is on what each candidate would do on the first day in Congress if elected.

State Sen. Sharif Street

Street has his eye set on economic and funding issues. The state senator says bringing down prices, funding mass transportation, and education are at the top of his priorities.

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“We got to make sure we continue to get prices down. We got to make sure we continue to create jobs,” Street said. “We got to make sure we continue to fund mass transit. We got to get money for our schools. And by the way, I have talked about, and I’m the only candidate in this race who has consistently talked about we need a massive federal infrastructure program for schools.”



PA-03 Congressional District candidate interview: state Sen. Sharif Street

13:49

Dr. Ala Stanford

Stanford, a medical doctor, says her top agenda item is making healthcare more affordable.

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“Restoring the subsidies to the Affordable Care Act, it has to be,” Stanford said. “It impacts everyone, whether you have private insurance or whether you are a Medicare/Medicaid recipient. Because we know right now, people are not getting the preventative care, the screening, and the treatment that their doctors have recommended.”



PA-03 Congressional District candidate interview: Dr. Ala Stanford

18:35

Tax attorney Shaun Griffith  

Griffith talked about plans to regulate data centers and hold the White House accountable. But priority one for him is universal healthcare.

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“Making sure that we have Medicare for All or some similar bill put forth for a vote. Let’s put it on record,” Griffith said. “Who in the house believes health care is a human right, and who doesn’t?”



PA-03 Congressional District candidate interview: Tax attorney Shaun Griffith

10:14

State Rep. Chris Rabb

If elected to Washington, Rabb says he’d first look to rein in the Trump administration.

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 “We have to begin the de-Trumpification of government,” Rabb said. “Trump and his thugs need to be held to account. But we also have to make sure we restore all the things he’s sought to destroy, institutionally, politically, operationally, we have to start there.”



PA-03 Congressional District candidate interview: State Rep. Chris Rabb

11:01

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An Outpouring of Frustration Over Pennsylvania’s Rapid Data Center Growth – Inside Climate News

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An Outpouring of Frustration Over Pennsylvania’s Rapid Data Center Growth – Inside Climate News


The latest example of burgeoning opposition to rapid data-center development in Pennsylvania came at a town hall meeting overflowing with frustration about how the state is managing the surge.

As about 225 people watched, more than 20 speakers in the two-hour online forum late Wednesday spoke about resistance to an industry they blame for rising electricity prices, heavy water use, noise pollution and rural industrialization. Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has tried to thread the needle of welcoming data centers while proposing some guardrails, was a frequent target.

“This is a public trust and transparency issue,” said Jennifer Dusart, a small business owner and resident of Mechanicsburg, near the state capital. “Too many Americans are finding out about these projects after decisions have been made. We have been bulldozed over, and when citizens have raised concerns, they are often dismissed as uninformed, emotional or anti-progress.”

According to the Data Center Proposal Tracker, Pennsylvania has nearly 60 data centers that have been officially proposed, are in early planning stages, have received approval to build or are under construction. 

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Karen Feridun of the environmental nonprofit Better Path Coalition, which organized the town hall, said the Pennsylvania Data Center Resistance Facebook group she started in January with a few dozen members now has more than 12,000 followers. Kelly Donia of East Whiteland Township in southeastern Pennsylvania, who lives near a proposed data center, said she’s a registered Democrat who had been excited about speculation in 2024 that Shapiro would be the Democratic vice presidential candidate. But she said she no longer supports him because he has courted data centers. “He is losing his base,” she said. “I want him to hear this loud and freaking clear. I’m going to make it my job to make sure that man never gets elected again for any office.”

While an Emerson College survey in November found that Pennsylvanians were split on data-center development—38 percent supported it, while 35 percent opposed it—opposition to such development close to home was more pronounced. A February poll of registered voters in the state by Quinnipiac University found even more pushback: 68 percent said they would oppose a data center for AI in their community. 

Neither the Data Center Coalition, an industry group, nor Pennsylvania Data Center Partners, a developer of large data centers, responded to requests for comment, though industry advocates have said the growth will bring jobs and tax revenue to the state. 

The Shapiro administration said it seeks to protect communities while reaping the economic benefits of the booming data center industry.

“If companies want the Commonwealth’s full support — including access to tax credits and faster permitting — they must meet strict expectations around transparency, environmental protection, and community impact,” Rosie Lapowsky, a Shapiro spokesperson, said in a statement. “This is about setting a higher bar for projects, not lowering it, and ensuring development happens responsibly and in a way that benefits Pennsylvanians.”

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In February, Shapiro proposed standards as part of his budget address, including that new data centers seeking state support must either provide their own power rather than drawing it from the grid, or fully fund their power needs and the transmission infrastructure that comes with them.

Feridun said Shapiro did not respond to multiple invitations to attend the town hall, which she thinks the state should have hosted to give people a chance to express their concerns about data centers. 

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Colby Wesner of the activist group Concerned Citizens of Montour County, which successfully opposed a data center, criticized House lawmakers for passing the Shapiro-supported HB 2151, which would require state officials to draft a model ordinance that towns could use to respond to data center applications. 

Supporters say its use would be voluntary and it would help local officials protect quality of life in their communities. But Wesner believes it will benefit the industry if enacted: “There is absolutely no way this ordinance won’t be a data center developer’s dream.” 

Donia urged townships to change their zoning so they have the legal right to deny data center applications in places they don’t want them. Without carefully zoned land, towns are vulnerable to lawsuits from developers, she said.

“If you’ve got terrible ordinances in your township, and you add in bad zoning, guess what? You get a hyperscale data center,” she said.

The surge in data center projects in Pennsylvania has been driven by tax breaks for developers, as allowed by a 2021 law that lawmakers should repeal, said Republican state Rep. Jamie Walsh, who spoke at the town hall event. In Virginia, the state with the most data centers, developers have to pay a sales and use tax, but Pennsylvania doesn’t require that, he said.

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“That has made Pennsylvania a target. In Virginia, they have to pay tax on the contents of those buildings. Pennsylvania will never realize that. That is why we’ve become ground zero,” said Walsh, who represents Luzerne County in northeast Pennsylvania.

State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat who represents part of the Philadelphia suburbs, plans to introduce a bill to place a three-year moratorium on data center development so state and local governments can first study and plan for the industry. She announced the bill in a legislative memo in February and expects to introduce it soon, a spokesman said.

Muth told activists at the town hall that the data center industry has not done enough to fully disclose its plans to the public. ”This has all been planned long before any of us had a clue, so don’t feel that you missed all these things,” she said. “You were supposed to; no one wanted you to know about it.” 

Michael Sauers, a retired school teacher from Bloomsburg, southwest of Scranton, called on officials to amend the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a regulation first published in 1970.

“This has to be strengthened to empower communities to be able to say no to unwanted development that is being shoved down their throats,” he said. “Communities must be empowered to reject top-down development that gives them little or no voice in the future.”

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