A Walk Through What We Stand to Lose: Land Impacted by Clifton/Covington Data Center
Updated: 19 hours ago
by Colleen Jamison
German Speedwell at Barton Bros Property Barton Bros Property by Ray Roper Barton Bros Property by Pamela Barton Barton Bros Property by Pamela Barton
I didn't really know what to expect as I drove to the Barton Brothers property in Clifton Township, a small community in Lackawanna County. All I knew was that these 700-plus acres, protected by a conservation easement since the 1980s, could soon be surrounded on three sides by a data center complex. The land trust had invited the community on an educational tour of this private, ecologically diverse property.
I could easily have missed the dirt road leading to the property. It seemed little more than a suggestion through the forest. I drove slowly for three-quarters of a mile in dappled sunlight through a cool carpet of ferns. I have to admit, I felt a thrill. I was about to see one of those secret, magical Pocono places that you know exist but may never have the chance to experience.
A large crowd had already gathered - maybe 50 people. With a serene pond behind them, the landowners welcomed us and explained that they wanted people to see their land as it exists today. They wanted us to understand that a development of this scale, regardless of its promised benefits, would forever change this sanctuary.
There was a sense of anticipation among us - a shared desire to learn what we could do, mixed with a solemn acknowledgment that we wanted to be there, that we wanted the same thing.
Maybe, in some way, being there mattered.
Our hike took us through dense woods, past a beaver-dammed creek before we reached the heart of the property: the sparkling sandy springs. I wish you could have seen them. The water seemed to dance as shafts of light filtered through the canopy. It was so clear that one of the property owners dipped a cup into the spring and drank from it. Standing there, I kept thinking: How can I help protect a spring as pure as this?
As we lingered, we learned more about what could happen if the data centers are built. It was sobering. I looked up at the grandeur of an Eastern white pine that had graced this land for decades and uttered...what? A prayer of gratitude? A plea for guidance? An apology? I'm still not sure.
But this we do know:
Data centers are energy-intensive facilities that operate around the clock.
Cooling systems require enormous amounts of water, drawn from rivers, aquifers, or municipal supplies.
Noise, heat, and artificial light threaten nearby residents and disrupt wildlife.
Construction clears forests, farmland, and wetlands.
The proposed data center campus would include more than 30 data center buildings across Clifton and Covington townships. Located on the Lehigh River watershed, it would threaten drinking water, demolish native habitats, and generate non-stop noise and light pollution.
If places like this matter to you - even if you never set foot on them - learn about the data center development in Clifton and Covington townships. Go to public meetings. Ask direct questions about water use, energy infrastructure, wastewater, noise, chemicals, and habitat protection. Call, email or text local and state officials, and ask that decisions not be based on promises alone.
Decisions made today will shape the forests, streams, wildlife, and communities we cherish for generations.
