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Deaths, 'homesteaders' cause lake camping to be eliminated

By Lisa Majors-Duff
Lake On the heels of recent drownings and a shooting incident nearby, officers with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department are asking those camped at Bear Lake without permission to leave from property owners. With letters from property owners in hand, officers last month cleared the area and are continuing to make campers aware of the new policy, a situation that has caused some who have used the lake shores for recreation for years to voice complaints. But it's the complaints of about six lake-front property owners, including Duke Power Co. officials, that have caused officers to keep the area free of campers, many of whom are not leaving the area in as good a condition as they found it. Though this unoccupied campsite (above) appeared to be ship-shape Tuesday, evidence of littering could be found in all directions. Trash of all sorts - from beer cans to toilet paper and disposable diapers, to these bags of garbage (below) hanging in a tree - littered the area. - Herald photos by Lisa Majors-Duff A new "No Camping" policy at Bear Lake has upset many of those accustomed to relaxing by the shore, but Sheriff Jim Cruzan said he is only doing what property owners have asked of him.

With written and verbal requests from several Bear Lake property owners to remove anyone found camping without permission, Sheriff's Department officers began asking campers to leave the weekend of June 22-23.

In addition to enforcing the wishes of property owners, Sheriff Cruzan said asking the more rowdy campers to leave is a way of hopefully averting future tragedies on the lake.

"This decision comes on the heels of a recent shooting incident and two drownings at the lake," Cruzan said.

Law enforcement officers were called to Bear Lake June 14 to investigate the theft of a boat belonging to Margaret and Thomas Caldwell of Haywood County. What they found, the sheriff said, was the boat stalled some 70 feet from the shore.

While one of the men accused of taking the boat swam safely back to shore, the other, Jeremy Shane Littrell, 28, of Waynesville's Allens Creek community, did not.

Lake trash Littrell's death marked the second drowning on Bear Lake in 14 months. Brian West, 19, also of Haywood County, lost his life in April 2001 after his canoe capsized during a storm.

The shooting Cruzan referred to also occurred during the weekend of June 22 and involved a 21-year-old Buncombe County man who was camping on the lake with his family. Joseph Cartwright told law enforcement officers that a man had pointed a gun at him and told him to leave. Donnie Moore, 60, of Tuckasegee, was charged in the incident.

Alcohol is thought to be a contributing factor in many of the problems at Bear Lake, the sheriff said. On one visit to the area recently, a 9-year-old boy was found intoxicated. The incident was reported to Social Services, Cruzan said.

In addition to complaints from lake-front property owners about campers, Duke Power officials have asked the Sheriff's Department to stop camping on their property, which is 10 feet above the lake's high-water mark.

"Camping is not permitted on the perimeter of the lakes because of public health concerns since there are no facilities available," said Fred Alexander, Duke Power's Nantahala District manager. "We have a signed agreement with the Sheriff's Department that allows them to take legal action against those found camping there."

Bear Lake property owner Betty Randall of Asheville said she gave the Sheriff's Department permission to ask campers to leave her property after a "homesteader" took up residence there last winter for about three months. That's when she requested the sheriff keep trespassers off her land.

"That lake is pristine and beautiful," Randall said. "But when everybody and their brother camps up there and they don't pick up their litter, it gets to be a problem."

Randall, who has owned her 3 acres on Bear Lake since 1965, said keeping her property clean of litter, which consists mostly of beer cans, is "almost impossible." She remembers when those camping on the lake were mostly fishermen, "and they are pretty clean people."

But now, she said, the area, which lacks bathroom facilities and trash receptacles, has become littered almost beyond repair.

"I'm in favor of people enjoying the great outdoors," she said. "But can't they clean up their mess?"

After last month's shooting incident and drowning, "we realized we were going to have to regain some control," said Lt. Robbie Gunnels of the Sheriff's Department. "The first thing we needed to do was remove the campers."

One family asked to leave their campsite last month has questioned the methods employed by the Sheriff's Department, including asking some who were intoxicated to drive away.

"My husband and I took our children to Bear Lake June 23 for some boating and camping and to escape the summer heat wave," Cullowhee resident Doris Flynn said. "When nightfall came we started a campfire and were putting our children to bed when two Jackson County deputies said we had to pack up and leave immediately because we were camping on private property.

"I have been camping on this property since I was a child, and it has never been posted with 'No Trespassing' or 'No Camping' signs to the best of my knowledge," she continued.

Some of those asked to leave had been drinking at their campsites, Flynn said, something deputies would have been made aware of when they stopped drivers at the intersection of N.C. 281 and 107.

Sheriff Cruzan denied anyone who had been drinking was told to "get behind the wheel" the night in question.

"We made sure there were sober drivers," he said. "If there weren't, we called someone to come get them."

The sheriff offered his "apologies to any family who was inconvenienced, but I have to look after the safety of everybody who uses the lakes."

Though he admitted to "interfering with some families' fun," Gunnels said "regaining some control" at Bear Lake has become a priority.

As it stands now, anyone found camping on private property owned by those who have contacted the Sheriff's Department will be asked to leave, Gunnels said. In addition, anyone camping within 10 feet of the high-water mark will be asked to move, he said.

Those who refuse will be charged with trespassing or littering, Gunnels said.

"So far, everyone has complied with our requests and there have been no charges filed," he said. "Also, we are asking them to clean up their campsites."

The department's effort to improve conditions at Bear Lake have been ongoing for three weeks, Gunnels said.

"Hopefully we are getting the word out," he said.

Back to Archive: 07/18/02.