Members of the town’s newly-formed public safety task force

ST. JOHNSBURY — Members of the town’s newly-formed public safety task force went to five locations being used as campsites on Wednesday and gave orders to vacate the areas at all five. Three of the sites are on land between the Passumpsic River and the Three Rivers Recreation Path. One is beneath the High Street bridge that spans the Sleepers River, and one is under the fishing pier at Fred Mold Park. All five were determined by the task force to be in “highly sensitive areas” and, therefore, subject to the town’s encampment policy, which establishes a process for removing improperly located campsites in town. St. Johnsbury Town Manager Chad Whitehead said the policy is based on one the City of Montpelier used.