When Frank Braswell saw the story about a section of Jordan Lake park being closed because of sexual shenanigans in the bushes, he had to read it several times before it sank in.

It was surprising enough that the area had become a hot spot for gay men seeking quick hookups -- the Triangle's version of an infamous men's room in the Minneapolis airport. Jordan Lake, on the border of Chatham and Orange counties, is just a bit more remote than an international air terminal.

What really stunned Braswell, though, was the response of the state's Wildlife Resources Commission.

"They say the problem is too pervasive to address," Braswell said. "Basically, they're saying, 'We give up.' "

That bothers Braswell.

"As a practical matter, this removes a public resource from public use," he said.

Braswell, who owns and operates a window blinds business from his home in Wendell, hoped to take his 4- and 7-year-old grandsons to Jordan Lake someday to spy a bald eagle.

But apparently other wildlife has taken over.

Isaac Harrold, section manager of the state and public lands division with the Wildlife Resources Commission, conceded that it's an unfortunate situation.

The Indian Creek Wildlife Observation Area trail itself is not officially closed, but the parking area has been cordoned off, forcing visitors to leave their cars on the shoulder of N.C. 751. Not that the commission expects such measures to stop the sexual exploits from occurring there.

In effect, Harrold said, the commission is powerless.

"We do not have the resources to focus enough manpower to address the problem," Harrold said. "It would take full-time enforcement for a long time to eliminate it at this point."

Harrold said the problem began about four or five years ago with public nudity.

Over time, nudity progressed to solicitations for sex and instances in which nature-lovers encountered men engaged in sexual activity.

"We don't feel like it's responsible to have park visitors exposed to that," he said.

As a result, another trail will be plotted, another parking lot laid out, and another observation platform built.

Harrold said the cost of the construction will be minimal to the state; a local Audubon group is providing grant money for the platform, for example.

To Braswell, however, there is a matter of principle at stake here.

"What if this occurred in Pullen Park in downtown Raleigh or on Capital Boulevard?" he asked. "Would they just say, 'Oh, well, we'll have to close that' too?"

Braswell called Gov. Mike Easley's office to ask him to step in. He wants the governor to pressure the Wildlife Resources Commission to shut down the party scene on this Jordan Lake trail so it can be kept open for everyone to enjoy.

"I can't believe, between wildlife officers and the Chatham County sheriff's department, that there aren't enough officers to handle this," he said. "It needs to be a priority."

This is not about homosexuality, Braswell said. He doesn't care what folks do in privacy. But on a public trail, on public land?

That's where he draws the line. It seems a reasonable place to draw it.

The area out at Jordan Lake belongs to all of us.

If we let this one go, what do we surrender next?