He's posted several evening IR/Black and white photos from his trailcams in the past
Yes, and note in the second image above, the site is being secured
prior to the start of the excavation, on Mar. 12, 2018. Look at the condition of the slope above the trail and to the right of the patrol. You can clearly see soil slip/erosion of the slope indicating recurring issues most likely due to the ground water which has created the very wash under the large rock which Plaintiff calls a "cave".
This would be the same area of the slope in which we see the person in the color images appearing to probe the ground.
We now know that ground water and slides were an ever-present concern at this particular location of the trail. Remember the DCNR was aware of the groundwater conditions and the large sinkhole that was just forward of the rock for many years prior. They likely were addressing such issues in 2015 when Plaintiff captured images of the backhoe at the site then.
It would not be a stretch to presume the men appearing in the trail cam images on 27 JAN 2024 are employed by some agency (possibly DCNR or contractors) responsible to monitor the site conditions for such soil slip. This would be especially true following such a recent and rapid excavation at a former slide site. What some may consider nefarious may actually just be two guys doing their job.
Note that in the color video clip at 5:03PM, we see the person carrying a long, clean, dry stick with indications of moisture only within the first few inches of the stick tip, as he approaches the trail cam. It appears he is using the stick as some sort of rudimentary soil penetration test and crude method for measurement of ground water which could contribute to soil slip. He uses two hands at one point to exert considerable force on the stick in attempt to penetrate the slope as much as possible.
The actions of the Plaintiff here essentially amount to harassment of these individuals and the unsuspecting public in general. It could be considered a threatening action to citizens who are accessing the forest to work or recreate and wind up having their face plastered in online forums. Plaintiff's use of the trail cams in this manner serves no legitimate purpose. Presuming Plaintiff has written permission to keep personal property in a state forest for more than 24 hours, this permission should be revoked based on these actions and Plaintiff should be charged with a summary offense. If Plaintiff's concerns of nefarious activity were genuine, he should confidentially submit such images to the authorities for review and/or further investigation, not in a FB discussion.