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Delaware Water Gap Rec Area re-listing

I posted this on the PA forum and figured I'd post it here as well. Sierra Club is behind the effort to have the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to a National Park. Considering the amount of traffic and use it gets now, just imagine after it's relisted with infrastructure improvments and such.

It’s just a bad idea! I live about 4 miles from the northern border of the DWGNRA in Pike Co. Pa. I've lived here over 30 years and moved here for the rural lifestyle/atmosphere. The last 2 years we saw a HUGE influx of people from NYC and Northern NJ trying to escape the COVID lockdowns where they live. It put a HUGE strain on our resources/infrastructure. I would drive by the parking areas to the hiking trails and the McDade railtrail along Route 209 and you could not find a parking space. ANd not just on the weekends- this was a DAILY occurance (even during the week). The NPS had to put up barricades and traffic cones to keep people from parking on the shoulder of the road. And it was not just a few of the more popular trails- it was every parking area from Milford down to Bushkill. As things have started to open up, it has eased somewhat during the week, but the weekends are still seeing the hoards of people. IMHO, this is just a preview of what is to come if the DWGNRA is transformed into a National Park. I think what attracts people to this area is the undeveloped natural environment...................they want to get out on a trail and experience nature and avoid the overcrowded, hustle and bustle of the city. But that is hard to do when every parking lot and trail is packed with people! And building new infrastructure and public amenities will just bring more visitors and put more pressure on the infrastructure. Just look at many of our National Parks for examples- they have become little "cities" in the Summer............................with all the problems that people are trying to escape from!

As the one article pointed out, there is still a lot of distrust of the Federal Government ever since they took over the area back in the 60's for the (now)abandoned Tock's Island Project. Much of the land that eventually became the DWGNRA was aquired by Eminent Domain and has been used by the public, very successfully for almost 60 years. But there is still a lot of resentment by the 600 some families that were displaced. So I would not expect a lot of local support for this initiative.

And I would not expect a lot of support for anything that would take any amout of available hunting land away from public use.

There was a piece on our local news about it and they stated there is a lot of local opposition to this on both sides of the river. I hope our neighbors in NJ join us in the fight!

It was on the local news again the other night. The Mayor of Sandyston NJ voiced concerns over the proposal and cited the possible loss of hunting lands. Sounds like he was opposed to it on a personal level as well, as his family lost 60 acres of farmland to eminent domain due to the failed Tocks Island project.

The secretive nature of this is REALLY concerning...................by the NPS, those who support the proposal (like retired Superintendent of the DWGNRA John Donahue) and the Sierra Club.

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