An Assembly Resolution opposing certain parts of the National Park Service's "Vision 2030" for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Whereas, The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area ("Delaware Water Gap") is a unit of the National Park Service located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, that currently encompasses nearly 70,000 acres, of which 21,978 acres are in Sussex County and 9,222 acres are in Warren County; and

Whereas, The Delaware Water Gap is among the top 10 most visited units of the National Park System with approximately five million visitors annually; and

Whereas, The Delaware Water Gap offers numerous recreational opportunities, including bicycling, bird watching, boating, camping, canoeing, cross country skiing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, swimming, walking, and special events, and is home to numerous rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants, amphibians, fish, mammals, and reptiles; and

Whereas, The Delaware Water Gap is enjoyed by the residents of Sussex and Warren counties, as well as residents from throughout the State and visitors from across the country; and

Whereas, Businesses in Sussex and Warren counties benefit substantially from the tourism which the numerous and varied recreational activities of the region's federal and State lands provide; and

Whereas, Staff of the National Park Service have created a plan entitled "Vision 2030: A Vision For A Sustainable Future," which sets forth a vision for the Delaware Water Gap and the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River; and

Whereas, This plan sets forth a proposal to acquire large tracts of land and expand the jurisdiction of the National Park Service outside of the current boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap, including, at a minimum, any land that is within a watershed that flows into the Delaware River in the area under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service; and

Whereas, Vision 2030 also expresses a desire to establish the Delaware Valley National Park and Preserve, a proposed area that would include the Delaware Water Gap and the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River in a larger park and preserve complex, that would replace the Delaware Water Gap while the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River would continue under current management which it is believed may eventually limit or prohibit hunting and recreation activities currently enjoyed by residents and visitors; and

Whereas, Such a change would negatively affect the residents, businesses, and tourism-related activities of Sussex and Warren counties, as visitors come from all over the country to enjoy the recreational activities offered by the Delaware Water Gap, including hunting, which provides economic benefits to all of the local businesses in Sussex and Warren counties; and

Whereas, Prohibiting or restricting recreational activities, including hunting, will cause local businesses in Sussex and Warren counties to suffer financially and force tourism to other states that offer these activities; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House opposes the National Park Service's "Vision 2030: A Vision For A Sustainable Future" plan to take additional property to expand the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area beyond its current boundaries.

2. This House further opposes the vision to establish the Delaware Valley National Park and Preserve, a proposal that would take the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River and include them in a larger park and preserve complex.

3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Governor, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service, the Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the National Park Service, every member of Congress elected from this State, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

STATEMENT

This resolution expresses opposition to certain parts of the National Park Service's "Vision 2030: A Vision For A Sustainable Future" for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Specifically, the resolution opposes the proposals concerning the acquisition of additional property to expand the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area beyond its current boundaries and the establishment of a Delaware Valley National Park and Preserve.