Legislators fear making Delaware Water Gap a national park could ruin it for many people

Resolutions opposing a redesignation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area into a national park and preserve, have been filed in the state Assembly and Senate.

The change, proposed by Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve Alliance, could change the purpose and culture of the current recreation area away from a place where hunting, fishing and many other outdoor and agricultural activities are allowed to an area with more restrictions, including no hunting, potential limits on fishing, camping and uses of the river.

In addition to the new restrictions, opponents of the redesignation also claim that with a "national park" designation, the National Park Service might more easily acquire more land in and around the current boundaries. Other concerns are that the area would draw even more visitors and put a strain on the surrounding area, both in amount of traffic on local roads, and on the infrastructure required for such accommodations for visitors.

The resolutions introduced are SR-93 in the state Senate and AR-133 in the Assembly and are sponsored by state Sen. Parker Space and Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort from District 24, which includes all of Sussex and parts of Warren and Morris counties.

The 70,000-acre recreation area was created from land acquired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s for the major flood-control Tocks Island dam project. Public opposition and lawsuits followed as properties were taken on both sides of the river to form a "recreation area" around the lake created by the dam.

When the dam project was abandoned because the weight of public opposition, the project continued with a lake-less recreation area. The area now supports an economy centered on recreation on the river, as well as camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. In addition, much of the bottom land in the river valley is leased to farmers who grow crops such as grains, corn and hay, which serve both their farms but also as cash crops.

However, a national park designation would put limits on, if not outright prohibit, "resource extraction," which could limit those activities as well as forestry-related activities, including hunting and fishing.

Opponents of the redesignation also note that state-owned properties, such as Stokes and Worthington forests and High Point state park, might be endangered as well.

Of the 70,000 acres in the park, nearly half — 21,978 acres in Sussex and 9,222 acres in Warren counties — are in New Jersey, and are a focus of hunting and fishing in a rapidly urbanizing state.

While not specifically mentioned in the opposition's talking points, the northwestern part of New Jersey is has one of the highest concentrations of black bears in the country. New Jersey Division of Fish and Game has instituted a hunting season for black bears, since hunting is a major population control measure.

The specifics and scope of the Redesignation Project and the environmental, economic and agricultural impacts of the project remain unknown. The redesignation proposal also does not say the project is to be funded and how fees will be collected.

National parks can institute entrance fees and the main north-south route through the park is owned by the NPS. However, east-west routes such as I-80 through the water gap, and roads which provide access to the privately-owned Dingmans Bridge river crossing at mid-park, are owned by other governmental agencies.

In 2023, the recreation area was 17th-most visited unit of the National Park Service with 4,207,541 recreation visits. That number does not include trips through the recreation area by commuters or those using I-80, or Dingmans Bridge or the Route 209 toll bridge from northern Sussex County into Pennsylvania's Pike County.

There is nothing in the redesignation proposal to say if, or how, fees, which are common in most national parks, will be collected, or any changes in administrative operations.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Delaware Water Gap a national park? Why NJ legislators are fighting it