New NJ National Park Gains Support

WARREN COUNTY, NJ — Warren County’s three commissioners from its Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on a resolution Wednesday to designate the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as a National Park.

The National Recreation Area is nestled between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with about 70,000 acres of forested paradise and five million visitors annually. Visitors come to hike, bike, camp, hunt, swim, paddle a kayak or canoe, picnic and more. There are Native American archaeological sites and structures from early Dutch settlements in the area from colonial times, the commissioners stated in a news release.

Though the National Park Service works within the area, it is not part of the Recreational Area’s official title. The Recreational Area was created in 1975 with the National Park Service acting as its steward after the Tocks Island Dam project was sidelined.

To create a new National Park, it will take an act of Congress, Commissioner James R. Kern III told Patch in an email. The commissioners are working with U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist, on the project, he said.

Other next steps, Kern said, is for Warren County municipalities to pass the same support resolution. The commissioners sent a copy of their resolution to Gov. Phil Murphy, President Joe Biden and “state and federal delegations,” said Kern.

“I would urge people to contact their federal representatives to support this designation,” Kern said.

There are 63 National Parks in the country, according to the news release from the commissioners, with nine on the country’s east coast. There are currently no National Parks in New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania, the commissioners said.

“Designating the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve is to place this jewel of our national heritage into the crown of the national park system where it has always belonged,” the resolution states.

“The Delaware Water Gap is one of our greatest natural resources and our most visited park,” Commissioner Director Jason J. Sarnoski stated in the news release. “The Commissioners have constantly advocated for its benefit and it is time that it gets the national recognition it deserves.”

“The designation of National Park for the Delaware Water Gap is long overdue,” Commissioner Deputy Director Lori Ciesla also said in the news release. “The magnitude of the beauty and history of this natural resource rivals that of our other national parks, and I hope our federal representatives will help us make this a reality.”

“When people think of Warren County, they think of the Delaware Water Gap,” Kern stated. “Nowhere in the county offers a better visual than the majestic mountains, deep woods and winding rivers and streams.”

“The Gap is a truly a magnificent place and is deserving of this designation,” said Kern.

Click here for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area’s website.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.