Local Park Service budget highlights

BEACH LAKE — Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (S&RR) Superintendent Calvin F. Hite announced that the Upper Delaware S&RR’s Annual Performance Plan and documents are available for public review.

The documents, providing details about the appropriated budget and fee revenues for FY 2001, are required by the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998.

Highlights of the park’s budget, which funds specific goals in the annual performance plan, include:

• $655,971 for resource preservation and management including preservation of historic structures and landscapes, care of archival and curatorial collections, National Register of Historic Places nominations, natural resource inventory and monitoring, water testing and development/maintenance of the Geographical Information System (GIS) data base for the river valley. Also included in this figure is funding for the Upper Delaware Council’s (UDC) annual operations. $4, 000 in estimated fee revenues retained by the park will be used to cover the cost of fee collection at the Zane Grey House.

• $1,030,790 is used to address visitor services, including all of the interpretive and law enforcement programs and related interagency coordination for the Upper Delaware. For example, these monies fund exhibits at river accesses, maintain the Upper Delaware’s web site (www.nps.gov/upde), Roebling Bridge tours, Zane Grey Museum operations, river safety patrols, educational programs, search and rescue efforts and assistance to local fire departments and rescue squads. Also included are the funding grants that go to local governments for law enforcement and trash removal. $4,000 is anticipated through the Incidental Business Permit (IBP) program and is used to monitor safety performance of the river corridor’s commercial operating boating liveries, camps and fishing guides.

• $387,978 is for facility operations and maintenance and covers grounds maintenance at National Park Service (NPS)-owned and co-managed sites, snow plowing at five locations including the Roebling Bridge and Zane Grey House, maintaining non-historic buildings and landscapes, portable restroom fees and trash removal at river accesses.

• $556,621 is for park administration and includes the superintendent’s office and the Upper Delaware’s administrative and support services for contacting, procurement, personnel, property, management, communications and computer services. The superintendent’s staff is responsible for planning, natural and cultural resource compliance, press releases, public relations and general program supervision and oversight.

• $791,000 in funds for design and construction have been made available through the Public Lands portion of the US Department of Transportation’s appropriations for the purpose of planning and designing a visitor center at the Mongaup site in the Town of Deerpark, Orange County. This funding will also provide for all necessary engineering, environmental and cultural resource compliance studies needed for the project.

No funds have been made available for land acquisition in fiscal year 2001.

A copy of Upper Delaware’s Annual Performance Plan, prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), is available by writing to the National Park Service, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, RR2 Box 2428, Beach Lake PA 18405, or on the Internet at www.nps.gov/upde.

The goals described in the park’s annual performance plan are derived from the 2000 NPS Strategic Plan, which establishes a performance management process for the NPS and incorporates the requirements of GPRA. The strategic plan is available on the NPS home page at www.nps.gov.

Cast out by the storm

LIVINGSTON MANOR — Unfortunately, due to weather conditions on January 1, the opening of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum’s (CFFC&M) exhibit, “Fly Tackle, Equipment, and Accessories 2001” was postponed. The opening has been rescheduled to January 13, with a reception in the museum from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Join Leon Chandler and others for the kick-off of this exciting new living exhibit.

The center takes pride in this exhibit as the first ever “hands-on” interactive showcase for fly tackle available to the fly fishing community. This event will ultimately give visitors an up close and personal opportunity to examine and appreciate the equipment at their leisure in a non-sales/competitive environment. The program will be on display at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum until January 1, 2002, when it will be then interred in a time capsule, with the complete collection of “Flies of the Year 2000” along with bios, press releases, magazines, books and features to remain buried and undisturbed until January 1, 2100. Imagine if we had such a collection of Leonard, Vom Hofe, Hardy, Orvis, etc, from the onset of the 20th century in one location today. Together, with this exhibit, we can pass on a legitimate piece of history to the fly fishers of the 22nd century while availing our technology, science and art of fly fishing to the fly fishing world today.

Like “Flies of the Year 2000,” this new exhibit will capture the attention of the outdoor sports media, fly tackle manufacturers, and most of all, the consumers. The CFFC&M will host a feature on its website, in conjunction with an independent commercial website, to provide an ongoing review of the latest equipment in this exhibit. To participate, all it takes is two pieces of the some item from your company, one for the exhibit and one to be used to help underwrite this undertaking. In addition to being part of this historical event, contributors may advertise themselves as “proud supporters of the CFFC&M”, the largest and most modern facility dedicated to the preservation, promotion and education of fly fishing in the world.

For more information or to be part of it, call the CFFC&M at 845/439-4810, fax 845/439-3387 or e-mail flyfish@catskill.net.

Water Gap’s citizen advisory meeting

WALPACK, NJ — A meeting of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (NRA) Citizen Advisory Commission is scheduled for Saturday, January 13 at 9:00 a.m., at the New Jersey District Office, in Walpack. A snow date of January 20 has also been set.

The agenda for the meeting will include reports from Citizen Advisory Commission committees including: Natural Resources and Recreation, Cultural and Historical Resources, Inter-Governmental and Public Affairs, Construction and Capital Project Implementation, Interpretation and New Jersey Swim Beach Feasibility. Superintendent Bill Laitner will give a report on various park issues.

The meeting will be open to the public and there will be an opportunity for public comment to the commission. Anyone who wishes to comment should call the Bushkill Headquarters Office of the Delaware Water Gap NRA at 570/588-2418 prior to the meeting in order to be included on the agenda, or send a written statement relaying topics of concern to Jim Price, Chair, Delaware Water NRA Citizen Advisory Commission, P.O. Box 284, Bushkill, PA, 18324. Persons requesting to comment can be recognized up to the limit of available time based on when their request to comment is received.

Preliminary minutes of the meeting will be available for inspection several weeks after the meeting at the Headquarters Office of the Delaware Water Gap NRA located on River Road, one mile east of U.S. Route 209, Bushkill.

For further information contact Superintendent Bill Laitner at the Delaware Water NRA, Bushkill, PA 18324; or call 570/588-2418.

Youth ice fishing derby

TEN MILE RIVER — On Saturday, January 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. there will be a free youth ice fishing derby sponsored by the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Ten Mile River Boy Scouts and the Sullivan County Democrat.

The event will take place on Crystal Lake, approximately 1 1/2 miles down Route 26, off of Route 55 south. No fishing license is required, but participants should bring their own bait and tip-ups. Augers will be available to drill holes and free refreshments will be served. There will be prizes for all youngsters and trophies awarded to age 15.

If the derby needs to be cancelled, the alternate date is February 10.

For more information call Jack at 570/798-2998, Edna at 845/923-9898, Carl at 845/292-2151 or Clyde at 845/292-7486.