Visioning

The Upper Delaware River Corridor

My vision for the Upper Delaware

By SUE CURRIER

“Your memories are my marketing,” an organic peach farmer and renowned author, David Mas Masumoto claimed. Masumoto is an impressive storyteller. He spins stories of working on his farm and harvesting his peaches that trigger my own memories. Memories of standing beside my grandmother at the kitchen sink as she sliced farm-fresh peaches into the bowl.

I recall the way the sweet, orange juice ran off her hands onto mine as she handed me a slice. With such vivid memories my taste buds longed for that peach.

I walked out of his presentation into the cool night air thinking about how memories define, not just a moment, but a place. Since I moved to the Upper Delaware River region, people shared why they love to live here. They shared memories of fishing on the river, canoeing with family, hiking through the fall leaves, watching the wood ducks nest in their wetlands, watching the monarchs migrate across a field, or enjoying the best fresh ice cream from the dairy down the road.

Visioning to me means enabling future generations to create some of those same memories. Growth is inevitable. Our proximity to large metropolitan centers, our natural resources and livable communities will only become increasingly attractive to others. I invite others to come and enjoy it. Our challenge is to define how the growth takes place.

I believe visioning starts by defining what is important to us. What are the attributes that make this our home? What are the memories we wish for our children’s children? From there, we put the plans in place to sustain those things we cherish.

For me, that’s thriving downtown centers surrounded by tree-lined streets where I know my neighbors and can walk to visit friends. It’s strolling a few blocks to pick up some fresh bread and the Sunday paper. It’s shopping along the main street, and walking home with bags laden with fresh local produce from the farmers market. It’s beating the summer heat in the pristine waters of the river. It’s walking in the woods, enjoying the sounds of fall leaves crunching underfoot, the chattering of chipmunks scrambling to finish their winter preparations, and birds calling to one another. These memories of my past are my hopes for the future.

It is achievable. If we support our local planning boards, we can put measures in place that make these visions a reality. We can enact zoning rules that make it attractive for businesses to return to the downtown and discourage sprawl. We can set aside some open space for public enjoyment and reduce our tax burden at the same time. We can protect some of the scenic vistas we enjoy as we canoe down the river. The time is now to help preserve those memories for future generations. Let your memories guide our development.

[Sue Currier is the executive director of Delaware Highlands Conservancy, a land trust working with landowners to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Upper Delaware River Region.]