UDC sees NPS changeups

Greets new super; thanks retiring assistant super

By SANDY LONG

NARROWSBURG, NY — Sean McGuinness spent the first day of his new job as superintendent of the National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (NPS UDSRR) getting acquainted with the broad range of issues and interests currently swirling through the river corridor.

“Normally, you show up at a park, get a drive around the place and get excited about all the things you’re going to be managing,” McGuinness told members of the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) at their meeting on February 4. “Here, I started out with two very lengthy meetings with a lot of folks and a lot of issues. It’s a whole different ballgame and I’m really looking forward to it.”

McGuinness said his background working at national parks in Alaska, Southern California and Fire Island has given him substantial experience in settings where private property issues are important. “I will visit each of your townships and work with you very closely,” he told the UDC.

“The regional office has also committed to helping the Upper Delaware and Delaware Water Gap on a lot of the issues that we’re facing dealing with energy. We’re committed to finding some way to try and meet the needs of this nation and the needs of the park service and the American public, who we are really trustees for.”

Several days later, McGuinness reflected on his first few days as superintendent. “My first impressions of the Upper Delaware were the sophistication and intense dedication the people along the Upper Delaware have for their environmental, social and economic communities. Everyone has been very warm and friendly and made it very clear to me their appreciation for the unspoiled resources of the Upper Delaware River.”

McGuinness added that he was “awed by the beauty, open space and cultural richness of the area.”

NPS assistant superintendent Sandy Schultz also announced that she will be retiring from 37 years of federal service on March 2 and thanked everyone for their support.

“We’re going to miss you tremendously,” said UDC executive director Bill Douglass.

In other news, the UDC heard from William Rudge that the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is struggling to determine how to cope with proposed state budget cuts. Town of Highland representative Andrew Boyar asked Rudge for an estimate of the completion date for the agency’s review of its draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement. Rudge said that given the volume of comments received, a spring completion date is “unlikely.”

Dennis Demara of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) said that the agency has awarded nearly $19 million in grants throughout the commonwealth, including $36,200 for a comprehensive recreation, open space and greenway plan for two Wayne County, PA boroughs, Bethany and Honesdale, and two PA townships, Dyberry and Texas. A full list of grants, as well as information on the next grants workshop on February 18 is available at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

In addition, a new Northeastern Pennsylvania Bicycling and Hiking Map has been printed in partnership with PennDOT through a congestion mitigation grant promoting bicycle use. The map resulted from a landscape initiative working with various bicycle and trail organizations, as well as parks and recreation departments that analyzed where trail gaps are occurring. The DCNR website also has a new feature called “Explore PA Trails.”

In discussions related to gas drilling, Boyar urged fellow UDC representatives to learn all they can about gas drilling. “Without dispute, we’re getting more and more reports of problems,” he said. “It seems they grow every day. The more we learn about this, the better off we’ll be.”

Douglass announced that the UDC’s 22nd Annual Awards Ceremony will be held on April 25 at the Eldred Preserve in Eldred, and that Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther will be the keynote speaker.