NARROWSBURG, NY — National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent Kris Heister of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River recently spent some time trying to convince Upper Delaware Council (UDC) members that a new collaborative NPS law enforcement plan is not a forerunner of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) being merged into the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA).

Even before Heister spoke on March 6, Upper Delaware Council chair Al Henry stated, “The Upper Delaware Council is strongly against a merger.”

Since federal budget cutting began during the past recession, there have been rumors that already tight National Park budgeting would lead to a merger of the two NPS units.

The opposition is based on the legal and philosophical differences in the nature of the two river parks.

DEWA is a traditionally authorized park, with thousands of acres of NPS managed lands and many related facilities. It also is related to a controversial history of extensive land condemnation associated with the failed Tocks Island Dam project, which preceded the park.

That history was repeatedly aired during often bitterly contested UPDE planning sessions, as opponents warned of its repetition in the Upper Delaware.

NPS condemnations have never occurred in the Upper Delaware, but they have not been forgotten either.

Perhaps anticipating a skeptical response to the new collaborative law enforcement plan, Heister prepared a six-page “frequently asked questions” document accompanying the two-page press release about the plan.

Heister sought a UDC letter of support for the collaborative plan.

Heister’s press release stated the law enforcement plan was “not an effort to combine UPDE and DEWA…”

The FAQ document addressed merger on the front page stating, “There are no current plans to merge the two parks…. ”

Tusten UDC delegate Susan Sullivan commented that she would have been more comfortable with the answer if the word current was removed.

There were also questions about the list of joint activities for NPS law enforcement, which included hunting patrols and DUI enforcement.

Heister said hunting patrols referred to waterfowl hunting over the river in DEWA and that locally, NPS rangers have assisted Town of Highland constables in drunk-driving enforcement work.

Deerpark delegate David Dean asked that any letter include the distinction “that land in UPDE is privately owned and cooperative, but a totally distinct situation.”

NPS Chief Ranger Joe Hinkes would be transferred to a new position, operations specialist, at UPDE. His position at DEWA would be a new, lower-salaried, supervisory law enforcement ranger. Hinkes said UPDE would have the same number of law enforcement rangers under the plan, and he would be working closely with the superintendent on pooling resources, while continuing to work with local and county emergency services.

Heister’s release stated the change was a “timely and necessary step to address… stagnant or declining long-term budget scenarios.”

Over the years, UPDE law enforcement staffing has been reduced from 17 full and part-time rangers in 1981, to six in 2015.

In other business the UDC approved a letter to PennDOT voicing concerns over the proposed lengthy delay in repairs to the Narrowsburg interstate bridge and proposing a new public meeting where the state would be prepared to explain the reasons for the delay.

They also heard Jane Luchsinger announce that a trial weekend jitney/bus service called “Eagle Express,” between Manhattan and points along Route 97 would be initiated in June and July. Reservations for the $40 one-way trip should be made through scva.net/eagleexpress.

They also heard a renewed request from the Delaware River Basin Commission for a letter of support to regional legislators, in hopes of restoring long-delayed federal funding for the interstate commission.