Meetings to address managing historic properties in the park

BUSHKILL — A series of informational meetings will update the public on the Historic Properties Management Plan for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

The sessions are scheduled for Jan. 28-30 (see sidebar for schedule).

The plan will evaluate historic properties, including their value to the park, condition, and potential uses.

The plan is meant to compensate for destruction in the park resulting from building and operating the Susquehanna-Roseland Transmission Line. In 2012, the National Park Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for the line, which included a requirement for a management plan. The park service identified the affected cultural resources in collaboration with the public and other agencies.

“This plan will provide guidance for park employees and managers when making strategic maintenance and preservation decisions in the future,” said park Superintendent John J. Donahue. “It will be a very important and useful tool and public input will be essential. Right now, we want to share what we’ve accomplished to get to this point and what we plan to do in the coming months.”

Although much background work is already done, the scheduled meetings will begin the plan's development, Donohue said. The sessions will address:

Work that already been completed in preparation for the management plan

Development of a comprehensive historic structures database

Preliminary criteria for inclusion in the plan

Planning process and timeline
Upcoming opportunities for public comment

Donohue said a formal public scoping period will begin in the spring or summer, when preliminary alternatives will be presented for comment.