National Park Service scraps plan to charge entrance fee at Delaware Water Gap
A National Park Service proposal to charge an entrance fee at the Delaware Water Gap has been shelved, thanks to public feedback.
The park service announced the decision Tuesday in the release of its Visitor Use Management Plan for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River.
The Delaware Water Gap spans more than 70,000 acres with mountaintop views overlooking the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Officials said trails and facilities have become overcrowded and overtaxed, causing safety and environmental concerns.
The proposed entrance fee —$15 per person, $25 per car, or $20 per motorcycle for a sevenday pass — was viewed as one way to address those issues, along with a backlog of needed repairs.
Feedback during the public input process led officials to abandon the idea.
Hundreds of commenters suggested a wide range of
potential fee exemptions. Some voiced concern that fee collection would impair traffic flow, and others questioned if revenue from fees would actually remain in the park.
“We thank the public for sharing their feedback with us and for their continued involvement throughout the planning process. The VUM Plan was revised with our visitors and stakeholders and not just for them. We asked and we listened.” said Superintendent Sula Jacobs.
Officials say the park will continue with the current expanded amenity fee structure,
and that additional park sites may be included as amenity fee sites in the future.
The park will move forward with improvements to trails, picnicking areas, and river campsites.
Plans also have been drawn up to increase and improve accessibility to facilities and programs throughout the park. Projects include improvements to fishing piers and canoe/kayak access points, along with ramp access to key public buildings.
“We will continue having conversations with the park community as we move forward
with individual plan strategies, some of which will require additional public review and feedback,” Jacobs added. “As a result of this planning process, we hope
the public will trust that we are listening, that all their voices and ideas are important to us, and that they will continue to be engaged in dialog with us about
their national park.”
The full plan is available on the park’s website at nps.gov/ dewa/getinvolved/planning. htm.