NARROWSBURG – The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) Vice Chairperson, Aaron Robinson, who is the representative from Shohola Township, is calling on fellow UDC representatives to join Shohola in making an amendment to the River Management Plan. 

Since the UDC’s inception in 1988, the River Management Plan was created to establish general guidelines for land and water use regulations in the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (part of the National Park Service). 

The plan envisioned a $500,000 annual budget to operate the UDC, with a 60% federal share through a line item in the National Park Service’s budget and 40% to be equally allocated by the State of New York and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

However, since 1988, the federal cost-share has remained at $300,000 annually with no inflationary adjustments, and neither state partner has ever contributed direct financial aid. The UDC has been sounding the alarm for years over this lack of funding.

Now, Robinson hopes that an amendment will remedy the language as outlined in the founding plan and create a funding structure that can’t be disregarded. 

A 2021 independent economic analysis commissioned by the UDC projected that, without any relief, the UDC will need to make cuts.

“If we’re not funded, we’re done. So it’s fund or die,” Robinson said at the UDC monthly meeting on March 31.

The proposed resolution, presented by the Shohola Township Board of Supervisors, calls for state and federal funding to be increased and adjusted annually, and that the states re-affirm their commitments to meet their funding obligations. 

“The reason for the amendment would be to bring all the funding parties together, and say, ‘we can no longer function as intended by the original plan,’” Robinson said.

Some of the other UDC representatives said they would talk to their town supervisors to get their feeling on it first, and others questioned if this route would make any actual changes. 

“I’m just concerned that this is going to be [more of] the same thing,” said Cochecton rep. Larry Richardson. “I don’t see [how] adding wording to this amendment is going to change New York or Pennsylvania’s [stance].”

According to the UDC’s five year plan, past actions taken have included letter campaigns, gathering support, exploring legal options and finding alternative funding options. 

Any further actions on the proposal from Shohola would require approval by a majority vote of the 15 representatives (13 local governments and two states). The National Park Service is a non-voting member. 

The representative from the Town of Fremont, Jim Rodgers, said he would bring the proposal to his supervisor, but asked, “How is this going to get the ball rolling?”

Robinson reiterated, “A vote against it is a vote against our future, because we’re running out of gas.” 

The representatives agreed to ask Tom Shepstone, local planning consultant and an original author of the 1986 River Management Plan, to provide a written advisory opinion on pursuing the strategy in advance of the next May 7 UDC monthly meeting.

According to UDC Executive Director, Laurie Ramie, he has agreed to do so.