By Latisha Omeruah, Project Manager, National Park Initiative, Office of Senator Tom Carper

Published on March 6, 2008
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The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a Special Resource Study in the coastal region of Delaware. The purpose of this study is to analyze select sites in the First State and evaluate them for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

It is not easy for a site to become a national park area. All units must meet stringent criteria for: national significance, suitability for inclusion, feasibility and the need for NPS management. This study will also develop alternative management and protection approaches that do not require Congressional designation, or inclusion in the National Park System.

“Delaware is the only state in the union without a national park unit, and the NPS wants to ensure that important places in the state are considered for inclusion in the National Park System,” said NPS Northeast Regional Director, Dennis Reidenbach.

The Delaware study focuses on the coastal regions of the state, but other sites may be considered. The NPS also welcomes suggestions from the public on sites that merit scrutiny.

“It is important for people to participate in this study, to determine if the First State will get its first national park unit,” said Reidenbach.

Public meetings were held in Milford and New Castle in October of 2007, and more will be announced over the next two years. People may also learn more about the project and post comments at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkHome.cfm?parkId=261.

In 2002, Senator Tom Carper sponsored a public process to solicit ideas and gauge public support for the creation of a national park unit in Delaware. The Senator, his staff, and a committee consisting of prominent Delawareans undertook a three-year process. The result of this research was a recommendation for a national coastal heritage park.

One of many possible alternatives that will be evaluated during the Special Resource Study is the proposal by Senator Carper. If implemented, this would establish a network of interpretive centers that are linked together with important natural and historic resources throughout the state.

The NPS study was directed by the U.S. Congress and is a project of the National Park Service’s Northeast Region Park Planning and Special Studies Division, which is located in Philadelphia. This type of study typically takes about two years to complete. Once finished, its findings and recommendations will be submitted to Congress as a report from the Secretary of the Interior.

For more information about the Delaware National Coastal Special Resource Study, please visit the website above. There you will find notices for meetings whenever they are scheduled in the future. And for additional insight, please contact Planner/Project Leader, Peter Samuel at (215) 597-1848 or peter_samuel@nps.gov.