Report Oct 11, 2018

Making Connections: Roots of Prosperity in New York and Pennsylvania’s Upper Delaware River Region

In October 2018, National Parks Conservation Association and partners released a new report to highlight stories from the emerging economy in the Upper Delaware River region, an area in Pennsylvania and New York stretching from Hancock, NY downstream to Port Jervis, and anchored by the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (S&RR).

The Upper Delaware S&RR is unusual in that, of its 55,575 acres, the National Park Service directly owns or manages only 31 acres. The NPS works in a unique collaborative management arrangement with its community partners to manage a 73-mile long relatively narrow river corridor.

NPCA commissioned this report to spotlight exciting, inspirational efforts underway in the region that suggest the shape of the region’s future economic vitality. More than most parks, the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River depends upon the stewardship practices of its community neighbors.

Many initiatives build on the region’s history of offering ‘pure air, pure water, pure milk’ as promoted in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. Others reflect a sharing economy that pools resources for shared benefits. Still others are rethinking traditional activities to be more compatible with fresh air and clean water, cherished by residents and visitors alike.

Read more from NPCA

  • Policy Update

    Position on H.J. Res. 106

    Aug 2025

    NPCA submitted the following position to members of the House of Representatives ahead of an expected floor vote the week of September 1, 2025.

  • Blog Post

    National Pastimes

    Aug 2025 | By Todd Christopher

    Did you know that several Minor League Baseball teams have monikers inspired by national park sites and the places and stories they preserve?

  • Blog Post

    A Picture of What Can Be: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

    Aug 2025 | By Susanna Klingenberg

    This land’s unlikely victory proves that national parks can evolve into centers of community, agriculture and environmental justice.