Saturday & Sunday
September 29-30, 2012
Rain or Shine!

Saturday, 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM

Admission: $9 (Children under 12 FREE)
Click here for a $1 off admission
Free Parking
No pets, please!

At the Sussex County Fairgrounds
37 Plains Road
Augusta, NJ 07851

This a juried show of 150+ exhibitors of Fine Craft, each selected for excellence and originality in twelve different medias including ceramics & pottery, drawing & painting, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wood and baskets.

2012 Fine Craft Fair

Fine Craft Exhibitors
Artist Demonstrations
Activities for Kids
Community Groups
Live Music
Food and Drink
Craft Fair Program PDF
Volunteer at the Peters Valley Craft

• Wish you were here!” Vacation items such as postcards can document the changing uses of the land that is now the park. Ranger Kathleen Sandt will share gems from her private collection of memorabilia and guide an “armchair tour” of recognizing familiar places as they once were. Let’s go!
There is no admission fee for this program.

Location: PEEC; Pocono Environmental Education Center Fee Information: Free
Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) | Directions http://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/directions-to-peec.htm

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov

Superintendent John J. Donahue announced that the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (NRA) and the Friends of the Delaware Water Gap NRA will present “Lenape Lifeways,” a lecture on Saturday, June 16, at 6 p.m. at the Pocono Environmental Education Center near Dingmans Ferry, PA.

Carla Messinger, a descendant of the Lenape (Delaware) Indians, will present a picture of early American Indian life, refuting stereotypes, to develop an understanding of the Lenape nature-centered lifestyle. Her mission is “to present, preserve, and perpetuate the history, life ways, culture, and contributions of the Lenape and other Native American groups.” As Director of Native American Heritage Programs, she continues that commitment today.
There is no admission fee for this program. For more Information about the park and programs, please visit www.nps.gov/dewa or call (570) 426-2452, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Presented by Carla Messinger of Lenape Programs. http://www.lenapeprograms.info/Presenters/my_experience.htm

If you just want to spend the day out, why not visit the ornate shoppes of historic downtown Milford. Enjoy lunch at one of the many fine cafes.

http://www.gomcta.com/trip.php

Department:Department Of The Interior

Agency:National Park Service

Job Announcement Number:GETT-12-65DEU (US609721)

SALARY RANGE: $16.92 to $16.92 / Per Hour
OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, February 16, 2012 to Thursday, March 15, 2012
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0189-05
POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time – Temporary NTE 1039 hours

DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy(s) – Bushkill, PA United StatesView Map

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: United States Citizens

JOB SUMMARY:
Experience your America and build a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service. Become a part of our mission to unite our past, our cultures and our special places, to establish important connections to the present and build a rich and lasting legacy for future generations. For more information about the National Park Service, click National Park Service.

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: Open to all qualified U.S. citizens. You do not have to be a current or former government employee to be considered for this position.
This recruitment will be used to fill seasonal appointments. These appointments are not to exceed 1039 hours in a twelve month period, although positions may be terminated sooner or extended depending on management needs.

EARLY CONSIDERATION DATE: FEBRUARY 29, 2012

This announcement will be used to fill 1 position. This is a summer seasonal job at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, located at Smithfield, Milford and Turtle Beaches. This position is a seasonal temporary position, with a full-time work not to exceed 1039 hours in a service year. Under this type of appointment, selectee(s) may be eligible for rehire in future seasons. Expected to work early June through Labor Day.
There is also a GS-3 and GS-4 Recreation Assistant/Aid (lifeguard) position advertised under GETT-12-64 DEU (US603749). You must submit a separate application package for each announcement.
Go to the right of this “page” and click on “Print Preview” to view and/or print the whole announcement. You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not get full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

•U.S. Citizenship Required
•Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
•Nationally recognized lifeguarding certificate is required.
•Must submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result
•Must pass a pre-employment physical exam

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DUTIES:
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Serves as a lead lifeguard at three beaches, (Milford, Smithfield and Turtle), in the National Recreation Area. Responsible for public safety, water assists and rescues, enforcement of beach regulations, providing first aid and providing visitor information. Supervises beach operations including keeping a constant watch over areas to prevent accidents and water oriented emergencies. Responds to emergency water rescues as team leader. Serves as crew leader for up to 10 lifeguards, GS-03 and GS-04, assisting in duty schedules, training schedules, leading drills and establishes task priorities to ensure the smooth operation of all three beaches. Maintains first aid and EMS supplies and trains others in proper use. Responsible for all case incident reports, daily activity logs, and lost and found items.

At the beginning of each shift, must perform one hour of physical training, which may include but is not limited to running, swimming and/or review of lifeguard skills.

As a condition of employment, applicant will be required to pass a swim test and physical efficiency battery test. The swim test consists of: swimming 1500 feet in 10 minutes; free diving to 15 feet, carrying a swimmer 75 feet at the surface, and treading water (legs only) for 2 minutes. The physical efficiency battery test consists of: a 1.5 mile timed run, a bench press for strength, a flexibility test, and an agility run.

Applicants must hold current certification as an American Red Cross Lifeguard. Applicants must hold at a minimum, certification in American Red Cross Community First Aid and Safety and in CPR for the Professional Rescuer, or equivalent.
FOR SPECIFIC AREA AND HOUSING INFORMATION, OR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE JOB DUTIES, CONTACT: Michele Kuna at 570-426-2440 or by email at michele_kuna@nps.gov
ADDITONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Number of Vacancies – approximately 1 positions; this announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies.
IF YOU APPLY: Please carefully read the information and carefully follow all the steps under How To Apply to assure that you received full consideration. Your resume or application should include a work experience block for each paid or non-paid position that relates to the job for which you are applying. To assure proper credit, you MUST indicate the month and year you began and ended each job, and the number of hours worked per week. (If the position was seasonal, please indicate the months you worked each year.)
AREA INFORMATION: Delaware Water Gap NRA is a 70,000 acre park located along 40 miles of the Delaware River. The park is approximately 80 miles west of New York City and approximately 100 miles north of Philadelphia. Nearby towns are Stroudsburg, PA, Milford, PA, Newton, NJ and Sparta, NJ. All services including elementary school, college, medical services and other community needs are available in Stroudsburg, PA, Port Jervis, NY, and Newton, NJ. Winters are generally mild as are the summers with average temperatures in the summer about 80 degrees with some humidity and average temperatures in the winter time about 30 degrees.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Must be in excellent physical helath, must be able to swim for long distances in river current. Must be able to cope with the physical and mental rigors of emergency management in life threatening situations. May be required to free dive to depths greater than 20 feet in rescue situations.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: Performed outdoors in warm climate. Extremes in temperature and humidity are common. Ambient air temperatures in the high 90′s are recorded every summer and water temperatures can be as low as 55 degrees.
TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION AND RELOCATION EXPENSES: WILL NOT BE PAID.

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QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
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All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement, Thursday, March 15, 2012. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors.

QUALIFICATIONS: To be eligible for this position, you must possess the qualifying specialized experience and/or education as well as selective factors as described in the occupational/assessment questionnaire and as outlined below.

Selective Factor:
Selectee must possess a nationally recognized Lifeguarding Certifications. Certification must be from a nationally recognized organization, such as the American Red Cross, the YMCA, American Heart Association and United States Lifeguard Association.
Qualifications: For GS-05: 12 months of specialized experience OR 4 years of education above high school with at least 24 semester hours in courses related to recreation or physical education.
Specialized experience is experience which is in the occupation of the position to be filled, in a related occupation, or in one of the specialized areas within that occupation, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Applicants can verify accreditation HERE
Transcripts do not need to be official but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify then you will need to provide official transcripts before you enter on duty.
You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited education institution in the United States when you apply. For further information click HERE.

REQUIREMENTS

1. This position requires the incumbent to wear the National Park Service lifeguard uniform in accordance with applicable policies as a condition of employment.
2. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued drivers license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued drivers license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver’s licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver’s license.
3. TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION AND RELOCATION EXPENSES: WILL NOT BE PAID.
4. TOUR OF DUTY: This is a full-time position, working 8 hours days, five days a week. Will work weekends and holidays
5. PAY: Actual salary for the individual selected for this position will be set in accordance with applicable regulations. Direct Deposit is required as a condition of employment. In accordance with PL 104-134, new employees of the Department of the Interior must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of net pay within 30 days of entrance on duty.
6. FLSA: Non-exempt.
7. PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL: Yes
8. DRUG TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION: Yes – This is a drug testing position. The individual selected for this position will be subject to and must pass a drug test prior to entrance on duty. Incumbents may be subject to random testing.
9. PRE-EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Under the Requirements of the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), all new Federal employees, must pass a background investigation. A pre-employment National Agency Check (NAC) must be completed for anyone who does not already have this level of clearance prior to entry on duty. An additional background security investigation (NACI) will be initiated for those who do not already have this level of clearance. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your rating will be based on both your responses to the Job Assessment Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. The assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)/competencies that are required to perform the work of this position. Only education and experience acquired by the closing filing deadline will be considered.
Please Note: All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. Upon review, if it is determined that your work history, KSAs/competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified or your score may be modified. Please ensure that your work history provides enough detail to support your answers to the KSAs/competencies.
Lifeguarding Experience

Knowledge of Lifeguard Skills

Skill in First Aid/CPR

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as “varies”.

Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. Candidates will be ranked into 3 categories:
Category Group I (Best Qualified) – applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.
Category Group II (Well Qualified) – applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
Category Group III (Qualified) – applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

VETERANS PREFERENCE: Veterans Preference applies to category rating. Within each quality category, veteran’s preference eligibles are listed first, including CP, CPS, XP, and TP. In addition, veterans who have a 10% or more service-connected compensable disability (CP or CPS) are placed at the top of the highest quality category. Applicants referred are listed on the selection certificate alphabetically (veteran’s preference eligibles before non-veterans) without scores.

Order of Consideration: Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications required by the position will be considered in the following order: (1) best qualified applicants entitled to 10-point veterans’ preference who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, best qualified applicants entitled to 10-point or 5-point veterans’ preference, and then all other best qualified applicants, (2) well qualified applicants entitled to 10-point or 5-point veterans’ preference and then all other well qualified applicants, (3) qualified applicants entitled to 10-point or 5-point veterans’ preference and then all other qualified applicants.

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BENEFITS:
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Most Federal employees earn both annual and sick leave. For additional information visit: Leave

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PA

Job Title: Park Guide, GS-0090-03

Department: Department Of The Interior

Agency: National Park Service

Job Announcement Number: ROC-DEWA-12-594844
SALARY RANGE:
$13.47 to $13.47 / Per Hour
OPEN PERIOD:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 to Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SERIES & GRADE:
GS-0090-03
POSITION INFORMATION:
Multiple Schedules – Temporary NTE 1039 hours
DUTY LOCATIONS:
4 vacancy(s) – Bushkill, PA
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
United States Citizens
JOB SUMMARY:

Experience your America by building a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service. The National Park Service preserves unimpaired, the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Would you like to practice your public speaking skills? As a uniformed employee of the National Park Service, you deliver interpretive programs to educate visitors. You independently present a variety of talks and briefings and respond to visitor questions. Your presentations are generally short and concern park orientation and visitor safety. You explain the area’s natural, cultural and/or historic resources, recreational opportunities, concession facilities and services, availability of campgrounds and hiking trails. You provide information on current park events, projects, and policies, as well as updates on issues affecting the natural, historical and/or cultural preservation of the area. Park guides work in or near the park visitor center or visitor contact station, and at auditoriums, campgrounds, trails, or in the field. Other duties may include visitor services such as fee collection, traffic control, back-country patrols, and administrative tasks.

Special note Part Time Position: Part time position will work 24 hours per week including weekends.

The Seasonal Recruitment Operations Center is currently accepting applications to fill up to 4 Full time and 4 Part Time temporary positions at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pennsylvania. Appointments made under this announcement are limited to 1039 hours (six months) in a service year. Appointments may be terminated at any time and can be extended if workload and funding allow. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2012

This announcement is being advertised under delegated examining procedures and is open to all U.S. citizens.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT SUBMIT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT RECEIVE FULL CONSIDERATION.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

U.S. Citizenship required.
Background and/or Security Investigation required.
Selective Service Registration if applicable.
Must possess or be able to obtain state issued driver’s license.
Wearing a National Park Service uniform is required.

DUTIES:
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The primary purpose of this position is to give talks, guide people, answer questions, and provide services to visitors. Performs visitor center operations at Kittatinny Point Visitor Center (NJ), Dingmans Falls Visitor Center (PA), and may assist in the operation of Millbrook Village (NJ), a recreated 19th century farming community, to provide accurate and relevant information and orientation to the public about park resources, visitor facilities, activities and services, and safety regulations. Staffs visitor center information desk, serving as initial contact for visitors. Provides visitors with current and accurate information on a variety of subjects and interprets park values for visitors with varying interests and backgrounds. Presents limited and repetetive interpretive programs, including map talks, static exhibit interpretation, and map talks. Performs roving interpretation at busy sites, providing visitors with information on park-related activities, services, safety and resource regulations, and park themes. May provide basic First Aid/CPR when needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Standing for long periods of time, walking for distances up to six miles daily, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items in a repetitive motion is required. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Extreme physical exertion may be required while performing search and rescue, wildland fire fighting and other emergency response duties.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is performed indoors at the visitors center as well as in outdoor areas resulting in exposure to extreme temperatures, rain, snow, wind and direct sunlight.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a 70,000 acre park located along 40 miles of the Delaware River. The park offers over 90 miles of trails, 40 miles of the Delaware River, over 300 animal and plant species, spectacular waterfalls (including the two highest in PA), and over 1000 archeological and historic sites. The park is approximately 80 miles west of New York City and approximately 100 miles north of Philadelphia. Nearby towns are Stroudsburg, PA, Milford, PA, Newton, NJ and Sparta, NJ. All services including elementary school, college, medical services, and other community needs are available in Stroudsburg, PA, Port Jervis, NY, and Newton, NJ. Summers are generally mild with average temperatures about 80 degrees with some humidity; average temperatures in the winter are about 30 degrees. Temporary housing may be available at a cost.

For more information, view the full employment listing http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/307470900

“We continue to have the line built and in service by spring of 2015,” Spinelli read from the letter. Spinelli is a local activist who has led the fight against raising the existing power line towers to 195 feet and increasing the feed to 500 kilovolts, an increase that some critics of the idea say leads to cancer risks from electromagnetic waves.

That debate continues in a second round of public hearings on three successive days, the first on Jan. 24 at Fernwood Resort in Lehman Township, followed by one in Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg on Jan. 25 and one in Farmstead Golf and Country Club in Lafayette, N.J,. on the third day. There is an open house informational session from 2 to 4 p.m. at each hearing site each day, followed by the hearings from 6 to 9 p.m.

Seventeen months ago, Fernwood was packed with residents, business leaders and lawmakers, most of them expressing opposition.

These hearings come in the aftermath of the National Park Service’s Environmental Impact Statement which, combined with the comments from the upcoming hearings, will lead to a decision in October, and “probably sooner than that,” said Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Superintendent John Donahue, who must recommend either one of five proposed routes, or not allowing a change at all in the part of the 145-mile line that goes through national parkland.

“Demand (for power) is dropping,” Spinelli said. “It continues to drop by as much as 20 percent but some of these companies like PSE&G (Public Service Electric and Gas in New Jersey) and PPL refuse to let this line go and the Obama administration has fast tracked the line (for permits). There’s a huge disagreement whether it’s legal or not.”

Fred Stine of the Delaware Riverkeepers said that it is one of six fast-tracked energy projects, the other five west of the Mississippi River.

Some 6,700 comments were made at the last series of hearings and there is hope that the numbers will compare. But it may not come easily on this side of the Delaware.

New Jersey has an organized movement led by the New Jersey Highlands Coalition with strong support from Stop The Lines along with Save the Park, the Sierra Club of New Jersey and of Pennsylvania, as well as the National Parks Conservation Association out of Washington, D.C., and the Appalachian Mountains Club.

But Pennsylvanians have been strained by another issue that has stolen the attention over the past year — the natural gas drilling of Marcellus shale. Environmentalists say drilling encroaches on our natural resources and their esthetics and compromises quality of life of those residents.

“That has overwhelmed the activists and individuals (in Pennsylvania),” Stine said. “That’s where their energies are going and the impacts there. That’s huge. But this is huge. There are a lot of balls in the air right now. I do think that for people with limited time and resources and energy. The fracking issue is huge and puts a greater challenge on this issue but it’s still a winnable battle.”

The Riverkeepers take issue with the Environmental Impact Statement, saying that it does not recognize threats to water and the air from coal burning plants supplying the electricity, which can lead to acid rain that pollutes waterways.

Elliott Ruga, senior policy analyst and campaign coordinator for the N.J. Highland Coalition, said he is “very encouraged by the volume of public comment during the National Park Service scoping process” and said his group expects a solid turnout.

“PSE&G has just filed freshwater wetlands applications with New Jersey and that has energized concerns again,” said Ruga of the 750-page application. “PSE&G is trespassing for rights of way and a lot of people are angry. A lot of species and prime wetlands impacted.”

That becomes important in the Highlands region, which supplies more than half of the water to the state.

“In the Highlands, we have issues of concerns, not just the impact of power lines and other utility linear infrastructure projects such as pipelines to transport Marcellus shale gas,” said Ruga, referring to the drilling taking place in Pennsylvania. “Collectively, those things are shredding the Highland core forests into ribbons and have impacted their abilities to process a water supply.”

Herb Meyerson, head of the Friends of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, recognizes this is a not in my backyard stance by many residents who live around the power lines and has endorsed a “no action” alternative by the national park.

Meyerson said. “We must all work together to protect what is ‘everybody’s backyard’ for the inspiration and enjoyment of our children’s children. It is time we all recognize what a great gift the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is and help to protect it instead of trying to put everything we dislike in the park.”

The key, all sides agree, is if the public can sustain its passionate opposition that has been noticed by Donahue and his associates.

Money is involved. Saw Creek Estates took a restitution from the power companies to drop its lawsuit, which was becoming prohibitively expensive. Two days after that agreement, Spinelli resigned as a member of the Saw Creek Estates Board of Directors so he could continue the fight.

“I’m sure the public response to these meetings will be very strong,” Spinelli said. “The park’s leadership has done a great job holding the line against very powerful pressure.”

Donahue said the energy companies ” might come to the public and offer something huge for what they want.”

But Stine and Spinelli both said, “It’s not a done deal” for the 145-mile project to continue.

“We do need the public at these hearings,” Stine said emphatically.

To those in favor, it’s about progress. To the opponents, it’s about health and esthetics of keeping the beautiful vistas of nature undisturbed.

These hearings will figure in that decision in the fall.

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Residents: Stop power line at national park
By David Pierce
Pocono Record Writer
January 13, 2012
The woman who played a key role in blocking the massive Tocks Island dam project four decades ago was among a dozen people who brainstormed Thursday night on how to stop a 147-mile long electric power line from going through the national park.

The dam project resulted in federal government evictions of 1,200 property owners along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. But the dam was defeated in 1975 and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area originally created as part of the dam project preserved a free-flowing river, natural landscape and historic heritage.

Shawnee resident and former Monroe County Commissioner Nancy Shukaitis said the 1965 act creating the park included regulations that should prevent PPL Electric and PSE&G from placing taller towers in a park right-of-way. The utilities want to cross the park, river and Appalachian Trail near Fernwood Resort in Bushkill as part of its Susquehanna to Roseland, N.J., route.

“To do things a 1,000 times to the opposite of those rules is unbelievable,” Shukaitis said. “We can’t move the park, but we can move the line.”

Kate Millsaps of the New Jersey Sierra Club and Fred Stine of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network led the discussion in advance of National Park Service hearings at Fernwood Resort on Jan. 24 and Stroudsburg on Jan. 25 on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the power line plan. The NPS is expected to make a final decision among several options — from using the right-of-way, making other crossings, or not crossing the park at all — in about a year.

Shukaitis said dam opponents contacted congressmen in and around the Tocks Island — who nearly unanimously supported the project initially — and eventually convinced them to preserve the valley.

“Congress has to be educated just like everyone else on these sorts of things,” said Shukaitis, whose family lost farmland to the park. “This is our gift. It’s America’s gift to the Poconos.”

Shukaitis, accompanied by her husband Joe, expressed disappointment that more people didn’t attend the meeting.

Millsaps said 6,500 people expressed comments in 2010 during the initial National Environmental Policy Act “scoping” process. She expressed hope that people will turn out again for this month’s hearings.

She said the National Park Service identified the “no build” option as its preference in the draft review, but wide public support is needed for the NPS to ultimately direct the line elsewhere.

“We need to give them the public support so they can make that decision politically,” Millsaps said.

She said there are a hundred reasons to oppose the power line. But NPS is most interested in how tower height expansion from 95 feet to 195 feet, and possible right-of-way widening from 100 feet to 300 feet, will impact the park experience, Millsaps added.

“That’s the part that really needs to be driven home,” Millsaps said. “It will impair park resources.” ]]> http://friendsofdewa.org/wp/?feed=rss2&p=379 0 http://friendsofdewa.org/wp/?p=376 http://friendsofdewa.org/wp/?p=376#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:42:19 +0000 friendsofdewa@aol.com http://friendsofdewa.org/wp/?p=376 Continue reading →]]> Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Public Meetings for Transmission Line Right-of-Way Draft EIS
BUSHKILL, PA – Superintendent Pamela Underhill and Superintendent John J. Donahue invite all interested parties to attend any or all of the three public meetings for the National Park Service’s Susquehanna to Roseland 500 kV Transmission Line Right-of-Way and Special Use Permit Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS). The meetings will be held on January 24, 25, and 26, 2012.

The National Park Service has been reviewing a permit application from the Pennsylvania Power and Light Electric Utilities (PPL) and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G). The application proposes the replacement of an existing 230kV transmission line through park lands with a double circuit transmission line carrying both the 230kV (capable of being energized to 500 kV) and a new 500kV line. These lines would cross the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
While several alternatives have been identified in the DEIS, including the environmentally preferred alternative, the agency preferred alternative will not be selected until public involvement is complete. Public input and participation is essential in deciding the final outcome and is specifically required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended.

The DEIS can be downloaded from the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/DEWA. A CD or hardcopy of the document will be provided to those who request one. A desk copy is also available for viewing at Park Headquarters located at 1 River Road (off US 209) Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Additionally, hardcopies are available at local libraries.

Public comment is extremely important and will be accepted through January 31, 2012. There are several ways to submit comments during this period:

• Online – through the project website shown above;

• Through the mail – send your written comments to:
Morgan Elmer
National Park Service
Denver Service Center
12795 West Alameda Parkway
Post Office Box #25287
Denver, Colorado 80225-0287 or

• In person – attend one of the public meetings below and deliver your comments orally or in writing.

PUBLIC MEETING DATES & LOCATIONS
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 (snow date 1/31, if required)
Fernwood Hotel and Resort
U.S. 209 Bushkill, PA 18324

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
(snow date 2/1, if required)
Stroudsmoor Country Inn – Ridgecrest
RD#4 Stroudsmoor Road
Stroudsburg, PA 18360

Thursday, January 26, 2012 (snow date 2/2, if required)
Farmstead Golf and Country Club
88 Lawrence Road
Lafayette, NJ 07848

Each meeting will follow the same format with an Open House from 2:30 – 4:30 pm to learn about the project, followed by a Public Hearing from 6:00 – 9:00 pm to submit oral or written comments into the record.

Additional detailed information about the need for the EIS and the project timeline can be found on the National Park Service PEPC website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dewa.

www.nps.gov