Working to Improve Access on the Upper Delaware River

Delaware Highlands Conservancy Launches Fundraising
Campaign for River Access in Long Eddy, NY

Hawley, PA and Bethel, NY— Hours of community input are coming to
fruition as the next phase of the Sullivan County River Access Plan, an initiative
which has engaged and activated the community, is now being initiated.

As Sue Currier, Executive Director for the Delaware Highlands Conservancy,
explains, “The Conservancy is honored to be helping to implement a plan that
Sullivan County and the community developed to revitalize river communities,
enhance our economic vitality, and develop a coordinated, cohesive approach to
branding the county’s river accesses. As a result, we’re coordinating a
fundraising campaign to make this next phase happen, beginning with the Long
Eddy river access.”

The purpose of the fundraising campaign is to purchase, protect, and improve
the fishing and boat access site to the Delaware River located in Long Eddy,
Sullivan County, NY.

At present, the Long Eddy access is popular with river guides and recreational
users, but does not have a ramp or sufficient parking. The resulting crowded
conditions reduce use by all but the most determined, and create conflicts over
inappropriate parking with the nearby residents and businesses. The recently
completed Sullivan County River Access Plan has identified the need to enhance
access to the Delaware River for recreational enthusiasts and provide additional
economic lift to our river towns, such as Long Eddy.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has signed a contract to acquire a piece
of private property located along the Delaware River, adjacent to the existing
road used as the boat launch. It will be conveyed to the NYS DEC, who will in
turn improve the boat launch for all river users.

The purchase, holding, and subsequent transfer of the property will cost
approximately $20,000, and the Conservancy is hosting a fundraising campaign
to cover these costs. The campaign may be accessed via Indiegogo at
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/improve-the-long-eddy-river-access or more information is available on the Conservancy’s website at http://www.DelawareHighlands.org. Every dollar donated goes
directly to the project and, in turn, benefits the local community, its businesses,
and all river users.

As Jeff Graff, an avid fly fisherman, explains, "The Delaware River is a truly
amazing natural resource and a fly fisherman’s dream. It’s clear, clean waters
flow over cobble bottom long eddies and riffles that meander through the
ancient, dark hills and hardwood forests of southern New York and northeastern
Pennsylvania and hold abundant populations of healthy, wild rainbow and
brown trout. Its prolific aquatic insect hatches of mayflies, caddis flies and
stoneflies provide some of the best and most challenging fly fishing
opportunities for fishermen in the United States.”\

He continues, “Creating and maintaining access to the river is essential, not only
to fishermen interested in ensuring that the fishery remains vital and accessible
to drift boats and wade fishermen, but also to other recreational users of the river
such as canoeists and kayakers."

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy works with landowners and communities
to protect the healthy lands, clean waters, eagles and other wildlife, and
sustainable economies of the Upper Delaware River region. For more
information, send an email to info@delawarehighlands.org or call 845-583-1010