Washington – A bill that would preserve a citizen action group designed to serve as a liaison between National Park Service officials and park neighbors and visitors, passed the House floor by unanimous consent. This bipartisan bill reauthorizes the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DWGNRA) Citizens Advisory Commission (CAC) for an additional year.

H.R. 7017 was cosponsored by Reps Scott Garrett (R-NJ), whose district includes the New Jersey portion of the DWGNRA, and Chris Carney (D-10), whose district includes the Pike County portion of the recreation area.

“My constituents have expressed to me their overwhelming support of reauthorizing the DWGNRA Citizens Advisory Commission”, said Carney. “I firmly believe that citizen participation in government is the best way to have good government. Thanks to the dedicated members of the Commission over the last two decades, the millions of visitors to the National Recreation Area each year have a greater appreciation of the beautiful natural resource. This one-year reauthorization is just a start and that we are already working on a more comprehensive reauthorization bill that we plan to introduce early in the 111th Congress.”

The Delaware Water Gap area has an unfortunate history, one marked by “improper government interference and federal invasion of the rights of property owners”, noted Carney.

In 1988, Rep. Garrett’s predecessor, Rep. Marge Roukama, authored legislation establishing a Citizen’s Advisory Commission (CAC) to provide a forum for the public to interact with park officials. The CAC was reauthorized for an additional decade in 1998.