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Northampton County Council backs Delaware Water Gap for federal Explore Act gateway pilot
Summary
Northampton County Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting inclusion of the Delaware Water Gap area in the federal Explore Act Gateway Community Pilot Program after public comments from local municipal liaisons, fire and township officials, and a county executive letter were read into the record.
Northampton County Council voted 7-0 on May 15 to declare its support for inclusion of the Delaware Water Gap area in the federal Explore Act Gateway Community Pilot Program.
The resolution followed public comments and letters read into the record endorsing inclusion of Upper Mount Bethel Township, Lower Mount Bethel Township and Portland Borough as gateway communities to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Jessica Berger, deputy director of administration and public information officer, read a letter from County Executive Lamont G. McClure urging the U.S. Department of the Interior to include Northampton County communities.
The petitioners said gateway status would help communities manage growing visitor use and related problems. Tara Mezzanati, a municipal liaison coordinating the multijurisdictional effort, told council, “If there's going to be 10 gateway community pilot programs ... we might as well fight for the opportunity to be 1 of them.” Dave Friedman of Upper Mount Bethel Township said the program could help mitigate dangerous pedestrian crossings, lack of bathrooms and garbage pickup at popular stopping points on Route 611. Lance Prater, of Portland Borough and a member of the Portland Hook and Ladder Company, said the pilot “is gonna make it easier for us to get our emergency services up where they need to be.”
The Explore Act, signed into law Jan. 4, 2025, creates a gateway community pilot program to study visitor impacts and provide technical and financial assistance to communities that serve as access points to federally managed lands. The council resolution notes that inclusion would not bind Northampton County to any financial commitments.
The resolution cites support from neighboring counties and federal representatives; the meeting record includes a letter from U.S. Rep. Ryan McKenzie expressing support. Council discussion raised no objections before the unanimous vote.
The council’s resolution and the public comments tie local concerns—traffic, emergency response and litter—to a broader push by municipalities in three counties and two states to seek federal assistance for shared recreational corridors. Council members scheduled no further county financial commitments in the resolution.
