Delaware is currently the only state
without a unit in the National Park Service. Last year, after
nearly two years of research and planning that involved state officials,
community leaders and activists, I unveiled a proposal to create
the Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park.
This park would link various sites across
the state that tell the story of Delaware’s coastal heritage, from the days
of the area’s earliest inhabitants to the bustling financial,
tourism and recreational area that Delaware has become. Among
the themes the park will highlight: the history of indigenous
peoples, colonization and establishment of the Frontier, the nation’s
founding, industrial development, transportation, coastal defense,
the Underground Railroad, and the coastal environment.
The proposal calls on the National Park Service to construct a
series of four interpretive centers, or hubs, that would help local
residents and tourists learn more about how our coastline has contributed
to the development of our state and nation. The centers would
provide information and guidance about the many existing historic
sites, natural areas, recreational opportunities and other attractions
that are part of our coastal region.
However, before a national park can be built in Delaware,
the Park Service must first study the need for and feasibility
of building and running such a park. I’ve introduced
legislation that would require the National Park Service to study
the need for a national park in Delaware and report back to Congress
with its findings. That bill passed the Senate unanimously in November,
and is awaiting approval in the House.
The study would be done in cooperation with the state of Delaware,
coastal communities and the general public. After the study
is completed, the Park Service would then recommend to Congress
whether a national park in Delaware should be created, what it
should look like and how much it would cost to construct. Based
on those recommendations, I would then seek additional legislation
to authorize and fund the park itself.
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