December 24, 2008

Christmas in the Poconos came two days early this year.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the National Wildlife Refuge designation to Cherry Valley on Tuesday, an historic achievement for conservation in the Poconos.

Although there are 538 national wildlife refuges, this is only the third in Pennsylvania.

The last time a refuge was formed in the Northeast was almost 10 years ago. The last one in Pennsylvania was 36 years ago.

A national wildlife refuge designation is the federal government's acknowledgement of significant natural resources in an area and the need to protect them. Refuges are set aside specifically for the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants.

The area, which lies in the Borough of Delaware Water Gap and Stroud, Hamilton, Chestnuthill, Ross and Smithfield townships, will encompass 20,466 acres between Godfrey Ridge and Kittatinny Mountain. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will make federal money available to purchase properties from willing sellers to be set aside for protection of plants, animals and fish.

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-11, who spearheaded the effort, made the announcement at the Ridgecrest at Stroudsmoor, perched atop Godfrey Ridge overlooking the valley below.

He credited an excited community that put aside its partisanship and got together for a common cause.

"I'm extremely excited. It's very overwhelming. It means the valley will remain as it is," said Debra Schuler, president of the Friends of Cherry Valley, in an emotional address marked by frequent pauses as she gathered her composure.

Even the hardened politicians acknowledged the significance of the announcement.

"This will be one of the highest moments in my career. It really proves that people in government can get together and accomplish something," Kanjorski said.

"This has been a labor of love for me," said U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-15, who joined with Kanjorski to co-sponsor the original bill calling for a study of the area.

Dent's grandfather once owned a basketball camp in the valley in the 1930s and '40s called Camp Dent, and so the congressman spent a lot of time in the area growing up. The camp, located smack in the center of the valley, was donated to the Allentown YMCA and eventually sold to a local owner, who still operates it today.

"This happened because of all of you. There was a great consensus in this community. You've really done something remarkable here," he said.

Only lands owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would comprise the National Wildlife Refuge. The larger "acquisition boundary" is the area within which the service would be authorized to acquire land from willing sellers.

The speed with which the approval process moved caught everyone off-guard.

"I'm really shocked to be here today making this announcement. I thought it would take years to accomplish." Kanjorski added.

The benefits of the designation will go beyond the residents of the valley.

"It will generate economic impact for people in the tourism industry," said Mathilda Sheptak, deputy executive director of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau said.

Visitors will be limited to the federally owned properties.

The Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge joins the Erie National Wildlife Refuge in western Pennsylvania, and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia as one of the three in the state.