The Catskill Chronicle

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (October 28, 2014) – 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/x/8658204 or more information is available on the Conservancy’s website athttp://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.