The D&L Blog

With the final report due online in the coming weeks, the 12-month Delaware Canal Vision Study process is nearly complete. It’s the first step in a comprehensive partnership to assist the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with the complexities of Delaware Canal stewardship.

To raise awareness about the process, DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn attended the Study’s May 10th rollout in viewof the National Historic Landmark at the Black Bass Inn.

Since early 2015, the D&L has partnered on the project conceived by Delaware Canal 21 (DC21) in cooperation with DCNR and the Friends of the Delaware Canal. Multiple organizations and agencies participated and the William Penn Foundation provided funding.

Simone Col l ins Lands cape Architecture and Harris Steinberg, AIA were retained to conduct study tasks. They worked closely with DCNR and the project team. Representatives from state and federal agencies and other non-profit partners met periodically to review progress and provide guidance to the team. Six public and five stakeholder meetings were conducted across the 60-mile corridor. Additional local and agency meetings were conducted.

The process set out to create New Partnerships for New Era. The Vision Study identifies a series of steps needed to advance the Canal’s sustainability. Most of these opportunities demand dedicated partnerships to solve the complex issues that cannot be achieved by any single agency. Federal, state, municipal, county, non-profits, resident, and visitor support are all needed to assist DCNR to restore, maintain, and operate a watered Delaware Canal.

Draft and final study reports were created as web-based documents, which can be viewed at delawarecanalvision.org