As the First State, Delaware has been a leader in many areas throughout history except for one: national parks. Every state and territory in the nation except Delaware has at least one. The National Park System manages over 80 million acres of historic and environmentally important lands, but none of them are located within the state. Senator Carper has been working diligently for many years now to remedy this problem and establish a Delaware National Park site.
What this means for Delaware:
Through conversations with land owners, non-profits, and government agencies, as well as recommendations from the National Park Service, in 2011 Senator Carper and Congressman Carney were able to release bills in both the Senate and the House respectfully (S. 323 and H.R. 624) regarding the future of a National Park in Delaware. Proposed locations for the National Historical Site can be found in each county and among them are:
- New Castle County
- The Old Sheriff's House
Fort Christina National Historic Landmark
Old Swedes Church National Historic Landmark
Old New Castle Courthouse
- Kent County
- John Dickinson Plantation National Historic Landmark
Dover Green
- Sussex County
- Ryves Holt House
DNS's position on the issue:
The Delaware Nature Society fully supports the establishment of a National Park within the state. However, until the creation of a Delaware National Park, DNS encourages you to enjoy anyone of the over 25 National Park sites in our region including Independence Hall, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the National Mall, or the C&O Canal.
For more information, please visit the National Park Service website.
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